JP2014140422A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope that prevents at least one endoscope content that is inserted through an inserting part from moving in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of a curving piece inside a curved part of the inserting part.SOLUTION: An endoscope 1 comprises an inserting part 2 including a curved part 6 formed by connecting a plurality of curving pieces 6f, 6c, 6r to be curved into a plurality of directions, a plurality of endoscope contents 28, 32, 41-45 which are inserted and arranged along the longitudinal axis of the inserting part 2. A restriction part 60 is disposed on at least one intermediate curving piece 6c that is joined at a position separated by a predetermined number from the curving pieces 6f, 6r disposed on an end part of the curved part 6 among the plurality of curving pieces 6f, 6c, 6r constituting the curved part 6 for restricting at least one of the endoscope contents 28, 32, 41-45 from moving in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the curving piece 6c.

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope in which a plurality of built-in objects are inserted into an insertion portion having a bending portion.

  In recent years, endoscopes have been used to perform various tests inside the body or to perform treatment procedures inside the body. In an endoscope, an observation optical system or the like for capturing an observation image of an observation site is incorporated at the distal end of an elongated insertion portion that is inserted into the body. In addition, on the distal end side of the insertion portion of the endoscope, a curve for facilitating insertion into the deep part of the body and for directing the observation optical system of the distal portion in a desired direction Is provided.

  For example, the bending portion has a configuration in which a plurality of bending pieces (also referred to as node rings) are rotatably connected to bend in two directions, upper and lower, or four directions, upper, lower, left, and right. The bending portion is configured to bend by operating a rotary knob that is a bending operation device provided in the operation portion, for example. In general, the rotary knob is rotated by an operator's fingers holding the operation unit. The bending portion is bent as the corresponding bending wire is pulled and relaxed in accordance with the turning operation of the rotary knob.

In addition to a plurality of bending wires as a built-in endoscope, a treatment instrument channel tube, a signal cable, a light guide fiber bundle, an air supply tube, a water supply tube, and the like are inserted into the insertion portion of the endoscope. .
The air supply tube and the water supply tube communicate with an air supply nozzle provided at the tip. The front end surface of the light guide fiber bundle is disposed in the vicinity of the illumination window. The signal cable is connected to the imaging device. Treatment tools such as a puncture needle and grasping forceps are inserted into the treatment tool channel tube.

  The treatment instrument channel tube is generally the largest diameter among the built-in endoscopes. In addition, the treatment instrument channel tube has a low flexibility for the purpose of ensuring strength in order to prevent the inner surface from being damaged and damaged by grasping forceps or the like which is a treatment instrument inserted into the tube. There is a tendency to set it harder.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope bending portion structure in which a position regulating member is provided in a gap between caulking pins. In the endoscope bending portion structure of Document 1, a technique for providing a position restriction member on the node ring and a technique for integrally providing the position restriction member on the node ring by drawing the node ring are shown. . According to this technology, by providing the position restricting member on the inner surface of the node ring, the treatment instrument channel tube, for example, a forceps tube falls into the inner surface on which the position restricting member is provided, and the occurrence of a problem of being pinched by the caulking pin. Can be prevented.

JP 2000-254095 A

  However, in the bending portion structure of the endoscope of Patent Document 1, the forceps tube moves in the radial direction in the insertion portion in accordance with the bending operation of the bending portion or the twisting operation of the insertion portion. At this time, the forceps tube is prevented from being pinched by the caulking pin by the position restricting member, but the forceps tube moves in the image guide direction of FIG. There is a risk of pressing the guide guide or pressing the light guide.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and prevents at least one endoscope built-in object inserted through the insertion portion from moving in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the bending piece within the bending portion of the insertion portion. The purpose is to provide an endoscope.

  An endoscope according to an aspect of the present invention includes an insertion portion including a bending portion configured to bend in a plurality of directions by connecting a plurality of bending pieces, and the insertion portion along the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion. A plurality of endoscope built-in objects that are inserted and arranged, and among the plurality of bending pieces constituting the bending portion, a bending piece provided in advance at the end of the bending portion Restricting at least one of the plurality of endoscope built-in objects to move in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the bending piece, to at least one bending piece connected to a predetermined number of positions separated from each other There is a regulation section.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an endoscope in which at least one endoscope built-in object inserted through the insertion portion is prevented from moving in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the bending piece within the bending portion of the insertion portion.

The figure explaining the endoscope provided with the bending part which can be bent according to one Embodiment of this invention. Longitudinal sectional view for explaining the structure of the insertion portion FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y3A-Y3A in FIG. 2, illustrating an example of an insertion arrangement of a built-in endoscope that passes through the insertion portion. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y3B-Y3B in FIG. 2 and is a diagram illustrating an example of an insertion arrangement of a built-in endoscope that passes through the insertion portion It is a Y3C-Y3C line sectional view of Drawing 2, and is a figure explaining an example of insertion arrangement of a built-in endoscope which penetrates the inside of an insertion part. The figure explaining the intermediate | middle bending piece which formed the control part FIG. 4B is a sectional view taken along line Y4B-Y4B in FIG. The figure explaining the bending part provided with the bending piece with a control part. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y6-Y6 of FIG. 5 and illustrates a state in which the treatment instrument channel tube is regulated by the regulation unit. The figure explaining the structural example of the bending part provided with the some bending piece with a control part. The figure explaining the structural example of an intermediate | middle bending piece provided with the control part which controls that the endoscope built-in thing other than the treatment tool channel tube moves. The figure explaining the other structural example of an intermediate | middle bending piece provided with the control part which controls that the endoscope built-in thing other than the treatment tool channel tube moves. The figure explaining the state which is controlling the light guide fiber bundle by the control part of the bending piece with a control part The figure explaining the structural example of an intermediate | middle bending piece provided with an arch-shaped control part.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 1 has an insertion portion 2, an operation portion 3, and a universal cable 4. The insertion part 2 is an elongated member inserted into the observation target site. The insertion portion 2 is configured by connecting a distal end portion 5, a bending portion 6, and a flexible tube portion 7.

  The distal end portion 5 includes an illumination optical system including a light guide and an observation optical system (see reference numeral 23 in FIG. 2) including an imaging device. The bending portion 6 is configured to be bendable in two directions, up and down, or in four directions, up, down, left and right. The flexible tube portion 7 is a long and flexible tubular member.

The operation unit 3 is provided with a bending operation device 8, various switches 11, an air / water supply button 12, a suction button 13, and the like. The bending operation device 8 includes an up / down knob 9 and a left / right knob 10. The various switches 11 are, for example, a release switch, a freeze switch, and an observation mode changeover switch for switching between normal observation and fluorescence observation.
Reference numeral 14 denotes a treatment instrument insertion port. In the present embodiment, the bending portion 6 bends in four directions.

  The universal cable 4 extends from the side of the operation unit 3. An endoscope connector (not shown) is provided at the end of the universal cable 4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the distal end portion 5 includes a distal end constituting member 21 that is a hard member. A tip cover 22 is fixed to the tip side of the tip constituent member 21. Reference numeral 22h denotes a cover through-hole, and constitutes a treatment instrument insertion channel 30 described later.

  A distal end bending piece 6 f constituting the bending portion 6 is fixed to the proximal end side of the distal end constituent member 21. Reference numeral 6r is a proximal bending piece, and reference numeral 6c is an intermediate bending piece. The bending pieces are pivotally supported by the connecting pin 6p.

  Reference numeral 6w denotes a bending wire, and four wires are provided corresponding to the bending directions of up, down, left, and right. Reference numeral 6s denotes a bending wire tip fixing portion. The bending wire tip fixing portion 6s is provided at a predetermined position corresponding to the top, bottom, left, and right of the tip bending piece 6f. Reference numeral 6g is a curved rubber. The bending rubber 6g covers the outer peripheral surface of the bending portion set constituted by a plurality of bending pieces 6f, 6c,... 6c, 6r connected by the connecting pin 6p.

  In addition, the code | symbol 6wg is a wire guide and is provided in the bending piece 6c. Reference numeral 6wc denotes a wire insertion coil, which is inserted into the flexible tube portion 7. The wire guide 6wg and the wire insertion coil 6wc are provided with a through-hole through which one wire 6w is inserted.

  The tip constituting member 21 is made of metal such as stainless steel, hard resin, or ceramic. The tip component member 21 includes an observation optical system through-hole 21h1, an illumination optical system through-hole (not shown), an air / water supply through-hole (not shown), and a secondary water supply that are parallel to the longitudinal axis at predetermined positions. A through-hole for use (not shown), a treatment tool insertion through-hole 21h2, and the like are formed.

  The observation optical system through-hole 21h1 is a stepped hole, for example, and has a small-diameter hole and a large-diameter hole in order from the tip side. An objective lens frame 24 constituting the observation optical system 23 is fixed in the small diameter hole, and an imaging frame 25 constituting the observation optical system 23 is arranged in the large diameter hole. Reference numeral 26 is a tip optical member, and reference numeral 27 is an image sensor. In the present embodiment, the image sensor 27 is, for example, a CCD. Reference numeral 28 denotes a signal cable.

  A connecting tube 31 constituting the treatment instrument insertion channel 30 is fixed to the treatment instrument insertion through hole 21h2. The proximal end side of the connecting tube 31 protrudes from the proximal end surface of the distal end component member 21, and the distal end portion of the treatment instrument channel tube 32 constituting the treatment instrument insertion channel 30 is fixed to the protruding portion. A treatment instrument such as a puncture needle or a grasping forceps is inserted into the treatment instrument channel tube 32. For this reason, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 is configured with a predetermined hardness in order to prevent the inner surface from being damaged and damaged by gripping forceps or the like inserted into the tube in consideration of flexibility. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C, in addition to the four bending wires 6w, the signal cable 28, and the treatment instrument channel tube 32, for example, three in the insertion portion 2 Light guide fiber bundles 41, 42, 43, an air / water supply tube 44, a forward water supply tube 45, an insertion shape detection probe 46, and the like are disposed along the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion 2.

  The signal cable 28 is a built-in endoscope with a small diameter, and is inserted and disposed near the central axis of the insertion portion 2. The treatment instrument channel tube 32 has the largest diameter among the built-in endoscopes and the highest bending rigidity, and the inner peripheral surface side of the insertion portion 2, that is, the inner surfaces of the bending pieces 6 f, 6 c and 6 r in the bending portion 6. It is inserted in the vicinity. The three light guide fiber bundles 41, 42, 43 are also built-in endoscopes having a small diameter, and are located on the inner peripheral surface side of the insertion portion 2, that is, in the vicinity of the inner surface of the bending pieces 6f, 6c, 6r in the bending portion 6. It is inserted through. The air / water feeding tube 44 and the forward water feeding tube 45 are endoscopes having a small diameter and a flexible diameter, and the bending pieces 6f, 6c, 6r on the inner peripheral surface side of the insertion portion 2, that is, the bending portion 6. It is inserted and arranged in the vicinity of the inner surface. The insertion shape detection probe 46 is a built-in endoscope having a small diameter, and is inserted and disposed near the central axis of the insertion portion 2.

  In this embodiment, the distal bending piece 6f constituting the bending portion 6 or one intermediate bending piece 6c connected to a position separated from the proximal bending piece 6r by a plurality of pieces is shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. For example, the restricting portion 60 formed in an S shape is formed.

  The restricting portion 60 is formed by bending, for example, with a press device from the outer surface side of the intermediate bending piece 6c so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface side of the intermediate bending piece 6c to the inner peripheral surface side. The restricting portion 60 includes a root portion 61, a bending portion 62, and a treatment instrument channel tube holding portion (hereinafter abbreviated as holding portion) 63.

  The root portion 61 is integral with the intermediate bending piece 6c. The restricting portion 60 is configured as a cantilever projecting with respect to the outer surface side of the intermediate bending piece 6c or the central axis 6cC direction of the bending piece 6c. The bending portion 62 is configured to be elastically deformed by a predetermined amount against a predetermined elastic force. The holding portion 63 is a contact surface 63f on which the outer peripheral surface of the treatment instrument channel tube 32 is disposed in contact.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 is arranged in a tube arrangement space 32S indicated by a two-dot chain line constituted by a contact surface 63f of the holding portion 63 and an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate bending piece 6c.
In addition, the code | symbol 65 is a notch hole and is a through-hole comprised when the control part 60 is formed in the intermediate | middle bending piece 6c by press work.

  In the following description, the intermediate bending piece 6c in which the restricting portion 60 is formed is referred to as a restricting portion-attached bending piece 6H.

  The treatment instrument channel tube 32 inserted into the insertion portion 2 is held by the holding portion 63 of the restriction portion 60 formed in the bending piece with restriction portion 6H as shown in FIGS. Are arranged along the longitudinal axis.

  According to this configuration, for example, when the surgeon performs an operation of bending the bending portion 6 or when the surgeon twists the insertion portion 2, the tube 32 is attached to the treatment instrument channel tube 32 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4A. A force for moving in the Y4A direction, that is, a force for moving in the direction perpendicular to the central axis 6cC of the intermediate bending piece 6c is applied. At this time, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y4A in FIG.

  As a result, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 moves, and the signal cable 28, the light guide fiber bundles 41, 42, and 43, the air / water supply tube 44, and the forward water supply, which are other endoscopes shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the tube 45 and the insertion shape detection probe 46 from being pressed.

  When the force of the treatment instrument channel tube 32 moving in the direction of the arrow Y4A in FIG. 4A is large, the bending portion 62 is elastically deformed by a predetermined amount. As a result, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 moves greatly, and the signal cable 28, the light guide fiber bundles 41, 42, 43, the air / water supply tube 44, the forward water supply tube 45, It is possible to prevent the insertion shape detection probe 46 from being pressed.

  In this way, the bending piece 6H with the restriction portion in which the restriction portion 60 is formed is arranged at a predetermined position of the bending portion, and the treatment instrument channel tube 32 moves in a predetermined direction by the restriction portion 60 of the bending piece 6H. To regulate that. As a result, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 inserted and arranged along the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion 2 in the vicinity of the inner surface of the bending pieces 6f, 6c, 6r moves within the insertion portion, thereby compressing other internal endoscope components. Can be reliably prevented.

  In addition, since the restricting portion 60 is provided integrally with the bending piece 6c, the treatment instrument channel tube 32 moves without increasing the number of parts and fixing the restricting portion to the bending piece 6c. It is possible to configure the bending piece 6H with a regulating portion that regulates the above.

  In the above-described embodiment, one bending piece 6H with a restricting portion is disposed at a position spaced apart from the proximal bending piece 6r by a plurality of frames. However, the number of intermediate bending pieces 6c provided in the bending portion 6 is, for example, a configuration in which two bending pieces 6H with restriction portions are provided in the bending portion 6 as shown in FIG. The structure which provides the bending piece 6H with two or more control parts may be sufficient.

  In the embodiment described above, the movement of the treatment instrument channel tube 32 inserted into the insertion portion 2 in the insertion portion 2 in the direction of the arrow Y4A is restricted by the restriction portion 60 of the bending piece 6H with restriction portion. ing. However, the endoscope built-in object that restricts movement in the insertion portion 2 is not limited to the treatment instrument channel tube 32, and other endoscope built-in objects are attached to the central axis 6cC of the intermediate bending piece 6c. On the other hand, the movement in the vertical direction may be restricted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A or FIG. 8B, for example, two S-shaped restricting portions 60A are formed in a predetermined position on the intermediate bending piece 6c so as to be in contact with the contact surface 63f of the holding portion 63. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the first light guide fiber bundle 41 and the second light guide fiber bundle 42 are inserted and arranged in an arrangement space 32AS indicated by a two-dot chain line constituted by the inner peripheral surface of the bending piece 6c. You may do it.

  The restricting portion 60A is formed by, for example, press working like the restricting portion 60, and includes a root portion 61, a bent portion 62, and a holding portion 63 as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 9, the movement of the first light guide fiber bundle 41 and the movement of the second light guide fiber bundle 42 are restricted by the two restricting portions 60 </ b> A, respectively. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent a problem that the light guide fiber bundles 41 and 42 are pressed by other endoscope built-in objects.

  Further, in the configuration in which the bending portion 6 includes a plurality of intermediate bending pieces 6c shown in FIG. 8A and intermediate bending pieces 6c shown in FIG. 8B, the intermediate bending piece 6c shown in FIG. 8A and the intermediate bending piece 6c shown in FIG. The movement of the light guide fiber bundles 41 and 42 may be restricted by arranging them alternately in the longitudinal axis direction.

  Further, instead of forming the restricting portion 60A that prevents the light guide fiber bundles 41 and 42 from moving on the intermediate bending piece 6c, a restricting portion (not shown) that prevents the air / water supply tube 44 from moving, Or you may make it provide the control part (not shown) which prevents the tube 45 for front water supply moving.

  Further, the restricting portions 60 and 60A formed integrally with the intermediate bending piece 6c are not limited to cantilever beams protruding from the outer surface side of the intermediate bending piece 6c in the direction of the central axis 6cC. As shown in FIG. 10, it may be a restricting portion 60B having an arch shape in which an arch portion 64 having a predetermined shape is formed integrally with the intermediate bending piece 6c.

The restricting portion 60B is formed by, for example, pressing, and includes a closed arrangement space 32BS configured by an arch inner surface 64f and an inner peripheral surface of the intermediate bending piece 6c.
According to this configuration, the endoscope built-in object inserted and arranged in the arrangement space 32BS can be reliably restricted from moving in the direction perpendicular to the central axis 6cC of the intermediate bending piece 6c in the insertion portion 2. it can.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Endoscope 2 ... Insertion part 3 ... Operation part 4 ... Universal cable 5 ... Tip part
6 ... Bending part 6H ... Bending piece with restricting part 6c ... Intermediate bending piece 6cC ... Center axis
6f ... distal bending piece 6g ... bending rubber 6p ... connecting pin 6r ... proximal bending piece 6s ... bending wire tip fixing part 6w ... bending wire 6wc ... wire insertion coil 6wg ... wire guide 7 ... flexible tube part 8 ... bending operation Device 9 ... Up / down knob
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Left and right knob 11 ... Various switches 12 ... Air supply / water supply button 13 ... Suction button 14 ... Treatment instrument insertion port 21 ... Tip component 21h1 ... Observation optical system through-hole 21h2 ... Treatment tool insertion through-hole 22 ... Tip cover 22h ... Cover through hole 23 ... Observation optical system 24 ... Objective lens frame 25 ... Imaging frame 26 ... Tip optical member 27 ... Imaging element 28 ... Signal cable 30 ... Treatment instrument insertion channel 31 ... Connecting tube 32 ... Treatment instrument channel tube 32AS ... Arrangement space 32BS ... Arrangement space 32S ... Tube arrangement space 41, 42, 43 ... Light guide fiber bundle 44 ... Air supply / water supply tube 45 ... Front water supply tube 46 ... Insertion shape detection probes 60, 60A, 60B ... Restriction part 61 ... Base part 62 ... Deflection part 63 ... Holding part 63f ... Abutting surface 64 ... Arch part 64f ... Arch inner surface 5 ... notch hole

Claims (8)

An insertion portion including a bending portion configured to bend in a plurality of directions by connecting a plurality of bending pieces, and a plurality of endoscope built-in objects that are inserted into the insertion portion along the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion In an endoscope comprising:
Among the plurality of bending pieces constituting the bending portion, at least one bending piece connected to a predetermined number of positions away from the bending pieces disposed at the end of the bending portion is provided with the plurality of internal views. An endoscope comprising a restricting portion that restricts movement of at least one of the built-in mirrors in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the bending piece.   The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is provided on a plurality of bending pieces constituting the bending portion.   The endoscope built-in object whose movement is restricted by the restricting part is an endoscope built-in object that is inserted and arranged on the inner surface side of the insertion part among the plurality of endoscope built-in objects. The endoscope according to claim 1 or claim 2.   The endoscope built-in object whose movement is restricted by the restriction part is an endoscope built-in object having the highest bending rigidity among a plurality of endoscope built-in objects inserted and arranged on the inner surface side of the insertion part. The endoscope according to claim 3.   The endoscope built-in object whose movement is restricted by the restriction part is an endoscope built-in object having the largest outer diameter among the plurality of endoscope built-in objects inserted and arranged on the inner surface side of the insertion part. The endoscope according to claim 3.   The endoscope built-in object whose movement is restricted by the restriction part has an outer diameter that is larger than those of other endoscope built-in objects among the plurality of endoscope built-in objects inserted and arranged on the inner surface side of the insertion part. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the endoscope is a small endoscope built-in object.   5. The restriction portion is formed in a cantilever shape integral with the bending piece, and is bent into a predetermined shape so as to protrude from the outer surface side to the inner surface side of the bending piece. The endoscope according to any one of 6.   The said restriction | limiting part is a predetermined arch shape integral with the said bending piece, Comprising: It bends so that it may protrude from the outer surface side of a bending piece to the inner surface side. The endoscope according to item 1.

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