JP2003033317A - Endscope for intubation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endscope for intubation having excellent durability without being damaged even subjected to bendings and bendings from crooked states repeatedly with a small radius of curvature on the insertion into a tube. SOLUTION: In the endscope for intubation having freedom for insertion into and removal from a pliant insertion tube 100 which has an observational function as a core metal, and observation window 13 is arranged in a leading- end part 10 of insert tubes 1a, 1b having wholly or partially flexibility, and a rod member 6 having the function of core metal is arranged for insertion within a portion 1a having at least flexibility of the insert tubes 1a, 1b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is used as a core bar having an observation function in order to observe the insertion direction and prevent the intubation tube from bending when inserting a flexible intubation tube (tracheal tube) into a bronchus or the like. The present invention relates to an intubation endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an endoscope for intubation has a structure in which an observation window is arranged at the tip of an insertion tube made of a flexible metal pipe, and the insertion tube is adapted to the shape of the larynx. It is designed to be bent and used.

[0003]

However, the metal pipe forming such an insertion pipe may be cracked and broken when it is bent with a small radius of curvature or when re-bending is repeated for each case. However, the conventional endoscope for intubation has a drawback of poor durability.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope for intubation which has excellent durability and is not damaged even when it is bent with a small radius of curvature or repeatedly re-bent when inserted into an intubation tube. To do.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope for intubation according to the present invention is an endoscope for intubation which can be inserted into and removed from a flexible intubation tube as a core bar having an observation function. In the above, the observation window is arranged at the distal end portion of the insertion tube, which is wholly or partially flexible, and the bar member functioning as a core is inserted and arranged in at least the flexible portion of the insertion tube. Is.

The tip of the rod may be fixed to the tip of the insertion tube. Further, the rod may be a flexible metal rod, in which case the rod may be made of a shape memory alloy.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 5 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the intubation endoscope, FIG. 6 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 7 is a front view of the state where the intubation endoscope is inserted into the intubation tube 100 (however, the intubation tube 100 is a cross section is shown).

The insertion tube which can be inserted into and removed from the intubation tube 100 integrally connects a flexible and freely bendable flexible portion 1a to a front side of a hard portion 1b which cannot be freely bent. The distal end portion main body 10 in which an observation window and the like described later are arranged is attached to the distal end of the flexible portion 1a.

The base end of the hard portion 1b is connected to the grip portion 20 via a support cylinder portion 21 to which a stopper 22 is slidably mounted, and the grip portion 20 magnifies an endoscopic observation image. An eyepiece 30 for observing the image, an illumination light source 40 using a battery as a power source, and the like are provided in a protruding manner.

As shown in FIG. 7, insertion tubes 1a and 1b are provided.
Is fully inserted into the intubation tube 100, the proximal end surface of the intubation tube 100 contacts the stopper 22. Then, as shown by an arrow A, the stopper 22 is attached to the support tubular portion 2
1, the stopper 22 can be fixed to the support tube portion 21 by the fixing manual screw 23 so that the proximal end position of the intubation tube 100 is in the optimum state.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the insertion tubes 1a and 1b near the tips thereof. The tip body 1 made of plastic is shown in FIG.
The entrance end surface of the image guide fiber bundle 15 is arranged at the projection position of the object by the objective optical system 14 inside the observation window 13 arranged at the front end surface of 0, and the image transmitted by the image guide fiber bundle 15 is transmitted. (Endoscope observation image) is observed through the eyepiece unit 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, an illumination window 16 is arranged alongside the observation window 13 on the tip surface of the tip end main body 10, and a light guide in which the exit end surface is arranged inside the illumination window 16. Illumination light transmitted by a fiber bundle (not shown in FIG. 2) illuminates the subject.

The tip body 10 and the flexible portion 1a are shown in FIG.
3, showing the III-III cross section in FIG. 3, the connecting cylinder 11 arranged at the most distal end of the flexible portion 1a.
Is fitted to the tip body 10 and is in a state of being connected to the tip body 10 by the locking pin 18. Reference numeral 17 is a light guide fiber bundle.

Returning to FIG. 1 again, the flexible portion 1a is, for example, a reticulated tube formed by braiding stainless steel fine wires on the outer surface of a double spiral tube 2 made of stainless steel strips having different winding directions. 3 and the outer surface thereof is covered with a flexible outer skin 4 made of, for example, a polyurethane resin tube or a fluororubber tube, and is flexible enough to bend freely in any direction. is doing.

The hard portion 1b is formed of a rigid metal pipe 5 made of, for example, stainless steel, and the outer skin 4 that covers the flexible portion 1a is continuously covered to the entire outer periphery of the metal pipe 5. There is.

As shown in FIG. 4 showing the IV-IV cross section, a rod member 6 made of a flexible metal rod functioning as a core bar is inserted and arranged in the flexible portion 1a. The tip of the rod 6 is fixed to the tip body 10.

The material of the rod 6 is, for example, an aluminum alloy rod or a stainless steel rod. In the former case, a proper waist strength can be obtained by setting the diameter to about 3 mm, and in the latter case, the diameter can be reduced. For example, it may be about 1 mm.

The rear end of the bar member 6 reaches the inside of the hard portion 1b, and there is no problem even if it is in a free end state within the hard portion 1b, but it penetrates through the hard portion 1b and the supporting cylinder portion 21 or the grip portion 20. It can be fixed to.

In the endoscope for intubation of the embodiment thus constructed, the flexible portion 1a is bent into an appropriate shape,
Since the bar member 6 having a predetermined waist strength is bent into that shape, by inserting the insertion tubes 1a and 1b into the intubation tube 100, a core metal having a function of allowing observation through the observation window 13 Working, intubation tube 100
Intubation work can be easily performed.

When inserting the endoscope for intubation into the intubation tube 100, even if the insertion tubes 1a and 1b are bent with a small radius of curvature or re-bent repeatedly, the rod member 6
Has no risk of breakage and has excellent durability.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but for example, as shown in FIG.
However, the insertion tube may be formed only by the flexible portion 1a over the entire length. However, in that case, it is desirable to fix the rear end of the bar member 6 to the support cylinder portion 21 or the grip portion 20.

Further, if the rod 6 is made of a shape memory alloy rod, it can be returned to the initial state (for example, straight state) for each case only by providing a temperature environment suitable for the conditions.

[0023]

According to the present invention, a bar member functioning as a core bar is inserted through the flexible portion which is the whole or a part of the insertion tube. When it is inserted, it will not be damaged even if it is bent with a small radius of curvature or repeated re-bending, and excellent durability can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a front view of the distal end portion main body of the intubation endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[FIG. 3] III-III in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the overall configuration of the endoscope for intubation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the intubation endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the intubation endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state of being inserted into an intubation tube.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a portion of the insertion tube of the second embodiment of the present invention near the distal end of the insertion tube.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a Flexible part (insertion tube) 1b Hard part (insertion tube) 2 spiral tube 3 mesh tube 4 outer skin 6 bars 10 Tip body 13 Observation window 20 grip 100 intubation tube

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope for intubation which is insertable into and removable from a flexible intubation tube as a core bar having an observation function, wherein an observation window is arranged at a distal end portion of the insertion tube which is wholly or partially flexible. The intubating endoscope is characterized in that the rod member functioning as the core bar is inserted and arranged in at least a flexible portion of the insertion tube. 2. The intubation endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the rod is fixed to the tip of the insertion tube. 3. The intubation endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the rod member is a flexible metal rod. 4. The bar member is made of a shape memory alloy.
The described endoscope for intubation.