JP3733179B2 - Luminescent ureteral probe - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a luminescent ureteral probe that is used in abdominal surgery with a laparoscope or the like and can grasp the position of the ureter from outside the body and prevent damage by emitting light.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, endoscopes that can be used for observing internal organs or the like by being inserted into a body cavity or performing various therapeutic treatments using a treatment tool inserted as necessary have been widely used. In addition, since endoscopes capable of performing surgery have appeared due to further technological advancement, surgery can be performed without greatly opening the affected area, and patient pain can be reduced.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in such an operation using an endoscope, a doctor performs this operation by inserting treatment tools into the body cavity from outside the patient's body while viewing the internal image obtained through the endoscope. . In this case, incorrect operation of the treatment instrument may cause damage to blood vessels and organs. In addition, attention to the ureter is necessary during abdominal surgery.
Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a method that can easily grasp the positions of blood vessels, ureters, and the like from an endoscopic image is desired. However, it is possible to grasp the position of the blood vessel from outside the body by using a contrast medium, but it is difficult to grasp the position of the ureter from outside the body, relying exclusively on the experience and intuition of the doctor. The current situation is that surgery has been performed.
[0004]
Therefore, in view of the problems of the prior art, the present invention can easily and accurately grasp the position of the ureter that is difficult to grasp from outside the body and easily damaged during abdominal surgery using a laparoscope. An object of the present invention is to provide a luminescent ureteral probe for preventing damage.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a luminescent ureteral probe according to the present invention comprises a light source, a core layer and a clad layer, which can be connected to the light source and is inserted into the ureter via the urethra. An optical fiber is provided, and the light guide fiber forms a light emitting portion by forming a groove in the cladding layer that gradually increases in area as it goes to the tip along the length direction of the light guide fiber. In this case, the groove is preferably formed in a spiral shape.
In addition, the light guide fiber has a plurality of ring-shaped grooves surrounding the core layer in the cladding layer to form a light-emitting portion, and the ring-shaped groove has a surface area that is closer to the tip side of the light guide fiber. It is better to make it larger.
In any case, the light emitted from the light source is preferably green light .
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a luminescent ureteral probe according to the present invention. The luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention includes a light source 1 disposed outside the body and a light guide fiber 2 composed of a core layer and a clad layer and connected to the light source 1. Further, the light guide fiber 2 is formed with a distal end portion 2a which is divided into two hands so as to be inserted into both ureters via the urethra so that light can be emitted from the distal end portion 2a. It has become. Here, in order to smoothly insert into the urethra and ureter, the outer diameter of the light guide fiber 2 is 1.4 to 4.5 mm, and the outer diameter of the distal end portion 2a is 1 to 3 mm. It is desirable. The detailed configuration of the tip 2a will be described later.
[0007]
Further, if the inside of the body cavity is a reddish color and the color of light emitted from the distal end portion 2a of the light guide fiber 2 is a red system, it may be difficult to recognize the light emission when viewed from outside the body. In order to be able to distinguish red light emission even from outside the body, strong light from the light source 1 must be guided to the light guide fiber 2. Therefore, in order to easily recognize light emitted from the inside of the ureter and to easily recognize light emission from outside the body, the color of the light emitted from the distal end portion 2a of the light guide fiber 2 is green. It is preferable that For this purpose, a green filter may be disposed at the light emitting portion of the light source 1.
[0008]
Next, the configuration of the distal end portion of the light guide fiber according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0009]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the distal end portion 2a of the light guide fiber 2 according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention. The tip 2a is composed of a core layer 3 and a cladding layer 4 formed around the core layer 3. The clad layer 4 is provided with a groove 4a. For this reason, the light guided to the tip 2a by being totally reflected from the core layer 3 of the light guide fiber 2 from a light source (not shown) leaks out from the groove 4a of the cladding layer 4. Therefore, when the luminescent ureter probe configured as described above is inserted into the ureter, the ureter appears to emit light from outside the body, so that the position of the ureter can be accurately grasped even from outside the body.
In addition, it is preferable that the groove | channel 4a formed in the clad layer 4 of the front-end | tip part 2a is formed so that it may spread gradually toward the front-end | tip from the light source side which is not shown in figure. This is because if all the widths of the grooves 4a are formed to be the same width, more light leaks toward the portion closer to the light source side, and the amount of light leaking decreases toward the tip, so that it goes to the deep part of the ureter This is because it is difficult to identify from outside the body.
In addition, visibility is further improved by forming the groove 4a in a spiral shape.
[0010]
In addition, in the distal end portion 2a of the light guide fiber 2 shown in FIG. 2, the light leaks in one direction. However, if three grooves 4a are formed in the cladding layer 4 as shown in FIG. Light leaks out, and the position of the ureter can be grasped more clearly from outside the body when inserted into the ureter.
[0011]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the tip 2a. Here, at the tip 2a, ring-shaped grooves 4a are formed in the clad layer 4 at intervals of 10 to 20 mm, and light guided to the core layer 3 from a light source (not shown) leaks through the grooves 4a. Yes.
In the tip portion 2a shown here, the groove 4a is formed so that its area gradually increases from the light source side (not shown) of the tip portion 2a toward the tip for the same reason as in the example shown in FIG. Has been.
[0012]
Furthermore, the distal end portion 2a of the light guide fiber 2 of the luminescent ureteral probe according to the present invention may be configured as shown in FIG. That is, a large number of minute objects 5 such as metal powder are embedded in the cladding layer 4 of the tip 2a shown here, and the minute objects 5 partially reach the core layer 3 and are not shown. A part of the light guided from the light source to the core layer 3 hits the minute object 5 and is scattered and emitted from the cladding layer 4. Therefore, the tip 2a shown in FIG. 5 also has the same effect as that shown in FIGS.
In addition, in the front-end | tip part 2a shown by FIG. 5, the minute object 5 is not embedded in the clad layer 4, but only a minute hole is provided, and when it is actually inserted into the ureter, air, water or the like is taken into the hole. Even if comprised in this way, the effect similar to the above can be acquired.
[0013]
Here, when the minute objects 5 or the minute holes are arranged at a constant density, the size of the minute objects 5 or the minute holes is increased as the tip of the distal end portion 2a is increased, and the size of the minute object 5 or the minute holes is increased. In the case where the thickness is made constant, a constant brightness can be obtained from any position of the tip end portion 2a by increasing the density so as to become the tip end of the tip end portion 2a. As a matter of course, the size and density of the minute object 5 or minute hole may be changed simultaneously.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention can be easily and accurately grasped from outside the body by using the laparoscopic abdominal surgery, so that the laparoscopic ureter can be obtained. Can prevent damage.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a distal end portion of a light guiding fiber according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a distal end portion of a light guiding fiber according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a distal end portion of a light guiding fiber according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a distal end portion of a light guide fiber according to the luminescent ureteral probe of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Light source 2 Light guide fiber 2a Tip part 3 Core layer 4 Cladding layer 4a Groove 5 Minute object

Claims (4)

A light source;
A long light guide fiber comprising a core layer and a clad layer, connectable to the light source and inserted into the ureter via the urethra,
The light-emitting ureter probe is characterized in that the light-guiding fiber forms a light-emitting portion by forming a groove that gradually increases in area as it goes to the tip along the length direction of the light-guiding fiber in the cladding layer. The luminescent ureteral probe according to claim 1, wherein the groove is formed in a spiral shape. A light source;
A long light guide fiber comprising a core layer and a clad layer, connectable to the light source and inserted into the ureter via the urethra,
The light guide fiber is a light emitting part by forming a plurality of ring-shaped grooves surrounding the core layer in the cladding layer ,
The ring-shaped groove has a larger area as the groove on the distal end side of the light guide fiber becomes larger . The luminescent ureteral probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light emitted from the light source is green light.

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