JP2018189897A - Endoscope-purpose guide tube - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope-purpose guide tube that directs a tip end part of an insertion part at an observation object as insertion and removal of the insertion part into and from a spiral or helical plumbing is smoothly conducted, and can easily and surely inspect the observation object.SOLUTION: An endoscope-purpose guide tube 10 comprises: a guide member 20 that has a guide hole 23 leading to a tip end side and a base end side and extending in an axis direction; a tubular body 30 that is provided with flexibility in which a tip end side part 32 is inserted into the guide hole 23 of the guide member 20, and is projected by a predetermined length from an opening on the tip end side of the guide member 20, and has an insertion part insertion hole 31 extending in the axis direction where an insertion part 5 of an endoscope 3 is insertable; and a zone-like flat plate 50 that has an end part 51 tightly fixed on a tip end side of the tubular body 30, has a middle part of one surface 53 lined apart with respect to a flexure shape outer lateral surface 33o of the tubular body 30, and has flat elasticity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope guide tube for endoscopic inspection of a spiral pipe.

  Generally, industrial and medical endoscopes are provided with an elongated insertion portion. An industrial endoscope is inserted into, for example, an industrial plant, a jet engine, or the like, and is used for inspecting whether there is a defect or the like.

  In an industrial endoscope, it is important to suitably guide the distal end portion of the elongated and flexible insertion portion to a target site in the internal space of the subject. Various guide tubes for mirrors have been proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a flexible tubular body that can be inserted through an insertion portion of an endoscope, and a flat plate having a flat elasticity that positions and supports the distal end portion of the tubular body on the distal end side. An endoscope guide device is disclosed that includes a delivery member that integrally feeds the tubular body to the inside of a subject while the tubular body is placed on the surface of the flat plate.

  According to this endoscope guide apparatus, the tubular body is fed integrally with the subject while being attached to the surface of the flat plate, so that the straightness of a straight tube having a long insertion length is not impaired, without impairing the straightness. The distal end portion of the endoscope can be guided to the target site in a suitable state.

JP 2012-14130 A

  However, when inspecting a spiral or spiral pipe, the endoscope guide device of Patent Document 1 is unsuitable, and an endoscope guide tube corresponding to the spiral or spiral pipe is not suitable. It was desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. The insertion portion is smoothly inserted into and removed from the spiral or spiral pipe, and the distal end portion of the insertion portion is easily directed toward the observation target. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope guide tube that can be reliably inspected.

  An endoscope guide tube according to an aspect of the present invention includes a guide member having a guide hole extending in an axial direction leading to a distal end side and a proximal end side, and being inserted into the guide hole of the guide member. A tubular body having an insertion portion hole extending in an axial direction through which an insertion portion of an endoscope can be inserted, and having a flexibility in which a distal end side portion is derived from a distal end opening by a predetermined length; and a distal end A belt-like flat plate having a flat elasticity, in which a portion is fixed to the distal end side of the tubular body, and a mid-plane portion of one plane is arranged apart from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body. .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily and surely inspect the distal end portion of the insertion portion toward the observation object while smoothly inserting and removing the insertion portion from the spiral or spiral pipe. An endoscope guide tube can be realized.

The figure explaining the endoscope system which has an endoscope apparatus and the guide tube for endoscopes The figure explaining the structure of the guide tube for endoscopes The figure explaining the guide member which comprises the guide tube for endoscopes The figure explaining a tubular body and the relationship between a tubular body and a guide member The figure explaining a connection cap and a tip cap The figure explaining the guide tube for endoscopes provided with the flat plate The figure explaining the guide tube for endoscopes provided with the flat plate different from the flat plate of FIG. The figure explaining the effect | action of the guide tube for endoscopes by which the front-end | tip part of the insertion part was arrange | positioned, Comprising: The figure explaining the state which inserted the guide tube for endoscopes in the spiral channel The figure explaining the state which has sent out the guide tube for endoscopes The figure explaining the state sent out to the direction which further places the guide tube for endoscopes The figure explaining the malfunction when the plastic-made tubular body which has flexibility and can be elastically deformed is directly inserted in the spiral pipe The figure explaining the front-end | tip nozzle in which the derivation | leading-out part inclines with respect to a nozzle | cap | die center axis | shaft. Sectional view of the tip cap of FIG. 8A The figure explaining the effect | action of the front-end | tip nozzle | cap | die of FIG. 8A The figure explaining the flat plate which is a modification of a flat plate, and provided the bending convex part with constant height The figure explaining the flat plate provided with the bending convex part which is a modification of a flat plate and height becomes high as it goes to the base end side The figure explaining the guide tube for endoscopes which can extrude a plate, or pull back with operation of a sliding member The figure explaining the structure which provided two bending shape parts in the front end side part Endoscope guide tube with two bent shapes on the distal side The figure explaining the guide tube for endoscopes from which an insertion part is derived | led-out from a front-end | tip base The figure explaining the structure which enables position adjustment of the bending part provided in the front-end | tip of a flat plate The figure explaining the state which moved the 2nd fixing ring to the base end side The figure explaining the state which has arrange | positioned the sliding ring near the 2nd fixing ring moved to the base end side, and the state which moves the 1st fixing ring to the sliding ring side

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In each drawing used in the following description, the scale of each component may be different in order to make each component large enough to be recognized on the drawing. That is, the present invention is not limited only to the number of components, the shape of the components, the ratio of the sizes of the components, and the relative positional relationship between the components described in these drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope system 1 includes an endoscope apparatus 2 and an endoscope guide tube 10. The endoscope device 2 includes an endoscope 3 and a main body device 4. The endoscope 3 has a long insertion portion 5 and an operation portion 6, and the operation portion 6 is provided on the proximal end side of the insertion portion 5.

  The insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 3 is configured as a long tube body having flexibility, and the distal end portion 7 is provided on the distal end side of the insertion portion 5 via a bending portion (not shown). In the present embodiment, the distal end portion 7 protrudes from the distal end side of the endoscope guide tube 10 to the outside by an amount desired by the user.

  The endoscope 3 is a direct-view type, and an observation window (not shown) and an illumination window (not shown) are provided on the distal end surface of the distal end portion 7, and an imaging device or the like is built in the distal end portion. A signal line, an electric wire, a light guide fiber, or the like is inserted into the insertion portion 5.

  The operation unit 6 of the endoscope 3 is provided with a handle portion 6a for gripping. A bending operation lever 6b is erected on the handle portion 6a. The handle 6a is provided with various switches (not shown) for operating various endoscope functions.

  The operation unit 6 is electrically connected to the main body device 4 via a control cable 8. The main body device 4 is provided with a display screen 4a for displaying an endoscopic image, for example. A control unit (not shown) is provided in the main unit 4. The control unit includes a control circuit that performs various controls of the endoscope apparatus 2, a signal processing circuit that displays an endoscopic image on a display screen, and the like.

  The endoscope guide tube 10 is attached to and detached from a guide member 20 that is a first guide portion, a tubular body 30 that is a second guide protruding from an opening on the distal end side of the guide member 20, and a distal end side of the tubular body 30. A free end cap 40 and a flat and long flat plate 50 disposed along the tubular body 30 are provided.

  Reference numeral 24 denotes a tip ring, which constitutes the tip side of the guide member 20. Reference numeral 34 denotes a connection cap. The connection cap 34 is provided to make the tip cap 40 detachable from the tubular body 30. Reference numeral 60 denotes a handle. The handle 60 is fixed to the proximal end portion of the guide member 20. Reference numeral 70 denotes an insertion portion fixing member.

  The insertion portion fixing member 70 is connected to the handle 60 by screwing. An elastically deformable fixing member is provided inside the insertion portion fixture 70. The fixing member is crushed and elastically deformed by screwing the insertion portion fixing tool 70 into the handle 60, and is closely fixed to the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 3 to be inserted into the insertion portion 5 and the endoscope. The guide tube 10 is fixed integrally. Before this integral fixing, the amount of protrusion of the distal end portion 7 from the distal end face of the distal end cap 40 is adjusted.

The guide member 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
2 and 3, the guide member 20 is not attached with the tip ring 24.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide member 20 has a plurality of unidirectional curved square pieces (hereinafter abbreviated as square pieces) 21 arranged in the longitudinal axis direction, and the adjacent square pieces 21 are rotated to each other. 22 is rotatably connected.

  Each square piece 21 is made of, for example, stainless steel having a low friction coefficient, and is formed to be curved in a predetermined direction. The guide member 20 is configured by arranging a plurality of square pieces 21 in a straight line as shown by a solid line in FIG. 3, and is passively rotated clockwise as shown by a broken line with the rotation pin 22 as a central axis. In one direction.

  Each square piece 21 is provided with a square hole, and a guide member 20 formed by connecting a plurality of square pieces 21 has a guide hole extending in the longitudinal axis direction and leading to the distal end side and the proximal end side. A tube guide hole 23 is provided. A tubular body 30 can be inserted into the tube guide hole 23.

  The tubular body 30 is a resin-made tube body that is flexible and elastically deformable. As shown in FIG. 4, the tubular body 30 protrudes from the distal end side of the guide member 20 by a predetermined length. The tubular body 30 includes an insertion portion insertion hole 31 that is an insertion portion hole (insertion portion guide hole) that extends in the longitudinal axis direction and communicates with the distal end side and the proximal end side. The insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 3 can be inserted into the insertion portion insertion hole 31 and is led out from an opening (not shown) on the distal end side.

  In the tubular body 30, a portion protruding from the distal end side of the guide member 20 is a distal end side portion 32, and a bent shape portion 33 is provided on the distal end side of the distal end side portion 32. The bent shape portion 33 is formed with a bent shape having a predetermined shape. In the present embodiment, the bending direction of the bent shape portion 33 and the bendable direction of the guide member 20 are the same.

  A stopper (not shown) is fixed to the outer periphery of the tubular body 30 on the base side. The stopper is disposed in a positioning hole of a recess (not shown) provided in the handle 60 when the tubular body 30 is inserted into the tube guide hole 23 of the guide member 20. As a result, the tubular body 30 and the guide member 20 are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship.

Further, the bent shape portion 33 of the tubular body 30 is corrected to a substantially straight shape when the guide member 20 is inserted into the tube guide hole 23, and can achieve straightness.
As shown in FIG. 2, a connection base 34 is fixed to the distal end portion of the tubular body 30. A female screw part or a male screw part is formed in the coupling base 34 so as to be freely attached and detached by screwing with the tip base 40.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a first connection base 34 </ b> A or a second connection base 34 </ b> B is attached to the distal end portion of the tubular body 30 as the connection base 34. A first tip cap 40A is detachably attached to the first connecting cap 34A, and a second tip cap 40B is detachably attached to the second connecting cap 34B. The connection caps 34A and 34B and the tip caps 40A and 40B are made of metal, for example.

34 A of 1st connection caps are provided with the recessed part 35 in which the front-end | tip part of the tubular body 30 is inserted, and the connection convex part 36 which has the external thread part 36m. On the other hand, the 2nd connection nozzle | cap | die 34B is provided with the recessed part 35 and the connection recessed part 37 which has the internal thread part 37f. The first and second connection caps 34 </ b> A and 34 </ b> B and the tubular body 30 are integrally fixed by an adhesive applied to the gap between the distal end portion of the tubular body 30 and the recess 35.
Reference numeral 38 denotes an escape hole, which is provided along the central axis c34 of the coupling caps 34A, 34B. The diameter of the escape hole 38 is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the insertion portion insertion hole 31.

  The first tip cap 40A is provided with a recess 41 having a female screw portion 41f and a lead-out hole 42 corresponding to the diameter of the insertion portion 5. The second tip cap 40B is provided with a convex portion 43 having a male screw portion 43m and a lead-out hole 42.

  The female screw portion 41f of the first tip cap 40A is detachable by screwing into the male screw portion 36m of the first connecting cap 34A. On the other hand, the male screw portion 43m of the second tip cap 40B is detachable by screwing into the female screw portion 37f of the second connecting cap 34B.

  Lead end holes 40A, 40B are provided with outlet holes 42 along the central axis c40. The lead-out hole 42 has an introduction part 42a, a tapered part 42b, and a lead-out part 42c. The diameter of the introduction part 42 a is larger than the diameter of the escape hole 38, and the inner diameter of the lead-out part 42 c is set larger than the outer diameter of the insertion part 5 by a predetermined clearance. The tapered portion 42b is a tapered hole that connects the introducing portion 42a and the leading portion 42c.

In each of the tip caps 40A and 40B, the inner diameter of the lead-out portion 42c is formed so as to correspond to the insertion portion 5 having a different diameter dimension that is inserted into the insertion portion insertion hole 31. Specifically, the diameter of the insertion portion insertion hole 31 is a size that can be inserted with respect to the size of the insertion portion 5 and is as small as possible. This is because when the diameter of the insertion portion insertion hole 31 is large enough for the insertion portion 5, the insertion portion 5 is moved to the outer peripheral side of the insertion portion insertion hole 31 due to the elasticity of the insertion portion 5, This is because it becomes only observation.
A plurality of first tip caps 40 </ b> A and second tip caps 40 </ b> B are prepared according to the diameter of the insertion portion 5, and are selectively used according to the size of the insertion portion 5.

  The flat plate 50 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a thin strip-like elastic member, and can be bent by elastic deformation in the thickness direction. The width of the flat plate 50 is set to be equal to or smaller than the diameter of the tubular body 30. The flat plate 50 is formed of a metal spring plate member made of stainless steel or the like having a low friction coefficient for the purpose of reducing the frictional resistance when moving forward and backward within the subject.

  According to this configuration, when the endoscope guide tube 10 is inserted into the spiral pipe, the tubular body 30 is brought into direct contact with the inner surface of the pipe by bringing the flat plate 50 into contact with the inner surface of the pipe. Compared with this, the frictional resistance can be greatly reduced and smooth insertion can be performed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, one end 51 which is the front end side of the flat plate 50 is fixed to the first connection base 34A with solder, screws or the like, and the other end 52 which is the base end side is the guide member 20. It is fixed to the tip ring 24 provided at the foremost end with solder, screws or the like. One surface 53 that is one flat surface of the flat plate 50 is disposed along the tubular body 30 so as to face the bent outer surface 33 o of the bent portion 33 that is the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body 30.

  In the arrangement state described above, the flat plate 50 is in an elastically deformed and bent state, and the tubular body 30 is also elastically deformed. 1, 2, 6 </ b> A, and 6 </ b> B, one surface 53 of the flat plate 50 disposed along the curved outer peripheral side of the tubular body 30 and the bent outer surface of the bent portion 33 of the tubular body 30. A clearance S is provided between the curved outer peripheral side of the distal end side portion 32 including 33o.

  By appropriately setting the length, elastic force, etc. of the flat plate 50 and arranging the flat plate 50 along the tubular body 30, the bending shape (deflection) of the flat plate 50 as shown in FIG. 6A, FIG. Amount) and the curved shape of the distal end side portion 32 can be set to a desired shape. 6B has a bending radius smaller than the bending radius of FIG. 6A. However, the bending radius may be configured to be larger than the bending radius of FIG. 6A.

Here, the operation of the endoscope system 1 including the endoscope guide tube 10 will be described.
When inspecting the inside of the vortex-shaped spiral duct 101 of the apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 7A, the endoscope system 1 configured as shown in FIG. 1 is prepared. In this endoscope system 1, the distal end portion 7 of the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 3 protrudes from the distal end surface of the distal end cap 40 provided at the distal end of the tubular body 30 of the endoscope guide tube 10. . The curved shape of the distal end side portion 32 is set to a shape desired by the user.

  The user disposes the endoscope guide tube 10 so as to face the conduit inlet 102 of the apparatus 100 as indicated by a two-dot chain line. At this time, the flat plate 50 of the endoscope guide tube 10 is directed toward the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral duct 101.

  Thereafter, the user holds the handle 60 (not shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C) of the endoscope guide tube 10, and holds the flat plate 50 of the endoscope guide tube 10 on the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral duct 101. The endoscope guide tube 10 is sent out as indicated by the arrow.

  As a result, the distal end portion 7 together with the endoscope guide tube 10 passes from the conduit inlet 102 through the substantially straight inlet 103 and is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 104 in the spiral conduit 101 as indicated by a solid line. Is done.

  Thus, the outer surface of the tubular body 30 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface 104 by feeding the endoscope guide tube 10 in a state where the flat plate 50 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral duct 101. It can be smoothly fed to the back without any problems.

  Moreover, in the arrangement | positioning state mentioned above, the front-end | tip part 7 protruded from the front-end | tip base 40 provided in this tubular body 30 by providing the bent-shaped part 33 in the tubular body 30 of the guide tube 10 for endoscopes. The tip end surface of the spiral pipe 101 can be directed in the front center direction or the front inner peripheral surface 105 direction.

  Moreover, in this arrangement | positioning state, the user can operate the handle 60 and can deform | transform the flat plate 50 in the state bent against an outer peripheral wall surface against elastic force. At this time, the clearance S between the flat plate 50 and the tubular body 30 is provided, so that a margin for deforming the tubular body 30 by pushing the flat plate 50 is provided. Furthermore, by operating the handle 60 and twisting the guide member 20, it is possible to appropriately change the observation visual field direction and observe in a desired direction.

  Next, the user further feeds the endoscope guide tube 10 toward the back of the spiral duct 101 as indicated by a two-dot chain line arrow and a solid line arrow in FIG. 7B. At this time, the bent shape portion 33 is provided in the tubular body 30, the flat plate 50 is abutted on the outer peripheral surface 104, and the guide member 20 connects the square piece 21 to passively bend in one direction. With this configuration, the distal end surface provided with the observation window and the illumination window of the distal end portion 7 moves forward while observing the distal end surface in a desired direction without moving to the outer peripheral surface 104 side. I can go.

  Then, as the user continues the extrusion operation, the flat plate 50 and the guide member 20 of the endoscope guide tube 10 are fed along the outer peripheral surface 104 as shown in FIG. The protruding tip 7 can be smoothly moved to the back of the spiral duct 101 toward the inner peripheral surface 105.

  In the embodiment described above, the guide member 20 connecting the stainless steel flat plate 50 and the stainless steel square piece 21 is provided to prevent the tubular body 30 from coming into direct contact with the inner surface of the spiral duct 101 and the tubular body. The bent shape portion 33 is provided on the distal end side of the 30 to obtain the above-described actions and effects.

  When the tubular body 30 not provided with the bent shape portion 33 is directly inserted into the spiral pipe 101 and the inside of the pipe 101 is inspected, the tubular body 30 is made of a resin that is flexible and elastically deformable. 7D, the outer surface of the tubular body 30 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral pipe 101, as shown in FIG.

  As a result, smooth feeding of the tubular body 30 becomes difficult, and the tubular body 30 is damaged by abrasion. In addition, since the outer surface of the tubular body 30 is arranged along the outer peripheral surface 104, the observation field of the observation window provided on the distal end surface of the distal end portion 7 protruding from the distal end surface of the tubular body 30 is directed toward the outer peripheral surface 104. Biased toward This makes it difficult to observe the inner peripheral surface 104 side.

  In the embodiment described above, a plurality of first tip caps 40 </ b> A and second tip caps 40 </ b> B that are detachably attached to the distal end side of the tubular body 30 are prepared according to the diameter of the insertion portion 5. It is said. However, the tip cap shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B may be prepared.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, in the third tip cap 40C, the position of the tip opening 42m is shifted by an angle θ. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, the third tip cap 40C is provided with a recess 41 having an internal thread portion 41f and a lead-out hole 42C corresponding to the diameter of the insertion portion 5. The lead-out hole 42 </ b> C is formed to include the introduction portion 42 a and the tapered portion 42 b described above and the slope lead-out portion 42 d. In the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the lead-out portion 42d is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 5 by a predetermined clearance, and the lead-out portion 42d is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the base center axis c40. Other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

  According to this configuration, by appropriately setting the direction of the tip opening 42m, the direction of the tip 7 derived from the tip opening 42m can be set to a desired direction. Therefore, the distal end portion 7 is projected by protruding the distal end portion 7 from the distal end cap 40C provided in the tubular body 30 as shown in FIG. For example, it is possible to make the tip end face of the above-mentioned spiral duct in the front center direction or the front inner peripheral face direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the flat plate 50 is disposed along the tubular body 30 so as to face the bent outer surface 33o of the bent portion 33, and the gap S is provided. Further, after appropriately setting the length, elastic force, etc. of the flat plate 50, the bending shape (the amount of bending) of the flat plate 50 and the curved shape of the tip side portion 32 are desired as shown in FIG. 6A or 6B. The shape was set.

However, the flat plate 50 may be configured as shown in FIG. 9A or 9B. 9A and 9B, one end 51 of the flat plates 50A and 50B is disposed between the connection base 34 and the tubular body 30 and then fixed to the base 34, and the other end 52 is connected to the tip ring 24 and the tubular body. 30 and fixed to the tip ring 24.
In the flat plate 50A shown in FIG. 9A, a plurality of bent convex portions 54 are provided at the same height from one surface 53 between a base end and a predetermined position on the tip end side. The leading edge ridges 54a of these bent convex portions 54 are formed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the flat plate 50A. And the front-end ridgeline 54a of each bending convex part 54 is arrange | positioned in contact with the bending shape outer side surface 33o side of the tubular body 30. FIG.

  As a result, the one surface 53 on the proximal end side of the flat plate 50 </ b> A is separated from the curved outer peripheral side of the distal end side portion 32 of the tubular body 30 by the height of the bent convex portion 54. On the other hand, the one surface 53 on the front end side of the flat plate 50 </ b> A has a bent shape with a gap S with respect to the bent outer surface 33 o of the bent shape portion 33 of the front end side portion 32.

  Thus, the position of the front end side of the bent convex portion 54 and the protruding height from the one surface 53 of the bent convex portion 54 are appropriately set, and desired between the one surface 53 and the bent outer surface 33o. You may make it obtain the bending-shaped flat plate 50A which provides the clearance gap S and has the desired elasticity.

  As a result, the user can smoothly perform observation in a desired direction by changing the observation visual field direction while appropriately deforming the bent flat plate 50A against the elastic force by operating the handle 60. In addition, by providing the bent convex portion 54 on the flat plate 50A, the contact area between the flat plate 50A of the concave portion 54c and the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral duct 101 is reduced, thereby further reducing the frictional resistance and smoothing. Insertability can also be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the height from one surface 53 of the plurality of bent protrusions 54 to the tip ridge line 54a is constant. However, in the flat plate 50B shown in FIG. 9B, the height of the bent convex portion 54 is set gradually higher as it goes to the base end side, and between the one surface 53 of the flat plate 50B and the bent outer surface 33o. You may make it obtain the flat plate 50B which has the desired elasticity with the bending shape which enlarged the clearance gap S. FIG.

  As a result, similarly to the above, the user smoothly observes in the desired direction by changing the observation visual field direction while appropriately deforming the flat plate 50B bent by operating the handle 60 against the elastic force. And smooth insertion can be obtained.

  In the embodiment described above, one end 51 of the flat plate 50, the flat plate 50A, and the flat plate 50B is fixed to the connection base 34, and the other end 52 is fixed to the tip ring 24, and the one surface 53 and the bent outer surface are formed. The flexure-shaped flat plates 50, 50A, and 50B having the desired elasticity were obtained by appropriately setting the gap S with respect to 33o.

  However, the endoscope guide tube 10 may be configured by providing the tip ring 24A and the sliding member 80 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, a through hole 24h is formed at a predetermined position of the tip ring 24A. A flat plate 50C is inserted into the through hole 24h in a loosely fitted state.

  On the other hand, the sliding member 80 is disposed so as to be slidable in the longitudinal axis direction as indicated by an arrow Y10A with respect to the distal-side convex portion 61 projecting toward the distal end side of the handle 60. A flat plate fixing portion 81 is formed at a predetermined position of the sliding member 80. The other end 52 of the flat plate 50C that has passed through the through hole 24h is fixed to the flat plate fixing portion 81. Reference numeral 82 denotes a knob.

  According to this configuration, the user pushes the flat plate 50C forward as indicated by the arrow Y10B by holding the knob 82 while holding the handle 60 and moving the sliding member 80 forward or backward. It is possible to adjust the elasticity or change the direction of the tip 7 by changing the bending shape of the flat plate 50C by performing an extrusion operation or a pull-back operation that pulls back backward.

  In the above-described embodiment, the bent portion 33 is provided on the distal end side of the distal end side portion 32 of the tubular body 30. However, as shown in FIG. 11A, in addition to the bent shape portion 33 on the distal end side of the distal end side portion 32, a bent shape portion 33A may be provided on the proximal end side. In this configuration, the bent portion 33 on the distal end side is referred to as a first bent portion 33, and the bent portion 33A on the proximal end side is referred to as a second bent portion 33A.

  In the present embodiment, the flat plate fixing portion 55 is provided between the first bent shape portion 33 and the second bent shape portion 33A. Then, the flat plate 50D is fixed at three locations including the one end portion 51 and the other end portion 52 and the intermediate portion 50Dm. As a result, the flat plate 50D is provided with the distal end side bent shape portion 56a having the gap S1 between the one end portion 51 and the intermediate portion 50Dm, and the gap S2 is provided between the intermediate portion 50Dm and the other end portion 52. A proximal-side bent shape portion 56b is provided.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 11B, the distal end side bending shape portion 56a and the proximal end side bending shape portion 56b are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface 104 of the spiral duct 101, and the distal end portion 7 is set to the inner peripheral surface. 105. As a result, it is possible to perform observation in a desired direction while smoothly moving the distal end portion 7 protruding from the distal end side of the guide tube 10 to the inner side of the spiral duct 101.

Further, the flat plate fixing portion 55 may be configured to be slidable with respect to the tubular body 30. By making it slidable, according to the shape of the subject, the gap S1 of the distal end side bending shape portion 56a and the gap S2 of the proximal end side bending shape portion 56b can be set as suitable gaps, thereby improving the insertability.
Further, it may be slidable and fixable to the tubular body 30. According to this configuration, the bending shape of the tubular body 30 can be determined in advance according to the shape of the subject 30.

In the above-described embodiment, the tip cap 40 is detachably attached to the connecting cap 34. However, as shown in FIG. 12A, the insertion portion 7 may be directly led out from the connection base 34 without providing the tip base 40. In the present embodiment, the one end 51 of the flat plate 50 </ b> E is disposed so that the one end 51 is slidable between the coupling base 34 and the tubular body 30. A bent portion 57 that is bent in the central axis direction is provided at one end 51 of the flat plate 50E.
The other end 52 of the flat plate 50E is integrally fixed to the sliding ring 25 that is a sliding member.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, the sliding ring 26 has a relief hole 25h formed in the axial direction. The tip ring 24A has a convex portion 24c having a male screw portion 24m. The sliding ring 25 is slidable with respect to the convex portion 24c. As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, fixing rings 26a and 26b having female screw portions 26f that are screwed into the male screw portions 24m of the convex portions 24c are arranged on the front and rear sides of the sliding ring 25, respectively.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 12C, the second fixing ring 26b is moved toward the base end side as shown by the arrow, so that the sliding ring 25 is second fixed as shown in FIG. 12D. The position of the bent portion 57 is moved in the axial direction by moving the flat plate 50E together with the ring 26b.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12D, the first fixing ring 26a is moved toward the sliding ring 25 as indicated by an arrow and is brought into contact with the sliding ring 25 as indicated by a broken line. As a result, the sliding ring 25 is sandwiched and fixed by the first fixing ring 26a and the second fixing ring 26b. That is, the position of the bent portion 57 is fixed.

  In this way, by adjusting the position of the bent portion 57 by moving the sliding ring 25 in the longitudinal axis direction, the position of the end surface of the bent portion 57 that contacts the side surface of the tip portion 7 can be adjusted. it can. Thus, it is possible to perform observation while changing the observation visual field direction by appropriately deforming the bent flat plate 50E by operating the handle 60 against the elastic force.

  When the bent portion 57 is moved in the reverse direction, the first fixing ring 26a is moved, then the sliding ring 25 is moved, and finally the second low-phosphorus is moved, contrary to the procedure described above. 26b is moved to obtain a fixed state.

  In the above-described embodiment, the endoscope guide tube 10 mainly includes the guide member 20, the tubular body 30, and the flat plate 50. However, a simple flexible hose may be used instead of the endoscope guide tube.

  Flexible hose can be bent by applying force from the outside and can keep its bent shape, and it can be changed while keeping its bent shape with elasticity A flexible bellows-shaped stainless steel tube having various characteristics, for example, manufactured by Mirapro Co., Ltd.

This flexible hose is a tubular body serving as a guide portion that also serves as the guide member 20 and the tubular body 30, and has the functions of the guide member 20, the tubular body 30, and the flat plate 50. A stainless steel pipe having a diameter smaller than that of the flexible hose having a guide hole for guiding the insertion portion 5 is disposed on the distal end side of the flexible hose. The stainless steel tube has a bent portion 33 in the middle.
According to the endoscope guide tube including the flexible hose, substantially the same operations and effects as those of the endoscope guide tube described above can be obtained.

  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 system 2 ... Endoscope apparatus 3 ... Endoscope 4 ... Main body apparatus 4a ... Display screen 5 ... Insertion part 6 ... Operation part 6a ... Handle part 6b ... Bending operation lever 7 ... Tip part 8 ... Control cable DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscope guide tube 20 ... Guide member 21 ... Square piece 22 ... Turning pin 23 ... Tube guide hole 24 ... Tip ring 30 ... Tubular body
31 ... Insertion part insertion hole 32 ... Tip side part 33 ... Bending shape part 33o ... Bending shape outer surface 34 ... Connection base 40 ... Tip base 42 ... Derivation hole 42a ... Introduction part 42b ... Taper part 42c ... Derivation part 42d ... Inclination derivation Part 50 ... Flat plate 51 ... One end part 52 ... Other end part 53 ... One side 54 ... Bent convex part 60 ... Handle 70 ... Insertion fixture 80 ... Sliding member 100 ... Apparatus 101 ... Pipe 102 ... Pipeline inlet 103 ... Introduction Mouth 104 ... Outer peripheral surface 105 ... Inner peripheral surface

Claims (14)

A guide member having a guide hole extending in the axial direction leading to the distal end side and the proximal end side;
An axial direction that is inserted into the guide hole of the guide member and has a flexibility in which the distal end side portion projects from the opening on the distal end side of the guide member by a predetermined length, and the insertion portion of the endoscope can be inserted. A tubular body having an insertion hole extending to
A belt-like flat plate having a flat elasticity, wherein the distal end portion is fixed to the distal end side of the tubular body, and a midway portion of one plane is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body;
An endoscope guide tube comprising:   The endoscope guide tube according to claim 1, wherein the guide member can be bent in a predetermined direction.   2. The endoscope guide tube according to claim 1, wherein in the tubular body, a bent shape portion is provided at a distal end side portion protruding from a distal end surface of the guide member.   The guide tube for an endoscope according to claim 2, wherein a bending direction of the bent shape portion on the distal end side portion is matched with a bendable direction of the guide member.   One end portion of the flat plate is fixed to the connection base, a base end portion is fixed to the distal end side of the guide member, and one flat surface of the flat plate is disposed to face the bending shape outer surface of the bending shape portion. The endoscope guide tube according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope guide tube is provided.   The base end side portion of the flat plate is fixed to a sliding member that is slidable in the longitudinal axis direction, and one flat surface of the flat plate is arranged to face the bent outer surface of the bent shape portion. The endoscope guide tube according to claim 1.   The endoscope guide tube according to claim 6, wherein the sliding member is slidably disposed with respect to a convex portion protruding toward a distal end side of the handle.   The distal end portion of the tubular body is provided with a distal end cap member having an insertion passage that is smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of a through-hole provided in the tubular body and corresponding to the diameter of the insertion portion of the endoscope. The endoscope guide tube according to Item 1.   The endoscope guide tube according to claim 8, wherein the distal end cap member is detachably attached to a distal end portion of the tubular body.   The plurality of bent convex portions that contact the outer peripheral surface of the bent shape portion are provided on one surface of the flat plate that is disposed to face the bent shape outer surface of the bent shape portion. Endoscope guide tube.   The guide tube for an endoscope according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of convex portions have a constant height from the one surface.   The endoscope guide tube according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of convex portions are set such that a height from the one surface increases as going to a proximal end side in the longitudinal axis direction.   The flat plate is slidably disposed between the connection base and the tubular body from which the insertion part can lead out a distal end side portion including a bent part bent toward the central axis direction of the connection base, The endoscope guide tube according to claim 6, wherein an arrangement position of the bent portion can be changed as the sliding member moves in a longitudinal axis direction. A tube that also serves as the guide member and the tubular body, the flexible member having the functions of the guide member, the tubular body, and the flat plate;
A stainless steel pipe provided at a distal end portion of the flexible hose and having a guide hole for guiding the insertion portion and having a bent shape portion in the middle portion;
The endoscope guide tube according to claim 1, further comprising:

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