JP2002214540A - Method of manufacturing endoscope insertion section - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain excellent durability to bending as a result of well coupling of a flexible tube to a mesh-like tube in a method of manufacturing an endoscope insertion section by bundling plural built-in objects and covering the outside surface thereof with a spiral tube and the mesh-like tube in this order, then covering the outside surface thereof with the flexible tube. SOLUTION: A mesh-like tube 12 including metallic element wires is covered with the flexible tube 13 and is then placed in a high-frequency magnetic field, by which the mesh-like tube 12 is made to generate heat and the inside surface of the flexible tube 13 is melted by this heat such that the flexible tube 13 is bonded with the mesh-like tube 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An endoscope insertion section has a structure in which a plurality of internal components such as an optical fiber bundle are bundled and inserted into a flexible tube.

[0003] Such a flexible tube generally has a configuration in which a mesh tube is coated on the outer surface of a helical tube and the outer surface is further coated with an outer skin. An assembling method of inserting a built-in object into a flexible tube assembled as a unit is adopted.

However, in the case of an endoscope or the like having a very small diameter, it is difficult to draw the built-in material into the flexible tube assembled as a unit. After covering in order, the outer surface is formed by covering the outer surface of the flexible tube with a slightly smaller diameter in a state in which the tube is inflated with compressed air or the like.

[0005]

However, in the conventional method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion as described above, the outer sheath and the reticulated tube are not integrally connected, so that the insertion portion is repeatedly bent during use. As a result, the outer skin may be peeled off from the mesh tube, and wrinkles may be generated at the portion, and the flexible tube may buckle.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion section in which a plurality of internal components are bundled, and the outer surface thereof is sequentially covered with a spiral tube and a mesh tube, and then the outer surface thereof is further covered with a flexible tube. In a method, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion, in which a flexible tube is well connected to a braided tube and can obtain excellent durability against bending.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a method of manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the present invention comprises a step of bundling a plurality of internal components such as an optical fiber bundle and forming a spiral tube and a mesh tube on the outer surface thereof. In the method of manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion in which the flexible tube is further covered on the outer surface after the covering in order, the mesh tube includes a metal strand, and the flexible tube is covered with the high-frequency When the reticulated tube is placed in a magnetic field, the reticulated tube is heated, and the heat melts the inner surface of the flexible tube so that the flexible tube is connected to the reticulated tube.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a state before a flexible tube portion is attached to an endoscope insertion portion during a manufacturing process, and a metal or plastic distal end main body 10 in which an objective optical system and the like are incorporated is optically mounted. The tips of a plurality of flexible built-in components 20 including a fiber bundle, tubes, and the like are fixed to form a single unit.

In the first step of attaching the flexible tube portion to the unit, as shown in FIG. 2, a spiral tube 11 made of a stainless steel strip or the like is provided on the outer surface of a plurality of built-in members 20 bundled together. Is coated. The distal end portion of the spiral tube 11 is fitted and connected to the rear half portion of the distal end body 10, and the connection portion A is fixed by an adhesive or soldering.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface of the spiral tube 11 is coated with a braided tube 12 formed by braiding a thin metal wire such as a stainless steel wire. The mesh tube 12 is formed sufficiently longer than the finished dimensions, and at the front and rear end positions B of a portion used as a flexible tube,
It is fixed to the spiral tube 11 by soldering, bonding, spot welding, or the like.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, a flexible tube 13 made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material such as a polyurethane resin is coated on the outer surface of the mesh tube 12.
The inner diameter of the flexible tube 13 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the mesh tube 12, and compressed air is blown into the inside of the flexible tube 13 or the outer surface of the flexible tube 13 is made to have a negative pressure so that the flexible tube 13 13 is slightly expanded in the radial direction to perform a coating operation.

After the flexible tube 13 is completely covered with the braided tube 12, as shown in FIG. 5, the flexible tube 13 and the braided tube 12 are both cut to a finished length as a flexible tube. They are aligned and joined by an adhesive at both front and rear end positions C thereof.

Then, the entire endoscope insertion section in that state is
When placed in the high-frequency coil 30 through which a high-frequency current flows, the conductive mesh tube 12 and the like generate heat by electromagnetic induction, and the heat melts the inner surface portion of the thermoplastic flexible tube 13.

Then, the molten portion of the flexible tube 13 enters into the gap of the mesh tube 12, and in this state, the high-frequency coil 30 is de-energized and the flexible tube 13 is hardened. Tube 13 is mesh tube 1
2 and a state where peeling hardly occurs is obtained.

FIG. 6 shows the endoscope insertion section manufactured in this manner, and a base (not shown) is attached to the base end portion and connected to the operation section. The reticulated tube 12 only needs to have at least a part of a wire made of metal. If the spiral tube 11 is formed of a non-magnetic material or a non-conductive material such as glass fiber or reinforced plastic, the spiral tube 11 will Since no heat is generated by induction, built-in 2
There is no danger of the 0 being thermally damaged.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a plurality of internal components are bundled, the outer surface of which is coated with a spiral tube and a mesh tube in order, and then the outer surface is further covered with a flexible tube. In the method of manufacturing the portion, the inner surface of the flexible tube is melted by the heat generated by the reticulated tube in the high-frequency magnetic field, so that the flexible tube is well coupled to the reticulated tube, and is excellent in bending. A durable insert can be manufactured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a first manufacturing process of a method of manufacturing an endoscope insertion section according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view partially showing a cross section of a second manufacturing process of the method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view partially showing a third manufacturing step of the method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the embodiment of the present invention in a cross section.

FIG. 4 is a side view partially showing a cross section of a fourth manufacturing step of the method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view, partially in section, showing a fifth manufacturing step of the method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a sixth manufacturing step of the method for manufacturing an endoscope insertion portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Front-end | tip main body 11 Spiral tube 12 Reticulated tube 13 Flexible tube 20 Built-in object 30 High-frequency coil

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope insertion section comprising: a plurality of internal components such as an optical fiber bundle; a spiral tube and a mesh tube sequentially covered on the outer surface thereof; and a flexible tube on the outer surface thereof. In the manufacturing method, the reticulated tube includes a metal wire, and the flexible tube is covered with the flexible tube, and then placed in a high-frequency magnetic field to cause the reticulated tube to generate heat. A method of manufacturing an endoscope insertion section, wherein an inner surface is melted so that the flexible tube is connected to the mesh tube.