JP2009189399A - Stylet for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stylet for an endoscope which can facilitate the insertion of the inserting portion of the endoscope and can improve the operability of the inserting portion of the endoscope. <P>SOLUTION: The problem is solved by constructing the stylet of a flexible member which is a long member having flexibility and in which stiffness varies from area to area in the length direction, a supporting portion arranged at the base of the flexible member and supporting the flexible member, and a stiffness adjustment portion adjusting the stiffness of the flexible member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope stylet that is inserted into a forceps channel of an endoscope.

In order to observe the inside of a living body, the inside of a machine, etc., as an apparatus for acquiring an internal image, by inserting an insertion part having a photographing unit into the inside of a living body or the inside of a machine, There are endoscopes that examine (or photograph) the inside of a machine.
As an endoscope, for example, Patent Document 1 is provided with an insertion portion including a distal end portion, a bending portion, and a flexible portion, and a bending knob formed at the rear end of the insertion portion for bending the bending portion. A flexible variable member whose one end side is fixed to the connecting tube portion between the insertion portion, the bending portion and the soft portion, and whose other end side is fixed to the peripheral portion of the rear end of the soft portion, and whose flexibility changes by expansion and contraction; A wire connected to the flexible variable member in the section from the fixed part of the flexible variable member to the connecting pipe part or a portion where the flexible variable member and the flexible part bend relatively softly, and provided near the bending knob. An endoscope having a link connected to a wire and an operation lever connected to the link and applying tension to the wire is described.

  Here, the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted while being bent in accordance with the shape of the living body to be inserted (for example, the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, large intestine, small intestine, etc.). For this reason, the force may not be transmitted to the distal end of the insertion portion, making insertion difficult.

In order to solve such a problem, there is an endoscope stylet that is inserted into a forceps channel of the insertion portion as an instrument that enhances the insertion property of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the living body.
As a stylet, for example, in Patent Document 2, a stylet composed of a long hard part, a soft part formed at the tip of the hard part, and a large-diameter gripping part provided at the rear end of the hard part Is described. In addition, the hard part may be composed of a coil and a wire inserted into a cylinder formed of the coil, and the hardness of the hard part may be adjusted by operating the wire at the grip part. Are listed.

  Moreover, although it is not a stylet for endoscopes, Patent Document 3 discloses a sheath made of a contact coil that is inserted through a forceps channel provided in an insertion portion of an endoscope and has a treatment function portion at a distal end. A variable hardness treatment instrument (endoscope treatment instrument) characterized in that a hardness adjusting means for changing the adhesion degree of the adhesion coil and adjusting the hardness of the sheath is provided on the proximal end side of the sheath. ) Is described.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 03-43802 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 02-51501 JP 2004-33525 A

By inserting an endoscope stylet as described in Patent Document 2 into the forceps channel, the rigidity of the insertion portion of the endoscope can be increased, and the insertion property of the endoscope is increased. Can do.
However, since the endoscope stylet described in Patent Document 2 adjusts the rigidity of the entire sheath, increasing the rigidity of the endoscope stylet increases the rigidity of the entire insertion portion of the endoscope. Therefore, if the rigidity of the endoscope stylet is increased, the rigidity of the insertion portion of the endoscope itself is increased, and a high load is applied to a portion other than the desired region that is curved in the inspection target. There's a problem.
Moreover, since the whole rigidity becomes high, there also exists a problem that operativity is low.

  Also, when the endoscope treatment tool described in Patent Document 3 is used by inserting it into a forceps channel before inserting the insertion portion of the endoscope into an inspection object, the rigidity of the entire long coil is reduced. The adjustment causes the same problem as the endoscope stylet described in Patent Document 2.

  Further, in the method of providing a mechanism for changing the hardness at the insertion portion of the endoscope as in the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the diameter of the insertion portion is increased by providing the mechanism. Therefore, it becomes difficult to insert into a living body. Moreover, if the diameter of the insertion portion is large, the burden on the patient increases.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the problems based on the above prior art, make it easy to insert the insertion portion of the endoscope, and improve the operability of the insertion portion of the endoscope. The object is to provide an endoscope stylet.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is an endoscope stylet that is inserted into a forceps channel of an endoscope, is a long member having flexibility, and is provided for each region in the length direction. A flexible member having different rigidity; a support portion that is disposed at a base end of the flexible member and supports the flexible member; and a rigidity adjusting portion that adjusts the rigidity of the flexible member. An endoscope stylet characterized by the above is provided.

Here, it is preferable that the rigidity adjusting unit adjusts the rigidity for each region in the length direction of the flexible member.
In addition, the stiffness adjusting unit adjusts the distance between the divided support unit arranged at each boundary between the region and the adjacent region and the divided support unit adjacent to the divided support unit. For each of the regions, and the rigidity adjusting unit adjusts the distance between the divided support unit and the adjacent divided support unit by the inter-region distance adjusting unit. It is preferable to adjust the rigidity.
In addition, the inter-region distance adjusting unit passes through the flexible member, and one end thereof is fixed to the divided support unit disposed on the support unit side of the region, and the support unit side of the region It is preferable to have an adjustment wire that is movably locked to the split support portion on the opposite side to the operation portion and has a terminal end disposed on the operation portion side, and an adjustment wire pulling mechanism that pulls the adjustment wire.

  In addition, the rigidity adjusting unit passes through the flexible member, a distal end support unit disposed at the distal end of the flexible member, the distal end is fixed to the distal end support unit, and the terminal end is on the operation unit side It is preferable to have a traction wire disposed on the traction wire and a traction mechanism connected to the end of the traction wire and pulling the traction wire.

Furthermore, it is preferable to have a treatment function unit that is disposed at a distal end of the flexible member and that performs a treatment on the inspection target, and an operation unit that operates the treatment function unit.
The operation unit includes an operation wire that passes through the flexible member and has a distal end fixed to the treatment function unit, and an operation trigger that pulls the operation wire. The treatment function unit includes: A gripping member member that opens and closes when pulled by the operation wire is preferable.
Moreover, it is preferable that the said treatment function part is removable with respect to the said flexible member.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said rigidity adjustment part can make the rigidity of the part by the side of the said treatment function part of the said flexible member higher than the rigidity of another part.
Further, the flexible member is a spiral having a gap when the rigidity is set to be low by the rigidity adjusting unit, and the spiral of the part on the treatment function unit side is more than the spiral of the other part A coil having a large diameter is preferable.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said rigidity adjustment part can make the rigidity of the said front end part and the said base end part of the said flexible member higher than the rigidity of another part.
Further, in the flexible member, when the spiral of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion has a larger diameter than the spiral of the other portion, and the rigidity is set to be low by the rigidity adjusting portion It is preferable that the coil be a spiral with a gap formed between them.

According to the present invention, the flexible member is configured to have different rigidity in each region in the length direction, and the rigidity of the flexible member is adjusted by the rigidity adjustment mechanism, so that the insertion portion of the endoscope can be placed on a living body. Insertion can be facilitated, and operability can be further enhanced.
In addition, by using the stylet of the present invention, it is possible to easily insert an endoscope having low rigidity, and the configuration of the endoscope can be further simplified. The diameter can be reduced.

  Further, by adjusting the rigidity of the flexible member for each region, the insertion portion can be easily inserted into the inspection object. Further, by being able to adjust for each region, it is possible to prevent a portion of the insertion portion that does not need to be deformed due to the load of the stylet, the contact of the insertion portion with the inspection target, and an increase in the load on the inspection target.

Further, by providing a treatment function part at the tip of the flexible member, it becomes k ability to perform treatment on the inspection object.
Further, when the treatment function unit is provided, the distal end portion is made to have higher rigidity than the other portions, that is, the distal end portion is made more rigid and the other portion inserted into the forceps channel By reducing the rigidity, the operability of the treatment function part can be increased, the load applied to the insertion part of the endoscope can be reduced, and the inserted insertion part can be used for the endoscope treatment tool. It is possible to prevent deformation by changing the rigidity. As a result, the possibility that the endoscope will fail can be further reduced, and the insertion portion of the endoscope can be prevented from coming into contact with the living body and increasing the load on the living body.

  An endoscope stylet according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

First, an example of an endoscope that can use the endoscope stylet of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an endoscope in which the endoscope stylet of the present invention can be used, and FIG. 2 is an insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 11 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the front-end | tip part 22.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 11 captures (photographs) an image of an examination site using a CCD sensor 60 and observes the examination site and takes a moving image or a still image. The endoscope has an insertion portion 12, an operation portion 14, a connector 16, and a universal cord 18 as in a normal endoscope.

  The endoscope 11 performs observation of a test site, taking a photograph or a movie, and collecting a tissue from an insertion part 12 inserted into a test site such as a body cavity (digestive tract, otolaryngology, etc.).

  The insertion part 12 is a long part to be inserted into an examination part such as a body cavity, and includes a tip part 22 at a tip (a tip on the insertion side, that is, an end opposite to the operation part 14 side), and an angle part. 24 and a flexible portion 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a CCD sensor 60 for imaging the examination site is disposed at the distal end portion 22. As an optical system for imaging the examination site by the CCD sensor 60 (imaging) lens 62, and lens 62 A prism 64 is provided for allowing the image (light) incident on the image sensor to enter the observation window (also referred to as “imaging surface”) of the CCD sensor 60. The output signal of the CCD sensor 60 is subjected to predetermined processing such as A / D conversion by the processing substrate 68 and is output. The output signal lines that transmit the output signals output from the processing board 68 are grouped together as a data cable 70. The data cable 70 is inserted through the angle portion 24 and the flexible portion 26, through the operation portion 14 to the universal cord 18 to the connector 16, and to the video connector 56.

  In addition, the distal end portions 22 of the two light guides 76 that guide the emitted light and emit light to illuminate the examination site from the distal end portion 22 are disposed. Further, the distal end portion 22 is opened with an air supply / water supply port 72 for supplying air or water to the examination site, a forceps port 74 for inserting a forceps for collecting a tissue into the examination site, and the like. ing. The air / water supply port 72 is connected with an air / liquid supply channel 80 inserted into the insertion portion, and the forceps port 74 has a forceps channel 78 inserted into the insertion portion. It is connected.

The angle portion (curved portion) 24 is vertically and horizontally (orthogonal) by an operation on the operation portion 14 in order to insert the distal end portion 22 into a target position and to photograph a target position by the CCD sensor 60 of the distal end portion 22. This is a region that is curved in four directions. In the endoscope 11 of the illustrated example, the angle portion 24 has a configuration in which a large number of circular rings are connected in the same manner as the angle portion of a known endoscope, and the angle portion is curved in this ring. Wires (angle wires) are connected.
The angle portion 24 is bent by an operation of an LR knob 88 and a UD knob 90 of the operation unit 14 described later.

The flexible portion 26 is a portion that connects the distal end portion 22 and the angle portion 24 and the operation portion 14, and is a long portion having sufficient flexibility for insertion into the examination portion.
Here, in the angle portion 24 and the flexible portion 26, the above-described data cable 70, two light guides, a wire for bending the angle portion 24, and the like are accommodated / inserted. Further, the angle portion 24 and the flexible portion 26 are further connected to a forceps channel (forceps tube) 78 that is a conduit connected to the above-described forceps port 74 and a conduit connected to the air / water supply port 72. A certain air / water channel (air / water tube) 80 is also housed / inserted.

The operation unit 14 is a part that operates the endoscope 11.
Similar to a normal endoscope, the operation unit 14 communicates with a forceps channel 78, and a forceps port 82 that is an opening for a user to insert forceps, and a forceps port 74 of the distal end portion 22 through the forceps channel 78. A suction button 84 for performing suction from the air, an air / water feeding button 86 for performing air feeding and water feeding from the air / water feeding port 72 of the distal end portion 22 to the examination site or the like via the air / water feeding channel 80. Be placed.
In addition, the endoscope 11 which is an electronic scope is provided with various switches for observing / photographing images with the CCD sensor 60, such as a zoom switch, a still image photographing switch, and a moving image photographing switch. It has been.

  Further, the operation unit 14 includes an LR knob (left / right knob) 88 that bends the angle part 24 leftward and rightward, and a UD knob (up / down) that bends the angle part 24 upward and downward. (Knob) 90 is arranged. In the endoscope 11, as in various known endoscopes, the wire connected to the angle portion 24 is pulled by turning the LR knob 88 and the UD knob 90, and the angle portion 24 is pulled. As a result, the angle portion 24 is bent in the vertical and horizontal directions or in the combined vertical and horizontal directions.

The connector 16 is a part for connecting to a power source, a signal processing device, a water supply means, an air supply means, a suction means, etc. in a facility where the endoscope 11 is used, and a light guide 76 for illuminating the examination part. LG rod 52 for connecting the illumination light source, water supply connector for connecting the endoscope 11 and the water supply (water supply) means of the facility, a ventilation connector for connecting to the air supply means, connection to the suction means For example, an S connector (not shown) for connecting an S cord when an electric knife is used is disposed.
As described above, since the endoscope 11 is an electronic scope, the connector 16 is further connected with a video connector 56 for connection to the signal treatment device 21. As described above, the data cable 70 that transmits the image captured by the CCD sensor 60 passes through the operation unit 14 to the universal cord 18 from the insertion unit 12 and is connected to the video connector 56 through the connector 16. . The video connector 56 is connected to the signal processing device 21.

The universal cord (connector soft part) 18 is a part for connecting the connector 16 and the operation part 14.
Two light guides 76 and a data cable 70 are accommodated / inserted into the universal cord 18. The universal cord 18 further accommodates / inserts a water supply channel connected to the water supply connector 46, an air supply channel connected to the ventilation connector 48, a suction channel connected to the suction connector 50, and the like.
The endoscope 11 is basically configured as described above.

Next, the endoscope stylet 100 of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the endoscope stylet 100 of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, an endoscope stylet 100 (hereinafter also referred to as “stylet 100”) is a member that is used by inserting it into a forceps channel 78 of an endoscope 10 to treat a subject to be examined. The treatment function part 102 exposed at the distal end of the forceps channel 78 and contacting the subject to be inspected, and the treatment function part 102 locked to the distal end, are inserted into the forceps channel 78 at the time of use. A member 104; a support unit 105 that supports the base end of the flexible member 104; a treatment function operation unit 106 that operates the treatment function unit 102; and a rigidity adjustment unit 108 that adjusts the rigidity of the flexible member 104. Have.

The treatment function unit 102 is a forceps that grips a part of an inspection target, and that supports the first forceps piece 110, the second forceps piece 112, and the ends of the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112. And a single connecting portion 114.
The first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 are arranged to face each other. Further, the end of the first forceps piece 110 that is not supported by the forceps piece connecting portion 114 and the end of the second forceps piece 112 that is not supported by the forceps piece connecting portion 114 abut.
The forceps piece connecting portion 114 rotatably supports the end portions of the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112.

  The treatment function unit 102 is configured as described above, and the forceps piece connection unit 114 uses the forceps piece connection unit 114 as a fulcrum in response to an operation of a treatment function operation unit 106 described later. 112 is rotated, and the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 are opened and closed (specifically, the abutting portions are separated or brought into contact with each other). In this way, a part of the inspection object can be grasped by opening and closing the treatment function unit 102.

The flexible member 104 is a long member having flexibility (that is, flexibility) that is deformed along the forceps channel 78 and is used by being inserted into the forceps channel 74 of the endoscope 10. The end portion supports the treatment function portion 102, and the other end portion is fixed to a support portion 105 described later.
The flexible member 104 is a coil in which a linear member having a predetermined rigidity such as a metal wire is spirally wound so that the linear members at other positions do not come into contact with each other. The flexible member 104 includes a partial region (hereinafter referred to as “distal region”) 122 on the treatment function unit 102 side and a partial region (hereinafter referred to as “proximal region”) 126 on the support unit 105 side. And the region between the distal end region 122 and the proximal end region 126 (hereinafter referred to as “intermediate region”) has a shape in which the spiral diameter is different. Specifically, the flexible member 104 has a shape in which the spiral diameter of the distal end region 122 and the proximal end region 126 is larger than the spiral diameter of the intermediate region 124.
Here, the tip region is a region that is disposed at a portion protruding from the forceps opening and a tip portion of the forceps channel when the treatment function unit 102 is used. As a specific example, it is an area | region from a front-end | tip support part to 60 mm.
Further, the base end region is a region having a certain length from the support portion, and as a specific example, is a region located at a distance of 600 to 1000 mm from the support portion.

  The support part 105 supports the flexible member 104 by fixing the base end side (the side opposite to the treatment function part 104) of the flexible member 104.

The treatment function operation unit (hereinafter simply referred to as “operation unit”) 106 includes an operation wire 132 and an operation trigger 134, and controls the opening / closing operation of the treatment function unit 102.
The operation wire 132 is inserted into the flexible member 104 and the support portion 105, one end is connected to the forceps connection portion 114, and the other end is connected to the operation trigger 134.
The operation trigger 134 is disposed on the surface of the support portion 105 opposite to the surface on which the flexible member 104 is disposed, and is connected to the operation wire 132.
The operation trigger 134 is configured so that the connecting portion between the operation trigger 134 and the operation wire 132 is away from the support unit 105 (that is, the operation wire 132 between the treatment function unit 102 and the support unit 105 is shortened). By pulling, the forceps connecting portion 114 of the treatment function portion 102 can be pulled to the support portion 105 side.

The treatment function operation unit 106 is configured as described above. By pulling the operation wire 132 toward the support unit 105 by the operation trigger 134, the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 of the treatment function unit 102. The tip (the end opposite to the forceps connecting portion 114) can be brought into contact.
In addition, the treatment function operation unit 106 is flexible by fixing the proximal end of the flexible member 104 with the support unit 105 and further locking the treatment function unit 102 with the operation wire 132 and the flexible member 104. The member 104 and the treatment function unit 102 are locked at predetermined positions.
The operation wire 132 is preferably provided with a stopper (not shown) between the operation trigger 134 and the support unit 105 so that the operation trigger 134 does not move to the treatment function unit 102 side beyond a certain distance.

The rigidity adjusting unit 108 includes a tip support part 136, a pulling wire 138, and a pulling trigger 140, and adjusts the rigidity of the flexible member 104.
The distal end support portion 136 is disposed between the flexible member 104 and the treatment function member 102 and is connected to the flexible member 104. Further, a hole for inserting the operation wire 132 is formed in the tip support portion 136.
The pulling wire 138 is inserted through the inside of the flexible member 104 and the support portion 105, one end portion is connected to the tip support portion 136, and the other end portion is connected to the pulling trigger 140.
The pull trigger 140 is disposed on the surface of the support portion 105 opposite to the surface on which the flexible member 104 is disposed, and is connected to the pull wire 138.
The traction trigger 140 has a traction wire 138 in a direction in which a connecting portion between the traction trigger 140 and the traction wire 138 is separated from the support portion 105 (that is, a direction in which the traction wire 138 between the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 is shortened). By pulling, the tip support part 136 can be pulled to the support part 105 side.

The rigidity adjusting unit 108 is configured as described above, and by pulling the pulling wire 132 to the support unit 105 side by the pulling trigger 140, the tip support unit 136 can be pulled to the support unit 105 side. The distance between the support portion 136 and the support portion 105 can be adjusted.
As with the traction trigger 140, the traction wire 138 is provided with a stopper (not shown) between the traction trigger 140 and the support portion 105 so that the traction trigger 140 does not move to the tip support portion 136 side for a certain distance or more. It is preferable to provide it.

The stylet 100 is configured as described above.
Next, the operation of the stylet 100 will be described to describe the endoscope stylet of the present invention in more detail. 4A to 4C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the stylet 100 illustrated in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the operator operates the stylet 100 in a state where the operation wire 132 is not pulled by the operation trigger 134 and the pulling wire 138 is not pulled by the pulling trigger 140. Inserted into the forceps port 82 of the endoscope 11 from the 102 side.
After the treatment function unit 102 reaches the forceps channel 78 from the forceps port 82, the treatment function unit 102 and the flexible member 104 are further inserted until the treatment function unit 102 reaches the tip of the forceps port 74. As a result, the flexible member 104 is inserted into the forceps channel 78. Further, the treatment function unit 102 is supported at a position where it does not come out of the forceps channel 78.

Next, the operator inserts the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 11 in which the stylet 100 is inserted into the forceps channel 78 into the inspection target. For example, when examining the lower digestive system such as the large intestine and the small intestine of a living body, the insertion portion 12 is inserted from the anus toward the large intestine.
Here, when it is desired to increase the rigidity of the insertion portion at the time of insertion, the distance between the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 is pulled by pulling the pulling wire 138 and pulling the tip support portion 136 toward the support portion 105 side. To shorten. Thereby, the space | interval of the winding of the spiral coil of the flexible member 104 arrange | positioned between the front-end | tip support part 136 and the support part 105 becomes short, and it will be in the state contact | adhered. As the coils are brought into close contact in this manner, the rigidity of the flexible member 104 is increased, and the rigidity of the stylet 100 portion in the forceps channel 78 is increased.
Here, the flexible member 104 has a spiral diameter larger in the intermediate region 124 than in the distal end region 122 and the proximal end region 126. For this reason, the intermediate region 124 is higher in rigidity than the distal end region 122 and the proximal end region 126. As a result, the flexible member 104 in the vicinity of the treatment function unit 102 and the flexible member 104 in the vicinity of the operation trigger 132 are harder than the flexible member 104 in the forceps channel 78.
In this way, the insertion portion 12 is inserted to the target position while adjusting the rigidity of the insertion portion 12 by adjusting the rigidity of the stylet 100 in the forceps channel 78 as necessary.
Further, while being inserted, the inspection object is observed by acquiring an image of the inspection object with the CCD sensor at the tip of the insertion portion 12.

Here, when it becomes necessary to treat the examination target during observation, the treatment function unit 102 of the stylet 100 is used.
First, the stylet 100 is further inserted into the forceps channel 78 and the treatment function unit 102 is exposed from the forceps port 74.
When the treatment function unit 102 is exposed from the forceps port 74, the pulling wire 140 is pulled by the pulling trigger 140 as shown in FIG. Thus, the rigidity of the stylet 100 portion in the forceps channel 78 is increased by pulling the pulling wire 138 and pulling the tip support portion 136 toward the support portion 105 side.
Further, the treatment function unit 102 causes the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 to be opened by the operation unit 106.

Next, in this way, the rigidity of the flexible member 104 is increased, and the treatment function unit 102 is moved to the target position to be examined with the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 opened.
When the treatment function part 102 is moved to the target position, the operation wire 132 is pulled to the support part 105 side by the operation trigger 134, whereby the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 are shown in FIG. And the tip is closed. Thus, by closing the tips of the first forceps piece 110 and the second forceps piece 112 at the target position, it is possible to grasp a part of the inspection object.

As described above, according to the stylet 100, the rigidity of the insertion portion 12 is reduced by lowering (that is, softening) or increasing the rigidity of the flexible member 104 by the rigidity adjusting portion 108 during insertion. Can be adjusted. Thereby, the operator can insert the insertion portion 12 more easily.
Further, since the flexible member 104 can have different rigidity depending on the position in the length direction, it can have rigidity corresponding to the position of the insertion portion 12. Specifically, since the rigidity of the proximal end region 128 can be made higher than the rigidity of the intermediate region 126, the force applied by the operator can be appropriately transmitted to the distal end of the insertion portion.
Furthermore, since the endoscope 11 and the stylet 100 are separated, the diameter of the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 11 can be reduced (thinned), and treatment of a living body can be performed with the endoscope 11. By using the forceps channel provided for performing, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the insertion portion without providing a new opening or parts in the endoscope 11.
In addition, since rigidity can be imparted by the stylet, even an endoscope having an insertion portion with low rigidity can be suitably inserted into the inspection object.
Further, the position where the rigidity of the insertion portion 12 is increased can be adjusted by moving the stylet 100 in the forceps channel 78 back and forth.

Furthermore, a living body treatment can be performed by providing a treatment function unit at the tip.
In addition, the rigidity of the flexible member 104 can be increased by shortening the distance between the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 during the treatment of the inspection target. Thereby, the flexible member 104 and the treatment function part 102 can be stably supported with respect to the forceps channel 78, and the target position can be grasped (treated) more reliably in a shorter time. That is, the operability of the treatment function unit 102 of the stylet 100 can be improved.
Further, by making the rigidity of the intermediate region 124 lower than that of the distal end region 122 and the proximal end region 126 of the flexible member 104, the insertion portion 12 and the forceps channel 78 can be connected to the flexible member 104 while maintaining operability. Deformation due to rigidity can be prevented, and the insertion portion 12 can be prevented from coming into contact with the living body and increasing the load on the living body. Furthermore, the load applied to the insertion portion 12 and the forceps channel 78 can be reduced, and the possibility that the endoscope 11 will break down can be further reduced.

Further, the flexible member can change the rigidity of each position of the flexible member by changing the diameter of the spiral depending on the position. Here, in this embodiment, the flexible member is divided into three regions, but may be divided into two regions or four or more regions.
In addition, the flexible member in a state where the rigidity is not increased by the rigidity adjusting unit can be made softer by increasing the gap between the windings.

Further, in this embodiment, when the rigidity of the flexible member is increased by the rigidity adjusting unit, the rigidity of the tip region and the base region is higher than the rigidity of the intermediate region, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the rigidity of each region may have any distribution.
Further, when the treatment function unit is provided at the distal end like the stylet 100, it is preferable that the rigidity of the distal end region is higher than the rigidity of other regions.
Since the rigidity of the tip region can be increased, the operability during the treatment of the stylet can be increased as described above.

In the embodiment described above, the case where forceps are used for the treatment function unit has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various biopsy forceps, grasping forceps, clips, snares, and the like can be used.
In the stylet 100, the treatment function unit 102 and the operation unit 106 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the treatment function unit 102 and the operation unit 106 are not necessarily provided.

Moreover, in the stylet 100, although the helical coil was used as a flexible member, this invention is not limited to this.
FIG. 5 (A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing another example of the stylet of the present invention, and FIG. 5 (B) is a schematic view of a part of the flexible member of the stylet shown in FIG. 5 (A). It is a perspective view which shows a structure.
Here, the stylet 150 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is the same as that shown in FIG. 3 except for the point that the treatment function unit 102 and the operation unit 106 are not provided and the configuration of the flexible member 152. Therefore, the members having the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the stylet 100, the description thereof is omitted, and the configuration unique to the stylet 150 will be described below.

The stylet 150 includes a flexible member 152, a support part 105, and a rigidity adjustment part 108.
One end of the flexible member 152 is fixed to the tip support part 136, and the other end is fixed to the support part 105.
The flexible member 152 has a plurality of hollow cylindrical tubes 154a, 156a, 158a formed in a material that is hardened when a certain pressure is applied, and is arranged in series. The operation wires 132 of the operation unit 106 and the pulling wires of the stiffness adjusting unit 108 are inserted into the spaces inside the tube bodies 154a, 156a, and 158a.
More specifically, in the flexible member 152, a plurality of tubes 154a are arranged in series in the distal end region 154, a plurality of tubes 156a are arranged in series in the intermediate region 156, and a proximal end region 158 is arranged. A plurality of tube bodies 158a are arranged in series.
Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, the tubular body 154a has a thicker cylindrical shape than the tubular body 156a. Specifically, the tubular body 154a has a shape in which the inner diameter is the same as the tubular body 156a and the outer diameter is larger than the tubular body 156a. The tube body 158a has the same shape as the tube body 154a.

The stylet 150 having the above configuration also compresses the tubular bodies 154a, 156a, and 158a of the flexible member 152 by shortening the distance between the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 by the stiffness adjusting portion 108. The rigidity of the flexible member 152 can be increased.
Further, by increasing the thickness of the tubular body 154a disposed in the distal end region 154 and the tubular body 158a disposed in the proximal end region 158, the rigidity of the distal end region 154 and the proximal end region 158 is made greater than the rigidity of the intermediate region 156. The same effect as the stylet 100 described above can be obtained.
Moreover, the rigidity can be changed more finely by changing the wall thickness of each tube to another stage.

In addition, the flexible member may have a pipe shape in which the above-described tubular body is connected (that is, the distal end region and the proximal end region are thicker than the intermediate region).
Moreover, it is good also as a shape which combined the coil and tube mentioned above, or a coil and a pipe shape.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of the stylet of the present invention.
Here, the stylet 170 shown in FIG. 6 is the same as the stylet 150 shown in FIG. 5 except for the flexible member 180 and the stiffness adjusting portion 182. The same number as the stylet 100 is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted and hereafter, the structure peculiar to the processing tool 170 is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the stylet 170 includes a flexible member 180, a support part 105, and a rigidity adjustment part 182.
The flexible member 180 has a shape in which a linear member having a predetermined rigidity, such as a metal wire, is spirally wound so that a linear member at another position does not come into contact, and one end portion is a tip support portion 136. , And the other end portion has two coils (first coil 184 and second coil 186) fixed to the support portion 105.
Here, the diameters of the first coil 184 and the second coil change at a predetermined distance from the support portion 105, and the diameter of the portion connected to the support portion 105 is larger than the diameter of the other portions. Large spiral shape. Further, the diameter of the second coil 184 changes from the first coil 184 at a position away from the support portion 105.

In addition, the rigidity adjusting unit 182 includes a tip support unit 136, a first pulling wire 188, a second pulling wire 190, and a pulling trigger 140, and adjusts the rigidity of the flexible member 104.
Since the tip support portion 136 and the pulling trigger 140 have the same configuration as each portion of the rigidity adjusting portion 108 described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.
The first pulling wire 188 is inserted through the inside of the first coil 184 and the support portion 105, one end is connected to the tip support portion 136, and the other end is connected to the pull trigger 140.
The second puller wire 190 is inserted through the inside of the second coil 186 and the support part 105, one end is connected to the tip support part 136, and the other end is connected to the pull trigger 140.

The stylet 170 is configured as described above, and the traction trigger 140 pulls the first traction wire 188 and the second traction wire 190 to the support portion 105 side, and the distance between the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 is increased. By shortening and compressing the first coil 184 and the second coil 186, the rigidity of the flexible member 180 can be increased.
Also, the stylet 170 can increase the rigidity of the proximal end region by increasing the diameter of the first coil 184 and the second coil 186 on the side of the support portion 105, and the same effect as the stylet 100 can be obtained. be able to.
In addition, by providing a plurality of coils as in the present embodiment and shifting the position where the diameter changes, the rigidity of the flexible member in the length direction of the flexible member can be made to be different depending on the position. .

  Further, in the stylet of the above-described embodiment, the rigidity of the flexible member is increased by pulling the tip support part to the support part side with the rigidity adjusting member, but the present invention is not limited to this. The rigidity of the flexible member may be increased by disposing a moving member at the end of the support portion of the flexible member and moving the moving member to the tip support portion side.

Moreover, it is preferable that a rigidity adjustment part selectively changes the rigidity of a flexible member. Specifically, it is preferable to change the rigidity for each position in the length direction of the flexible member (for example, for each region such as the distal end region, the intermediate region, and the proximal end region).
FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of another embodiment of the stylet of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is a schematic configuration of the stiffness adjusting portion of the stylet shown in FIG. 7A. FIG.

  The stylet 200 includes a flexible member 202, a support part 105, and a rigidity adjustment part 204. In addition, since the support part 105 is the structure similar to the support part 105 of the stylet 100 mentioned above, description is abbreviate | omitted.

The flexible member 202 is a long member having flexibility (that is, flexibility) that is deformed along the forceps channel 78 and is used by being inserted into the forceps channel 74 of the endoscope 10. The end portion supports the treatment function portion 102, and the other end portion is fixed to a support portion 105 to be described later. A distal end coil 205 disposed in the distal end region, an intermediate coil 206 disposed in the intermediate region, and a base It comprises a proximal coil 208 arranged in the end region.
Here, each coil of the flexible member 202 has a configuration in which the coil of the flexible member 104 of the stylet 100 is provided separately for each region.
That is, the distal coil 205, the intermediate coil 206, and the proximal coil 208 are coils in which a linear member having a predetermined rigidity such as a metal wire is spirally wound so that the linear member at other positions does not come into contact. . Further, the distal end coil 205 and the proximal end coil 208 have a shape in which the spiral diameter is larger than the spiral diameter of the intermediate coil 206.

  The rigidity adjusting unit 204 includes a distal end support portion 136, a traction wire 138, a traction trigger 140, a first divided support portion 210 disposed between the distal end coil 205 and the intermediate coil 206, the intermediate coil 206, and the proximal end. A second divided support portion 212 disposed between the coil 208, a tip coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 214 for adjusting the stiffness of the tip coil 205, an intermediate coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 216 for adjusting the stiffness of the intermediate coil 206, and a base A proximal coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 218 that adjusts the stiffness of the end coil. Here, since the tip support part 136, the pulling wire 138, and the pulling trigger 140 are the same as the respective parts of the stiffness adjusting part 108 of the stylet 100 described above, description thereof will be omitted.

The first divided support portion 210 is a plate-like member disposed between the distal end coil 205 and the intermediate coil 206, is connected to the proximal end of the distal end coil 205, and is connected to the distal end of the intermediate coil 206.
The second divided support portion 212 is a plate-like member disposed between the intermediate coil 206 and the proximal end coil 208, and is connected to the proximal end of the intermediate coil 206 and connected to the distal end of the proximal end coil 208. Has been.

  The tip coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 214 includes a tip traction wire 220 and a tip traction trigger 222, and adjusts the distance between the tip support portion 136 and the first divided support portion 210 to increase the stiffness of the tip coil 205. adjust.

The tip pulling wire 220 passes from the first split support portion 210 through the inside of the tip coil 205 and is folded back by the tip support portion 136, and then the tip coil 205, the first split support portion 210, the intermediate coil 206, the second coil. The split support part 212, the base coil 208, and the support part 105 are disposed so that one end part is connected to the first split support part 210, and the other end part is a tip traction trigger 222. It is connected to. Further, the tip support part 136 supports the tip pull wire 220 in a movable state.
The tip pull trigger 222 is disposed on the surface of the support portion 105 opposite to the surface on which the flexible member 202 is disposed, and is connected to the tip pull wire 220.

  The intermediate coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 216 includes an intermediate traction wire 224 and an intermediate traction trigger 226, and adjusts the distance between the first divided support portion 210 and the second divided support portion 212, Adjust the stiffness.

The intermediate puller wire 224 passes from the second divided support part 212 through the inside of the intermediate coil 206 and is folded back by the first divided support part 210, and then the intermediate coil 206, the second divided support part 212, and the proximal coil 208. The one end is connected to the second divided support portion 212 and the other end is connected to the intermediate traction trigger 226. Moreover, the 1st division | segmentation support part 210 is supporting the intermediate | middle pull wire 224 in the state which can be moved.
The intermediate traction trigger 226 is disposed on a surface opposite to the surface on which the flexible member 202 of the support portion 105 is disposed, and is coupled to the intermediate traction wire 224.

  The proximal coil rigidity adjusting unit 218 includes a proximal traction wire 228 and a proximal traction trigger 230, and adjusts the distance between the second split support 212 and the support 105 to adjust the proximal coil 208. Adjust the stiffness.

The proximal end puller wire 228 passes through the inside of the proximal end coil 208 from the support portion 105, is folded back by the second divided support portion 212, and is then disposed so as to pass through the inside of the proximal end coil 208 and the support portion 105. One end portion is connected to the support portion 150 and the other end portion is connected to the traction trigger 230 for the proximal end. The second divided support portion 212 supports the proximal end puller wire 228 in a movable state.
The proximal end pulling trigger 230 is disposed on the surface of the support portion 105 opposite to the surface on which the flexible member 202 is disposed, and is connected to the proximal end pulling wire 230.

  The rigidity adjusting unit 204 is configured as described above, and by pulling the pulling wire 132 to the support unit 105 side by the pulling trigger 140, the tip support unit 136 can be pulled to the support unit 105 side. The distance between the support portion 136 and the support portion 105 can be adjusted.

Further, by pulling the tip pulling wire 220 to the support portion 105 side by the tip pulling trigger 222, the first split support portion 210 can be pulled to the tip support portion 136 side. The distance from the one-divided support portion 210 can be adjusted. That is, without changing the distance between the first divided support part 210 and the second divided support part 212 and the distance between the second divided support part 212 and the support part 105, the tip support part 136 and the first divided support part 210 The distance can be changed. In the above description, it has been described that the first divided support part 210 is pulled toward the tip support part 136 side. However, actually, the first split support part 210 does not move, and the tip support part 136 moves to the support part 105 side. Move to.
In this way, it is possible to adjust only the rigidity of the distal coil 205 without changing the rigidity of the intermediate coil 206 and the proximal coil 208.

Further, by pulling the intermediate pulling wire 224 to the support part 105 side by the intermediate pulling trigger 226, the second split support part 212 can be pulled to the first split support part 210 side. The interval between the portion 210 and the second divided support portion 212 can be adjusted. That is, the first divided support unit 210 and the second divided support unit 212 are not changed without changing the distance between the tip support unit 136 and the first divided support unit 210 and the distance between the second divided support unit 212 and the support unit 105. And the distance can be changed. In the above description, the second divided support portion 212 is described as being pulled toward the first divided support portion 210 side, but actually, the second divided support portion 212 does not move, and the first divided support portion 210 is not moved. It moves to the support part 105 side.
In this way, only the rigidity of the intermediate coil 206 can be adjusted without changing the rigidity of the distal coil 205 and the proximal coil 208.

Further, by pulling the base end pulling wire 228 to the support unit 105 side by the base end pull trigger 230, the support unit 105 can be pulled to the second split support unit 212 side. The distance between 212 and the support portion 105 can be adjusted. That is, without changing the distance between the tip support part 136 and the first split support part 210 and the distance between the first split support part 210 and the second split support part 212, the second split support part 212 and the support part 105. And the distance can be changed. In the above description, it is described that the support portion 105 is pulled toward the second divided support portion 212 side, but actually, the support portion 105 does not move and the second divided support portion 212 moves toward the support portion 105 side. To do.
In this way, it is possible to adjust only the rigidity of the proximal coil 208 without changing the rigidity of the distal coil 205 and the intermediate coil 206.

As described above, according to the stylet 200, the rigidity of the entire flexible member 204 is adjusted as a whole (adjusted by one adjusting mechanism), and the rigidity of each flexible member 204 is adjusted separately. can do.
Thus, by being able to adjust for every area | region, only the rigidity of the position as needed at the time of insertion of an insertion part can be adjusted. Thereby, for example, when it is caught by a living body, only the portion caught by the living body can be increased in rigidity, and other portions can be eliminated as the rigidity as it is. In addition, the region corresponding to being curved in the living body can be more efficiently transmitted the operator's force to the distal end of the insertion portion by lowering the rigidity and increasing the rigidity of only the portion on the straight line. Further, the rigidity of only the proximal end side can be increased when the insertion portion is inserted, and only the rigidity of the distal end region can be increased when the treatment function portion is used.
Thereby, the operativity of an endoscope and a stylet can be made higher. In addition, the burden on the patient can be reduced by being able to operate appropriately.

In the stylet 200, the proximal end pulling wire 228 of the proximal end coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 218 is folded back from the support portion 105 to the second divided support portion 212. However, the stiffness of the coil in the region closest to the support portion is reduced. One end of the wire to be adjusted may be directly connected to the split support portion (in the present embodiment, the second split support portion 212) without being folded back.
Further, like the stylet 200, the tip support portion 136 and the support portion 105 may also be handled as split support portions, and the wires may be connected and locked.

In the stylet 200, the rigidity of each region is individually adjusted by providing a divided support portion at the boundary of each region and arranging a plurality of wires. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the region is not limited to this. Various combinations of flexible members and stiffness adjusters that can adjust the stiffness each time can be used. For example, the rigidity of each region may be adjusted by providing a plurality of coils having different rigidity changing positions, such as the stylet flexible member shown in FIG. 6, and adjusting the rigidity for each coil. . In addition, when providing a plurality of coils, the coil is provided only in the corresponding region, and the other portions are configured by members whose rigidity does not change, so that the rigidity of each region in the length direction of the flexible member is more appropriate. Can be adjusted.
Moreover, you may use the member from which rigidity changes with an air pressure or a voltage.

  As mentioned above, although the stylet for endoscopes according to the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. May be performed.

For example, when a treatment function unit is provided, it is preferable to be able to replace it. Specifically, the treatment function unit can be exchanged by attaching and detaching the connection part (in this embodiment, the forceps piece connection part) of the treatment function part with the operation wire.
Thus, various treatment function parts can be used by making a treatment function part exchangeable (that is, detachable).
When performing the treatment of the inspection object a plurality of times during one observation, the stylet of the portion other than the treatment function portion can be used a plurality of times by replacing only the treatment function portion at the tip. The number of stylets used at a time can be reduced.
Since the stylet of the present invention can adjust the rigidity, when the treatment function part is replaced and the stylet is inserted into the forceps channel, the rigidity of the flexible member is kept low (that is, soft). Can be inserted. As a result, even if the treatment function part comes into contact with the inner wall of the forceps channel, the treatment function part and the flexible member can be moved along the forceps channel, so that the treatment function part pierces the inner wall of the forceps channel. Can be prevented.

Further, it is preferable that the stylet is provided with a mantle portion that has one end connected to the support portion 105, the other end connected to the tip support portion 136, and covers the outer periphery of the flexible member 104. . Here, the mantle portion is preferably formed of a material having lower rigidity than the flexible member 104.
Thus, by providing the mantle portion, the flexible member 104, the operation wire 132, and the pulling wire 138 are not exposed, so that the forceps channel 78 and the flexible member 104 can be prevented from contacting each other. Insertability can be further increased.
Moreover, it is not necessary to clean the complicated shape inside the mantle, and the stylet 100 can be easily cleaned.

It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of one embodiment of an endoscope which can use a stylet for an endoscope of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the front-end | tip part of the insertion part of the endoscope shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of one Embodiment of the stylet for endoscopes of this invention. (A)-(C) are schematic diagrams which respectively show operation | movement of the stylet for endoscopes shown in FIG. (A) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows another example of the stylet of this invention, (B) is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of a part of flexible member of the stylet shown to (A). is there. It is a front view which shows schematic structure of other one Embodiment of the stylet for endoscopes of this invention. (A) It is a front view which shows schematic structure of other one embodiment of the stylet for endoscopes of this invention, (B) is the outline of the rigidity adjustment part of the stylet for endoscopes shown to (A). It is a front view which shows a structure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Endoscope 12 Insertion part 14 Operation part 16 Connector 18 Universal code 22 Tip part 24 Angle part 26 Soft part 56 Video connector 60 CCD sensor 74, 82 Forceps opening 78 Forceps channel 100, 150, 170, 200 (For endoscopes) ) Stylet 102 Treatment function part 104, 152, 180, 202 Flexible member 105 Support part 106 (Treatment function) Operation part 108, 182, 204 Rigidity adjustment part 110 First forceps piece 112 Second forceps piece 114 Forceps connection part 122, 154 distal end region 124, 156 intermediate region 126, 158 proximal end region 132 operation wire 134 operation trigger 136 distal end support portion 138 pulling wire 140 pulling trigger 154a, 156a, 158a tubular body 184 first coil 186 second coil 188 first Tow wire 90 second pulling wire 205 distal coil 206 intermediate coil 208 proximal coil 210 first divided support portion 212 second divided support portion 214 distal coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 216 intermediate coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 218 proximal coil stiffness adjusting mechanism 220 leading traction Wire 222 Leading traction trigger 224 Intermediate traction wire 226 Intermediate traction trigger 228 Proximal traction wire 230 Proximal traction trigger

Claims (12)

An endoscope stylet that is inserted into a forceps channel of an endoscope,
A long member having flexibility, and a flexible member having different rigidity for each region in the length direction;
A support portion disposed at a proximal end of the flexible member and supporting the flexible member;
An endoscope stylet, comprising: a rigidity adjusting unit that adjusts the rigidity of the flexible member.   The stylet for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the rigidity adjusting unit adjusts the rigidity for each region in the length direction of the flexible member. The rigidity adjusting unit includes an inter-region distance adjusting unit that adjusts a distance between the divided support unit arranged at each boundary between the region and the adjacent region, and the divided support unit adjacent to the divided support unit. For each area,
The rigidity adjusting unit adjusts the rigidity of each region of the flexible member by adjusting a distance between the divided support unit and the adjacent divided support unit by the inter-region distance adjusting unit. The endoscope stylet described. The inter-region distance adjusting unit is
Passing through the flexible member, one end is fixed to the divided support portion arranged on the support portion side of the region, and moves to the divided support portion on the opposite side of the region from the support portion side. An adjustment wire that is freely locked and has a terminal end disposed on the operation unit side,
The endoscope stylet according to claim 3, further comprising an adjustment wire pulling mechanism that pulls the adjustment wire. The stiffness adjuster is
A tip support portion disposed at the tip of the flexible member;
A pulling wire that passes through the flexible member, has a distal end fixed to the distal end support portion, and a terminal end disposed on the operation portion side;
The endoscope stylet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a pulling mechanism that is connected to a terminal end of the pulling wire and pulls the pulling wire. Furthermore, a treatment function unit that is disposed at the distal end of the flexible member and performs a treatment on the inspection target;
The endoscope stylet according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit that operates the treatment function unit. The operation unit includes an operation wire that passes through the flexible member and has a distal end fixed to the treatment function unit, and an operation trigger that pulls the operation wire.
The endoscope stylet according to claim 6, wherein the treatment function unit is a grip member member that opens and closes when pulled by the operation wire.   The endoscope stylet according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the treatment function unit is detachable from the flexible member.   The stylet for an endoscope according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the rigidity adjusting unit can make the rigidity of the part of the flexible member on the treatment function part side higher than the rigidity of the other part.   The flexible member is a spiral in which a gap is formed when the rigidity is set to be low by the rigidity adjusting unit, and the spiral of the part on the treatment function unit side has a diameter larger than the spiral of the other part. The endoscope stylet according to claim 9, which is a large coil.   The internal view according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rigidity adjusting portion can make the rigidity of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion of the flexible member higher than the rigidity of other portions. Mirror stylet.   The flexible member has a clearance when the spiral of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion has a larger diameter than the spiral of the other portion and the rigidity is set to be low by the rigidity adjusting portion. The stylet for an endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the coil is a spiral coil.

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