JP3340507B2 - Endoscope air supply device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope in which atmospheric air is fed into an air supply passage opening at the distal end of an insertion portion, and the air is sent out from the distal end opening of the air supply passage. Related to the pneumatic device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional endoscope air supply device, air in the atmosphere is directly sent into an air supply passage of the endoscope by an air supply pump, and the air is sent out from a distal end opening of an insertion portion. I was

[0003]

However, there are various kinds of bacteria in the indoor air, which may be infected by being directly sent into the body by an endoscope.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary endoscope air supply device capable of preventing the occurrence of infection due to bacteria in the atmosphere being sent into the body.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an air supply device for an endoscope according to the present invention sends air in the atmosphere into an air supply passage opening at a distal end of an insertion portion, and supplies the air. In the air supply device of an endoscope configured to send out from the distal end opening, a bacteria adsorption filter for adsorbing bacteria in the air passing through the air supply passage, the air intake portion in the atmosphere and the It is characterized by being provided between the front end opening.

[0006]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an operation unit of the endoscope, in which an insertion unit 2 inserted into a body cavity and a flexible connection tube 3 connected to a light source device 5 are connected.

[0007] The operation unit 1 is provided with a switching operation valve 20 for performing an air supply / water supply operation, and the distal ends of the air supply pipe 11 and the water supply pipe 12 inserted into the flexible connecting pipe 3 are switched. It is connected to the side surface of the operation valve 20.

The base end of the air / water supply pipe 13 passed through the insertion section 2 for selectively jetting air or water from the distal end opening 18 at the tip of the insertion section 2 toward the surface of the observation window. ,
The switching operation valve 20 is connected to the bottom.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a water storage tank whose inside is pressurized via a communication pipe 7 by an air supply pump 6 provided in the light source device 5.
Air and water are sent out to the air supply pipe 11 and the water supply pipe 12 inserted therein.

In such a device, the switching operation valve 20
When air is supplied, air supplied from the atmosphere by the air supply pump 6 as shown by the arrow A passes through the communication pipe 7, passes through the water storage tank 4 as shown by the arrow B, and is supplied to the air supply pipe 11.
Through the switching operation valve 20, and further through the air / water supply pipe 13 as shown by the arrow C, and is sent out into the body cavity from the distal end opening 18 as shown by the arrow D.

FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the communication pipe 7, which is divided into a pipe 7a on the light source device 5 side and a pipe 7b on the water storage tank 4 side which can be connected to and detached from the pipe 7a. I have.

The pipe 7b on the water storage tank 4 side is formed by a protruding cylinder 72 fixed by a fixing nut 71 so as to protrude laterally from the head of the water storage tank 4. 7
3, 74 and 75 are O-rings for sealing.

A cap 76 is detachably screwed and attached to the tip of the protruding cylinder 72. The cap 76 is attached to the cap 76 so as to adsorb bacteria in the air passing through the communication pipe 7. A filter 77 is mounted.

As the bacteria adsorbing filter 77, for example, a calcium phosphate filter as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-207414 can be used. If a filter is used, influenza viruses and the like can also be adsorbed.

Therefore, when the switching operation valve 20 is set to the air supply state and the air in the atmosphere is sent out from the distal end opening 18, all the air passes through the bacteria adsorption filter 77, where bacteria are removed. After being absorbed and removed, it is sent into the body cavity. In addition, contamination of the water in the water storage tank 4 by the atmosphere is also prevented.

As shown in FIG. 3, since the cap 76 with the bacteria adsorption filter 77 is detachable from the protruding cylinder 72, the cap 76 can be removed, for example, once or at every predetermined number of endoscopic examinations. By exchanging a new one, it is possible to reliably prevent infection caused by bacteria in the atmosphere entering the body cavity.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The bacteria adsorption filter 77 is provided between the air inlet of the air pump 6 and the opening 18 at the end of the air / water pipe 13. May be provided in any part of the pipeline.

[0018]

According to the endoscope air supply apparatus of the present invention, bacteria present in the air sent from the atmosphere into the body cavity are adsorbed on the bacteria adsorption filter on the way, so that the bacteria in the air can be absorbed. It is extremely sanitary because infection can be prevented from occurring.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan cross-sectional view of a communication pipe section of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an endoscope system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a communication pipe portion of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Insertion part 6 Air supply pump 7 Communication pipe 11 Air supply pipe 13 Air supply / water supply pipe 18 Tip opening 77 Bacterial adsorption filter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 1/00-1/32

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] (1) storing water for feeding into a water supply passage of an endoscope;
The projecting cylindrical body protruding from the storage tank
Connected to and detachable from the air supply pump
And the air in the atmosphere pressurized by the air supply pump
Is sent into the water storage tank via the protruding cylinder
And the air in the water storage tank is
In an air supply device for an endoscope that is sent into the passage, a bacteria adsorption filter for adsorbing bacteria in the air sent from the air supply pump into the water storage tank is provided.
An air supply device for an endoscope, wherein the air supply device is provided detachably at a protruding end portion of the protruding cylindrical body .