JP2001275932A - Length-measure for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a length-measure for an endoscope which can perform an accurate dimension measurement without being affected by a parallax by closely joining the length-measuring section to a lesion. SOLUTION: The folding line 7 of a folding into a ridge is formed at a location closer to the tip end than a bisecting location between two folding lines 5 and 6 of a folding into a valley. Then, when a core wire 11 for operation is drawn to the base side, a rectangular piece 4 is projected forward from a flexible tube 1 from the vertical direction based on the axis of the flexible tube 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a length measuring instrument for an endoscope which is inserted into a treatment instrument insertion channel of an endoscope and measures the size of an affected part in a body cavity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of measuring instruments for endoscopes have been proposed in the past. However, the size of an affected part in a body cavity or the like can be measured without being reinserted many times into a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope. There is a length measuring device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-192201 as an endoscope measuring device that can easily measure the length.

In the length measuring device, a plurality of vertically long cuts having the same length are formed in the vicinity of the distal end of the flexible tube in parallel with the axial direction of the flexible tube, and strips are formed between the cuts. Then, a valley fold is formed at both ends of each strip, and a mountain fold is formed at an intermediate portion of each strip.

[0004] The strip is bent at each fold by pulling the operating core wire, the tip of which is locked to the tip of the flexible tube and which is inserted into the flexible tube so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction. The lengthwise protruding portion protrudes outward from the flexible tube, and a surface facing the hand side of the protruding portion is configured to be a length measuring portion.

[0005]

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, as shown in FIG.
Project in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible tube 92. Therefore, the strip 91 is floated from the affected part 100 by at least the length of the distal end portion 92 a of the flexible tube 92.

Therefore, when the state of the endoscope 95 protruding from the treatment instrument insertion channel 96 is viewed from the observation window 97, the scale attached to the strip 91 and the affected part 10 on the measurement side are measured.
Since a parallax occurs between 0 and 0, an error occurs in the dimension measurement of the affected part 100.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a length measuring instrument for an endoscope which can perform accurate dimension measurement without the influence of parallax by bringing a length measuring portion into close contact with an affected part.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a length measuring instrument for an endoscope according to the present invention is provided near a distal end of a flexible tube constituting a sheath in an axial direction of the flexible tube. A plurality of vertically long cuts of the same length are formed in parallel with each other, strips are formed between the cuts, valley folds are formed at both ends of each strip, and a peak is formed at an intermediate portion of each strip. A fold is formed, and the operation core wire is inserted into the flexible tube so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction, the tip is locked to the tip of the flexible tube, and the operation core wire is pulled from the hand side. In this way, the strip piece is bent at each fold and protrudes outward from the flexible tube, and the surface facing the hand side of the protruding portion serves as a length measuring section. The fold is closer to the tip than the bisected position between the two valley folds And the strip is projected from the flexible tube forward in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible tube when the operating core wire is pulled toward the user. .

It is preferable that the protruding end of the strip is located on the front side or on the same plane as the distal end of the sheath when the operating core wire is pulled to the full hand side. Also, a scale may be provided on the outer surface between the crest of the mountain fold of each strip and the fold of the valley fold closer thereto, and the outer surface of the strip may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube. May be provided continuously from.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3 shows an endoscope measuring tool in use, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a distal end portion thereof, and FIG. 2 is an external view of a state in which the distal end portion is straightened.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a flexible tube which forms a sheath which can be inserted into and removed from the treatment instrument insertion channel, and has an outer diameter of 1.5 to 2.5 mm and a thickness of 0.2 to 0.2 mm. 4mm
A tetrafluoroethylene resin tube is used.

In the vicinity of the distal end of the flexible tube 1, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, four vertically long cuts 3 of the same length are formed in parallel with the axial direction of the flexible tube 1, whereby strips 4 are formed between the cuts 3. Is formed. In addition, four cuts 3
The flexible tube 1 is formed on the wall of the flexible tube 1 at regular intervals of approximately 90 °.

First and second valley folds 5 and 6 are formed at both front and rear ends of each strip 4 so as to be able to bend outwardly. A fold 7 of a mountain fold is formed.

The length of the portion between the fold 7 of the mountain fold 7 and the fold 5 of the first valley fold 5 (the back strip 4b) on the tip side of the fold 7 and the second valley fold 7 are determined. The length between the fold 6 (front side strip 4a) is longer. That is, A> B in FIG.

The outer surface of a portion (front strip 4a) of each strip 4 between the fold 7 of the mountain fold and the fold 6 of the second valley fold closer to the fold 7 has a dimension such as an affected part. A scale 8 for measurement is provided, and that part is a length measuring unit. Also, graduations 9, 10 similar to the graduation 8
Are also attached to the outer side of the flexible tube 1 and the back side strip 4b continuously from the front side strip 4a.

In the flexible tube 1, a flexible operating core wire 11 is disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction.
Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the engaging tip 12 attached to the distal end of the operating core wire 11 is locked to the distal end base 13 attached to the distal end of the flexible tube 1, whereby the operating core wire is The distal end of 11 is connected to the distal end of the flexible tube 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible tube 1
A base 15 made of plastic or metal is connected and fixed to the base end, and an operation knob 16 attached to the base end of the operating core wire 11 is detachably attached to the base 15. .

When the operation knob 16 is engaged with the base 15, the operation core wire 11 is pushed inward, and the strip 4 is straightened as shown in FIG. When the core wire 11 for operation is removed from the base 15 and pulled toward the user, the strip 4 projects from the flexible tube 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

However, since the length A of the front side strip 4a is longer than the length B of the back side strip 4b as described above, when the operation core wire 11 is pulled toward the hand side, it is shown in FIG. As described above, the strip 4 warps forward from the direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible tube 1 so that the flexible tube 1
Protruding from.

In the present invention, the operating core wire 1 is used.
When 1 is pulled to the full hand side, the protruding end of the strip 4 is located on the front side or on the same side as the leading end of the sheath (that is, the protruding end of the engaging tip 12 protruding from the tip of the flexible tube 1). , The front side strip 4a and the back side strip 4b
Is set.

Next, the use of the endoscope measuring instrument of the above embodiment will be described. When inserting the length measuring instrument for an endoscope of the present invention into the treatment instrument insertion channel of the endoscope, if the operation knob 16 is engaged with the base 15, the strip 4 becomes straight and the treatment instrument becomes straight. It can be easily inserted into the insertion channel.

When measuring the affected part or the like, the strip 4 is made to protrude from the end of the endoscope, and then the operation knob 16 is detached from the base 15 and pulled as it is, as shown in FIG. A piece 4 projects from the flexible tube 1 in a cross shape.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the strip 4 protruding from the treatment tool insertion channel 51 of the endoscope 50 is pressed against the diseased part 100 in the body. Since the end is located on the front side or on the same surface as the most distal end of the sheath, the protruding end of each strip 4 can be brought into close contact with the mucosal surface of the affected part 100 so as not to float off the affected part 100.

Therefore, no parallax is generated between the scale 8 formed on the front side strip 4a and the affected part 100 by observation through the observation window 52 of the endoscope 50 (or very small even if it occurs). By reading the scale 8, the affected area 1
The size of 00 can be measured fairly accurately. If the protruding end of the strip 4 is located on the front side of the distal end of the sheath, the same effect can be obtained even when the affected part 100 is on a slope.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the length of the diseased part 100 is measured by the scale 10 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube 1 by moving the flexible tube 1 along the diseased part 100. And strip pieces 4 as shown in FIG.
In a state where the portion is straightened, the length of the affected part 100 can be measured using the scale 9 attached to the back strip 4b.

[0026]

According to the present invention, when the operating core wire is pulled toward the user, the strip serving as the length measuring portion projects forward from the direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible tube. By doing so, the tip end of the strip can be brought into close contact with the affected part to perform accurate dimension measurement without the influence of parallax.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a distal end portion of an endoscope measuring instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a side external view of the endoscope of the embodiment of the present invention in a state where the distal end portion is straightened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a use state of the length measuring instrument for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a use state of the length measuring instrument for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a use state of the endoscope measuring instrument according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a use state of the endoscope measuring instrument according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a conventional endoscope measuring tool in use.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 flexible tube (sheath) 3 cut 4 strip 4a front strip 4b back strip 5,6 valley fold 7 mountain fold 8,9,10 scale 11 core wire for operation

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of vertically long cuts of the same length are formed in the vicinity of the distal end of a flexible tube constituting a sheath in parallel with the axial direction of the flexible tube, and strips are formed between the cuts. Forming a valley fold at both ends of each of the strips, and forming a mountain fold at an intermediate portion of each of the strips, so that the fold can be advanced and retracted in the axial direction in the flexible tube. , The distal end thereof is engaged with the distal end of the flexible tube, and the operational core wire is pulled from the hand side, whereby the strip is bent at each of the folds and the flexible tube is bent. A length measuring portion for an endoscope, wherein the surface facing the hand side of the protruding portion serves as a length measuring portion, wherein the fold of the mountain fold is formed between the two folds of the two valley folds. It is formed at a position closer to the tip than the equal position, and The endoscope wherein the strip protrudes forward from the flexible tube in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the flexible tube when the working core wire is pulled toward the proximal side. Measuring tool. 2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the protruding end of the strip is located on the front side or on the same plane as the distal end of the sheath when the operating core wire is pulled to the full hand side. Measurement tool. 3. A length measuring device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a scale is provided on an outer surface between the fold of the mountain fold of each of the strip pieces and the fold of the valley fold closer thereto. Utensils. 4. A length measuring instrument for an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein a scale is provided on an outer peripheral surface of said flexible tube from an outer surface of said strip.