JP2011083329A - Endoscope cover - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope cover in which attaching/detaching motion to an endoscope is easy and the shape stability of the tubular path or others of a treatment tool is good. <P>SOLUTION: The endoscope cover 30 includes a shape memory alloy 36 and a cover body 40. The cover body 40 deforms with the temperature change of the shape memory alloy 36. The shape memory alloy 36 contracts at the temperature of the transformation point or higher and expands at the temperature lower than the transformation point. The shape memory alloy 36 is heated and contracts with the insertion part of the endoscope passed through an endoscope tubular path 30A and also the cover body 40 contracts when the endoscope cover 30 is used. As the result, also the endoscope tubular path 30A contracts, and therefore the endoscope cover 30 can be easily attached in the inserting part of the endoscope and can come into closely contact with the inserting part. The endoscope tubular path 30A is expanded by naturally cooling the shape memory alloy 36 and the endoscope cover 30 can be easily taken out from the inserting part after observation by the endoscope. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope cover attached to an endoscope.

  As an example of an endoscope cover that covers an insertion portion of an endoscope, a treatment tool insertion channel through which a treatment tool such as forceps passes is known to be expandable in the radial direction (see Patent Document 1). ). In this example, the treatment instrument insertion channel is expanded by elastic deformation of the endoscope cover.

  Also, shape memory alloys may be used in the field of endoscopes and the like. For example, it is known that the diameter of an insertion portion of an endoscope and the diameter of a catheter inserted into a living body can be adjusted by using a shape memory alloy (see Patent Documents 2 and 3).

JP 2006-247290 A JP-A-57-180933 JP 2006-271787 A

  In general, the endoscope cover covers almost the entire surface of the long tubular endoscope insertion portion, and attachment to the endoscope and removal from the endoscope are not easy. For this reason, in the above-mentioned example, before attaching to an endoscope, the complicated operation | work which sends in air and expands an endoscope cover is required. Further, even when the insertion portion of the endoscope and the diameter of the catheter can be adjusted, it is not always easy to attach and detach the endoscope cover.

  In addition, when an endoscope cover provided with a treatment instrument insertion channel is attached to an endoscope, it is necessary to apply a force while suppressing the periphery of the treatment instrument insertion channel. For this reason, even an endoscope cover formed of a member that is elastically deformed may cause buckling of the treatment instrument insertion channel over a long period of use, and may be deformed so as not to be restored. . In the endoscope cover in which the treatment instrument insertion channel is deformed, the treatment instrument cannot be used properly.

  An object of the present invention is to realize an endoscope cover that can be easily attached to and detached from an endoscope and is excellent in shape stability of a pipe line of a treatment instrument.

  The first endoscope cover of the present invention is detachable from the insertion portion of the endoscope. The first endoscope cover includes a variable member, and the variable member includes a shape memory member. The variable member is provided with a clearance for attaching to and detaching from the insertion portion and a treatment instrument pipe line through which the treatment instrument passes. In the first endoscope cover, the deformation of the variable member due to the temperature change of the shape memory member causes the gap to be expanded to attach / detach the endoscope cover to / from the insertion portion via the gap, and the endoscope In order to fix the cover to the insertion portion, the gap can be contracted, and the treatment instrument pipe line is expanded as the gap is contracted.

  The gap in the variable member is, for example, an endoscope channel through which the insertion portion passes. In this case, it is preferable that a treatment instrument pipeline is provided around the endoscope pipeline, and a shape memory member is disposed between the endoscope pipeline and the treatment instrument pipeline.

  The shape memory member is wound, for example, along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope cover. In this case, in the variable member in a natural state to which no external force is applied, the low density region where the density of the shape memory member is relatively low And a high-density region in which the density of the shape memory member is relatively high. Further, in the variable member in a state where the gap is contracted, when the high density region is thicker than the low density region and an external force is applied from the high density region side to the low density region side with respect to the shape memory member, the density of the shape memory member More preferably, the thicknesses of the variable members are substantially constant. Moreover, it is preferable that the endoscope cover further includes a shape holding member that holds the outer diameter of the endoscope cover when the variable member is deformed so as to contract the gap.

  The second endoscope cover of the present invention is detachable from the insertion portion of the endoscope. The second endoscope cover includes a variable member and a tubular member through which the treatment instrument passes. The variable member has a shape memory member. The variable member is provided with a gap for attaching to and detaching from the insertion portion. In the second endoscope cover, due to the deformation of the variable member due to the temperature change of the shape memory member, the gap is expanded to attach and detach the variable member to and from the insertion portion, and the variable member is fixed to the insertion portion. When the gap is expanded, the variable member can be attached to and detached from the tubular member together with the insertion portion.

  In a state where the gap in the variable member is expanded, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the variable member is, for example, a C-shape. Further, it is preferable that the gap contracts when the temperature of the shape memory member is equal to or higher than the transformation point.

  In the first or second endoscope cover, it is preferable that the tube side treatment instrument passage can be inserted through the treatment instrument passage.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while being easy to attach or detach with respect to an endoscope, the endoscope cover excellent in shape stability, such as a pipe line of a treatment tool, is realizable.

It is a side view showing the endoscope apparatus of a 1st embodiment. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the endoscope cover of 1st Embodiment in the state in which the endoscope pipe line was expanded by the plane perpendicular | vertical to a longitudinal direction. It is sectional drawing which shows an endoscope cover in the state which the endoscope pipe line started to shrink | contract. It is sectional drawing which shows the endoscope cover in the state which the endoscope pipe line shrunk. It is a perspective view showing an endoscope cover in a state where a treatment instrument passes through a treatment instrument pipeline. It is a perspective view of the endoscope cover which shows a shape holding member. It is a perspective view which shows the endoscope cover of the modification of a state in which the cover main body is in a contracted state and no external force is applied. It is a front view of the endoscope cover corresponding to FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the endoscope cover of the modification in the state in which the cover main body was contracted and external force was added. It is a perspective view which compares the endoscope cover of the modification in the state in which an external force was applied after shrinkage | contraction when a cover main body is in an expanded state. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the endoscope cover of 2nd Embodiment which has a cover main body in the expanded state by the plane perpendicular | vertical to a longitudinal direction. It is a front view which shows the endoscope cover of 2nd Embodiment which has a cover main body in a contracted state. It is sectional drawing which shows the endoscope cover of the modification which has a cover main body in a contracted state. It is a perspective view which shows the endoscope cover of 2nd Embodiment which has a cover main body in an expanded state. It is a perspective view which shows the endoscope cover of 2nd Embodiment which has a cover main body in a contracted state. It is a perspective view comparing an endoscope cover when a cover body is in an expanded state and when it is in a contracted state.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the endoscope apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  The endoscope device 60 includes the endoscope 10 and the endoscope cover 30. The endoscope 10 is connected to the processor 16 via a light guide flexible tube 14 extending laterally from the operation unit 12. The insertion portion 20 of the endoscope 10 extends from the oledome portion 25 and is inserted into the body cavity.

  The endoscope cover 30 is detachably attached to the insertion portion 20 of the endoscope 10 and covers substantially the entire area of the side surface 20S of the insertion portion 20. In FIG. 1, only the endoscope cover 30 is shown in cross section for convenience of explanation. In FIG. 1, some of the members included in the endoscope cover 30 are omitted.

  Illumination light from a light source (not shown) of the processor 16 is emitted from the distal end surface 20T of the insertion unit 20 to a body organ to be observed. Reflected light from the internal organs and image signals generated by the endoscope 10 are sent to the processor 16. The image signal is transmitted to an image display device (not shown) after predetermined processing in the processor 16. As a result, the internal organs are observed and photographed.

  When observing and photographing the internal organs, the operation unit 12 of the endoscope 10 is operated. For example, when the operation knobs 13 and 15 of the operation unit 12 are rotated, the distal end of the insertion unit 20 is bent vertically and horizontally. Further, a treatment tool (not shown) such as a forceps can be inserted through the forceps port 18 and protrude from the distal end surface 20T of the insertion portion 20 to treat the affected area. Furthermore, as will be described later, a treatment instrument such as forceps can be inserted into the endoscope cover 30 from the side of the oledome 25 and protruded from the periphery of the distal end surface 20T.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the endoscope cover 30 according to the first embodiment, taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, in a state where the endoscope channel is expanded. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the endoscope cover 30 in a state in which the endoscope conduit starts to contract, and FIG. 4 is a cross-section showing the endoscope cover 30 in a state in which the endoscope conduit is contracted. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the endoscope cover 30 in a state where the treatment instrument passes through the treatment instrument conduit.

  The endoscope cover 30 according to the first embodiment has a cylindrical shape provided with an endoscope conduit 30A. The endoscope conduit 30A is provided at the center of the endoscope cover 30, and the central axis 30C of both is common. The endoscope conduit 30A (gap) is provided for attaching / detaching the endoscope cover 30 to / from the insertion portion 20 (see FIG. 1) of the endoscope 10, and is a conduit through which the insertion portion 20 passes. is there. A plurality of treatment instrument conduits 30B through which a treatment instrument 32 such as forceps passes is formed around the endoscope duct 30A.

  A shape memory alloy 36 (shape memory member) is disposed between the endoscope line 30A and the treatment instrument line 30B. The shape memory alloy 36 of this embodiment is a thread-like member that is spirally wound at substantially equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope cover 30 indicated by the arrow A (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, the shape memory alloy 36 is disposed substantially concentrically with the endoscope conduit 30A.

  The endoscope cover 30 has a cover body 40. The cover body 40 is provided around the shape memory alloy 36. The cover body 40 is made of a polymer material having moderate elasticity, stretchability, and biocompatibility, such as resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, and the like.

  When the shape memory alloy 36 is deformed by a temperature change, the cover body 40 (variable member) is also deformed accordingly. Specifically, the cover main body 40 contracts as shown by an arrow B from the state in which the endoscope passage 30A is expanded most (see FIG. 2, hereinafter referred to as the expanded state), and is shown in FIG. Through the intermediate state, the endoscope conduit 30A can be deformed to the most contracted state (see FIG. 4, hereinafter referred to as the contracted state). Further, since the shape memory alloy 36 can be reversibly deformed, the cover body 40 can be deformed from the contracted state to the expanded state.

  The shape memory alloy 36 of the present embodiment contracts when the temperature is equal to or higher than the transformation point, and expands when the temperature becomes lower than the transformation point. The transformation point of the shape memory alloy 36 is set to be, for example, higher than room temperature and approximately equal to the body temperature of the subject. When the endoscope cover 30 is used, the endoscope cover 30 is heated using, for example, a dryer in a state where the insertion portion 20 is passed through the endoscope conduit 30A.

  As a result, due to the deformation of the shape memory alloy 36 heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the transformation point, the cover main body 40 containing the shape memory alloy 36 is deformed to change from the expanded state (see FIG. 2) to the contracted state (see FIG. 4). Transition. The diameter of the endoscope conduit 30A when the cover body 40 is in the contracted state is adjusted in advance to be substantially equal to the diameter of the insertion portion 20.

  For this reason, when the endoscope conduit 30A is contracted by heating the shape memory alloy 36, the endoscope cover 30 can be brought into close contact with the insertion portion 20 and firmly fixed. In the contracted state, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the endoscope conduit 30A and the treatment instrument conduit 30B are substantially in contact with each other. For this reason, the treatment tool 32 can be used in the immediate vicinity of the distal end surface 20T (see FIG. 1) of the insertion portion 20.

  When the cover main body 40 is in the contracted state, the treatment instrument pipe line 30B is expanded unlike the endoscope pipe line 30A. This is because the shape memory alloy 36 is provided between the treatment instrument duct 30B and the endoscope duct 30A inside the treatment instrument duct 30B, and the endoscope duct 30A and the cover are provided. This is because the treatment instrument pipe line 30B is pulled toward the central axis 30C as the main body 40 contracts. As shown in FIG. 4, when the cover main body 40 is in a contracted state, the treatment instrument conduit 30 </ b> B is expanded so that the cross section is substantially circular. 2 to 4 which are cross-sectional views, the spiral shape memory alloy 36 (see FIG. 5) should originally be partially shown. However, for convenience of explanation, a circle centered on the central axis 40C is used. Is shown all around.

  The treatment instrument pipe line 30B has a shape that can be easily expanded toward the central axis 30C when the endoscope pipe line 30A or the like is contracted. That is, the treatment instrument pipe line 30B has an elongated cross-sectional shape extending along the circumferential direction of the cover body 40 when the cover body 40 is in the expanded state (see FIG. 2). The treatment instrument pipe line 30B having such a shape can be easily expanded toward the inside, and is excellent in the following points. That is, when the endoscope cover 30 is inserted into the body cavity together with the insertion portion 20 or when the side surface 30S is pressed for attachment / detachment with respect to the insertion portion 20, an external force is applied to the endoscope cover 30. This is also an advantage that the endoscope cover 30 is hardly deformed such as buckling of the treatment instrument pipe line 30B.

  As described above, the endoscope cover 30 in a state where the treatment instrument pipe line 30B is expanded while the endoscope pipe line 30A is contracted and fixed to the insertion part 20 is inserted into the body cavity together with the insertion part 20. . Therefore, the endoscope cover 30 is reliably prevented from being detached from the insertion portion 20 during endoscopic observation, and the treatment instrument 32 is disposed in the treatment instrument conduit 30B as shown in FIG. It is easy to advance and retract along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope cover 30 indicated by the arrow A.

  In FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, the endoscope cover 30 is greatly reduced along the longitudinal direction. Further, in FIG. 5, only a single treatment instrument conduit 30B is shown, and the other treatment instrument conduits 30B are omitted. The same applies to FIGS. 7 and 9 described later.

  On the other hand, after the end of the endoscopic observation, the endoscope cover 30 is extracted from the body cavity together with the insertion portion 20, and the temperature of the shape memory alloy 36 is lowered to about room temperature. For this reason, the shape memory alloy 36 is deformed so as to expand, and the cover body 40 also returns from the contracted state (see FIG. 4) to the expanded state (see FIG. 2). As a result, the endoscope duct 30 </ b> A is expanded, and the endoscope cover 30 can be easily detached from the insertion portion 20.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, if necessary, the temperature of the shape memory alloy 36 is adjusted by a simple method to expand the endoscope channel 30A, and the endoscope cover 30 is attached to the endoscope. It can be easily attached to and detached from the ten insertion portions 20. Furthermore, the endoscope conduit 30A can be easily contracted by adjusting the temperature of the shape memory alloy 36, and the endoscope cover 30 is reliably prevented from being detached from the insertion portion 20 during endoscopic observation. it can.

  Further, when force is applied to the endoscope cover 30 by the operation of attaching the endoscope cover 30 to the insertion portion 20 and the operation of removing the endoscope cover 30 from the insertion portion 20, the treatment instrument conduit on the side surface 30S side of the endoscope cover 30 Since 30B is contracted (see FIG. 2), it is possible to prevent deformation of the endoscope cover 30 that cannot be restored due to buckling or the like of the treatment instrument conduit 30B.

  In the vicinity of the side surface 30S of the endoscope cover 30, the outer diameter of the endoscope cover 30 is reduced when the cover body 40 is in a contracted state, that is, when the endoscope body 30A is deformed to contract. The shape holding member 34 to hold | maintain may be embed | buried. The shape holding member 34 prevents the outer diameter of the endoscope cover 30 from being reduced when the endoscope conduit 30A is contracted, thereby preventing the treatment instrument conduit 30B from being crushed. It can be secured. Furthermore, even when an external force is applied to the endoscope cover 30, it is possible to prevent deformation of the endoscope cover 30 due to buckling. The shape holding member 34 is wound just inside the side surface 30S of the endoscope cover 30, and is linear as illustrated in FIG. 6A or a surface as illustrated in FIG. 6B. It may be in the shape. In FIG. 6, the shape memory alloy 36 is omitted for convenience of explanation. The holding member 34 is made of, for example, stainless steel or polytetrafluoroethylene.

  Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modified endoscope cover 30 in a state where the cover body 40 is in a contracted state and no external force is applied. FIG. 8 is a front view of the endoscope cover 30 corresponding to FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a modified endoscope cover 30 in a state where the cover body 40 is in a contracted state and an external force is applied. FIG. 10 is a perspective view comparing the endoscope cover 30 of a modified example when the cover body 40 is in an expanded state and when an external force is applied after contraction. In FIG. 7 and subsequent drawings, the same reference numerals are given to members that are the same as or correspond to those of the endoscope cover 30 of the first embodiment.

  In the endoscope cover 30 of this modification, the arrangement of the shape memory alloy 36 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. That is, in this modification, a low-density region 42 in which the density of the shape memory alloy 36 wound along the longitudinal direction is low and a high-density region 43 in which the density of the shape memory alloy 36 is high are formed in the endoscope cover 30. Has been.

  When the shape memory alloy 36 is heated and the endoscope channel 30A contracts, a part of the cover body 40 protrudes outside the side surface 30S in the high-density region 43, as shown in FIGS. This is because the interval between the shape memory alloys 36 in the high density region 43 is narrow. As described above, in the present modification, when the cover main body 40 is contracted, first, the high density region 43 is partially thicker than the low density region 42. The partial bulge of the cover main body 40 in the high-density region 43 is a gap in the shape memory alloy 36 and becomes larger as the region is farther from the treatment instrument conduit 30B.

  As described above, when the cover body 40 is in a contracted state and the thickness is not uniform, such as immediately before the endoscope cover 30 is inserted into the body cavity together with the insertion portion 20, the shape memory alloy is used in the present modification. The unevenness of the winding density of 36 and the thickness of the cover main body 40 can be eliminated. In this case, it is necessary to apply an external force from the high-density region 43 side to the low-density region 42 side by pulling the end portion 36E on the low-density region 42 side in the shape memory alloy 36 along the longitudinal direction as indicated by an arrow C. Yes (see FIG. 7).

  By this pulling operation, the cover main body 40 that protrudes outward from the side surface 30S (dashed line in FIGS. 7 and 8) of the endoscope cover 30 when it is cylindrical before a part of the high-density region 43 is raised. A part moves to the inside of the side surface 30S, and the endoscope cover 30 becomes cylindrical again (see FIG. 9). At this time, the interval between the shape memory alloys 36 is also substantially constant.

  As described above, when the endoscope cover 30 (see FIG. 10A) in which the cover main body 40 is in the expanded state is contracted, a part of the cover main body 40 bulges outside, but an external force is applied after the contraction. As a result, the outer diameter of the endoscope cover 30 and the interval between the shape memory alloys 36 become constant (see FIG. 10B). A groove (not shown) may be formed in the cover body 40 so that the shape memory alloy 36 can be easily moved along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope cover 30.

  As described above, in this modification, the side surface 30S of the endoscope cover 30 is always smoothed by providing the low-density region 42 and the high-density region 43 while allowing the shape memory alloy 36 to be pulled. Can keep.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the endoscope cover 30 according to the second embodiment in which the cover body 40 is in an expanded state, taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the endoscope cover 30 of the second embodiment in which the cover main body 40 is in the contracted state, and FIG. 13 is a modified endoscope cover 30 in which the cover main body 40 is in the contracted state. FIG.

  The endoscope cover 30 of the second embodiment includes a cover body 40 and a tubular member 50. As shown in the figure, the cover body 40 has a C-shaped cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. That is, the cover main body 40 of the present embodiment has a shape in which a part of a cylinder is cut out along the longitudinal direction and a gap 30A is provided. A plurality of C-shaped shape memory alloys 36 to be described later are arranged inside the cover body 40.

  Through this gap 30 </ b> A, the cover body 40 is attached to and detached from the insertion portion 20 so as to wrap the insertion portion 20 (see FIG. 1) of the endoscope 10 and the tubular member 50. The tubular member 50 is a member through which a treatment instrument (not shown) passes, and its diameter is adjusted according to the diameter of the treatment instrument to be used. As described above, in the present embodiment, the shape of the cover main body 40 is different from the first embodiment mainly in that the cover main body 40 and the tubular member 50 are separate bodies.

  The cover main body 40 of this embodiment is also variable by the shape memory alloy 36 as in the first embodiment. That is, the cover main body 40 is in an expanded state (see the broken line in FIGS. 11 and 12) in which the gap 30A for attachment / detachment with respect to the insertion portion 20 is expanded and a contracted state (see the solid line in FIG. 12) in which the gap 30A is almost closed. It can be reversibly deformed.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the cover main body 40 is in the expanded state, the tubular member 50 is taken into the cover main body 40 through the gap 30 </ b> A together with the insertion portion 20. That is, the cover body 40 can be attached to and detached from the tubular member 50 together with the insertion portion 20 when the gap 30A is expanded.

  The relationship between the transformation point of the shape memory alloy 36 and the shape of the cover main body 40 is the same as that in the first embodiment. That is, the cover body 40 contracts when the temperature of the shape memory alloy 36 is equal to or higher than the transformation point approximately equal to the body temperature of the subject, and the cover body 40 expands when the temperature becomes lower than the transformation point.

  Further, the shape of the cover main body 40 in the contracted state may be a long and narrow circular shape whose cross section is close to an ellipse as shown by the solid line in FIG. 12, or may be a circular shape as in the modification of FIG. good. In the former case, the cross-sectional area between the insertion portion 20 and the endoscope cover 30 can be minimized and the diameter can be reduced as much as possible, whereas in the latter, the side surface 30S of the endoscope cover 30 is easy to hold, Excellent operability.

  The shape of the cover body 40 is appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the shape memory alloy 36 at a temperature equal to or higher than the transformation point. The shape memory alloy 36 may be embedded in the cover main body 40 instead of being disposed inside the cover main body 40.

  FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the endoscope cover 30 of the present embodiment in which the cover main body 40 is in the expanded state. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the endoscope cover 30 of the present embodiment in which the cover body 40 is in a contracted state. FIG. 16 is a perspective view comparing the endoscope cover 30 when the cover body 40 is in the expanded state and in the contracted state.

  In the endoscope cover 30 (see FIGS. 14 and 16A) in which the cover body 40 is in the expanded state, the gap 30A is widened. Therefore, as shown by an arrow D in FIG. 14, the insertion portion 20 and the tubular member 50 are taken into the endoscope cover 30 by a simple operation. Thereafter, the cover main body 40 changes to a contracted state (see FIGS. 15 and 16B) due to heating of the shape memory alloy 36.

  Furthermore, it is easy to change the cover body 40 from the contracted state to the expanded state after the end of the endoscopic observation. This is because the shape memory alloy 36 may be allowed to cool. Therefore, the endoscope cover 30 is easily removed from the insertion portion 20 or the like.

  As described above, also in the present embodiment, the gap 30 </ b> A is expanded and contracted by adjusting the temperature of the shape memory alloy 36 by a simple method as in the first embodiment. For this reason, the attachment and detachment of the endoscope cover 30 with respect to the insertion portion 20 is easy, and the unexpected detachment of the endoscope cover 30 from the insertion portion 20 can be prevented. Further, by forming the tubular member 50 separate from the cover main body 40 with a member having excellent durability, deformation of the endoscope cover 30 such as buckling of the tubular member 50 can be reliably prevented.

  The shape, material, and the like of the members included in the endoscope cover 30 are not limited to any of the above-described embodiments and modifications. For example, an endoscope cover 30 including the shape memory alloy 36 and covering only a part of the side surface 20S (see FIG. 1) of the insertion portion 20 may be used. In this case, only the region of the insertion portion 20 covered by the endoscope cover 30 that can be easily attached and detached can be made difficult to be bent, and the flexibility can be partially adjusted.

  In the first embodiment, a plurality of C-shaped shape memory alloys 36 may be used as in the second embodiment. Conversely, in the second embodiment, the thread-shaped shape memory alloys 36 are used. May be wound around the cover body 40. Furthermore, in any of the embodiments, a net-like or layered shape memory alloy 36 may be used, and the first and second embodiments may be appropriately combined.

  As described above, the shape memory alloy 36 is preferably shrunk at a temperature equal to or higher than the transformation point, but may be expanded at a temperature equal to or higher than the transformation point. In this case, if the transformation point is set to a temperature clearly higher than the body temperature of the subject and the shape memory alloy 36 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the transformation point immediately before or after use of the endoscope cover 30, The endoscope cover 30 can be easily attached to and detached from the insertion portion 20.

  Moreover, you may use things other than a dryer for temperature control of the shape memory alloy 36. FIG. For example, the shape memory alloy 36 may be heated by passing an electric current. Further, the shape memory member is not limited to the shape memory alloy 36. For example, a shape memory polymer may be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope 20 Insertion part 30 Endoscope cover 30A Endoscope channel (gap)
30B Treatment instrument pipe line 32 Treatment instrument 34 Shape holding member 36 Shape memory alloy (shape memory member)
40 Cover body (variable member)
42 Low density region 43 High density region 50 Tubular member

Claims (9)

An endoscope cover that is detachable from an insertion portion of the endoscope,
It has a shape memory member, and includes a variable member provided with a gap for attachment to and detachment from the insertion portion, and a treatment instrument conduit for the treatment instrument to pass through,
Due to deformation of the variable member due to temperature change of the shape memory member, the gap is expanded to attach / detach the endoscope cover to / from the insertion portion via the gap, and the endoscope cover is inserted. An endoscope cover characterized in that the gap can be contracted to be fixed to a portion, and the treatment instrument pipe line is expanded as the gap contracts.   The endoscope cover according to claim 1, wherein the gap is an endoscope channel through which the insertion portion passes.   The treatment instrument pipeline is provided around the endoscope pipeline, and the shape memory member is disposed between the endoscope pipeline and the treatment instrument pipeline. The endoscope cover according to claim 2.   The shape memory member is wound along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope cover, and in the variable member in a natural state in which no external force is applied, the low density region in which the density of the shape memory member is relatively low The endoscope cover according to claim 1, wherein a high-density region in which the density of the shape memory member is relatively high is formed.   In the variable member in a state where the gap is contracted, the high-density region is thicker than the low-density region, and when an external force is applied to the shape memory member from the high-density region side to the low-density region side, The endoscope cover according to claim 4, wherein the density of the shape memory member and the thickness of the variable member are substantially constant.   The endoscope cover according to claim 1, further comprising a shape holding member that holds an outer diameter of the endoscope cover when the variable member is deformed so as to contract the gap. An endoscope cover that is detachable from an insertion portion of the endoscope,
A variable member having a shape memory member and provided with a gap for attachment to and detachment from the insertion portion,
A tubular member through which the treatment instrument passes,
Due to the deformation of the variable member due to a temperature change of the shape memory member, the gap is expanded to attach and detach the variable member to and from the insertion portion, and the gap is fixed to fix the variable member to the insertion portion. The endoscope cover according to claim 1, wherein the variable member can be attached to and detached from the tubular member together with the insertion portion when the gap is expanded.   The endoscope cover according to claim 7, wherein a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the variable member is a C-shape in a state where the gap is expanded.   The endoscope cover according to claim 1, wherein the gap contracts when the temperature of the shape memory member is equal to or higher than the transformation point.

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