JP3360768B2 - Tip of side-viewing type endoscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distal end portion of a side view type endoscope in which an observation window is provided on a side surface of a distal end portion main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a distal end portion of a conventional side view type endoscope. An observation window 92 and an illumination window 93 are provided on a side surface of a distal end body 91. The tip case 94 is made up of the tip body 91 except for the observation window 92 and the illumination window 93.
It is attached so as to cover the outer surface of the.

A nozzle 95 for selectively squirting air and water onto the surface of the observation window 92 to wash dirt is fixed to the tip main body 91 with the front end facing the surface of the observation window 92. .

[0004]

However, if the nozzle 95 is fixed to the tip main body 91 as described above, it is difficult to clean the inside of the nozzle 95 and the air supply / water supply passage 96 communicating with the nozzle 95. When the nozzle 95 is clogged, there is a case where it is difficult to recover, and in many cases, the inside of the air / water supply passage 96 for preventing the infection between patients cannot be sufficiently washed.

[0005] In the case of a forward-looking endoscope, various types of detachable nozzles have been proposed in order to deal with such a problem. However, in the case of a side-view type endoscope, as shown in FIG. 6, since the nozzle 95 is located on the side surface of the distal end portion main body 91, a space for detachably configuring the nozzle 95 is required. Is difficult.

Further, unlike the forward-looking type, the structure is such that only the nozzle 95 protrudes from the distal end portion main body 91, so that the nozzle 95 is less likely to be damaged and the nozzle 95 needs to be repaired more in the forward-looking type. Does not occur. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem has been left as it is in the side-viewing type endoscope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tip of a side-view type endoscope which can easily clean the inside of a nozzle and a fluid passage communicating therewith.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the distal end of the side-viewing type endoscope according to the present invention is provided with an observation window on a side surface of the distal end body, and at least the observation window portion is provided. Except for providing a tip case that covers the outer surface of the tip body, detachably with respect to the tip body, and communicating with a fluid passage formed in the tip body toward the surface of the observation window. A nozzle for sending a fluid is formed in the tip case.

[0009]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 1, 2 and 3 are a side sectional view, a plan view and a III-III sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a distal end body made of metal, which is connected to a distal end of a curved portion 2 formed at a distal end portion of a flexible endoscope insertion portion. Reference numeral 3 denotes a flexible rubber tube that covers the curved portion 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the distal end body 1 is
An observation window 4, an illumination window 5, and a treatment tool outlet 6 are formed on one side of a round bar-shaped material in such a shape that a part of the side is scraped off flat as shown in FIGS. Is provided.

The distal end body 1 is made of a resilient material such as fluoro rubber or the like, so that the portions other than the observation window 4, the illumination window 5, and the treatment tool outlet 6 are not exposed. Is air-tightly covered with a tip case 30 made of

The front case 30 is formed in a cap shape whose front end is closed and whose rear end is open. The portion where the observation window 4, the illumination window 5 and the treatment tool outlet 6 are located is shown in FIG. The opening 31 is formed so that the opening 31 is formed.

The front end case 30 is attached from the front side so as to cover the front end portion main body 1 while pushing and spreading it.
In the mounted state, the small diameter portion 32 having a slightly reduced inner diameter at the rear end of the front end case 30 engages with the circumferential groove 7 formed in the front end main body 1 to prevent it from coming off. Is fixed to the distal end body 1. 33
Is a counterbore hole formed at the end of the end case 30 for inserting the screw 8.

If the screw 8 is loosened from the state in which the distal case 30 is put on the distal body 1 and the distal case 30 is slid in the opposite direction to the mounting direction while pushing the rear end side open,
It can be removed from the tip body 1.

A treatment instrument elevating piece 9 which is swung by remote control is accommodated inside the treatment instrument protruding opening 6, and a distal end of a treatment instrument insertion channel 11 shown in FIG. Have been. Reference numeral 12 shown in FIG. 3 denotes an operation wire for swinging the treatment instrument raising piece 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, a light distribution lens 13 composed of a concave lens for expanding the illumination light is joined to the illumination window 5, and a light guide fiber bundle 14 for illumination is provided immediately inside the lens. The exit end is located.

A cover lens 15 of the observation optical system is joined to the observation window 4, and a prism 16 for bending the observation optical axis at a right angle is disposed immediately inside the cover lens 15.
Behind the lens 6, objective lenses 18 are arranged in a lens frame 17.

An image receiving surface of a solid-state image pickup device 19 composed of, for example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) is arranged at an image forming position of the object by the objective lens 18.
Extends rearwardly therefrom.

Immediately behind the rear end of the cover lens 15, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a flat concave groove 22 having a width almost equal to the entire width of the flat portion of the front end body 1 is formed. On the end case 30 side, a fitting piece 35 that is fitted into the concave groove 22 in an airtight manner is provided so as to protrude downward. The fitting piece 35 also has a function of stopping the rotation of the tip case 30 with respect to the tip body 1 by being fitted into the concave groove 22.

On the vertical wall at the rear end of the concave groove 22 of the distal end main body 1, the front ends of an air supply passage 25 and a water supply passage 26 are opened.
An air supply pipe 23 and a water supply pipe 24 are connected to the air supply passage 25 and the water supply passage 26 from behind.

A communication groove 36 is formed in the rear half of the fitting piece 35 of the tip case 30 in a horizontally long shape, and both the air supply passage 25 and the water supply passage 26 are open to the communication groove 36.

A nozzle 37 directly communicating with the communication groove 36 is formed in the front wall of the fitting piece 35 of the tip case 30 so as to open toward the surface of the cover lens 15. Therefore, air or water sent through the air supply pipe 23 or the water supply pipe 24 is jetted from the communication groove 36 toward the surface of the cover lens 15 via the nozzle 37.

At the distal end of the side-viewing type endoscope thus formed, after the endoscope inspection is completed, the distal case 30
Can be removed from the distal end body 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning brush 40 is directly inserted into each opening of the air supply passage 25 and the water supply passage 26 from which the distal case 30 has been removed to expose the air supply passage 25 and the water supply passage 26.
The inside of the air supply pipe 23 and the water supply pipe 24 can be brushed and cleaned from inside. Also, the detached tip case 3
The nozzle 37 formed on the zero side can also be sufficiently cleaned from both sides.

[0025]

According to the present invention, the nozzle for sending the fluid toward the surface of the observation window is formed in the distal case which is detachably mounted on the distal end body. By removing the case from the distal end body, the inside of the nozzle on the distal end case side and the inside of the fluid passage on the distal end body side can be cleaned sufficiently and very easily.

Further, since the nozzle is positioned with respect to the observation window by attaching the distal case to the distal end body, it is not necessary to adjust the direction of the nozzle at the time of assembling, and accurate assembling can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front (III-III) sectional view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tip case of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partial side sectional view of the embodiment with a distal case removed.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tip main body 4 Observation window 15 Cover lens 25 Air supply passage 26 Water supply passage 30 Tip case 37 Nozzle

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A front end main body having an observation window arranged on a side surface.
When the air supply passage and the water supply passage are provided independently of each other,
The tip casing for covering the outer surface of the distal end section body except at least the observation window portion provided detachably with respect to the distal end portion main body, toward the surface of the observation window
Side view type with the opening nozzle formed in the tip case
At the distal end of the endoscope, a communication groove connecting the air supply passage and the water supply passage
The air supply passage and the water supply passage formed in the tip main body.
Back side of the above-mentioned tip case facing the outlet openings of both passages
And the nozzle and the communication groove are
A distal end portion of a side-viewing type endoscope, wherein the distal end portion is directly communicated with the endoscope.