JP2002112945A - Operation section of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operation section of an endoscope that can be held without slipping even if an operator loosens his grip and does not fatigue his hands even if endoscopy continues for many hours. SOLUTION: The angle θ formed by the underside of a step portion 16 mounted on the fingers of an operator grasping a grip portion 11 and the axis 11a of the grip portion 11 is made an acute angle, and if the angle is within the range of 45 deg. to 75 deg., even if the grip is loosened by the fourth and fifth fingers, the step portion 16 does not get out of the state of being mounted on the fourth finger. Therefore, the operator can hold the operation section 10 in a stable condition only by applying the fourth and fifth fingers to the grip 11, and by connecting a light guide cable for connecting to a light source device to above the grip so that it may be mounted on the fingers or the hand of the operator grasping the grip in a position away from the step portion, the operation section can be stably held without fully grasping the grip.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an operation section of an endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an operation section of an endoscope has a lower end portion connected to a base end of an insertion portion, and a lower half portion serving as a grip portion to be gripped from behind.

[0003] In order to ease the burden on the operator holding and holding the operation unit, a step on the finger of the operator holding the operation unit is formed at the upper end of the front surface of the grip unit. A part of the weight of the part is supported by the part (JP-A-58-200726).

[0004]

However, although such a step supports a part of the weight of the operation section, when the grip is loosened, the operation section slides in the hand and the step comes off the finger. Therefore, the operator has to continue to hold the operation unit with a certain force or more, and when the endoscopy is performed for a long time, the operator's hands are usually considerably fatigued.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an endoscope in which the operating section is held in the hand without slipping even if the operator looses the grip, and the operator's hand is less fatigued even when the endoscope inspection is performed for a long time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mirror operation unit.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an operation section of an endoscope according to the present invention has a lower end to which a base end of an insertion section is connected and a front upper end of a grip section to be gripped from behind. To
In an operation section of an endoscope in which a step portion to be placed on a finger of an operator holding the grip portion is formed, an angle formed by an axis of the grip portion and a lower surface of the step portion is an acute angle.

The angle between the axis of the grip and the lower surface of the step is preferably in the range of 45 ° to 75 °, and a light guide cable for connecting to the light source device is used for the grip. If it is connected above the grip so that it can be placed on the finger or hand of the gripping operator at a position away from the step,
The operation section can be held in a stable state without having to squeeze the grip section at all.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an operation unit 10 of an endoscope, in which a base end of a flexible insertion unit to be inserted into a body is connected to a lower end of the operation unit 10 and a flexible light connected to a light source device. The proximal end of the guide cable 2 is connected to the rear surface of the upper half.

The lower half of the operation unit 10 is a grip 11, and a bending operation knob 12 for remotely bending a bending portion (not shown) provided near the distal end of the insertion unit 1 is provided. It is arranged on the side surface above the grip portion 11.

An air / water supply operation button 13 and a suction operation button 14 are arranged on the front surface above the grip portion 11, and a treatment tool insertion is provided near a connection portion with the insertion portion 1 below the grip portion 11. The mouth 15 is disposed so as to project obliquely upward.

At a position below the air / water supply operation button 13, a step 16 on the finger of the surgeon holding the grip 11 projects forward from the front surface of the upper end of the grip 11. Is formed.

The step portion 16 is controlled so that the angle θ between the lower surface thereof and the axis 11a of the grip portion 11 becomes an acute angle.
Is formed so as to project obliquely downward from the front surface. In this embodiment, θ ≒ 60 °.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the operator holds the operation unit 10 with his left hand, and FIG. 3 is a plan perspective view of the state as seen from above. The surgeon presses the first finger against the bending operation knob 12 from behind, and turns each fingertip of the second finger and the third finger to the front of the suction operation button 14 and the air / water supply operation button 13. Then, the grip portion 11 is lightly gripped by the fourth finger and the fifth finger, and the step portion 16 is placed on the fourth finger.

Therefore, the weight of the operation unit 10 is
The operation unit 10 is supported on the fourth finger at the portion,
The angle θ between the step 16 and the axis 11a of the grip 11 is 60
°, the step 16 does not deviate from the state of being placed on the fourth finger even if the grip between the fourth and fifth fingers is loosened.

Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to squeeze the grip portion 11 strongly, and the operating portion 10 can be held in a stable state only by moving the fourth finger and the fifth finger along the grip portion 11. .

In this embodiment, the operation unit 10
Near the base of the first finger of the hand holding the (or the first finger and the second finger)
The base of the light guide cable 2 rests on the portion between the fingers.

As a result, as shown in FIG.
The operation unit 10 is placed on the operator's hand on both front and rear sides, and even if the grip unit 11 is not squeezed at all, the operation unit 10
Is kept in a stable state without slipping from the operator's hand.

FIG. 4 shows that the surgeon gently grasps the grip portion 11 of the above embodiment with the third, fourth and fifth three fingers, places the step portion 16 on the third finger, and operates the operation portion 10. The holding state is shown, and when holding in such a manner, the air / water supply operation button 13 and the suction operation button 14 are selected and operated with only the second finger.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the operator holds the operation unit 10 of the endoscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention with his left hand.
The step 16 is formed such that the angle θ formed between the lower surface thereof and the axis 11a of the grip 11 is about 45 °.
Reference numeral 20 denotes an eyepiece.

In this embodiment, the light guide cable 2 is connected to the upper half side surface (rear surface in the figure) of the operation unit 10 and the step 16 is placed on the third finger, and The guide cable 2 is placed near the base of the second finger, and the operation unit 10 is held in a stable state.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the angle θ between the lower surface of the step 16 and the axis 11a of the grip 11 may be an acute angle (less than 90 °). It is very good if it is in the range of about 75 ° to 75 °.

The lower surface of the step 16 does not need to be a flat surface, but may be a curved surface or the like along a finger in contact with the lower surface. In such a case, it suffices that the curved surface includes an acute angle portion with the axis 11a of the grip portion 11.

[0023]

According to the present invention, the angle formed between the lower surface of the stepped portion placed on the operator's finger gripping the grip portion and the axis of the grip portion is made acute, so that the operation can be performed even if the operator looses the grip. The part is held in the hand without slipping, and the operator's hand does not experience great fatigue even if the endoscopy is performed for a long time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an operation unit of an endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a state in which an operator holds an operation unit of the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan perspective view showing a state where an operator holds an operation unit of the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a state in which the operator holds the operation unit of the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a different holding manner.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which an operator holds an operation unit of the endoscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part 2 Light guide cable 10 Operation part 11 Grip part 11a Axis line 16 step part

Claims (3)

[Claims] An endoscope in which a base end of an insertion portion is connected to a lower end portion, and a step portion to be placed on a finger of an operator gripping the grip portion is formed at an upper end portion of a front surface of a grip portion to be gripped from behind. An operation section of an endoscope, wherein an angle formed between an axis of the grip section and a lower surface of the step section is acute. 2. The operation section of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by the axis of the grip section and the lower surface of the step section is in a range of 45 ° to 75 °. 3. A light guide cable for connecting to the light source device is connected above the grip so that the light guide cable is placed on a finger or a hand of an operator gripping the grip at a position away from the step. The operation section of the endoscope according to claim 1.