JP2011240070A - Flexible tube for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible tube for endoscope, which hardly causes buckling or curling or the like and is excellent in durability by reducing a dislocation which occurs between spiral tubes arranged doubly or triply when the flexible tube is bent.SOLUTION: The flexible tube 10 for endoscope includes spiral tubes 11, 12 which are closely disposed inside and outside at least doubly. Both the inside and outside spiral tubes 11, 12 are composed of permanent magnets having the respective inner circumferential surfaces and outer circumferential surfaces as magnetic poles so that the inner circumferential surface of the outside spiral tube 12 and the outer circumferential surface of the inside spiral tube 11 of the spiral tubes 11, 12 superposed so as to be closely fitted attract to each other by magnetic force.

Description

  The present invention relates to a flexible tube of an endoscope.

  In general, a flexible tube of an endoscope is coated with a mesh tube formed by braiding a plurality of fine metal wires around the outer periphery of a spiral tube formed by spirally winding a metal strip with a constant diameter. It has a configuration in which an outer surface of a mesh tube is covered with a flexible synthetic resin outer skin.

  When a single spiral tube constituting the flexible tube of such an endoscope is used, it may be easily buckled when the spiral tube is twisted in a narrowing direction. Therefore, in the case of a flexible tube for an endoscope for digestive tract inspection or the like that requires durability against torsion, spiral tubes having different winding directions are arranged in a double or triple manner. (For example, patent document 1).

JP-A-64-49532

  In a flexible tube of an endoscope having a configuration in which the spiral tube is arranged in a double or triple manner, when it is bent for insertion into the body, it is between the inner spiral tube and the outer spiral tube. A shift occurs in the axial direction, but if the shift becomes too large, the flexible tube will buckle or bend, causing heavy repairs to replace the flexible tube by overhauling the entire endoscope. You may need to do it.

  The present invention suppresses a deviation that occurs between spiral tubes arranged in a double or triple manner when the flexible tube is bent, and has an excellent durability that prevents buckling and bending wrinkles. An object is to provide a flexible tube of a mirror.

  In order to achieve the above object, the flexible tube of the endoscope of the present invention has a spiral tube formed by winding a metal strip in a spiral shape with a constant diameter, and is arranged in close contact with each other at least on the inner and outer sides. An endoscope having a configuration in which a mesh tube formed by braiding a plurality of thin metal wires is coated on the outer periphery of a spiral tube, and an outer surface made of a synthetic resin having flexibility is coated on the outer surface of the mesh tube In the flexible tube, the inner and outer spiral tubes are respectively connected so that the inner peripheral surface of the outer spiral tube and the outer peripheral surface of the inner spiral tube are attracted to each other by magnetic force. It is a permanent magnet having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface as magnetic poles.

  According to the present invention, the inner peripheral surface of the outer spiral tube and the outer peripheral surface of the inner spiral tube among the spiral tubes that overlap so as to be in close contact with each other are always attracted to each other by magnetic force. The displacement generated between the inner and outer spiral tubes is suppressed, and the flexible tube is less likely to buckle or bend, so that the flexible tube can have excellent durability.

It is a partial expanded side sectional view of the flexible tube of the endoscope concerning the example of the present invention. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side surface fragmentary sectional view of the flexible tube of the endoscope which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the double spiral tube which comprises the flexible tube of the endoscope which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a perspective view in the state where the double spiral tube which constitutes the flexible tube of the endoscope concerning the example of the present invention was separated.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention, and a bending operation knob provided in the operation unit 2 is provided at the distal end portion of the insertion unit flexible tube 10 connected to the operation unit 2. A bending portion 4 that can be bent in an arbitrary direction by an arbitrary angle by rotating 3 is connected.

  Further, a distal end body 5 incorporating an objective optical system, a solid-state imaging device and the like is connected to the distal end side of the bending portion 4. A connector (not shown) connected to a video processor that is an external device is attached to the end of the flexible connection cord 6 that extends from the operation unit 2.

  FIG. 3 shows the structure of the intermediate portion of the insertion portion flexible tube 10 with the cross-sectional position being changed sequentially from the distal end side. Various insertions such as signal cables, optical fiber bundles, tubes, and the like are inserted into the insertion portion flexible tube 10, but illustration thereof is omitted.

  The basic configuration of the insertion portion flexible tube 10 is the same as that of the insertion tube flexible tube of a general endoscope, and a spiral tube 11 in which a metal strip is wound with a certain diameter in a spiral manner with a gap therebetween. , 12 is covered with a mesh tube 13, and a flexible synthetic resin outer skin 14 is coated on the periphery of the mesh tube 13.

  The net-like tube 13 is a known tube formed by braiding a plurality of strands (for example, 16 to 48 pairs) of strands in which a plurality of fine metal wires are juxtaposed. It does not matter if non-metallic thin wires are mixed with the mesh tube 13.

  The outer skin 14 is a flexible thermoplastic, such as polyurethane resin, and the outer peripheral surface of the material tube (that is, the tubular body in which the outer peripheral surface of the spiral tubes 11 and 12 is covered with the mesh tube 13), It is uniformly formed by extrusion molding or the like, and is coated and adhered to the entire outer periphery of the mesh tube 13.

  As the spiral tubes 11 and 12, inner and outer double spiral tubes 11 and 12 having different winding directions are arranged in close contact with each other. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of such a double spiral tube 11, 12, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the inner and outer double spiral tubes 11, 12 separately.

  FIG. 1 shows the insertion portion flexible tube 10 in a locally enlarged manner, so that the inner peripheral surface of the outer spiral tube 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner spiral tube 11 are attracted to each other by magnetic force. The double spiral tubes 11 and 12 are both permanent magnets having the inner and outer peripheral surfaces as magnetic poles.

  Specifically, the inner and outer double spiral tubes 11 and 12 are each formed by spirally winding a strip made of a permanent magnet material containing iron, nickel, cobalt or the like, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the spiral tubes 11 and 12. Is the S pole and the outer peripheral surface is the N pole. However, conversely, the outer peripheral surface of each of the helical tubes 11 and 12 may be the S pole and the inner peripheral surface may be the N pole.

  As a result, since the inner and outer double helical tubes 11 and 12 are always attracted by magnetic force, when the flexible tube 10 is bent, the deviation generated between the double helical tubes 11 and 12 is suppressed, The insertion portion flexible tube 10 is unlikely to be buckled or bent.

  In addition, since the double helical tubes 11 and 12 are always attracted to each other by magnetic force, the rotational follow-up force of the insertion portion flexible tube 10 is improved, so that the insertion portion flexible tube 10 is moved in the direction around the axis on the hand side. When rotating, observation with direct feeling can be performed without delay in the movement of the visual field.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, it does not interfere even if the spiral tubes 11 and 12 are more than triple, and this invention is applied to the flexible tube which coat | covers the connection cord 6. FIG. You can also.

10 Insertion section flexible tube (flexible tube)
11, 12 Spiral tube 13 Reticulated tube 14 Skin

Claims (1)

A spiral tube formed by winding a metal strip in a spiral shape with a constant diameter is arranged in close contact with each other at least on the inner and outer sides, and a mesh tube formed by braiding a plurality of fine metal wires is the spiral tube. In the flexible tube of the endoscope having a configuration in which the outer periphery of the mesh tube is covered with a flexible synthetic resin sheath that is covered on the outer periphery,
The inner and outer spiral tubes are each inner peripheral surfaces so that the inner peripheral surface of the outer spiral tube and the outer peripheral surface of the inner spiral tube are attracted to each other by magnetic force among the spiral tubes that overlap so as to be in close contact with each other. And a flexible tube for an endoscope, characterized in that it is a permanent magnet having an outer peripheral surface as a magnetic pole.

Images