JP2006230837A - Curving device of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curving device of an endoscope, which has excellent durability, capable of extending a period until total overhaul without breaking a curving operation wire arranged in a curving direction having a large maximum bend angle of a curving part even by the use of a short period of time. <P>SOLUTION: As the curving operation wire 7U arranged in the curving direction where the curving part 2 has the largest maximum bend angle, a stranded wire having a tensile strength higher than that of a curving operation wire 7D arranged in a curving direction where the curving part 2 has the smallest maximum bend angle is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope bending apparatus.

  In an endoscope, generally, the bending portion provided at the distal end portion of the flexible insertion portion can be bent in an arbitrary direction by an arbitrary angle so that the observation direction can be freely changed. It is like that.

In such a bending apparatus for an endoscope, by selectively pulling a plurality of bending operation wires that are inserted and arranged from the flexible insertion portion to the inside of the bending portion from the proximal end side of the flexible insertion portion, The bending portion is configured to bend in the direction in which the pulled bending operation wire is disposed (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-159212 A

  As the bending operation wire, a stranded wire formed by twisting many stainless steel fine wires is usually used, but the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is large is used. Since a large load is applied at the time of use, the wire is disconnected in a shorter period of time than a bending operation wire arranged in a bending direction having a small maximum bending angle, and as a result, a heavy repair such as total disassembly repair of the endoscope is required.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an excellent durability that allows the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is large to be disconnected for a short period of time and to extend the period until total disassembly and repair. An object of the present invention is to provide a bending apparatus for an endoscope.

  In order to achieve the above object, the bending device for an endoscope according to the present invention has a bending portion that is bent by remote operation provided at a distal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and is inserted from the flexible insertion portion to the bending portion. By selectively pulling the plurality of bent bending operation wires from the proximal end side of the flexible insertion portion, the bending portion is bent in the direction in which the pulled bending operation wires are arranged. In a bending apparatus for an endoscope, the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction with the largest bending angle of the bending portion is larger than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction with the smallest bending angle of the bending portion. A stranded wire having strength is used.

  As the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, a stranded wire having a larger outer diameter than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest is used. It may be done.

  Alternatively, as the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, a stranded wire having a larger strand diameter than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest It may be used.

  In addition, as a bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest and a strand wire whose material material is different A wire may be used.

  According to the present invention, the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction with the largest bending angle of the bending portion has a higher tensile strength than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction with the smallest bending angle of the bending portion. By using a stranded wire, the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction with a large maximum bending angle does not break after a short period of use, and excellent durability with a long period until total disassembly and repair can be obtained. .

  A bending portion that is bent by remote operation is provided at the distal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and a plurality of bending operation wires that are inserted from the flexible insertion portion to the bending portion are selected from the proximal end side of the flexible insertion portion. In a bending apparatus for an endoscope configured such that the bending portion bends in the direction in which the pulled bending operation wire is disposed by performing a pulling operation, the bending having the largest bending angle of the bending portion is the largest As the bending operation wire arranged in the direction, a stranded wire having a higher tensile strength than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction in which the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest is used.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows the entire configuration of the endoscope. A bending portion 2 is formed at the distal end portion of the flexible insertion portion 1, and a distal end portion body 3 on which an observation window, an illumination window, etc., not shown, are arranged. It is connected to the tip of the bending portion 2.

  Four bending operation wires 7 for bending the bending portion 2 from the flexible insertion portion 1 to the bending portion 2 are inserted and arranged at approximately 90 ° intervals around the axis, and the endoscope observation screen The bending operation wire 7 arranged at a position corresponding to the upper direction (right direction in FIG. 2) is the upward bending operation wire 7U, and the bending operation wire 7 arranged at the position corresponding to the downward direction is the downward bending operation wire 7D. The bending operation wire 7 disposed at the corresponding position is referred to as a right bending operation wire 7R, and the bending operation wire 7 disposed at a position corresponding to the left direction is referred to as a left bending operation wire 7L.

  Two bending operation knobs 5UD and 5RL for selectively pulling a plurality of bending operation wires 7U, 7D, 7R, and 7L are rotated on the operation unit 4 connected to the base end of the flexible insertion unit 1. By freely rotating the bending operation knob 5UD in the vertical direction, one of the upward bending operation wire 7U and the downward bending operation wire 7D is pulled to send out the other, and the horizontal bending operation knob 5RL is By rotating, one of the right bending operation wire 7R and the left bending operation wire 7L is pulled and the other is sent out.

  The bending portion 2 is a well-known one constructed by, for example, connecting a plurality of node rings formed in a short cylindrical shape so as to be rotatable with rivets or the like, and includes four bending operation wires 7U, 7D, 7R, and 7L. Is bent in the direction in which the pulled bending operation wire is arranged.

  In this embodiment, the maximum bending angle of the bending portion 2 is, for example, 180 ° upward, 90 ° downward, and 120 ° laterally. If the two bending operation knobs 5UD and 5RL are operated simultaneously, the bending portion 2 is bent. The portion 2 bends in a direction that combines the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the curved portion 2, and the outer periphery of a node ring 21 whose cross-sectional shape is formed in an annular shape is covered with a mesh tube 22, and the outermost periphery is elastic. A rubber tube is covered. Reference numerals 11, 12, 13, and 14 denote a signal cable for imaging signal transmission, a light guide bundle for illumination, a treatment instrument insertion channel, and an air / water supply tube.

  Wire guides 24U, 24D, 24R, and 24L made of, for example, stainless steel pipes are fixed to each position in the vertical and horizontal directions on the inner peripheral surface of the node ring 21 by brazing or the like at intervals of approximately 90 °. The bending operation wires 7U, 7D, 7R, 7L are loosely inserted and arranged one by one in the 24U, 24D, 24R, 24L. The distal ends of the bending operation wires 7U, 7D, 7R, and 7L are fixed to the node ring 21 at the foremost position at the distal end of the bending portion 2, respectively.

  Of the bending operation wires 7U, 7D, 7R, and 7L, the three bending operation wires 7D, 7R, and 7L other than the upward bending operation wire 7U are all made of, for example, 49 stainless steel wires. 7 × 7 twisted stranded wire with an outer diameter of about 0.7 to 0.9 mm is used.

  On the other hand, as the upward bending operation wire 7U having the maximum bending angle of the bending portion 2, a thick stranded wire having an outer diameter exceeding 1 mm (for example, about 1 to 2 mm) is used. In this embodiment, as the upward bending operation wire 7U, a stranded wire in which three stranded wires used in the other three bending operation wires 7D, 7R, and 7L are bundled and twisted together is used. . However, the strand wire of another aspect may be sufficient.

  Therefore, the upward bending operation wire 7U, which has a maximum bending angle and a large load during use, has a significantly higher tensile strength than the other three bending operation wires 7D, 7R, and 7L. Long life without disconnection.

  In this embodiment, the bending angle in the left-right direction of the bending portion 2 is slightly larger than the downward direction. However, the difference in the degree does not make a difference in the bending operation wires 7D, 7R, 7L, and the bending portion 2 As the upward bending operation wire 7U disposed in the bending direction with the largest maximum bending angle 2, a stranded wire having a higher tensile strength than the downward bending operation wire 7D disposed in the bending direction with the smallest maximum bending angle. A remarkable effect can be obtained only by using.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the bending portion 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and the other three bending operation wires 7D are used as the upward bending operation wire 7U having the maximum maximum bending angle. , 7R, and 7L, the outer diameter is the same, but the number of strands is small (for example, 19), and a stranded wire with a larger strand diameter is used. Even in this case, the tensile strength of the upward bending operation wire 7U, which has a maximum maximum bending angle and a large load during use, is made larger than that of the other three bending operation wires 7D, 7R, and 7L, so that the life until disconnection is increased. Can be long.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the bending portion 2 of the third embodiment of the present invention, and the other three bending operation wires 7D are used as the upward bending operation wire 7U having the maximum maximum bending angle. , 7R, 7L, the outer diameter and the wire diameter are the same, but by using a high-strength alloy wire as the material, the tensile strength is made larger than the other three bending operation wires 7D, 7R, 7L Is. Even in this case, the life until disconnection can be extended.

It is sectional drawing in a cross section perpendicular | vertical to the curved part of 1st Example of this invention. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in a cross section perpendicular | vertical to the curved part of 2nd Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing in a cross section perpendicular | vertical to the curved part of the 3rd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible insertion part 2 Bending part 7 Bending operation wire 7U Upper direction bending operation wire 7D Down direction bending operation wire 7R Right direction bending operation wire 7L Left direction bending operation wire

Claims (4)

A bending portion that is bent by remote operation is provided at a distal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and a plurality of bending operation wires that are inserted from the flexible insertion portion to the inside of the bending portion are connected to the proximal end of the flexible insertion portion. In an endoscope bending apparatus configured to bend the bending portion in a direction in which the pulled bending operation wire is arranged by selectively pulling from the side,
As the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, a stranded wire having a higher tensile strength than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest Endoscope bending apparatus characterized by being used.   As the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction in which the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, a stranded wire having a larger outer diameter than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction in which the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest is used. The endoscope bending apparatus according to claim 1.   As the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, a stranded wire having a larger strand diameter than the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest The endoscope bending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bending apparatus is used.   As the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the largest, the bending operation wire arranged in the bending direction where the maximum bending angle of the bending portion is the smallest and the twisted wire whose material is different The endoscope bending apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a wire is used.

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