JP2005230182A - Curving device, manufacturing method for curving device and catheter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curving device fitted to narrowing its diameter and facilitating the assembling. <P>SOLUTION: A curved part 4 formed of the curving device is provided with a plurality of joint rings 16, two operating wires 15 and two connecting wires 14. The joint ring 16 is provided with an annular part 21 having a pair of projecting parts 25 with swinging fulcrums in point symmetrical positions, a pair of wire connecting parts 22 provided in the outer circumference of the annular part 21 to receive the connecting wires 14 along the axial direction of the annular part 21, and a pair of through-holes 23 axially penetrating through the annular part 21. The joint rings 16 are aligned in the axial direction with clearances (g) based on the projecting parts 25 formed between the respective ones. The operating wires 15 are passed through the respective through-holes 23 aligned axially and the connecting wires 14 are passed through the respective wire connecting parts 22 aligned axially to be connected to the respective wire connecting parts 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending device used as a bending portion of a medical device, for example, a catheter, a method for manufacturing the bending device, and a catheter provided with a bending portion including the bending device.

  The in-vivo insertion portion provided in the endoscope has a bending portion that performs a bending operation by pulling a wire at a distal end portion thereof. Conventionally, a swivel nodule structure in which a plurality of swivel nodule rings arranged along the axial direction is connected by laser welding is known as the curved portion (see Patent Document 1). .

  In this Patent Document 1, each swivel ring obtained by cutting from a blank with a laser beam has a basic annular portion provided with a pair of mountain portions whose apex portions are symmetrical with respect to the axis and which serve as swing fulcrum portions. And a swollen portion for inserting a swinging wire protruding inward, and a swollen portion provided on the inner diameter side of the peak portion and having a through hole.

In the swivel ring structure, a plurality of swivel rings are arranged along the axial direction, and in this state, the connecting wire is inserted into the through holes of the bulging portions of all the swivel rings. By irradiating a part of the outer peripheral surface corresponding to the swollen part of the swivel ring with a laser beam continuously in parallel with the axial direction, the crests of each swivel ring are connected by laser welding over the entire length. Assembled.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-253387 (paragraphs 0012-0019, FIGS. 1 to 4)

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, since it takes time to insert the connecting wire through the through holes of the plurality of oscillating nodes arranged along the axial direction, it is difficult to assemble. Therefore, when the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to a curved portion of a catheter to be inserted into a blood vessel or the like, the smaller the curved portion is, the thinner the through-hole and the connecting wire become. Will increase.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bending device that is suitable for thinning and easy to assemble, a method for manufacturing the bending device, and a catheter.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the bending device of the present invention is capable of receiving a connecting wire along the axial direction of the annular portion in which a pair of convex portions having a swing fulcrum is provided in point symmetry. A gap based on the convex portion provided between the pair of wire connecting portions provided on the outer periphery of the annular portion and a plurality of node rings provided with a pair of through holes penetrating the annular portion in the axial direction. Are arranged in the axial direction, the operation wires are passed through the through holes arranged in the axial direction, and the connecting wires are passed through the wire connecting parts arranged in the axial direction. It is fixed to.

  In the assembling, the bending device of the present invention moves the connecting wire along the radial direction of the node ring to pass the connecting wire over the wire connecting portions of the node rings arranged in the axial direction. The wire can be placed by being fitted into the wire connecting portion exposed on the outer surface of the annular portion. For this reason, it does not require a troublesome labor to pass the connecting wire in the axial direction of the node ring, and even when the annular portion is thinned, it may be difficult to pass the connecting wire through the wire connecting portion as described above. Therefore, the bending device is suitable for reducing the diameter. Furthermore, since the connecting wire received in the wire connecting portion is fixed to the wire connecting portion, the joint rings arranged in the axial direction can be connected to each other so as to be capable of bending operation.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wire connecting portion is formed of a groove recessed toward the inside of the annular portion, and at least one of the edges of the opening opened on the outer periphery of the node ring of the groove is the wire connecting portion. The connecting wire passed through the portion is caulked and plastically deformed along the peripheral surface of the wire.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wire connecting portion has a caulking piece that is caulked and plastically deformed along the peripheral surface of the wire by caulking the connecting wire passed through the connecting portion.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the node ring is composed of a plurality of node ring elements stacked on each other, and each of the node ring elements includes an annular part element, and the annular part element along the axial direction of the annular part element. A pair of wire connecting elements provided on the outer periphery with both ends open, and a pair of through-hole elements penetrating the annular element in the axial direction, wherein the convex portion is at one end of the wire connecting element It is continuously provided at one axial end of the node ring.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the joint ring is provided with a fitting recess that supports the convex portion of the other joint ring disposed adjacent thereto and is shallower than the height dimension of the convex portion. ing.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the node ring is sandwiched between the end node ring element having the convex portion, the other end node ring element having the fitting recess, and the end node ring element. And one or more intermediate node elements.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the manufacturing method of the bending device according to the present invention includes an annular portion in which a pair of convex portions serving as oscillating fulcrums are provided point-symmetrically, and a pair of outer circumferential portions of the annular portion. Arranging a plurality of node rings provided with a wire connecting portion and a pair of through holes penetrating the annular portion in the axial direction in the axial direction by providing a gap based on the convex portion therebetween, and a connecting wire; Is moved along the radial direction of the node ring and fitted into the wire connecting portions, so that the connecting wires pass through the wire connecting portions arranged in the axial direction, and then the wire connecting portions are connected to the connecting portions. A step of caulking the connecting wire to the node ring by plastic deformation along the wire, and before or after the caulking prevention step, the operation wire is inserted and fixed through the through holes arranged in the axial direction. Process , And a.

  In order to solve the above problems, a catheter according to the present invention includes a bending portion formed of the bending device, and a body insertion portion having a flexible and flexible catheter body attached to a distal end. An operation knob that pulls the operation wire of the bending portion to bend the bending portion, and supports the proximal end of the body insertion portion.

  According to the bending device of the present invention, in the assembly for connecting the nodes arranged in the axial direction so as to be capable of bending, the troublesome labor of passing the connecting wire in the axial direction of the nodes is not required. And is easy to assemble.

  Moreover, according to the manufacturing method of the bending apparatus of this invention, there exists an effect that it is easy to assemble a bending apparatus and is suitable for diameter reduction of this bending apparatus.

  Further, according to the catheter of the present invention, in the assembly for connecting the respective node rings arranged in the axial direction of the bending portion so as to be capable of bending operation, the troublesome labor of passing the connecting wire in the axial direction of the node ring is not required. It is suitable for reducing the diameter of the bending portion and has an effect that the bending portion can be easily assembled.

(First embodiment)
The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 indicates a catheter as a medical device. The catheter 1 includes a body insertion portion 2 and an operation portion 3 that are inserted into a body cavity of a human body. The in-vivo insertion portion 2 has a bending portion 4 formed of a bending device which is formed to be flexible and elongated and bendable at one end in the longitudinal direction serving as a distal end portion thereof. . The bending portion 4 has a cylindrical shape, and the opening at the tip thereof is closed by an electrode 5, for example. As a result, the catheter 1 causes a living body affected part such as a myocardial tissue to flow by flowing a high-frequency current between the electrode 5 inserted and placed in the living body together with the in-vivo insertion part 2 and the counter electrode placed outside the living body. It is formed so as to function as an electrode catheter used for ablation treatment that generates heat and cauterizes the affected area. Note that reference numeral 6 in FIG. 1 denotes an electrode connector for supplying power to the electrode 5.

  The operation unit 3 disposed outside the human body supports a proximal end which is the other end in the longitudinal direction of the in-vivo insertion unit 2 connected thereto. The operation unit 3 has an operation knob 3a such as a manual handle for moving an operation mechanism (not shown) incorporated therein. By operating the operation knob 3a, an operation wire (described later) of the operation unit 3 is pulled, and the bending unit 4 is bent.

  Next, the bending portion 4 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bending portion 4 includes an intermediate node ring group 11, end node rings 12 and 13, two connection wires 14, and two operation wires 15. ing. The end node rings 12 and 13 are arranged at both ends of the bending portion 4 in the axial direction. The intermediate node ring group 11 is sandwiched between the end node rings 12 and 13. The two connecting wires 14 are provided by connecting the end node rings 12 and 13 and the intermediate node group 11 arranged so as to overlap in the axial direction of the bending portion 4. The two operation wires 15 that bend the bending portion 4 are drawn into the operation portion 3 through the body insertion portion 2, and are pulled through the operation knob 3a.

  The intermediate node ring group 11 includes a plurality of node rings 16 arranged side by side in the axial direction of the cylindrical curved portion 4. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, each node ring 16 includes an annular portion 21, a pair of wire connecting portions 22, and a pair of through holes 23. As a preferred example, the outer shape of the annular portion 21 has a substantially annular shape.

  Both wire connecting portions 22 are U-shaped grooves extending along the axial direction of the node ring 16, and are formed to be recessed inwardly on the outer periphery of the annular portion 21. Therefore, both ends of the wire connecting portion 22 along the axial direction of the annular portion 21 are opened, and are also opened on the outer surface of the annular portion 21. These wire connecting portions 22 are 180 degrees apart in a point-symmetrical position with respect to the axis P (see FIGS. 6 and 8) of the node ring 16, that is, in the circumferential direction of the annular portion 21.

  The annular portions 21 are respectively provided with bulged portions 21a protruding inside the annular portion 21 at positions separated from the wire connecting portions 22 by approximately 90 °, and the shafts of the annular portion 21 are provided on these bulged portions 21a. A through hole 23 is provided so as to penetrate in the direction. The annular portion 21 is provided with another bulging portion 21 b projecting inward corresponding to the wire connecting portion 22.

  The thicknesses of the bulging portion 21b that partitions the wire connecting portion 22 formed of a groove and the inner space of the annular portion 21 and the bulging portion 21a that partitions the through hole 23 and the inner space of the annular portion 21 are as follows. Although the same, the wire connecting portion 22 is open to the outer surface of the annular portion 21, whereas the through hole 23 is covered by the peripheral portion of the annular portion 21. That is, since the wire connecting portion 22 is closer to the outer surface of the annular portion 21 than the through hole 23, the protruding width of the bulging portion 21b to the inner space of the annular portion 21 is the protruding width of the bulging portion 21a. Smaller than. This configuration is excellent in that the area of the inner space of the annular portion 21 can be secured large, so that the operation wire 15 or an electric wire (not shown) can be easily passed through the bending portion 4.

  The node ring 16 has a pair of shallow fitting recesses 24 on one end face of the annular portion 21. These fitting recesses 24 function as swing support points for the node ring 16, are formed continuously at one end of the wire connecting portion 22, and are slightly wider than the groove width of the wire connecting portion 22 ( 10). For this reason, both fitting recesses 24 are provided point-symmetrically with respect to the axis P of the annular portion 21. The node ring 16 has a pair of convex portions 25 having a tapered tip at the other end surface of the annular portion 21. These convex portions 25 function as swinging fulcrums of the node ring 16, and are integrally projected from the bulging portion 21 b continuously to the other end of the wire connecting portion 22. For this reason, the pair of convex portions 25 are also provided point-symmetrically with respect to the axis P of the annular portion 21. The protruding height of the pair of convex portions 25 is higher than the depth of the fitting concave portion 24.

  Each node ring 16 includes a plurality of node ring elements, for example, end node ring elements 16a and 16b as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, and one or more sandwiched between the end node ring elements 16a and 16b. It is formed by superimposing a single intermediate node element 16c. Each of these node ring elements 16a to 16c is a press punched product obtained by punching a metal thin plate or a hard synthetic resin thin plate with a press machine.

  As representatively shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, each of the node ring elements 16a to 16c includes an annular portion element 21e, a pair of wire connecting portion elements 22e, and a pair of through-hole elements 23e. By overlapping the node ring elements 16a to 16c, each annular element 21e is continuous with each other to form the annular part 21. By superimposing the node ring elements 16a to 16c, the wire connecting portion elements 22e form the wire connecting portion 22 continuously with each other. By overlapping the node ring elements 16a to 16c, the respective through-hole elements 23e continuously form the through-holes 23. An end node ring element 16a disposed at one axial end of the node ring 16 has the pair of fitting recesses 24, and another end node ring element 16b disposed at the other axial end of the node ring 16 includes The pair of convex portions 25 is provided.

  A configuration in which a plurality of thin stamped products are stacked to form a node ring 16 is only necessary if the capacity of the press machine is small compared to the case of punching a node element from a blank having a thickness corresponding to the stacking thickness. This is excellent in that it can be easily punched and can be punched to an accurate dimension. In addition, the number of used intermediate node elements 16c can be arbitrarily selected. As the thickness (axial length) of the node ring 16 can be changed by this selection, the degree of bending of the intermediate node group 11 can be arbitrarily set. This is excellent in that the bending characteristics of the bending portion 4 can be adjusted and the degree of freedom in designing the bending portion 4 can be improved without a significant change in the length of the bending portion 4.

  In addition, as described above, each node ring 16 is a press-punched product, and the fitting recess 24, the convex portion 25, and the wire connecting portion 22 are simultaneously formed with punching along the shapes of the node ring elements 16a to 16c. Can be made. For this reason, the node elements 16a to 16c can be obtained by punching in a short time, the productivity thereof is extremely good, and it is excellent in that it can greatly contribute to cost reduction. In contrast, in the case of a laser processed product obtained by cutting the node ring from the blank with a laser beam, it takes time to move the laser beam at least along the shape of the node element. Accordingly, it takes a long time to work, and in order to provide the fitting concave portion and the convex portion in the thickness direction, a process different from the process of cutting the profile of the node element is required. Therefore, the productivity is also low in this respect, and therefore the cost is high.

  As described above, each node ring 16 including a set of three node ring elements 16a to 16c stacked on each other forms an intermediate node ring group 11 by being aligned in the axial direction. In this intermediate node ring group 11, the adjacent node rings 16 in the axial direction are arranged such that the fitting concave portion 24 and the convex portion 25 provided on the end faces facing each other are convex portions as shown in FIGS. The front end portions of the 25 are loosely fitted to each other with the bottom surface of the fitting recess 24 in contact. Since the convex portion 25 is higher than the depth of the fitting concave portion 24, a gap g based on the dimensional difference is provided between the facing surfaces of the adjacent node rings 16. By this gap g, adjacent node rings 16 are combined so as to be swingable with the fitting concave portion 24 and the convex portion 25 as fulcrums (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 showing an example of the shaking).

  3 and 4, reference numeral 26 denotes a convex portion, and reference numeral 27 denotes a concave portion. These end faces of the bulging portion element of the end node ring element 16a forming the bulging portion 21b, and the bulging portion 21b. Are respectively provided on both end faces of the bulging portion element of the intermediate node ring element 16c. The corresponding convex portions 26 and concave portions 27 of the adjacent node ring elements 16a and 16c are fitted to each other. The convex portion 26 of the node ring element 16c is fitted into a recess 25a formed on the back side in order to make the convex portion 25 in the adjacent end node ring element 16b. Thus, the node ring elements 16a and 16c and the node ring elements 16c and 16b can be positioned in the circumferential direction. As a result, the node elements 16a to 16c can be positioned such that the wire connecting element is continuous in the axial direction and the through-hole element 23e is continuous in the axial direction. Even when a plurality of intermediate node elements 16c are used, the adjacent intermediate node elements 16c can be positioned by fitting the concave portions 27 and the convex portions 26 of the intermediate ring members 16c.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the end node ring 12 is formed by overlapping in the axial direction a larger number of node ring elements 12 a than the number of node ring elements 16 a to 16 c of the node ring 16 used. Similarly, the other end node ring 13 is also formed by overlapping in the axial direction a larger number of node ring elements 13 a than the number of node ring elements 16 a to 16 c of the node ring 16 used. These node ring elements 12a and 13a are made of a stamped product obtained by punching a metal thin plate or a hard synthetic resin thin plate with a press machine. For example, the same one as the intermediate node ring element 16c is used.

  Therefore, these end node rings 12 and 13 are also represented by an annular portion 21, a pair of wire connecting portions 22 (only one is shown in FIG. 3), and a pair of through holes 23 as representatively shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. And. The middle node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13 are such that their annular portions 21 are continuous with each other, the wire connecting portions 22 are continuous with each other, and the through holes 23 are continuous with each other. Positioned and combined.

  The bending portion 4 includes a first step in which the intermediate joint ring group 11 and the end joint rings 12 and 13 are arranged in the axial direction, and two couplings across the arranged intermediate joint ring group 11 and the end joint rings 12 and 13. It is assembled through a second step of connecting the wires 14 with fixing means and a third step of inserting the two operation wires 15 through the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13 arranged side by side. The third step can also be performed before the second step.

  In the first step, the intermediate node ring group 11 aligns a predetermined number of node rings 16 already prepared by overlapping three node ring elements 16a to 16c in the same direction, and adjacent node rings 16 to each other. By fitting the convex portions 25 and the fitting concave portions 24 together, a gap g based on the dimensional difference between the height of the convex portions 25 and the depth of the fitting concave portions 24 is provided between the adjacent node rings 16 and the intermediate nodes. The wheel group 11 is assembled. Also, the end node rings 12 and 13 are preliminarily overlapped with a predetermined number of node ring elements 12a and 13a, and one end node ring 12 is overlapped with one end in the axial direction of the intermediate node ring group 11, and the other end The partial joint ring 13 is superimposed on the other axial end of the intermediate joint ring group 11. By this first step, the wire connecting portions 22 of the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13 are arranged along the axial direction, and the through holes 23 are also arranged along the axial direction.

  In the second step, first, the connecting wire 14 is passed over the wire connecting portions 22 arranged in the axial direction. In this case, the connecting wire 14 is not moved in the axial direction of the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13 and is not passed through the wire connecting portions 22, but each wire connecting portion formed of a U-shaped groove. Based on the fact that 22 is exposed on the outer surface, the connecting wire 14 is moved axially along the radial direction of the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12, 13. The connecting wire 14 can be passed over the connecting portion 22. That is, each wire connecting portion 22 can receive a connecting wire from the outside of the bending portion 4 along the radial direction of the bending portion 4. For this reason, even when the groove width of each wire connecting portion 22 and the wire diameter of the connecting wire 14 are small, the connecting wire 14 can be easily passed through each wire connecting portion 22 without much trouble. Can be set and easy to assemble.

  Next, in a 2nd process, a connection wire is fixed to each wire connection part 22 which this passed by the fixing means. As this fixing means, laser welding may be used, but it is desirable to employ a fixing means that can shorten the work time for fixing compared to laser welding, and therefore can reduce the cost. Examples thereof include brazing with a brazing material, or caulking prevention using plastic deformation. Among these, the present embodiment employs a caulking stopper that does not require a fixing medium. In addition, as a fixing means, it is possible to use multiple types together, for example, an adhesive stop and laser welding can be added supplementarily on the basis of a crimp stop.

  As shown by the node ring 16 in FIGS. 9 and 10, this caulking stop is applied to the edges 22 a and 22 b of the opening of the wire connecting portion 22 formed of a U-shaped groove from the outside by a pressing jig (not shown). And pressurizing the wire connecting portion 22 into the wire connecting portion 22. In this case, a rod-shaped support fitting S (indicated by a two-dot chain parallel oblique line in FIGS. 6 and 8) extending between the bulging portions 21 b that are separated by 180 ° in the circumferential direction is inserted inside the curved portion 4. In this state, the pressurization work from the outside may be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent caulking while preventing the deformation of the bending portion itself.

  By the caulking, the edge portions 22a and 22b are plastically deformed so as to be in close contact with the peripheral surface of the connecting wire 14 passing through the wire connecting portion 22 (this plastic deforming portion is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10). Indicated by a two-dot chain line), the wire connecting portion 22 and the connecting wire 14 are fixed. Thereby, the node rings 16 arranged in the axial direction can be connected to each other via the connecting wire 14 so as to be capable of bending. By this caulking, the node rings 16 forming the intermediate node group 11 are connected to each other in the axial direction via the connecting wire 14, and the end node rings 12 and 13 sandwiching the intermediate node group 11 are also connected in the axial direction. They are connected via a connecting wire 14. It should be noted that the caulking stop may be performed on only one of the edges 22a and 22b.

  The caulking can be simultaneously performed at a plurality of locations by one pressurizing operation, and the pressurization can be performed simultaneously from both sides in the radial direction of the bending portion 4 at a position 180 ° apart. Thereby, compared with laser welding, the connection wire 14 can be fixed to the wire connection part 22 in a much shorter time and the workability is good, so that it can be carried out at a low cost. In the present embodiment, all the wire connecting portions 22 are caulked simultaneously, but may be caulked at intervals. For example, if the node ring 16 is described as a representative, the wire connecting portions 22 of the end node ring elements 16 a and 16 b are caulked to the connecting wire 14 by providing the pressing portions of the pressing jig at intervals. The wire connecting portion 22 of the intermediate node ring element 16 c can be prevented from being caulked to the connecting wire 14.

  As described above, since the troublesome labor of passing the thin connecting wire 14 through a large number of small holes along the axial direction of the node ring 16 is not required, even when the annular portion 21 such as the node ring 16 is thinned, Thus, it is not difficult to pass the connecting wire 14 through the wire connecting portion 22 by the procedure described above. For this reason, it is suitable for reducing the diameter of the annular portion 21 of the node ring 16, whereby the curved portion 4 can be made thinner.

  In the third step, the operation wire 15 is passed through the through holes 23 arranged along the axial direction of the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13. The diameter of the operation wire 15 is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 23, and the operation wire 15 that is passed through the through hole 23 and the intermediate node ring group 11 and the end node rings 12 and 13 are relatively movable. One end of each of these two operation wires 15 is fixed to the tip of the end node ring 12 by brazing or the like. The curved portion 4 assembled by the procedure is shown in FIG.

  The other ends of the two operation wires 15 are pulled into the operation unit 3 through the body insertion portion 2 and are pulled by the operation knob 3 a of the operation unit 3. Therefore, when the operation wire 15 to be bent from the state of FIG. 2A is pulled in the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 2B, for example, the bending portion 4 is changed with the shape change of the gap g. As shown in FIG. 2 (B), it is bent to the left in the figure. On the contrary, when the other operation wire 15 is pulled in the direction of the arrow b, the bending portion 4 is bent to the right side in FIG. By such bending operation of the bending portion 4, the in-body insertion portion 2 of the catheter 1 can be inserted into the affected area in the living body.

  In this case, the outer shape of the curved portion 4 is substantially circular, and the connecting wire 14 and the plastic deformed portion to which the connecting wire 14 is fixed do not protrude outside the outer shape, so that the two connecting wires 14 and the plastic deformed portion are There is no hindrance to the insertion operation into the living body. For this reason, while the insertion part 2 of the catheter 1 can be easily inserted to the target position in a body, the connection wire 14 and the plastic deformation part which fixed this to it do not have a possibility of damaging a biological tissue.

(Second Embodiment)
11 to 14 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Since the second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment, parts having the same configuration or function as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the second embodiment, a node ring 16 having an outer surface provided with flat surfaces parallel to each other is used as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and each node ring as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is used. 16 is formed by overlapping two end node ring elements 16a and 16b. The wire connecting portion 22 provided on the outer surface of each end node ring element 16a, 16b is formed by projecting a pair of caulking pieces 22c, 22d on the flat surface. Prior to caulking the connecting wire 14, a U-shaped groove is formed between the caulking pieces 22c and 22d. With this configuration of the wire connecting portion 22, the bulging portion on the back side of the wire connecting portion 22 can be omitted in the second embodiment, and the inner space of the annular portion 21 can be widened.

  In the second embodiment, the caulking pieces 22c and 22d for caulking the connecting wire 14 passed through the wire connecting portion 22 are pressed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Thereby, the crimping pieces 22c and 22d are curved and deformed so as to approach each other, and are plastically deformed along the peripheral surface of the connecting wire 14 as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. As a result, the wire connecting portion 22 caulks the connecting wire 14 passed therethrough. In this case, since it can be caulked without using the support metal fitting S, it is excellent in that the work time required for caulking can be reduced. By this caulking, the tips of the caulking pieces 22c and 22d that have been plastically deformed come into substantially contact with each other, so that each wire connecting portion 22 has a short cylindrical shape after assembly is completed. The caulking can be stopped by plastically deforming only one of the caulking pieces 22c and 22d. In this case, the final shape of each wire connecting portion 22 maintains a groove shape.

  The configuration other than the points described above is the same as that of the first embodiment including the points not shown. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained to solve the problem of the present invention. Moreover, since the caulking pieces 22c and 22d are provided, it is excellent in that these can be easily plastically deformed and the connecting wire 14 can be caulked.

(Third embodiment)
15 to 18 show a third embodiment of the present invention. Since the third embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment, parts having the same configuration or function as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the third embodiment, each of the plurality of node rings 16 and the end node rings 12 and 13 forming the intermediate node group 11 of the curved portion 4 is made of a molded product of hard synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 16B, the node ring 16 made of a single synthetic resin molded product has a substantially annular shape, and the wire connecting portion 22 provided at a position separated by 180 ° is directed inward. And a pair of caulking pieces 22c and 22d projecting integrally in the groove. These caulking pieces 22 c and 22 d are formed with U-shaped grooves between them before the connecting wire 14 is caulked.

  As shown in FIG. 16 (A), one end of the node ring 16 is flat, and the other end gradually decreases the height of the node ring 16 toward the through hole 23 separated from the pair of wire connecting portions 22 by approximately 90 °. It is inclined to. Thereby, the other end of the node ring 16 is formed in a mountain shape with the periphery of the groove of the wire connecting portion 22 as a top (convex portion 25). Therefore, a gap g between the flat one end and the other end of the mountain shape is formed between the node rings 16 arranged in the same direction as shown in FIG. Swing movement of group 11 is allowed.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17A, the end node rings 12 and 13 made of a single resin molded product are longer than the node ring 16 and both ends in the axial direction are flat. Except for this point, it is the same as the node ring 16. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17 (B), the wire connecting portions 22 of the end node rings 12 and 13 also have a groove recessed inward, and a pair of caulking pieces 22c integrally projecting in the groove, 22d. A U-shaped groove is provided between the caulking pieces 22c and 22d before the caulking is stopped.

  In the third embodiment, the caulking pieces 22c and 22d for caulking and stopping the connecting wire 14 passed through the wire connecting portion 22 are pressed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 18 so that the caulking pieces 22c and 22d approach each other. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 18, it is plastically deformed along the peripheral surface of the connecting wire 14. As a result, the wire connecting portion 22 caulks the connecting wire 14 passed therethrough. By this caulking, the ends of the caulking pieces 22c and 22d come into contact with each other, so that each wire connecting portion 22 has a short cylindrical shape after the assembly is completed. In this caulking stop, when each node ring 12, 13, 16 is a thermoplastic hard synthetic resin, the caulking pieces 22c, 22d are formed by using a caulking jig at an elevated temperature. It may be swaged while being softened.

  The configuration other than the points described above is the same as that of the first embodiment including the points not shown. Therefore, also in the third embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained to solve the problem of the present invention. In addition, since the caulking pieces 22c and 22d are provided, it is excellent in that the connecting wire 14 can be caulked to be easily plastically deformed.

(Fourth embodiment)
19 and 20 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Since the fourth embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment, parts having the same configuration or function as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Differences from the third embodiment will be described below.

  In the fourth embodiment, each of the plurality of node rings 16 and the end node rings 12 and 13 forming the intermediate node group 11 of the curved portion 4 is made of a molded product of hard synthetic resin. As shown in FIGS. 20 (A) and 20 (B), the node ring 16 made of a single synthetic resin molded product has a substantially annular shape, and the wire connecting portion 22 provided at a position separated by 180 ° is as follows. It has a groove recessed inward, and a pair of caulking pieces 22c and 22d integrally projecting in the groove. A U-shaped groove is provided between the caulking pieces 22c and 22d before the caulking is stopped.

  One end of the node ring 16 is substantially flat except for the fitting recess 24 provided continuously to one end of the pair of wire connecting portions 22. Similarly, the other end of the node ring 16 is substantially flat except for the convex portion 25 provided continuously to one end of the pair of wire connecting portions 22. The convex portion 25 is fitted into the fitting concave portion 24 of the adjacent node ring 16. A gap g is formed between the node rings 16 arranged in the same direction as shown in FIG. 19 according to the depth of the fitting recess 24, the height of the protrusion 25, and the dimensional difference. The middle node ring group 11 is allowed to swing.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the end node rings 12 and 13 made of a single resin molded product have a length longer than that of the node ring 16, and both end surfaces in the axial direction are formed flat. The same as the node ring 16. Therefore, the wire connecting portion 22 of the end node rings 12 and 13 also has a groove recessed inward and a pair of caulking pieces 22c and 22d integrally projecting in the groove. Between these caulking pieces 22c and 22d, a U-shaped groove is formed at the stage before caulking.

  In the fourth embodiment, the caulking pieces 22c and 22d for caulking and stopping the connecting wire 14 passed through the wire connecting portion 22 are pressed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Then, they are curved and deformed so as to approach each other, and are plastically deformed along the peripheral surface of the connecting wire 14. As a result, the wire connecting portion 22 caulks the connecting wire 14 passed therethrough. By this caulking, the ends of the caulking pieces 22c and 22d come into contact with each other, so that each wire connecting portion 22 has a short cylindrical shape after the assembly is completed. In this caulking stop, when each node ring 12, 13, 16 is a thermoplastic hard synthetic resin, the caulking pieces 22c, 22d are formed by using a caulking jig at an elevated temperature. It may be swaged while being softened.

  The configuration other than the points described above is the same as that of the first embodiment including the points not shown. Therefore, also in the fourth embodiment, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained to solve the problem of the present invention. Moreover, since the caulking pieces 22c and 22d are provided, it is excellent in that the connecting wire 14 can be caulked to be easily plastically deformed.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 21 shows a fifth embodiment in which the present invention is applied to, for example, an endoscope as a medical device. The endoscope 31 according to the fifth embodiment includes an operation unit 32 and an in-vivo insertion unit 33. The in-vivo insertion portion 33 includes a flexible tube 34, a bending portion 35 provided at the tip thereof, a tip constituting portion 36 provided at the tip of the bending portion 35, and the like. The tip constituting part 36 has an observation window or the like (not shown). The operation section 32 is provided with an operation knob 37 for bending the bending section 35 and an eyepiece section 38 for observing the inside of the body cavity in cooperation with the observation window. A universal cord 39 to be connected is connected. Further, the operation section 32 is provided with an operation port 40 for air supply and liquid supply, and a branch pipe 41 into which a treatment tool such as forceps or laser fiber (not shown) is inserted.

  The bending portion 35 of the endoscope 31 is formed by the bending device of the present invention described in the first to fourth embodiments.

  Therefore, the endoscope 31 using the curved portion 45 can solve the problem of the present invention.

The top view which shows the catheter which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a perspective view which shows the curved part with which the catheter of FIG. 1 is provided. FIG. 3B is a side view showing a state where the bending portion of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows a part of curved part of FIG. 2 (A) (B). The front view which shows the principle which the curved part of FIG. 2 (A) and (B) curves by the relationship between two adjacent node rings. The perspective view which shows the node ring which the curved part of FIG. 2 (A) (B) has seen from diagonally upward. The top view which shows the node ring of FIG. The perspective view which shows the node ring of FIG. 5 seeing from diagonally downward. The bottom view which shows the node ring of FIG. The top view which expands and shows the wire connection part of the node ring of FIG. The bottom view which expands and shows the wire connection part of the node ring of FIG. The perspective view which shows the node ring group with which the bending part of the catheter which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is provided. The top view which shows the node ring which makes the node ring group of FIG. The side view which shows a part of node ring group of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows a part of node ring group of FIG. The front view which shows the curved part of the catheter which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a front view which shows the node ring which the curved part of FIG. 15 has. (B) is a top view which shows the node ring of FIG. 16 (A). (A) is a front view which shows the other node ring which the curved part of FIG. 15 has. (B) is a top view which shows the node ring of FIG. 17 (A). The top view which expands and shows the wire connection part of the node ring of FIG. 16 with the connection wire fixed to this. The front view which shows the curved part of the catheter which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a front view which shows the node ring which the curved part of FIG. 19 has. (B) is a top view which shows the node ring of FIG. 20 (A). The top view which shows the endoscope which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Catheter (medical device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Internal body insertion part 3 ... Operation part 3a ... Operation knob 4 ... Bending part 11 ... Intermediate node ring group 12, 13 ... End part node ring 14 ... Connection wire 15 ... Operation wire 16 ... Node ring 16a, 16b ... End part node Ring element 16c ... Intermediate node element 21 ... Annular part 21a, 21b ... Expanded part 21e ... Annular part element 22 ... Wire connecting part 22a, 22b ... Edge part 22c, 22d ... Caulking piece 22e ... Wire connecting part element 23 ... Through Hole 23e ... Through hole element 24 ... Fitting recess 25 ... Protrusion g ... Gap

Claims (8)

A pair of wire connecting portions provided on the outer periphery of the annular portion so as to be capable of receiving a connecting wire along the axial direction of the annular portion; And a plurality of node rings provided in the axial direction with a pair of through holes penetrating the annular portion in the axial direction, and provided with a gap based on the convex portion therebetween,
Two operation wires passed through the through holes arranged in the axial direction;
The two connecting wires that are passed through the wire connecting portions arranged in the axial direction and fixed to the wire connecting portions,
A bending apparatus comprising:   The wire connecting portion is formed by a groove recessed toward the inside of the annular portion, and at least one of the edges of the opening opened on the outer periphery of the node ring of the groove is passed through the wire connecting portion. The bending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wire is caulked and plastically deformed along a peripheral surface of the wire.   The bending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wire connecting portion includes a caulking piece that is caulked and plastically deformed along a peripheral surface of the wire by caulking the connecting wire passed through the connecting portion.   The node ring is composed of a plurality of node ring elements stacked on top of each other, and each of the node ring elements is open to the outer periphery of the annular part element along the axial direction of the annular part element. And a pair of through-hole elements penetrating the annular part element in the axial direction, the convex part being continuous with one end of the wire connection part element. The bending apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bending apparatus is provided at one end in an axial direction.   The said node ring is supported by the said convex part which the said other node ring arrange | positioned adjacent to this has, and the fitting recessed part shallower than the height dimension of this convex part is provided. The bending apparatus according to any one of the above.   The node ring includes an end node ring element having the convex portion, another end node ring element having the fitting recess, and one or more intermediate node rings sandwiched between the end node ring elements. 6. A bending device according to claim 5, comprising an element. An annular portion in which a pair of convex portions serving as oscillating fulcrums are provided point-symmetrically, a pair of wire connecting portions provided on the outer periphery of the annular portion, and a pair of through holes penetrating the annular portion in the axial direction. Arranging the plurality of node rings provided in the axial direction by providing a gap based on the convex portion between them;
By moving the connecting wire along the radial direction of the node ring and fitting it into each wire connecting portion, the connecting wire is passed through the wire connecting portions arranged in the axial direction, and then the wire connecting portion is A step of plastically deforming along the connecting wire and caulking the connecting wire to the node ring; and
Before or after this caulking stop step, a step of inserting and fixing an operation wire over each of the through holes arranged in the axial direction; and
A method of manufacturing a bending apparatus comprising: A bending portion comprising the bending device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a body insertion portion having a catheter body having flexibility and having the bending portion attached to a distal end;
An operation unit that has an operation knob that pulls the operation wire included in the bending portion to bend the bending portion, and supports the proximal end of the body insertion portion;
A catheter comprising:

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