JP2007044141A - Catheter for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a catheter for an endoscope allowing a sure, easy and quick operation despite a simple construction and manufactured at low cost. <P>SOLUTION: This catheter for the endoscope is provided with a first passage 37 formed in an inner tube 16, a second passage 34 formed of an outer tube 15, and a water-absorbing expansion member 23 at a distal end of the inner tube 16; when using the second passage 34, cuts off the first passage 37 by the operation of the operation part 12, and when using the first passage 37, cuts off the second passage 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an endoscope catheter that is used with a distal end wedged to a target site in a body cavity in the medical field.

  Conventionally, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is known as a method for collecting and diagnosing liquid components in bronchoalveolar alveoli. In this BAL diagnosis method, the tip of the bronchoscope itself is wedged into the bronchial site to seal the bronchoalveoli, and then the bronchoalveoli are injected with physiological saline heated to 37 ° C. Pathological diagnosis and etiological analysis are to be performed by analyzing the presence or absence and components of cells, bacteria, cytokines, microorganisms, etc. contained in the lavage fluid obtained by aspirating and collecting the bronchoalveolar fluid. Usually, this procedure is performed 2-3 times using 50 cc of physiological saline. In this case, physiological saline to be injected into the bronchoalveoli is injected from the bronchoscope channel. Further, by applying a negative pressure to the bronchoscope channel by an external suction device connected to the bronchoscope, the liquid in the bronchoalveoli is sucked and collected through the bronchoscope channel.

  In the conventional BAL diagnostic method, the bronchial part into which the endoscope is inserted is a relatively thick part, that is, only an area where physiological saline can be injected and collected from the central airway region. A limited diagnosis was possible only at the location of the target thick part.

In addition, in the conventional BAL diagnosis method using a bronchoscope, the bronchus ahead of the endoscope tip branches innumerably, so that physiological saline is also injected into places other than the bronchi to be examined It collects cellular components in a wide range to some extent. For this reason, it was impossible to clearly determine in which bronchus the lesion exists.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-52672

  In the conventional general BAL diagnosis method, the bronchus into which the endoscope can be inserted is relatively thick, that is, only the region where the physiological saline can be injected and collected from the central airway region. In this place, physiological saline is widely injected, and there is a problem that cell components in a wide range are recovered to some extent.

  Therefore, in the current system, the range of bronchoalveolar lavage is wide, and it is difficult to specify the disease range. In addition, it was not clear which bronchus the lesions exist in, so a localized analysis could not be expected.

  By the way, if the range of the disease can be specified, the more effective treatment can be performed. For this reason, there is a strong need for localized bronchoalveolar lavage. In addition, if bronchoalveolar lavage can be performed locally, the range of sterile saline to be injected is limited, so the total volume of the injected solution can be reduced, and the invasion of the patient's lungs can be kept low It is also advantageous in that it can do things.

  Therefore, using the endoscope channel, insert a treatment instrument with a balloon to a deep bronchial position narrower than the distal end diameter of the endoscope, create a sealed space in the deep location, and perform a bronchoalveolar lavage locally Is required.

  However, when a conventional treatment instrument with a balloon is inserted through the endoscope channel and the inner wall of the bronchus is blocked by expanding the balloon, a balloon inflation port and a water supply / drainage port must be provided in the operation part of the treatment instrument. The structure of the treatment instrument with a balloon becomes complicated. In addition, two syringes, a balloon inflation syringe and a water supply / drainage syringe, must be prepared, resulting in a more complicated structure, and the operation is complicated and requires a long time.

  In addition, although the use of the catheter (refer patent document 1) which uses a water-absorbing polymer gel for the said balloon is also considered, since the time when contracting a water-absorbing polymer gel is long, an endoscope and a treatment tool are endobronchially. It will be left unattended for a long time, and the burden on the patient will be a problem.

  The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is for an endoscope that can be reliably and easily treated with a quick operation while being simple and can be provided at low cost. It is to provide a catheter.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outer tube having a long and flexible insertion portion, an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, a first passage formed in the inner tube, and the outer tube. A second passage formed by a space between the tube and the inner tube; a nozzle member provided at a distal end of the inner tube and communicating with the first passage; a nozzle member provided in the nozzle member; An expansion member that is disposed at the tip and that can be expanded in the radial direction by the fluid supplied by the second passage, a fluid delivery / discharge means connection port provided in the operation unit, and the operation unit And means for switching the connection of the fluid delivery / discharge means connection port to the first passage and the second passage by the operation of the operation means. For endoscopes characterized by having Is the catheters.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outer tube having a long and flexible insertion portion, an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, a first passage formed in the inner tube, and the outer tube. A second passage formed by a space between the tube and the inner tube; a nozzle member provided at a distal end of the inner tube and communicating with the first passage; a nozzle member provided in the nozzle member; An expansion member disposed at the distal end and capable of expanding in the radial direction by the fluid supplied by the second passage, and a fluid feed provided in the operation portion and leading to the proximal end opening of the second conduit A discharge means connecting port, and a sealing member that is provided in the operation section and is operated to advance and retract to a position for closing the second passage and a position for opening the proximal end opening of the second passage by the operation means; The fluid delivery means provided in the operation unit A communication passage that communicates the connecting port portion with the first passage and the operation portion, and the communication means is provided when the sealing member is in a position to close the proximal end opening of the second passage by the operation means. The passage allows communication between the fluid delivery / discharge means connecting port and the first passage so that the fluid from the mouth can be supplied to the first passage, and the sealing member serves as the second passage. An endoscopic catheter, comprising: valve means for blocking communication between the fluid delivery / discharge means connecting port and the first passage when the passage is opened. is there.
The invention according to claim 3 is the endoscope catheter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the expansion member is an expansion member including a water-absorbing polymer gel.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the expansion member is deformable in a state where it has absorbed water and expanded, and when the inner tube is pulled into the outer tube, the expansion member is pulled into the outer tube. The endoscope catheter according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it can be stored.
The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the water-absorbing polymer gel is housed in a stretchable inclusion bag and attached to the outer periphery of the nozzle member by the inclusion bag. 5. An endoscope catheter according to claim 3 or claim 4.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the water-absorbent polymer gel is held at a position exposed from the tip of the outer tube in a state before water-absorbing and expanding, and when the water-absorbing polymer gel absorbs water and expands, The endoscope catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising means for suppressing extension in a direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly switch between a conduit communicating with a water-absorbing polymer gel that expands to seal a body part, and a conduit for feeding and draining to the body part. For example, bronchoalveolar lavage can be easily performed. Further, in the case where the water-absorbing polymer gel can be drawn, the operation of pulling out the catheter from the body is easy. In addition, it is possible to provide a low-cost endoscope catheter with good operability that can perform a localized treatment and that can be reliably and easily performed by a quick operation.

<First Embodiment>
An endoscope catheter according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Constitution)
As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope catheter 10 includes an insertion portion 11 and an operation portion 12. The insertion portion 11 has an outer tube 15 made of a flexible single lumen tube and a narrow inner tube 16 made of the same flexible single lumen tube inserted into the outer tube 15. The tubes 15 and 16 are coaxially arranged. The inner tube 16 is inserted into the outer tube 15 so as to be movable forward and backward. An outer passage 34 to be described later is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tube 15 and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tube 16. A treatment portion 20 described later is provided at the distal end portion of the insertion portion 11.

  The treatment section 20 includes a water supply / drainage member 21 as a nozzle member formed in a pipe shape, a fixing member 22 formed in a ring shape, and a high water absorption property as an expansion member that is formed in a ring shape and expands by absorbing moisture. A molecular gel 23. The water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is attached to the outer periphery of the water supply / drainage member 21 by a fixing member 22. In the normal state shown in FIG. 1, the fixing member 22 is located on the tip side of the water-absorbing polymer gel 23. Further, the fixing member 22 is formed in a short tubular shape whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 15, and when drawn into the outer tube 15 as shown in FIG. 4, the outer wall of the outer tube 15 and the outer periphery of the fixing member 22 are formed. A gap 24 is formed between the two.

  The inner surface of the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the water supply / drainage member 21. In the initial state shown in FIG. 1, the proximal end portion 25 of the water-absorbent polymer gel 23 hits the distal end portion 26 of the outer tube 15 and is disposed at a position to close the distal end opening portion of the outer tube 15.

  The water-absorbent polymer gel 23 as the expansion member of the treatment portion 20 is restricted from being elongated in the front-rear axial direction by a suppression means described later. That is, the distal end side portion of the water absorbent polymer gel 23 is attached to the water supply / drainage member 21 by the fixing member 22, and the rear end (base end) side portion of the water absorbent polymer gel 23 hits the distal end of the outer tube 15 before and after. Axial extension is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water-absorbent polymer gel 23 has a larger thickness and volume than the fixing member 22 in a normal state. Further, the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is stored in a mesh-like stretchable bag (including a bag) 27, thereby ensuring a predetermined form. The outer diameter of the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 including the bag 27 is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the outer tube 15.

  In the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is formed to be approximately equal to the outer diameter of the outer tube 15 as shown in FIG. Further, the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 can be deformed even in an expanded state, and when the inner tube 16 is drawn into the outer tube 15, the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is deformed accordingly and can enter the inner tube 16. (See FIG. 4).

  In addition, the tip portion 28 of the bag 27 that houses the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is crushed by the inner surface of the fixing member 22 so that the contents are empty. Gel 23 has not entered. For this reason, the amount of fixing force of the fixing member 22 is ensured.

  The water-absorbing polymer gel 23 only needs to basically be able to swell by absorbing water. Specifically, polymer electrolyte gel, collagen, water-absorbing hydrogel, water-absorbing rubber, Aquakel (trade name), Sumika gel In addition to (trade name), brawet (trade name), acrylamide copolymer, and the like, natural materials such as silk, cotton, and wood, and artificial fibers such as acrylic can be used. In addition, a collection of granular materials, a collection of powder materials, or a bubble-like material can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the base end portion 29 of the water supply / drainage member 21 is squeezed to be hollow in parallel with the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the distal end side portion of the water supply / drainage member 21. The inner tube 16 is connected. According to this connection method, the cross-sectional area of the outer passage 34 formed between the outer tube 15 and the inner tube 16 can be secured, and the flow rate for performing water supply / drainage and ventilation can be secured.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 12 is provided with a body member 31 that can be gripped. The distal end portion of the main body member 31 is covered with the proximal end of the outer tube 15 and is joined closely. A syringe connection port (fluid delivery / discharge means connection port) 32 having an inner surface of the mouth formed in a Luer taper shape is formed in the middle part of the main body member 31, and an injection cylinder or the like is formed with respect to the syringe connection port 32. It is possible to connect a water supply / drainage device (fluid delivery / discharge means). The syringe connection port 32 communicates with the internal space 33 of the main body member 31 and also communicates with the outer passage 34 described above via the internal space 33.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an inner tube connecting member 36 formed in a pipe shape is disposed coaxially with the main body member 31 inside the main body member 31. The rear end of the inner tube 16 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the inner tube connecting member 36. The inner hole of the inner tube connecting member 36 communicates with the passage in the inner tube 16. A stopper 41 as a sealing member, which will be described later, is fixedly provided on the outer periphery of the distal end portion of the inner tube connecting member 36.

  An elastic packing 44 formed in a ring shape is held between the ring-shaped washer 42 and the ring-shaped packing holding member 43 at the rear end portion of the main body member 31. Then, after the washer 42 and the packing 44 are inserted into the rear end portion of the main body member 31 in the order of the washer 42 and the packing 44, the packing holding member 43 is screwed into the rear end portion of the main body member 31. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the packing 44 is deformed and brought into close contact with the inner tube connecting member 36, thereby blocking and sealing the proximal end portion of the outer passage 34.

  The inside of the inner tube connecting member 36 communicates with an inner passage 37 formed by the inside of the inner tube 16 and also communicates with the inner hole portion 38 of the water supply / drainage member 21 through the inner passage 37. The packing 44 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the inner tube connecting member 36 to seal between the main body member 31 and the inner tube connecting member 36.

  Further, the rear end portion of the inner tube connecting member 36 penetrates the packing 44 and protrudes out of the operation portion 12. An operation knob 46 formed in a ring shape is fixedly attached to the rear end portion of the inner tube connecting member 36 that protrudes out of the operation portion 12. Then, when the inner tube connecting member 36 is advanced and retracted by the operation knob 46 as the operating means, the inner tube connecting member 36 slides on the inner surface of the packing 44, while the front end side direction a shown in FIG. It moves forward and backward in the base end direction b shown in FIG. The operation knob 46 also serves as a member for sealing the rear end opening of the inner tube connecting member 36.

  When the inner tube connecting member 36 is advanced in the distal end side direction a shown in FIG. 2 by the operation knob 46 as the operation means, the stopper 41 comes into contact with a step formed on the inner wall of the main body member 31 of the operation portion 12. It hits the portion 47 and closes the proximal end opening of the inner passage 37. That is, the stopper 41 is a sealing member that is advanced and retracted by the operating means. Further, the operation knob 46 is set so as not to hit the packing holding member 43 before the stopper 41 hits the contact portion 47.

  Further, the stopper 41 can be retracted to the position where the stopper 41 contacts the washer 42 in the proximal direction b shown in FIG. Thus, a means for regulating the operation amount and the operation position to be advanced and retracted by the operation knob 46 is configured.

  Further, a side hole (communication path) 48 is formed in the middle portion of the inner tube connecting member 36 so as to allow the outside and the inside to communicate with each other and to perform water supply / drainage and ventilation. In the normal standby state shown in FIG. 1, the side hole 48 is located behind the packing 44, and in this standby state, communication with the outer passage 34 is blocked. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the inner tube connecting member 36 is advanced, the side hole 48 is located in front of the packing 44 and is in communication with the outer passage 34. And the valve means which opens and closes | blocks the communication of a channel | path according to operation which moves the inner tube connection member 36 forward / backward by the operation means by the operation knob 46 is comprised.

(Function)
Next, an inspection method using bronchoalveolar lavage using the above-described endoscope catheter 10 will be described.

  First, an endoscope (not shown) is inserted into the bronchus, and the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope is advanced to the target site.

  Next, the insertion section 11 of the endoscope catheter 10 in the state shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the endoscope channel from the treatment instrument insertion port of the endoscope, and the distal end of the endoscope catheter 10 is inserted. It protrudes from the distal end of the insertion part of the endoscope. Furthermore, only the insertion part 11 of the endoscope catheter 10 is inserted to the target site for bronchoalveolar lavage.

  Next, in the state shown in FIG. 2, sterilized physiological saline is injected from the syringe connection port 32 and sent to the water-absorbent polymer gel 23 through the outer passage 34 to be absorbed. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 absorbs water and expands. And the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 presses and adheres to the inner wall of the bronchus 50 by expanding.

  Next, the operation knob 46 of the operation unit 12 is advanced in the distal direction a until the state shown in FIG. 2 is changed to the state shown in FIG. As a result, the stopper 41 abuts against the abutting portion 47 of the main body member 31 of the operating portion 12 before the operating knob 46 hits the packing holding member 43, and further advancement is prevented. As a result, the side hole 48 communicates with the internal space 33 of the main body member 31, and the tip end surface of the stopper 41 comes into contact with the contact portion 47, thereby blocking communication between the outer passage 34 and the syringe connection port 32. For this reason, injection of sterilized physiological saline from the syringe connection port 32 through the outer passage 34 stops, and water injection to the water-absorbent polymer gel 23 stops.

  Next, when sterilized physiological saline is injected through the syringe connection port 32, the sterilized physiological saline injected into the internal space 33 of the main body member 31 passes through the side hole 48, passes through the inner passage 37, and passes through the inner passage 37. The bronchus 50 are injected from the inner hole 38.

  Thereafter, the liquid discharged by applying negative pressure from the syringe connection port 32 is collected. Samples of cells, proteins, microorganisms, etc. can be obtained from this recovered solution.

  After the bronchoalveolar lavage, the operation knob 46 is pulled and moved in the proximal direction b so that the operation knob 46 is in the state shown in FIGS. Before the rear end of the stopper 41 comes into contact with the washer 42, the water-absorbing polymer gel 23 is drawn into the outer tube 15 and stored in the outer tube 15 as shown in FIG. 4.

Thereafter, the endoscope catheter 10 is removed from the endoscope. Similar tests can be performed several times.
Remove the endoscope from the bronchus when the desired and other tests are complete.

(effect)
With the configuration described above, bronchoalveolar lavage can be locally performed up to a bronchial portion thinner than the distal end diameter of the endoscope. Further, by using the water-absorbing polymer gel, a stable contact state with the bronchial lumen is maintained, so that the bronchoalveolar lavage can be performed locally. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to replace a water delivery / drainage device such as a syringe, the operation can be simplified. In addition, the configuration of the endoscope catheter can be simplified, and the economy is improved.

Second Embodiment
An endoscope catheter according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment shows an example of the expansion member of the treatment portion. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

(Constitution)
The treatment section 62 of the endoscope catheter 60 according to the present embodiment is disposed on the same axis as the water supply / drainage member 51 as a nozzle member formed in the shape of a pipe connected to the distal end of the inner tube 16. A pipe-like connecting tube 53 connected to the tip of the outer tube 15 and a balloon 52 as an inflating member which is disposed exposed at the tips of the inner tube 16 and the outer tube 15 and can seal liquid or gas. Is provided. The balloon 52 communicates with the outer passage 34 formed between the inner tube 16 and the outer tube 15. As shown in FIG. 5 showing a state before being inserted into the endoscope, in a state before being inserted into the endoscope, the balloon 52 is positioned in a contracted state on the distal end side of the treatment portion 62. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface of one end portion of the balloon 52 is in close contact with and connected to the outer periphery of the water supply / drainage member 51, and the inner surface of the other end portion of the balloon 52 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the connection tube 53. Connected. The balloon 52 is always in a state of closing the tip of the outer passage 34 formed between the inner tube 16 and the outer tube 15. The balloon 52 as an inflating member installed in the treatment portion 62 is restricted from extending in the front-rear axial direction of the treatment portion 62 by a restraining means described later.

  In the normal state shown in FIG. 5, the outer diameter of the balloon 52 is preferably smaller than the outer diameter of the outer tube 15. The material of the balloon 52 is basically expandable and expandable without pinholes or cracks. Specifically, natural rubber such as latex (trade name), synthetic rubber such as isoprene rubber or silicone rubber is used. it can. In addition, other rubber or resin that can be folded by sending and discharging liquid or gas can be used.

(Function)
The endoscope catheter 60 according to the present embodiment can be used by being introduced into a body cavity using an endoscope (not shown) as in the first embodiment described above.

  When the endoscope catheter 60 is introduced into the body cavity, the balloon 52 as the inflating member is in a contracted state as shown in FIG. When inflating the balloon 52 as the inflating member, sterilized physiological saline is injected from the syringe connection port 32, and the sterilized physiological saline is fed into the balloon 52 through the outer passage 34, as shown in FIG. The balloon 52 is pressurized so as to be inflated.

  At this time, the operation knob 46 of the operation unit 12 is advanced in the distal direction a until the inner tube 16 changes from the state of FIG. 5 to the state of FIG. As a result, the stopper 41 hits the abutting portion 47 of the main body member 31 of the operating portion 12 as the operating knob 46 hits the packing holding member 43, and further advancement is prevented (advance prevention function). After the balloon 52 is inflated, the operation knob 46 is advanced in the distal direction “a”, thereby pressing and closely contacting the inner wall of the bronchus 50.

  After the bronchoalveolar lavage, the operation knob 46 is pulled and moved in the proximal direction b so as to be in the state shown in FIGS. Accordingly, the outer passage 34 and the syringe connection portion 32 communicate with each other, and the balloon 52 is deflated by applying a negative pressure to the contraction force of the balloon 52 itself or the syringe connection portion 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the balloon 52 is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer tube 15. Therefore, the inspection method using bronchoalveolar lavage can be used as in the configuration of the first embodiment.

(effect)
With the above configuration, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, since the balloon 52 is inflated and contracted, it can be operated quickly and a stable close contact state is maintained, so that the bronchoalveolar lavage can be reliably performed locally.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to other forms.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the whole endoscope catheter which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure for using the endoscope catheter according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure for using the endoscope catheter according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a procedure for using the endoscope catheter according to the first embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the whole endoscope catheter which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Similarly, the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the whole endoscope catheter which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscope catheter 11 ... Insertion part 12 ... Operation part 15 ... Outer tube 16 ... Inner tube 20 ... Treatment part 21 ... Water supply / drainage member 23 ... Water-absorbing polymer gel 24 ... Gap 27 ... Bag 32 ... For syringe connection Opening 34 ... Outer passage 37 ... Inner passage 44 ... Packing 46 ... Operation knob 48 ... Side hole

Claims (6)

An outer tube having a long and flexible insertion portion; and
An inner tube disposed within the outer tube;
A first passage formed in the inner tube;
A second passage formed by a space between the outer tube and the inner tube;
A nozzle member provided at a tip of the inner tube and communicating with the first passage;
An expansion member that is provided in the nozzle member, is disposed at the tip of the second passage, and is capable of expanding in a radial direction by a fluid supplied by the second passage;
A fluid delivery / discharge means connection port provided in the operation unit;
Operation means provided in the operation unit;
Means for switching the connection of the fluid delivery / discharge means connection port to the first passage and the second passage by the operation of the operation means;
An endoscope catheter characterized by comprising: An outer tube having a long and flexible insertion portion; and
An inner tube disposed within the outer tube;
A first passage formed in the inner tube;
A second passage formed by a space between the outer tube and the inner tube;
A nozzle member provided at a tip of the inner tube and communicating with the first passage;
An expansion member that is provided in the nozzle member, is disposed at the tip of the second passage, and is capable of expanding in a radial direction by a fluid supplied by the second passage;
A port for connecting fluid delivery / discharge means that is provided in the operation section and communicates with the proximal end opening of the second pipe;
A sealing member that is provided in the operation section and is operated to advance and retract to a position that closes the second passage and a position that opens the proximal end opening of the second passage by the operation means;
A communication path that is provided in the operation section and communicates the fluid delivery / discharge means connection port with the first path;
The fluid delivery / discharge means connecting port and the first passage are provided by the communication passage when the sealing member is in a position to close the proximal end opening of the second passage by the operation means. The fluid supply means is connected to the communication passage when the sealing member opens the second passage, and allows the fluid from the mouth to be supplied to the first passage. Valve means for blocking communication between the mouth portion and the first passage;
An endoscope catheter characterized by comprising:   The endoscope catheter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the expansion member is an expansion member including a water-absorbing polymer gel.   The expansion member can be deformed in a state where it has absorbed water and expanded, and the expansion member can be retracted and stored in the outer tube when the inner tube is pulled into the outer tube. The endoscope catheter according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3.   The said water-absorbing polymer gel is accommodated in the elastic inclusion bag, and is attached to the outer periphery of the said nozzle member by an inclusion bag, The claim 1, Claim 3, Claim 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. An endoscope catheter according to 1.   The water-absorbing polymer gel is held at a position exposed from the tip of the outer tube in a state before the water-absorbing expansion, and means for suppressing the extension of the insertion portion in the front-rear axial direction when it absorbs water and expands. The endoscope catheter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by comprising:

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