JP2002306404A - Built-in article protecting structure of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a built-in article protecting structure of an endoscope, capable of effectively protecting flexible built-in articles by imparting the suitable bending strength of each part of a protecting coil member corresponding to a buckling force to the article when a bent part is curved. SOLUTION: The built-in article protecting structure of the endoscope comprises the bent part 2 curved by a remote operation from the operater's side and disposed at the distal end side of an inserting flexible tube 1, and flexible protecting coil members 16 engaged with at least one of a plurality of the flexible built-in articles 15 inserted into and disposed in the tube 1 from the bent part 2. In this protecting structure, a pitch of the members 16 is changed in the part 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a built-in protection structure for an endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an insertion portion of an endoscope, a curved portion disposed on the distal end side of a flexible tube is bent with the smallest radius of curvature. Therefore, in the curved portion, a flexible protective coil member is provided in order to prevent a flexible built-in member such as an optical fiber bundle or a fluid conduit tube from buckling and breaking. Many of them have a structure fitted to a flexible built-in member.

[0003]

When the bending portion is bent, a large buckling force is applied to the flexible built-in member in only a small area of the bending portion and goes away from the portion. Accordingly, the buckling force applied to the flexible built-in member decreases.

For this reason, in the conventional endoscope, the buckling force applied to the flexible built-in member is not so large that the protection coil member is too stiff, thereby disturbing the arrangement of the flexible built-in material. However, there is a disadvantage that the flexible built-in material is damaged and the bending operation becomes heavy.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a flexible waist for each part of the protective coil member in accordance with the buckling force applied to the flexible built-in member when the bending portion is bent, thereby providing a flexible waist. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope built-in protection structure capable of effectively protecting a sex built-in product.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the endoscope built-in protection structure of the present invention has a bending portion which is bent by remote operation from a hand side and has a distal end side of an insertion portion flexible tube. And an endoscope in which a flexible protective coil member is fitted to at least one of a plurality of flexible built-in components that are inserted from the bending portion to the insertion portion flexible tube. In the built-in protection structure, the pitch of the protection coil member is changed in the curved portion.

[0007] In the portion where the largest buckling force acts on the flexible built-in member on which the protective coil member is fitted when the curved portion is bent, the pitch of the protective coil member is changed to another. It may be formed smaller than the portion.

[0008] The protection coil member may be wound tightly at the portion having the smallest pitch, and the flexible built-in member to which the protection coil member is fitted may be an optical fiber bundle or a fluid conduit. Tubes, etc. are targeted.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the entire configuration of the endoscope. The bending portion 2 connected to the distal end side of the flexible tube 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “flexible tube 1”) includes a flexible tube 1. By rotating the bending section operation knob 4 in the operation section 3 connected to the end, the bending section can be bent arbitrarily. The distal end main body 5 is connected to the distal end of the curved portion 2.

FIG. 1 shows a forward portion of the bending portion 2 and a tip main body 5. The bending portion 2 has a large number of node rings 21 rotatably connected by rivets 22 or the like to provide elasticity. It is constituted by a sheath made of a rubber outer tube 23 and the like.

An observation window 11 and an illumination window 12 are arranged on the front end surface of the front end body 5.
The imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 14 is arranged at the position where the object is projected by the objective optical system 13, and the distal end of the signal cable 10 inserted from the flexible tube 1 into the bending portion 2 is connected to the driving circuit It is connected to the.

A light guide fiber bundle 15 for illumination having an emission end face behind the illumination window 12 has a flexible outer tube such as a silicon tube at a portion extending from the inside of the curved portion 2 to the inside of the flexible tube 1. A bundling pipe 152, which is provided with a sheath 151 and covers the distal end of the light guide fiber bundle 15, is fixed to the distal end body 5.

In the bending portion 2, a protective coil member 16 made of, for example, a stainless steel strip wound at a constant diameter is fitted on a flexible outer tube 151 of the light guide fiber bundle 15. However, the protection coil member 1
6 may be made of stainless steel wire or the like.

FIG. 3 shows a portion where the protection coil member 16 is fitted to the light guide fiber bundle 15 in the curved portion 2. In the protection coil member 16, a portion where the largest buckling force acts on the light guide fiber bundle 15 when the bending portion 2 is bent is a close contact winding portion 16a having a minimum pitch, and other portions are provided. Are wound at a constant pitch with a gap approximately equal to the band width.

As a result, when the bending portion 2 is bent, the buckling force of the protection coil member 16 is firm in the portion where the buckling force applied to the light guide fiber bundle 15 is large, and the light guide fiber bundle 15 is protected from buckling. And
In a portion where the buckling force applied to the light guide fiber bundle 15 is not so large, the waist of the protection coil member 16 is appropriately weak and does not apply an excessive force to the light guide fiber bundle 15, so that the arrangement in the curved portion 2 There is no disturbance or the like, and the bending operation does not become heavy.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the position of the tightly wound portion 16a depends on the actual situation such as the buckling force applied to the light guide fiber bundle 15. May be set appropriately.

The pitch of the protection coil member 16 is as follows:
The portion having the smallest pitch does not need to be closely wound, and a plurality of portions having the smallest pitch may be provided. Further, the pitch may gradually change.

The flexible built-in member to which the protection coil member 16 is fitted may be an image guide fiber bundle, or a tube for a fluid conduit such as an air / water supply or suction tube. No problem.

[0019]

According to the present invention, a flexible protective coil member is fitted to at least one of a plurality of flexible built-in members inserted and arranged from the inside of the bending portion to the inside of the insertion portion flexible tube. And, by changing the pitch of the protective coil member in the curved portion, it is suitable for each portion of the protective coil member corresponding to the buckling force applied to the flexible built-in member when the curved portion is bent. The flexible built-in material can be effectively protected by giving a strong waist strength.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a portion near a distal end of an insertion portion of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the entire configuration of the endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing only the built-in protection structure of the endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an external view showing only an internal-object protection structure of an endoscope according to an embodiment (second embodiment) of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part flexible tube 2 Bending part 15 Light guide fiber bundle (flexible built-in thing) 16 Protective coil member 16a Closely wound part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H040 BA21 CA11 DA03 DA16 GA02 4C061 AA00 BB02 CC06 DD03 FF42 FF46 JJ06 JJ11

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of flexible built-in portions, which are arranged at a distal end of a flexible tube of an insertion portion and which are bent through remote operation from a hand side, and which are inserted from the inside of the curved portion to the inside of the flexible tube of the insertion portion. In a built-in protection structure for an endoscope in which a flexible protective coil member is fitted to at least one of the objects, a pitch of the protective coil member is changed in the curved portion. Features a protective structure for the built-in endoscope. 2. A pitch of the protection coil member at a portion where a maximum buckling force acts on a flexible built-in member on which the protection coil member is fitted when the bending portion is bent. The built-in protection structure for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein is formed smaller than other portions. 3. The endoscope built-in protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the protection coil member is closely wound at a portion having the smallest pitch. 4. The built-in protection structure for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the flexible built-in member on which the protection coil member is fitted is an optical fiber bundle. 5. The flexible built-in member on which the protective coil member is fitted is a tube for a fluid conduit.
The internal structure protection structure of the endoscope described in the above.