JP3485662B2 - Cover-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 cover type endoscope in which a cover endoscope is covered with an endoscope cover.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to reduce the trouble of cleaning and disinfecting an endoscope, a cover type of a type in which an endoscope inspection is performed with a cover attached to an endoscope insertion portion and the cover is discarded after the inspection. Endoscopes have been proposed.

[0003] As this type, the one that completely covers the endoscope insertion portion and the duct channel and the forceps raising system that are difficult to clean from the reuse type endoscope are removed, and these are provided on the cover side. There are two types, one for covering a part of the insertion part with a cover for use integrally with the endoscope insertion part. Both can be called cover-type endoscopes.

In the cover type endoscope, the insertion portion of the cover endoscope is generally mounted in a flexible insertion portion cover so that the insertion portion cover covers the insertion portion of the endoscope.
With the conventional one, when inserting and inserting the endoscope insertion portion into the insertion portion cover, it is difficult to insert due to frictional force, and there is a problem that it is difficult to perform smooth attachment. there were. Especially when one or both of the insertion section cover and the insertion section are bent, the frictional force further increases,
This causes a problem that the work of attaching the cover cannot be performed easily.

On the other hand, in the cover type endoscope, the insertion section cover and the tip of the endoscope insertion section are securely fixed with little rattling, and the tip can be easily removed by operating the insertion section cover. It is desirable to have a section.

The reason for this is that, for example, if the structure is such that it can be fixed only by frictional force and can be pulled out without touching the tip of the insertion section cover, the insertion section cover and insertion section can be easily operated by bending operation during endoscopic examination. The tip position of the lens is displaced, the distance between the lens cover and the tip lens of the endoscope is widened, the position of the nozzle and the tip lens of the endoscope is displaced, and ghosts, flares, poor light distribution, etc. may occur, which hinders observation. Lens surface cleaning,
This is because poor drainage or the like may occur, which may also hinder the observation and prevent good endoscopic observation.

[0007] Conventionally, as a means for smoothly inserting the endoscope insertion portion into the endoscope cover and mounting or withdrawing the endoscope insertion portion, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 2 (1999) -211
The ones such as -57228 and USP 4,721,097 are proposed.

In the former case, an insertion tube bug (overtube) having an inelastic property is arranged around the endoscope cover when it is attached and removed, and air is fed into the endoscope cover to insert the endoscope cover into the insertion tube. It expands to the diameter of the bag.In the latter case, a tube with hard airtightness is placed around the endoscope cover when it is attached or removed, and the outside of the endoscope cover is made a negative pressure, and the endoscope cover is closed. Both of these are intended to increase the clearance with the insertion portion and reduce the frictional force to facilitate the mounting and removal work.

Further, the applicant of the present invention uses the packing case as it is as a tray for an endoscope cover in the actual open flat 6-66615 and covers the entire circumference of the endoscope cover removing tray portion with a cover to clean the dirty area. I applied for a thing that is surely separated from the area. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 193023/1993 proposes a means for easily removing the tip with less backlash.

[0010]

As in the conventional cover type endoscope as described above, air is fed into the endoscope cover in order to bring the endoscope cover into close contact with the inner surface of the insertion tube bug or tube. In addition, the means for sucking the inside of the tube has a drawback that the structure is complicated.

Further, even if an attempt is made to grasp the tip portion of the endoscope cover inside the insertion tube bug and the tube from the outer surface of the insertion tube bug, the clearance between the insertion tube bug and the tip portion is large and inelastic, and Since the tube is hard, it is difficult to remove the insertion part from the endoscope cover by adopting a frictional force that can be removed without touching the tip part of the endoscope cover or a snap-fit type tip fixing part. I had no choice. As a result, there is a need for improvement in that rattling is likely to occur during the inspection and the observation tends to be hindered.

[0012] Further, these insertion tube bugs and tubes are insertion / extraction assisting tools which are different from the endoscope cover packing material, and both packing materials require the user's work and increase the user cost. It was

On the other hand, the present applicant's actual Kaihei 6-6
The 6615 doubles as a packing case and a tray for attaching / detaching the cover, which lowers the user cost.
28 and USP 4,721,097, the tip of the insertion portion cover cannot be touched, and a tip fixing portion with less rattling cannot be adopted.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and the tip end portion of the insertion portion cover can be gripped through the packing material, so that the endoscope cover and the insertion portion can be easily inserted and removed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cover-type endoscope that can be easily and cleanly removed even if a reliable method of fixing the endoscope cover and the tip of the insertion portion with little rattling is adopted.

[0015]

Means and Actions for Solving the Problems According to the Present Invention
The cover-type endoscope includes a cover endoscope, an endoscope cover that covers at least the insertion portion of the cover endoscope, and a packaging material formed of a hard material that houses the endoscope cover. in the cover-type endoscope, the endoscope cover has a front end cover for housing the distal end side of the insertion portion, it is housed
Hold the tip cover of the endoscope cover from the outside of the packing material.
At least a part of the packaging material should be flexible so that it can be held.
It is characterized by being formed of a material . Further, in the present invention
The packing material should cover at least the tip of the insertion section of the cover endoscope.
A housing made of hard material that contains the covering endoscope cover
Material, the tip of the stored endoscope cover is packed
At least partially flexible so that it can be gripped from the outside of the material
It is characterized by being formed of a material.

In the above structure, the endoscope for the cover is
When attaching the mirror cover, remove the endoscope cover from the packing material.
Insert the cover endoscope into the endoscope cover without removing it.
As it is inserted and installed, it may contaminate the clean endoscope cover.
There is no . Also, when withdrawing the endoscope endoscope cover from the cover, the knob tip end of the endoscope cover the flexible member is deformed by finger packing material over, since the removal in the gripping state, It can be done directly without touching the dirty endoscope cover, and the used endoscope cover does not pollute the surroundings. Further, when the tip fixing mechanism capable of releasing the tip fixing by an external force is provided, the fixing can be released through the packing material.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows an entire configuration of an endoscope apparatus including the first embodiment, and FIG. 2A shows a package in which an endoscope cover is stored. 2B shows a longitudinal sectional view of the material, FIG. 2B shows an enlarged cross section taken along line AA of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C shows an enlarged cross section taken along line AA of FIG. 2A. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the distal end cover member of the endoscope cover, and FIG. 4 ( 4A is a front view of the tip cover member, and FIG. 4B is a cross section taken along line BB of FIG.

An endoscope apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a cover type endoscope 2 of the first embodiment. The cover-type endoscope 2 includes a cover endoscope 3, an endoscope cover 4 to which the cover endoscope 3 is attached, and a packing material 5 that detachably accommodates the endoscope cover 4. (In FIG. 1, the endoscope 3 for cover is attached to the endoscope cover 4 housed in the packing material 5).

The cover endoscope 3 has a flexible insertion portion 6 and a wide operation portion 7 formed at the rear end of the insertion portion 6.
And the universal cord 8 extended from the operation unit 7.
Have and. Further, the operation portion 7 is provided with a bending operation knob 7A, and by bending the bending operation knob 7A, the bendable bending portion 6A formed near the distal end of the insertion portion 6 is bent. You can

As shown in FIG. 2A, the endoscope cover 4 includes an insertion portion cover 9 (which covers the insertion portion 6) and a rear end (fixed to the operation portion 7) of the insertion portion cover. The cover mouth body 10 and the cover mouth body 10 are integrally provided,
It has an operation section & universal code cover 11 that covers the operation section 7 and the universal code 8. Further, a tip end cover member (also referred to as a cover tip end portion) 31 is formed at the tip end of the insertion portion cover 6.

Further, the endoscope apparatus 1 is connected to a light source connector 12A provided at an end portion of the universal cord 8 of the cover endoscope 3, and a light source apparatus 13 for supplying illumination light to the end surface of the connector 12A. And the signal connector 1 provided at the end of the signal cable extended from this connector 12A.
2B is connected, and the video control unit 14 performs signal processing for a solid-state image pickup device (not shown) in the image pickup unit 42 (see FIG. 3) built in the cover endoscope 3.
And connected to this video control unit 14,
A color monitor 15 that displays an endoscopic image by inputting a video signal, and a trolley 16 on which peripheral devices such as a light source device 13 used for endoscopic examination are mounted.
It has a scope hanger 17 integrally attached to the trolley 16.

The endoscope 20 for the cover is attached to the fixture 20 of the operation portion holding plate 19 at the tip of the arm 18 of the scope hanger 17.
By holding the operation portion 7 of, the insertion portion 6 can be suspended.

The fixture 20 is installed within a range in which the universal cord 8 does not become taut when the light source connector 12A of the cover endoscope 3 is connected to the light source device 13. The packing material 5 is fixed to a stand type mounting auxiliary table 23 having a foldable support column 21 and caster leg portions 22 by a fixing tool 25 near the end portion covering the cover mouth body portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the packing material 5 has guide members 26 made of cardboard paper or the like installed on the upper and lower two surfaces of the endoscope cover 4 along the longitudinal axis. A spacer member 27, which is made of cardboard and determines the distance between the two guide members 26, is provided at the tip end portion of the endoscope cover 4 inside.
A slight space 28 is formed to prevent the meandering of the endoscope cover 4 without the outer surface and the inner surface of the guide member 26 coming into contact with each other.

Around the two guide members 26 and the spacer members 27 of the packing material 5, a plastic elastomer such as silicon or urethane is formed, and the inside is transparent or semi-transparent at a level of 0.1 to 0. The elastic thin film member 29, which is covered with a thin tube or sheet-like elastic thin film member 29 of 4 mm level in a watertight manner, and which is not covered with the guide member 26, can be easily deformed by an external force such as finger picking. Function as.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a slight space 30 of the same level as the space 28 is formed between the outer surface of the endoscope cover 4 and the inner surface of the elastic thin film member 29.

FIG. 2A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the packing material 5 showing a housed state of the endoscope cover 4 inside, FIG. 2B is a natural state, and FIG. 2C is a FIG. 2B. 6B is an operation explanatory view showing a state in which the elastic thin film member 29 is pressed from the outside with a finger to apply an external force in order to release the fixation.

The side with the guide member 26 (upper and lower 2 in FIG. 2)
The surface) does not deform even when an external force is applied, and the side without the guide member 26 (left and right two surfaces in FIG. 2) can be easily deformed.

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of the tip cover member 31 provided at the tip of the insertion portion cover 9 of the endoscope cover 4 in a state where it is mounted on the cover endoscope 3, and in this embodiment. By inserting the insertion portion 6 into the insertion portion cover 9 as described below, the structure is such that the positioning and fixing can be surely performed at both tip ends, and by applying an external force by pushing the position fixed by a finger or the like. The structure is such that the insertion portion 6 can be easily pulled out (removed) from the mounted state so as to be released, that is, the insertion portion 6 can be securely fixed and easily attached and detached.

As shown in FIG. 3, inside the distal end cover member 31, there is provided a fitting portion 33 which fits into the distal end hard portion 32 of the cover endoscope 3. The tip cover member 31
A locking member 35 made of, for example, metal having a locking claw 34 at its rear end is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 33.

The locking member 35 has the locking member 3 at the other end which is the tip end side where the locking claw 34 is not provided.
A protrusion 36 is provided to prevent the 5 from shifting in the axial direction and the circumferential direction. A part of the locking member 35 from the protrusion 36 to the middle is fitted and fixed to the tip cover member 31, and a part from the middle to the locking claw 34 is inside the hollow portion at the rear end of the tip cover member 31. It projects rearward in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the locking claw 34 is composed of an inclined surface formed so as to protrude radially inward from the rear end side toward the distal end, and a step portion near the distal end of this inclined surface. ing. The locking member 35 may be formed integrally with the tip cover member 31.

On the other hand, the distal end hard portion 32 of the cover endoscope is provided with a locking groove 37 for engaging with the locking claw 34 on at least a part of its outer circumference. Further, in the distal end hard portion 32, in a state where the endoscope cover 4 is mounted, the inclined portion 38 is formed so as to have a smaller diameter toward the front from the position where the vicinity of the center of the locking member 35 faces. Has been done. The locking claw 34 of the locking member 35 and the locking groove 37
The engaging portion 35 and the rear end of the inclined portion 38 are in contact with each other in the state of being engaged with the front end side thereof, and have a structure which becomes a fulcrum 39 described later.

Inside the rigid tip portion 32, the objective lens system 40 and the image pickup unit 42 are arranged in order from the tip side.
Are arranged, and an illumination optical system (not shown) is also arranged. A cable 43 for transmitting an image signal to the video control unit 14 of FIG. 1 is connected to the image pickup unit 42. A lens cover 44 is provided on the tip surface of the tip cover member 31 so as to cover the objective lens system 40 and the illumination optical system.

Further, the endoscope cover 4 has a forceps insertion channel 45 which communicates with an opening provided at the tip of the tip cover member 31 and also with two openings (not shown) of the cover body 10. Have Further, the endoscope cover 4 has a water supply conduit 46 shown in FIG. 4 and an air supply conduit 47 not shown, and a water supply nozzle 48 and an air supply nozzle 49 are provided at the tips of the water supply conduit 46 and the air supply conduit 47. Are provided respectively.

A water supply nozzle 48 and an air supply nozzle 49 are provided on the front end surface of the front end cover member 31, and a first surface 51, which is the lower surface of the outlet for water and air, and a second surface where the lens cover 44 is installed. Between the surface 52 and the first surface 51, the second
A third surface 53 that obliquely intersects both surfaces 52 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the angle between the second surface 52 and the third surface 53 is θ1, and the first surface and the third surface are as shown in the cross section BB.
When the angle of the surface is θ2, θ1 <θ1 + θ2, that is, the oblique angle from the first surface to the second surface gradually increases.

As a result, the water supply nozzle 48 and the air supply nozzle 4
The fluid (water, air, etc.) coming out of 9 gradually expands in width as shown by the thin line on the tip surface of FIG. 4 (a), and the objective lens visual field range 54 where the lens cover 44 needs to be washed and drained is sufficient. With the air supply nozzle 48 and the air supply nozzle 49, it is possible to perform good cleaning and drainage without vignetting the visual field range 54 of the objective lens system.

Here, the water supply nozzle 48 and the air supply nozzle 49 are separate bodies, but it is of course possible to integrate the water supply / air supply pipelines 46 and 47 into one common nozzle, and it is not limited to direct view. It can also be applied as a nozzle of a side-viewing or front or rear perspective endoscope. The positional relationship (inclination relationship) between the nozzle and the lens cover may naturally be applied to a normal endoscope that is not a cover-type endoscope.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the packing material 5 is fixed to the stand type mounting auxiliary stand 23, and the insertion portion 6 of the cover endoscope 3 is inserted into the packing cover 5 while the caster leg 22 is sliding on the floor. I will attach it to.

Guide members 26 for preventing the internal endoscope cover 4 from meandering are provided on both sides (upper and lower two sides) of the packing material 5, and the insides can be visually recognized on both sides (two sides, left and right) which are deviated by 90 °. Therefore, the mounting work can be done easily. Here, the stand type mounting auxiliary stand 23 is used so that the packing material 5 does not directly touch the floor, but it is not always necessary to use it.

In the case of inserting the cover endoscope 3 into the endoscope cover 4 with the above structure, at the stage of completion of insertion,
The hard tip portion 32 fits with the tip cover member 31. At this time, the inclined portion 38 of the distal end hard portion 32 includes the locking claw 34 including the protruding portion of the locking member 35 in the direction of arrow C in FIG.
Push up in the direction. As the insertion proceeds to the distal end, the locking claw 34 falls into the locking groove 37, so that the endoscope cover 4 is locked to the cover endoscope 3 and positioned and fixed at the distal end of the insertion portion 6. That is, by performing the work of inserting the cover endoscope 3 into the endoscope cover 4, positioning and fixing are performed at the tip ends of the both.

In this positionally fixed state, the locking claws 3 are provided on the front end side of the cover endoscope 3 and the endoscope cover 4.
Since the reference numerals 4 have fallen into the locking groove 37 and are locked (or fixed or locked) with each other, the cover endoscope 3
Even if the bending operation knob 7A is operated to bend, this state is maintained, and the observation function is deteriorated such that the lens cover 44 and the objective lens system 42 are separated from a state where they are almost in close contact with each other. It can be reliably prevented from occurring.
In addition, since the work of mounting the endoscope cover 4 in the packing material 5 in the state where the endoscope cover 4 is housed in the packaging material 5 can be performed, it is possible to prevent the endoscope cover 4 before use from being soiled. .

After that, the operating portion and the universal cord cover 11 are attached to the operating portion 7 and the universal cord 8 of the cover endoscope 3, the packing material 5 is removed, and the cover endoscope 3 is covered with the endoscope cover. An endoscopic examination can be performed with the cover-type endoscope covered with 4. In the case of this endoscopy, even if a bending operation or the like is performed, the endoscopy can be performed without deteriorating the observation function as described above.

After the inspection, the packing material 5 is attached to the insertion portion of the cover type endoscope, and the operation portion and the universal cord cover 1 are attached.
1 is removed, and the endoscope cover 4 is removed from the cover endoscope 3.

When removing, the elastic thin film member 29, which is a soft member of the packing material 5, is attached to the tip cover member 3 as shown in FIG.
By pinching 1 with a finger and applying an external force pushing in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 3 with one finger, the locking claw 34 side of the locking member 35 is lifted in the direction of arrow C with the fulcrum 39 as an axis. Since the locking claw 34 is displaced above the locking groove 37 and the fixing is released, it is possible to easily remove the locking claw 34 by performing an operation of pulling the both in the axial direction in this state. . Also in this case, since the operation of picking the distal end cover member 31 through the packing material 5 is performed, it is possible to prevent the surroundings of the used endoscope cover 4 from being contaminated.

It should be noted that the vicinity of the application position where an external force is applied when releasing the positioning and fixing may be easily visible from the outside of the tip cover member 31. In this case, if the tip cover member 31 is transparent or close to it, it is not necessary to provide a mark or the like at the application position, but if it is not transparent, a mark or the like is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tip cover member 31. good.

According to the first embodiment, there are the following effects. According to the present embodiment, means for setting the fixing state of positioning by inserting the cover endoscope 3 into the endoscope cover 4 at the tip side of the cover endoscope 3 and the cover 4 is provided. Since the cover endoscope 3 and the distal end portions of the endoscope cover 4 can be securely fixed, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (c), the arrow D is drawn through the elastic thin film member 29 of the packing material 5.
By applying an external force in the direction, the elastic thin film member 29
It is possible to easily release the positioning and fixing state of the cover endoscope 3 and the endoscope cover 4 at the distal end side without deforming the fingers or gloves by deforming the.

Further, the cover endoscope 3 is replaced with the endoscope cover 4
When the endoscope cover 4 is inserted into the packaging material 5 and mounted, the endoscope cover 4 is housed in the packing material 5 in a linear shape in advance, so that the mounting work can be smoothly performed. Further, the labor of the user is reduced, and the mounting work can be facilitated and the time can be shortened.

After the endoscopic inspection, the dirty endoscope cover 4 is stored in the packing material 5, and the distal end cover member 31 is pinched over the packing material 5 to release the fixation, and the endoscope for the cover is covered. Three
Can be removed, and the dirty endoscope cover 4 can be removed without contaminating the surroundings.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the distal end portions of the cover endoscope 3 and the endoscope cover 4 can be securely fixed and can be easily attached and detached, and the occurrence of infectious diseases due to contamination can be surely prevented. it can. In addition, it can be achieved in a short time and at low cost.

In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a convex portion such as the locking claw 34 is provided at the rear end of the locking member 35, and the convex portion is engaged on the hard end 32 side of the locking member. Although the recesses such as the grooves 37 are provided, for example, a U-shaped recess is formed at the rear end of the locking member 35, and a convex portion protruding outward in the radial direction like the locking claw 34 is formed on the tip hard portion 32 side. You can use what you have done.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5A shows a process of manufacturing the packing material 5 with the endoscope cover 4 housed therein.
FIG. 5B is a completed state, and FIGS. 5C and 5D are FIG.
In the transverse cross-sectional view of (b), 5 (c) is a natural state, and FIG. 5 (d) is a view of pressing the thin film sheet 60 to apply an external force to the endoscope cover 4 inside. Only parts different from the first embodiment will be described. Also, those having the same function are given the same numbers.

As shown in FIG. 5A, it is made of a hard material such as cardboard, urethane foam, and hard plastic, and is formed into a U shape (or U shape) to accommodate the housing portion 58 of the endoscope cover 4.
After the endoscope cover 4 is housed in the guide member 26 for preventing the meandering and bending, a thin film sheet 60 such as polyethylene or waterproof paper is folded around it as shown by an arrow, and the overlapping portions are overlapped. A joint portion 59 shown in FIG. 5B so as to form a watertight structure by heat welding or adhesion.
And the packing material 5 with the endoscope cover 4 housed therein
make.

At this time, the surface without the guide member 26 (the upper surface in FIG. 5C) is the thin film sheet 6 as shown in FIG. 5C.
Although 0 slightly contacts the endoscope cover 4 inside, it is fixed to the guide member 26 in a state in which it has a slack to a level where it hardly causes resistance to axial movement.

The thin film sheet 60 is transparent when it is made of polyethylene or the like and the inside can be visually recognized, and when it is waterproof paper, it cannot be visually recognized. Figure 6
Is a cross-sectional view of the tip of the endoscope cover 4, in which the water supply nozzles 48 and (air supply nozzles 49) are installed as in the first embodiment.
A third surface 53 is provided between the surface 51 and the second surface 52 on which the lens cover 44 is installed so as to obliquely intersect both the first surface 51 and the second surface 52. The difference from the first embodiment is that the first surface 51
And the second surface 52 are parallel and do not intersect diagonally (oblique),
This also has the effect of gradually widening the width of the fluid flow in the same manner as in the first embodiment in that the third surface 53 is formed so as to be obliquely intersected.

It has the same operation as the first embodiment. Moreover, this embodiment has the following effects. Since the packing material 5 has a U-shaped cross section, the spacer member 27 is unnecessary and the cost can be reduced. The endoscope cover 4 is also flat and does not intersect obliquely below the nozzles 48 (, 49), so that the endoscope cover 4 can be processed easily and at a low cost.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to 0. Only parts different from the first and second embodiments will be described. Also, those having the same function are given the same numbers.

A guide member for preventing the meandering of the packing material 5 so that the cover mouth portion 10 can be easily fixed to an appropriate position within the fixing range (30 to 40 mm) of the operating portion 7 of the cover endoscope 3. As shown in FIG. 7, 26 is wider than the proximal side in the range of the cover endoscope 3 in the endoscope cover 4 from the curved portion 6A to the tip side. That is, the space 62 having a width L1 (see FIG. 7B) from the curved portion 6A to the space 6 having a width L2 (see FIG. 7B) on the proximal side is located.
It is wider than 3.

The cross section of the guide member 26 has a U-shape similar to that of the second embodiment, and the endoscope cover 4 is provided on the tip side of the bottom surface thereof.
A frame line 64 for discriminating the straight state is written. Although not shown, the periphery of the guide member 26 is covered with the elastic thin film member 29 described in the first embodiment or the thin film sheet 60 of the second embodiment so that the endoscope cover 4 inside is not contaminated. The elastic thin film member 29 or the thin film sheet 60 is transparent or translucent, and the endoscope cover 4 and the frame line 64 inside can be visually recognized.

The front end surface of the endoscope cover 4 inside is shown in FIG.
~ As shown in FIG. 10, from the water supply nozzle 48 to the lens cover 4
The fine line 65 that disturbs the water flow in the tip cover member 31 up to 4 and spreads the water flow in a wide range (FIG. 9A).
(See FIG. 10A) or a roughened surface 66 is formed.

On the other hand, the air supply nozzle 49 side is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 10B, the fine line 65 or the rough surface 66 is not provided. In other words, the lens cover 44 is extended to the tip cover member 31 between the air supply nozzle 49 and the lens cover 44 to eliminate the change point of the surface state so that the air smoothly flows over the lens cover 44 and the residual water is removed. (See FIG. 9B). Furthermore (Fig. 10
As shown in (b), the lens cover 44 is provided with the inclined surface 67 so that the air can widely flow like a fan from the air supply nozzle 49 as in the first and second embodiments.

Next, the operation and effect will be described. After inserting the cover endoscope 3 into the endoscope cover 4 in the packing material 5 and fixing the tip, it is confirmed that the cover mouth 10 is fixed at an appropriate position on the operation unit 7, and it is not appropriate. Correct time.
As shown in FIGS. 7 (a), (b), and (c), the method is in a state of being in an appropriate position (that is, the state of 7 (a)) and a state in which the cover mouth 10 is pulled up too much (that is, 7 (b). )), The state where the cover mouth 10 is pulled back too much (that is, the state of 7 (c)) can be easily confirmed by anyone, and the correction can be performed without contaminating the endoscope cover 4. In addition,
In the state shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, a pipe line (easily bent) is formed in the endoscope cover 4 as shown by a dotted line in FIG.
It is shown in the case of being arranged on the lower side (or the left side) in (c). For example, when they are arranged on the opposite side, the corresponding state is the one in which FIGS. 7B and 7C are interchanged.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described with reference to. A major difference from the first to third embodiments is that a guide tube 68 made of a flexible tube such as urethane or PTFE having a large diameter is provided in the insertion portion 6 of the cover endoscope 3.
Is provided.

In the guide tube 68, the tip and the vicinity of the forceps opening 69 communicate with each other and the both ends are opened.
0 is inserted from the distal end, the forceps insertion channel 45 is connected to the proximal suction line 71 with a forceps plug near the forceps port 69, and the air supply line 47 and the water supply line 46 are each provided with a female screw 7.
2, a connecting connector 75 composed of a male screw 73 and a watertight packing 74 enables watertight connection to an air supply pipe line and a water supply pipe line on the near side (not shown). A skin cover (not shown) for preventing contamination may be attached or not attached around the cover endoscope 3.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part, FIG. 12 is a view seen from the tip end in the mounted state, and FIG. 13 is a lateral sectional view of the bending portion 61. Air / water supply conduit unit 7 with forceps insertion channel
A tip member 76 with a nozzle, the outer surface of which is covered with a non-conductive material such as rubber or plastic, is watertightly connected to the tip of 0.
The tip member 76 with a nozzle electrically and mechanically covers the metallic tip portion 77 of the cover endoscope 3.

Further, a sheath member 78 for watertightly sealing the inside of the distal end opening of the guide tube 68 is also provided. At least the inside of the curved portion 6A of the cover endoscope 3 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the guide tube 68 and the inside thereof are almost in the right half as viewed from the tip (FIG. 13 is in a state viewed from the direction opposite to FIG. 12, so the left and right are reversed. Of course, the left half may be used). Forceps insertion channel 45, air supply / water supply conduit 46,
47 occupies approximately the left half (or the right half, etc.), and a built-in object in which the periphery of the cable 43 and the light guide fiber bundle for illumination 79 is bundled with a protective tube 80 made of a flexible tube such as silicon or porous PTFE. is occupying.

Since the built-in components in the curved portion 61 of the insertion portion 6 which are particularly curved and easily damaged are divided into two and are prevented from entering each other, there is an effect of reducing damage to both. Both the guide tube 68 and the protection tube 80 have a non-circular shape that easily fits in the semi-circle inside the curved portion 61. Note that, in FIG. 13, bending wires are inserted through the wire receiver in the vertical and horizontal directions. Further, in FIG. 12, reference numeral 81 indicates an illumination optical system.

14 and 15, the packing member 5 has a flexible member 82 such as a thin film of urethane or polyethylene, which extends beyond the curved portion 6A.
The proximal side is watertightly connected by a rigid member 83 such as hard polyethylene or cardboard. Further, it has a cylindrical shape whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cover endoscope 3. Since the vicinity of the tip is made of the flexible member 82, the inner member can be gripped through the packing material 5 as shown in FIG. 15 (b),
The fixation of the tip can be easily done without contaminating the internal members. Further, since the hard material 83 is formed in the middle of the packing material 5, there is an effect that damage to internal members can be prevented during transportation and storage.

In this embodiment, the packing material 5 of the air / water supply conduit unit 70 with forceps insertion channel for the cover endoscope 3 with the guide tube 68 has been described, but these packing materials are the first and second packing materials. Of course, it may be used as the packing material 5 of the endoscope cover 4 of the embodiment.

In the above-described embodiment, the endoscope cover 4 and the cover endoscope 3 have the structure shown in FIG. 3 and have the fixing mechanism for positioning and fixing each other on the tip end sides thereof, and the packing material. Although it has been described that the fixing can be released by applying an external force to the tip cover member 31, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, the distal end hard portion 3 is formed by a hard member of the distal end cover member 31, an elastic ring or the like is provided inside the distal end cover member 31, and the cover endoscope 3 is inserted.
(2) A fixing mechanism may be used, which is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface and is fixed by preventing the frictional force at that time from shifting in the axial direction.
Also in this case, a work of pulling out the cover endoscope 4 side by applying an external force to the packing material 5 so as to grip the tip cover member 31 so that the tip cover member 31 is not moved in the axial direction. By performing the above, the fixing can be released and at the same time separated.

In this case, the inner peripheral surface of the packing material 5 around the tip cover member 31 is roughened or a thin film member having a rough surface is provided, and when gripped, the inner peripheral surface of the packing material 5 and the tip end thereof are grasped. The frictional force with the outer peripheral surface of the cover member 31 may be increased to facilitate removal.

The present invention is not limited to these embodiments and the like, and contamination can be prevented by using a packaging material having a soft tip cover member periphery when attaching and detaching the cover endoscope and the endoscope cover. It goes without saying that various modified embodiments may be used.

[Additional Notes] 1. The packing material of claim 1 has a level of flexible member capable of gripping the inner tip cover through the packing material. 2. The soft member of Claim 1 and Appendix 1 is an elastic thin film member. 3. The elastic thin film member of Appendix 2 is a plastic elastomer. 4. The flexible member of Claim 1 and Supplementary Note 1 is a thin film member fixed with slack. 5. The packing material according to claims 1 to 4 has a transparent or translucent member whose internal endoscope cover is visible through the packing material.

6. The packing materials of claims 1 to 5 are
It has a regulation member that prevents the internal endoscope cover from meandering along the longitudinal axis of the packaging material. 7. The packing material of claims 1 to 6 is formed of a member that is softer in the vicinity of the inner tip cover than in the hand side. 8. In the packing material of claims 1 to 7, the space near the inner end cover is formed wider than the space on the near side. 9. The cover endoscope of claim 1 and the tip fixing portion of the endoscope cover have a structure in which the fixing is released by applying an external force to the periphery of the tip cover and can be removed. 10. The packing materials of claims 1 to 8 are used when the endoscope for a cover is attached to the endoscope cover.

11. The packing materials of claims 1 to 8 are used when removing the endoscope cover of the cover endoscope. 12. The packing material of claims 1 to 8 has a watertight structure except the end of the endoscope insertion portion for the cover. 13. The distal end portion and the distal end cover of the endoscope for a cover of claim 1 have a fixing mechanism for positioning and fixing the distal end portion and the distal end cover by an operation of inserting the distal end portion into the distal end cover, and an external force is applied from the periphery of the distal end cover. By adding, the fixing by the fixing mechanism can be released.

14. The fixing by the fixing mechanism can be released by applying an external force to the soft member of claim 13.

<Prior Art to the Additional Claim and its Problems> Additional Notes 1 to 4 JP-A-2-57228, USP 4,72
No. 1,097, Actually open flat 6-66615 Appendix 5 JP-A-2-57228 The inside of the insertion tube bug may be visible, but it is inelastic and has a large clearance so that external force cannot be applied to the endoscope cover inside. Appendix 6 JP-A-2-57228 The insertion tube bug acts as a regulating member for preventing the cover from meandering, but it is inelastic and has a large clearance, so that an external force cannot be applied to the internal endoscope cover.

Supplementary Notes 7, 8 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57228/1990
P4,721,097, Actual Kaihei 6-66615 Although there are some packing materials or cover attachment / removal aids that have the same hardness over the entire length and the vicinity of the tip of the cover is narrowed,
Nothing has a large space. For this reason, it was not possible to fix the cover mouth part to an appropriate position of the cover endoscope while observing the curved state of the cover endoscope through the packing material. Appendix 9 The packaging material or the cover mounting / removal assisting part is hard or inelastic, and it was not possible to grip the periphery of the endoscope cover front end part or apply an external force to these parts.
Therefore, the tip fixing is limited to the snap fit type and the friction type. Appendix 10, 11 Actual Kaihei 6-66615 The packing material is used when installing and removing the cover, but external force cannot be applied to the tip cover through the packing material. Appendix 12 Actual Kaihei 6-66615 Although the packing material is covered with a cover to have a watertight structure, external force cannot be applied to the tip cover through the packing material. Appendices 13 and 14 Almost the same as claim 9.

<Purpose of Supplementary Claim> The objective of Supplementary Note 1 is the same as that of Claim 1, and the objectives of Supplementary Notes 9 to 11 are that there is a clearance between the packing material and the endoscope cover unless an external force is applied. The internal endoscope cover can keep its natural state. When an external force is applied, the external force can be applied to the internal endoscope cover through the packing material, so that the distal ends of the endoscope cover and the cover endoscope can be easily fixed and released. The purpose of Appendix 5 is that the internal endoscope cover can be visually recognized through the packing material, and external force is applied to the endoscope cover through the packing material when necessary, so that there is no wrinkling of the cover when the cover is attached. You can discover it and deal with it.
Further, the fixing can be easily released while looking at the fixing portion of the tip cover through the packing material. The purpose of Supplementary Note 6 is that since the packaging material has the cover meandering regulation member along the longitudinal axis, meandering of the cover is suppressed, and the work of mounting the cover endoscope on the endoscope cover can be easily performed.

The purpose of Supplementary Notes 7 and 8 is to fix the cover mouth portion to a proper position of the cover endoscope when the cover endoscope is attached to the endoscope cover through the packing material. The work can be easily and stabilized by being able to see the bending (bending) state of the endoscope. The purpose of Appendix 12 is to make the packing material watertight to prevent the clean endoscope cover from being contaminated during transportation and when the cover is attached, and to contaminate the surroundings with the dirty endoscope cover when the cover is removed. It can be prevented. The purpose of Appendix 13 is to make it easy to attach the cover. The purpose of the appendix 14 is to allow the cover to be easily attached and removed, and prevent the surroundings from being contaminated by the dirty endoscope cover when the cover is removed.

<Operation of Additional Claim> The operations of Additional Notes 1 to 4 are the same as those of Claim 1. The function of Appendix 5 is to attach and remove the endoscope cover while visually checking the internal endoscope cover through the packaging material. Since the packing material has the function of preventing the meandering of the endoscope cover, the function of appendix 6 enables the cover endoscope to be attached to the endoscope cover smoothly and in a short time. The actions of the appendices 7 and 8 can be easily performed by anyone so that the cover mouth portion of the endoscope cover is properly positioned on the cover endoscope.

The action of Supplementary Note 9 can make the most of the characteristics of this packaging material, and can secure the tip end with less rattling. The action of the appendix 10 can be easily carried out in a short time for the cover mounting operation without contaminating the cover. The action of Appendix 11 can be easily performed for removing the cover without contaminating the gloves or the surroundings with the cover. The function of appendix 12 can be performed when the cover is attached without contaminating the cover, and when removing or discarding the cover, the dirty cover can be used without contaminating the surroundings. Appendix 13
The action of can be easily fixed by attaching the cover with less rattling. The action of appendix 14 can be easily fixed with little rattling by the cover mounting work, and the cover can be easily removed without contaminating the surroundings with the cover.

[0085]

As described above, according to the present invention, the packaging
Make sure that the tip of the insert cover can be gripped through the packaging material.
Therefore, the insertion and removal of the endoscope cover and the insertion part is good, and
Secure the endoscope cover and the tip of the insertion part with less rattling.
Even if a practical method is adopted, it can be removed easily and cleanly.
It is possible to provide a covered endoscope .

That is, an endoscope cover is attached to the cover endoscope.
When attaching, remove the endoscope cover from the packing material.
Instead, insert the cover endoscope into the endoscope cover
Therefore, the clean endoscope cover is not contaminated .
Also, when withdrawing the endoscope endoscope cover from the cover, the knob tip end of the endoscope cover the flexible member is deformed by finger packing material over, since the removal in the gripping state,
Direct dirty endoscope can be done without touching the cover was, that does not contaminate the surroundings in the used endoscope cover
The effect peculiar to the present invention can be obtained .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus including a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of a packing material accommodating an endoscope cover, FIG. 2 (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 (a), and FIG. 2B is an operation explanatory view in FIG. 2B in which the elastic thin film member is pressed from the outside with a finger to apply an external force.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the distal end cover member of the endoscope cover.

4 (a) is a front view of the tip cover member, FIG.
4B is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 5 (a) is an explanatory view showing a process of manufacturing a packing material with the endoscope cover housed in the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 (b) is a perspective view showing a completed state. Figure, Figure 5
5C is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5D is FIG.
The figure which pushes a thin film sheet in (c) and applies external force to the endoscope cover inside.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional shape of the tip end surface of the endoscope cover.

FIG. 7 (a) is a perspective view showing a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 ( b ) shows a main part in a state in which the cover mouth part is raised too much and fixed. The top view, FIG.7 (c) is a top view which shows the main part in the state which fixed the cover mouth part by returning too much.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a front end surface of the cover endoscope.

9 (a) is an explanatory view showing a cross-sectional shape of the distal end surface of the endoscope cover by the EE line cross section of FIG. 8, and FIG. 9 (b) is an internal view by the FF line cross section of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the cross-sectional shape of the front end surface of an endoscope cover.

10 (a) is an explanatory view showing the cross-sectional shape of the distal end surface of the endoscope cover, taken along the line EE in FIG.
(B) is explanatory drawing which shows the cross-sectional shape of the front end surface of an endoscope cover by the FF line cross section of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a cover endoscope according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing the front end surface of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a cross section taken along line GG of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the front end side of the packing material.

15 (a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 15B is a diagram showing a state in which the flexible member is picked with a finger in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Endoscopic device 2 ... Cover-type endoscope 3 ... Cover endoscope 4 ... Endoscope cover 5 ... Packing material 6 ... insertion part 7 ... Operation part 8 ... Universal code 9 ... Insert cover 10 ... Cover mouth part 11 ... Operation part & universal cord cover 13 ... Light source device 14 ... Video control unit 17 ... Scope hanger 20 ... Fixture 21 ... Prop 23 ... Stand-type mounting auxiliary stand 26 ... Guide member 27 ... Spacer member 28, 30 ... Space 29 ... Elastic thin film member 31 ... Tip cover member 32 ... Tip hard part 33 ... Fitting part 34 ... Locking claw 35 ... Locking member 36 ... Projection 37 ... Locking groove 38 ... Inclined surface 40 ... Objective lens system 42 ... Imaging unit 44 ... Lens cover 45 ... Forceps insertion channel 46 ... Water pipeline 47 ... Air supply line 48 ... Water nozzle 49 ... Air supply nozzle

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cover type having an endoscope for a cover, an endoscope cover for covering at least an insertion portion of the endoscope for a cover, and a packing material formed of a hard material for housing the endoscope cover. In the endoscope, the endoscope cover has a distal end cover that accommodates a distal end side of the insertion portion, and the distal end cover of the accommodated endoscope cover is included.
In order to be able to grip the bar from the outside of the packing material,
A cover-type endoscope in which at least a part of the above is formed of a flexible member . 2. A tip of at least an insertion portion of a cover endoscope.
Made of hard material that houses the endoscope cover that covers the side
In the packing material , insert the tip of the stored endoscope cover from the outside of the packing material.
Made of a soft material, at least in part, for gripping
A packaging material characterized by that .