JP2012141419A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus capable of improving an insertion property with respect to complicated tubing.SOLUTION: An endoscope apparatus 1 includes: an outer tube 21 having a curving shape allowing the insertion of a long insertion section 11 insertable into the tubing; a centering part 23 that is provided at the distal end of the outer tube 21 and has a first extensible part 24 and a second extensible part 26, and a coil 25 for connecting between the first extensible part 24 and the second extensible part 26; and a front-side ferrule 22 for pushing the centering part 23. When the front-side ferrule 22 is pushed in, the first extensible part 24 and the second extensible part 26 are extended and the coil 25 becomes a close coiling state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and more particularly, to an endoscope apparatus having a centering portion that performs centering of an insertion portion.

  Conventionally, an industrial endoscope apparatus is used, for example, when an elongated insertion portion is inserted into a pipe or the like as an inspection target to observe or inspect internal scratches or corrosion.

  In this type of endoscope device, when the diameter of the distal end of the insertion portion and the diameter of the pipe to be inspected are greatly different, the distal end of the insertion portion is offset toward the lower side of the piping, and only the bottom wall portion of the piping is There was a problem that it could not be observed.

  Therefore, an endoscope apparatus has been proposed in which an endoscope insertion assisting tool is provided on the distal end side of the insertion portion in order to perform an inspection by inserting the insertion portion into a pipe having a large diameter (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  The endoscope insertion auxiliary tool provided in this endoscope apparatus is connected to a front contact member and a rear contact member, which are contact members that come into contact with an inner diameter portion of a pipe, with a connector having a flexible tightly wound coil. Thus, the insertion portion can be inserted into and removed from the bent tube.

JP-A-1-287523

  However, the endoscope insertion aid proposed in Patent Document 1 cannot change the size of the contact member, and thus has a problem that it is difficult for the elbow part to pass through the complicated piping. It was.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said situation, and it aims at providing the endoscope apparatus which can improve insertability with respect to complicated piping.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, in an endoscope apparatus having a long insertion portion that can be inserted into a pipe, a tube body having a bent shape through which the insertion portion can be inserted, and a distal end of the tube body are provided. A centering portion having at least two extension portions and a loosely wound coil portion connecting between the two extension portions, and a pushing portion for pushing the centering portion provided at the rear end of the tube body And providing the endoscope apparatus characterized in that when the push-in part is pushed in, the at least two extension parts are expanded and the coil part is closely wound. it can.

  According to the endoscope apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to improve the insertability with respect to complicated piping.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a centering part. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the front end side of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the modification of the centering part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement method of a modification. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the front end side of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the front end side of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the front end side of an endoscope apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the example of a structure of a balloon. It is a perspective view which shows the example of a structure of a nylon expansion part.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)

  First, based on FIG. 1, the structure of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus 1 includes an endoscope 2 and a main body device 3 connected to the endoscope 2. The endoscope 2 includes a long insertion portion 11, an operation portion 12 provided at the rear end of the insertion portion 11, and a universal cord 13 extending from the operation portion 12.

  The insertion portion 11 is mainly configured by a tube body having a predetermined flexibility, and is configured by connecting a distal end portion 14, a bending portion 15, and a flexible tube portion 16 in order from the distal end side.

  An objective lens attached to an observation window (not shown) is provided on the end surface of the distal end portion 14. This objective lens forms an optical image by reflected light from a living tissue. In the distal end portion 14, for example, an imaging element such as a CCD is provided at the image forming position of the objective lens. The image sensor photoelectrically converts the formed optical image to generate an image signal. The bending portion 15 is configured to bend in the vertical and horizontal directions, for example. The flexible tube portion 16 is formed in a long shape and has flexibility. In addition, the rear end of the flexible tube portion 16 is connected to the operation portion 12.

  A signal line connected to the image sensor, a bending wire for bending the bending portion 15, a light guide for supplying illumination light, and the like are inserted into the insertion portion 11. An imaging signal from the imaging element is supplied to the main body device 3 through a signal line.

  The operation unit 12 includes, for example, a grip handle portion 12a extending rearward. On the upper surface of the handle portion 12a, a bending operation lever 12b for instructing the bending direction of the bending portion 15 and various switches (not shown) for operating various endoscope functions are disposed. The operation unit 12 is electrically connected to the main body device 3 via the universal cord 13.

  The main unit 3 includes a control box 17 to which the universal cord 13 is connected, and a monitor 18 that also serves as a lid that can freely open and close the upper surface of the control box 17.

  The control box 17 includes a control circuit that performs various controls of the endoscope apparatus 1, an image processing circuit that performs image processing on an image signal captured by an image sensor in the distal end portion 14, and the like. . Further, on the upper surface of the control box 17, various input units 17a such as a power switch and a keyboard are disposed. A light source that supplies illumination light to the distal end portion 14 via the light guide described above may be incorporated in the control box 17.

  The monitor 18 has a display screen 18a composed of a liquid crystal display or the like. The display screen 18 a displays an endoscopic image obtained by image processing by the image processing circuit of the main body device 3.

  Further, the endoscope apparatus 1 has a flexible inner sheath 19 that is elongated and provided with a hollow portion so that the insertion portion 11 can be inserted therethrough. A rear base 20 is provided at the rear end of the inner sheath 19, and the rear base 20 is disposed on the front side of the operation unit 12. The distal end of the inner sheath 19 is fixed at the rear end of the bending portion 15 when the insertion portion 11 is inserted.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 also has a flexible outer sheath 21 that is elongated and provided with a hollow portion so that the inner sheath 19 can be inserted. A front base 22 is provided at the rear end of the outer sheath 21, and the front base 22 is disposed on the front side of the rear base 20. Further, a centering portion 23 for centering the insertion portion 11 with respect to a pipe or the like is provided at the distal end of the outer sheath 21.

  The centering portion 23 includes a first extension portion 24, a coil 25, and a second extension portion 26 from the distal end side. The front end of the coil 25 is connected to the rear end of the first extension portion 24, and the rear end of the coil 25 is connected to the front end of the second extension portion 26.

  The first expansion portion 24 is provided with a plurality of expansion members 24a formed by a plurality of cuts along the longitudinal direction. Similarly, the second expansion portion 26 is provided with a plurality of expansion members 26a formed by a plurality of cuts along the longitudinal direction.

  In a normal state, the coil 25 is loosely wound and has flexibility. Moreover, since the outer sheath 21 as a tube body has flexibility, it is bent and has a bent shape. Therefore, in a normal state, the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 is directed in a predetermined direction.

  In the centering state in which the front base 22 as the pushing portion is pushed in, the first and second extending portions 24 and 26 are expanded, and the coil 25 is tightly wound to have a predetermined hardness. Thereby, the front-end | tip part 14 of the insertion part 11 is arrange | positioned in the visual field center of piping.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the centering portion.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the distal end of the inner sheath 19 is provided with a support portion 27 having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner sheath 19. The support part 27 supports the front end face 28 of the first extension part 26 when the front base 22 is pushed forward. Note that the distal end surface 28 of the expansion portion 26 may be fixed to the support portion 27 in advance.

  Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the operator moves the insertion portion 11 straight with respect to the pipe or the like, the operator pushes the front base 22 forward and slides the outer sheath 21 forward with respect to the inner sheath 19. The expansion members 24a and 26a are expanded by the pressing force when the front base 22 is pushed forward, and the coil 25 is tightly wound. Thereby, the bending wrinkles etc. of the centering part 23 are corrected, and the front-end | tip part 14 of the insertion part 11 can implement | achieve favorable linearity.

  When the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 reaches the elbow portion of the pipe while the centering portion 23 has a predetermined hardness, it becomes difficult to pass the elbow portion. Therefore, the operator pulls out the front base 22 backward. By pulling the front base 22 rearward, the expansion members 24a and 26a are contracted, and the coil 25 is loosely wound. As a result, the tip end portion 14 is directed in a predetermined direction due to the bending of the centering portion 23, and the operator can easily point the tip end portion 14 in the direction of the elbow portion and pass the elbow portion. .

  After the centering portion 23 has passed through the elbow portion, the operator pushes the front base 22 forward to correct bending wrinkles and the like of the centering portion 23, and the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 achieves good straightness. Thereby, when the front-end | tip part 14 of the insertion part 11 goes straight with respect to piping etc., the image of the state which performed centering can be obtained.

  As described above, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment pushes the front base 22 forward and pushes the centering portion 23 to a predetermined hardness when the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 goes straight with respect to piping or the like. The straightness of the insertion portion 11 is improved. And when the endoscope apparatus 1 passes the front-end | tip part 14 of the insertion part 11 with respect to elbow parts, such as piping, the front side nozzle | cap | die 22 is pulled back and the centering part 23 is bent, and an elbow part is given. It is easy to pass through.

Therefore, according to the endoscope apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the insertability with respect to complicated piping.
(Second Embodiment)

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, an endoscope apparatus capable of independently expanding an expansion unit will be described. Hereinafter, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the endoscope apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by using a centering unit 29 instead of the centering unit 23 of the first embodiment. The centering unit 29 includes a third expansion unit 30 in addition to the first expansion unit 24, the coil 25, and the second expansion unit 26 of the first embodiment.

  The third expansion part 30 includes a plurality of expansion members 30a and a fixed base 31 on the distal end side. In addition, a fixing portion 32 for fixing the third extension portion 30 is provided at the rear end of the bending portion 15 of the insertion portion 11, and when the insertion portion 11 is inserted through the third extension portion 30. The fixed base 31 is fixed to the fixed portion 32.

  The distal end of the inner sheath 19 is fixed to the rear flexible tube portion 16 by the length of the third extension portion 30 from the rear end of the bending portion 15. The rear end of the third extension portion 30 is supported by the support portion 27.

  Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.

  When the insertion portion 11 is pulled backward, the fixed base 31 is fixed to the fixing portion 32 of the insertion portion 11 and the rear end of the third extension portion 30 is supported by the support portion 27. Thereby, only the expansion member 30a of the third expansion portion 30 is expanded. Further, when the front base 22 is pushed forward, the tip of the first extension portion 24 is supported by the support portion 27. Thereby, only the expansion members 24a and 26a of the first and second expansion portions 24 and 26 are expanded.

  When the operator moves the insertion portion 11 straight by piping or the like, the extension member 24a, 26a, and 30a is expanded by pulling the insertion portion 11 backward and pushing the front base 22 forward. When the insertion portion 11 reaches the elbow portion, the operator contracts only the expansion member 30a of the third expansion portion 30 by pushing the insertion portion 11 forward, thereby facilitating the passage of the elbow portion.

  Then, when the third extension part 30 passes through the elbow part, the operator pulls the insertion part 11 to expand the extension member 30a, and pulls the front base 22 rearward to pull back the first extension part 24. The expansion member 24a and the expansion member 26a of the second expansion portion 26 are contracted to facilitate passage of the elbow portion. After the centering portion 29 has completely passed through the elbow portion, the operator pushes the front base 22 forward to expand the expansion members 24a and 26a, and the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 achieves good straightness. .

  As described above, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has the front third extension portion 30 and the rear first portion when the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion 11 passes through the elbow portion. The extension part 24 and the second extension part 26 are extended independently. As a result, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can further improve the insertability compared to the first embodiment.

  Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a modified example of the centering unit according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the centering part 29 a deletes the coil 25 and the second extension part 26 from the centering part 29, and a coil 33 is provided between the first extension part 24 and the third extension part 30. Configured. The front end of the coil 33 is connected to the rear end of the third extension portion 30, and the rear end of the coil 33 is connected to the support portion 27.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an operation method according to the modification.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operator first slides the outer sheath 21 forward with respect to the inner sheath 19 to expand the expansion member 24 a of the first expansion portion 24 and flexibly. By pulling the tube 16 with respect to the inner sheath 19, the expansion member 30 a of the third expansion portion 30 is expanded. Next, when the insertion part 11 is passed through the elbow part, by pushing the insertion part 11 forward, only the expansion member 30a of the third expansion part 30 is contracted as shown in FIG. Since 33 can be loosely wound to have flexibility, the elbow portion can easily pass.

The distal end side of the insertion portion 11 becomes flexible, and the operator passes the elbow portion with the distal end portion 14 directed in a predetermined direction. As a result, the endoscope apparatus 1 of the present modification can further improve the insertability with respect to the first embodiment, similarly to the endoscope apparatus 1 of the second embodiment.
(Third embodiment)

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, an endoscope apparatus including a centering unit having a plurality of coils will be described. Hereinafter, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the endoscope apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by using a centering unit 35 instead of the centering unit 23 of the first embodiment. The centering unit 35 is configured by adding a coil 36 and a fourth expansion unit 37 behind the second expansion unit 26 of the first embodiment.

  The 4th expansion part 37 has a plurality of expansion members 37a, and the coil 36 is connected to the tip. The tip of the coil 36 is connected to the rear end of the second extension portion.

  In normal times, the coil 25 is loosely wound and the coil 36 is tightly wound more than the coil 25 (not a complete contact coil). That is, in this embodiment, the hardness of the coil 25 and the coil 36 is changed, and the front coil 25 is made more flexible than the rear coil 36.

The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can change the expansion order of the expansion portions 24, 26, and 37 by changing the hardness of the coil 25 and the coil 36. Therefore, not only can the insertion portion 11 be easily inserted, but also the passage of the elbow portion of the insertion portion 11 can be facilitated.
(Fourth embodiment)

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, an endoscope apparatus with a deformed extension will be described. Hereinafter, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Note that the expansion order can be changed by changing the hardness of each of the expansion portions 24, 26, and 37 in FIG.
For example, the coils 25 and 36 have the same hardness, and can be expanded sequentially from the proximal side by sequentially softening the proximal side from the extended portion 24. The change in the direction (line of sight) can be reduced.
That is, by extending the distal end side of the insertion portion last, the position and orientation (line of sight) of the distal end can be made substantially coincident with the insertion direction.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the endoscope apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured by using a centering unit 38 instead of the centering unit 23 of the first embodiment. The centering unit 38 is configured using a first contact unit 39 and a second contact unit 40 instead of the first extension unit 24 and the second extension unit 26 of the first embodiment.

  The rear end of the first contact portion 39 is connected to the front end of the coil 25, and the front end of the second contact portion 40 is connected to the rear end of the coil 25. The first contact portion 39 is provided with a plurality of substantially rectangular contact members 39a in a radial pattern. Similarly, the second contact portion 40 is provided with a plurality of substantially rectangular contact members 40a in a radial pattern. The plurality of contact members 39a and 40a come into contact with the inner wall of the pipe or the like, whereby the insertion portion 11 is centered. Further, the plurality of contact members 39a and 40a are configured to be deformed by an external force.

  When the operator linearly moves the insertion portion 11 with respect to the pipe or the like, the coil 25 is tightly wound to have a predetermined hardness by pushing the front base 22 forward, thereby improving the straightness. Further, when the operator passes the elbow part, the operator pulls the front base 22 rearward and loosely winds the coil 25 to give flexibility so that the elbow part can be easily passed.

  Since the centering portion 23 of the first embodiment has a predetermined hardness when the front base 22 is pushed in, the centering portion 23 is piped when the insertion portion 11 is moved straight with respect to the pipe or the like. If there is a step (for example, a pipe joint of a different size), it is difficult to pass the step.

On the other hand, since the contact members 39a and 40a of the present embodiment are deformed by an external force, even if there is a step in the pipe (for example, a joint of a pipe having a different size), the insertion portion 11 can be easily passed. be able to.
(Fifth embodiment)

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. 5th Embodiment demonstrates the endoscope apparatus which expands an expansion part with air and changes hardness. Hereinafter, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the endoscope apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the endoscope apparatus.

  In the first embodiment, the expansion portions 24 and 26 are expanded by operating the front base 22. However, the endoscope apparatus 1 of the present embodiment expands the expansion portions 24 and 26 by air. It is configured.

  The endoscope apparatus 1 uses a centering section 50 instead of the centering section 23 of the first embodiment, and has a balloon 51, a cylinder 52, and an air tube compared to the endoscope apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. 53, a mechanical valve 54 having an air supply switch 54a, an air tube 55 and an air supply base 56 are added.

  The centering part 50 of this Embodiment has the balloon 51 which expand | swells when air is supplied inside.

  Air from the cylinder 52 is supplied to a mechanical valve 54 provided in the operation unit 12 via an air tube 53. When the operator turns on the air supply switch 54 a of the mechanical valve 54, the air is supplied to the air supply base 56 via the air tube 55. The air supplied to the air supply base 56 is supplied to the balloon 51 through the outer sheath 21.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the front end side of the centering portion 50 is fixed by a fixing screw 57 at the rear end of the bending portion 15. Further, an O-ring 58 is provided in a circumferential groove provided on the rear side of the bending portion 15, and abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the front cap 59. The distal ends of the first expansion portion 24 and the balloon 51 are fixed to the front base 59 by a thread binding 60.

  Further, a coil member fixing front base 61 is provided at the rear end of the first extension portion 24, and a coil member fixing rear base 62 is provided at the tip of the second extension portion 26, so that the second extension portion is provided. A rear cap 63 is provided at the rear end of 26.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the balloon.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the balloon 51 is provided with a plurality of fibers 51a that do not extend in the insertion axis direction. The portion where the coil 25 is provided outside the balloon 51 does not expand when air is supplied, and the portion where the expansion members 24a and 26a are provided outside expands when air is supplied. . The balloon 51 is configured to compress the coil 25 when air is supplied.

  As described above, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can inflate the balloon 51 with the air from the cylinder 52, expand the expansion members 24a and 26a, and harden the coil 25. Can be improved.

  Instead of the balloon 51, a nylon extension part shown in FIG. 11 may be used.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the nylon extension.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the nylon extension portion 64 is made of double nylon and includes a front nylon extension member 65, a coil 66, and a rear nylon extension member 67. The front nylon expansion member 65 is provided with an air injection part 68.

  The nylon extension portion 64 can supply air from the cylinder 52, but is configured to be able to supply air directly from the outside via the air injection portion 68. With such a configuration, air can be selectively poured from the cylinder 52 or from the outside.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope apparatus, 2 ... Endoscope, 3 ... Main body apparatus, 11 ... Insertion part, 12 ... Operation part, 12a ... Handle part, 12b ... Bending operation lever, 13 ... Universal cord, 14 ... Tip part, 15 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Bending part, 16 ... Flexible pipe part, 17 ... Control box, 17a ... Various input parts, 18 ... Monitor, 18a ... Display screen, 19 ... Inner sheath, 20 ... Rear base, 21 ... Outer sheath, 22 ... Front side Base, 23 ... Centering part, 24 ... Expansion part, 24a ... Expansion member, 25 ... Coil, 26 ... Expansion part, 26a ... Expansion member, 27 ... Support part, 28 ... Tip surface, 29 ... Centering part, 29a ... Centering part 30 ... expansion part, 30a ... expansion member, 31 ... fixing base, 32 ... fixing part, 33 ... coil, 35 ... centering part, 36 ... coil, 37 ... expansion part, 37a ... expansion member, 38 ... centering part, 39 ... Touch part, 39a ... contact member, 40 ... contact part, 40a ... contact member, 50 ... centering part, 51 ... balloon, 51a ... fiber, 52 ... cylinder, 53 ... air tube, 54 ... mechanical valve, 54a ... air supply switch 55 ... Air tube, 56 ... Air supply cap, 57 ... Fixing screw, 58 ... O-ring, 59 ... Front cap, 60 ... Thread-binding, 61 ... Coil member fixing front cap, 62 ... Coil member fixing post cap, 63 ... Rear base, 64 ... nylon extension part, 65 ... front nylon extension member, 66 ... coil, 67 ... rear side nylon extension member, 68 ... air injection part.

Claims (3)

In an endoscope apparatus having a long insertion part that can be inserted into a pipe,
A tube body having a bent shape capable of being inserted through the insertion portion;
A centering portion that is provided at the tip of the tube body and has at least two expansion portions and a loosely wound coil portion that connects the two expansion portions;
Provided at the rear end of the tube body, and a pushing portion for pushing the centering portion;
Have
An endoscope apparatus, wherein when the push-in portion is pushed in, the at least two extension portions are expanded and the coil portion is closely wound.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, of the at least two expansion portions, a front expansion portion and a rear expansion portion can be independently expanded. The centering part has at least three extension parts, and at least two coil parts connecting the front and rear extension parts among the three extension parts,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, of the at least two coil parts, a front coil part is made more flexible than a rear coil part.

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