JP3806933B2 - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and in particular, inserts an insertion portion into a deep digestive tract such as a small intestine or a large intestine by alternately inserting an insertion portion of the endoscope and an insertion aid covering the insertion portion. The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus.

  When inserting the insertion part of the endoscope into the deep digestive tract such as the small intestine, simply pushing the insertion part makes it difficult for force to be transmitted to the distal end of the insertion part due to the complicated bending of the intestinal tract. Have difficulty. For example, if excessive bending or bending occurs in the insertion portion, the insertion portion cannot be inserted further deeper. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which an insertion aid is put on the insertion portion of the endoscope and inserted into the body cavity, and the insertion portion is guided by this insertion aid to prevent excessive bending or bending of the insertion portion. Yes.

Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope apparatus in which a first balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope and a second balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion assisting tool (also referred to as an overtube or a sliding tube). Are listed. According to this endoscope apparatus, by repeatedly inserting the insertion portion and the insertion assisting tool while repeatedly expanding and contracting the first balloon and the second balloon, the insertion portion of the intestinal tract that is bent in a complicated manner such as the small intestine is obtained. Can be inserted deep.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-11689

  However, in Patent Document 1, when inserting the insertion aid along the insertion portion of the endoscope, the frictional resistance between the insertion portion and the insertion aid is large, and the insertion aid may not be smoothly inserted. was there. Therefore, it is conceivable to supply a lubricant such as water to the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion aid, but the operation of supplying the lubricant while operating the endoscope or the insertion aid is a very complicated task. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an endoscope apparatus that can easily supply a lubricant to a gap between an insertion portion and an insertion assisting tool.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes an endoscope and an insertion aid that covers the insertion portion of the endoscope and guides the insertion of the insertion portion into the body cavity. In the endoscope apparatus provided, an introduction conduit for introducing a lubricant into a gap between the insertion portion and the insertion assisting tool is formed in the insertion portion, and a spout formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion. The position of the spout is communicated with the length from the proximal end of the insertion assisting tool to the distal end of the insertion portion in a state where the insertion assisting tool is moved to the most proximal side, and the position of the insertion assisting tool When the axial length is L2, and the distance from the distal end of the insertion portion to the proximal end of the balloon attached to the insertion portion is L3, the distance X from the distal end of the insertion portion to the spout is ( L1-L2) <X <(L2 + L3) .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the lubricant introduction pipe line is formed in the insertion portion, the lubricant can be easily supplied to the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion aid. In particular, since the lubricant supply operation can be performed in a state where the hand operation portion of the endoscope is held, the lubricant supply operation can be easily performed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the introduction pipe line is communicated with a water supply pipe line that feeds water to a distal end portion of the insertion portion.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, since the introduction pipe line communicates with the water supply pipe line, the water flowing through the water supply pipe line can be supplied as a lubricant to the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion aid. it can. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a lubricant supply source, and the apparatus can be simplified.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a valve member is disposed at a communication portion between the introduction pipe line and the water supply pipe line, and an operation means of the valve member is a hand operation of the endoscope. It is arranged in the part.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, by operating the operating member of the valve member, the water flowing through the water supply pipe is supplied to the introduction pipe and supplied to the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion aid. Since the operation means of the valve member is disposed in the hand operation section, the operation means can be operated while holding the hand operation section, and the lubricant supply operation can be easily performed.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the introduction pipe line is connected to a valve that switches between air supply and water supply to the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and the distal end is operated by operating the valve. The water fed to the section is supplied to the introduction pipe.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by operating the valve, it is possible to supply air to the distal end of the insertion portion, supply water, and supply water to the introduction conduit.
The invention according to a fifth aspect is the invention according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the introduction pipe line communicates with a spout formed in an outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion, and the position of the spout is When the length of the insertion portion in the axial direction is L1, the length of the insertion aid in the axial direction is L2, and the distance from the distal end of the insertion portion to the proximal end of the balloon attached to the insertion portion is L3 Further, the distance X from the distal end of the insertion portion to the spout is set so as to satisfy the relationship of (L1−L2) <X <(L2 + L3).

  According to the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, since the lubricant introduction pipe line is formed in the insertion portion, the lubricant can be easily supplied to the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion assisting tool.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of an endoscope apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus mainly includes an endoscope 10, a light source device 20, a processor 30, and a balloon control device 66.

  The endoscope 10 includes an insertion portion 12 that is inserted into a body cavity, and a hand operation portion 14 that is connected to the insertion portion 12. A universal cable 16 is connected to the hand operation unit 14, and an LG connector 18 is provided at the tip of the universal cable 16. By connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20 in a detachable manner, illumination light can be transmitted to an illumination optical system 54 (see FIG. 2) described later. In addition, an electrical connector 24 is connected to the LG connector 18 via a cable 22, and the electrical connector 24 is detachably coupled to the processor 30. The LG connector 18 is connected with an air / water supply tube 26 and a suction tube 28.

  The hand operation unit 14 is provided with an air / water supply button 32, a suction button 34, and a shutter button 36, and a pair of angle knobs 38 and 38 and a forceps insertion unit 40. Further, the hand operation unit 14 is provided with a supply / suction port 44 for supplying a fluid to a first balloon 42, which will be described later, and sucking a fluid from the first balloon 42. Hereinafter, although an example using air as a fluid will be described, other fluids such as an inert gas or water may be used.

  On the other hand, the insertion portion 12 includes a distal end portion 46, a bending portion 48, and a flexible portion 50. The bending portion 48 is remotely controlled by rotating a pair of angle knobs 38, 38 provided on the hand operating portion 14. Bending operation. Thereby, the front end surface 47 of the front end portion 46 can be directed in a desired direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an observation optical system 52, illumination optical systems 54 and 54, an air / water supply nozzle 56, and a forceps port 58 are provided on the distal end surface 47 of the distal end portion 46. A CCD (not shown) is disposed behind the observation optical system 52, and a signal cable is connected to a substrate that supports the CCD. The signal cable is inserted into the insertion portion 12, the hand operating portion 14, and the universal cable 16 of FIG. 1, extends to the electrical connector 24, and is connected to the processor 30. Therefore, the observation image captured by the observation optical system 52 in FIG. 2 is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD and converted into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is output to the processor 30 in FIG. 1 via the signal cable. And converted into a video signal. As a result, the observation image is displayed on the monitor 60 connected to the processor 30.

  An exit end of a light guide (not shown) is disposed behind the illumination optical systems 54 and 54 in FIG. This light guide is inserted through the insertion section 12, the hand operation section 14, and the universal cable 16 shown in FIG. The incident end of the light guide is disposed on the light guide bar (see FIG. 3) 19 of the LG connector 18. Therefore, by connecting the light guide rod 19 of the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20, the illumination light emitted from the light source device 20 is transmitted to the illumination optical systems 54, 54 via the light guide, and the illumination optical system 54, 54.

  FIG. 3 is a conduit configuration diagram showing a fluid conduit in the endoscope apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an air / water supply tube 80 is connected to the air / water supply nozzle 56. The air / water supply tube 80 is branched into an air supply tube 82 and a water supply tube 84, and each is connected to a valve 86 provided in the hand operation unit 14. An air supply tube 88 and a water supply tube 90 are connected to the valve 86, and an air / water supply button 32 is attached to the valve 86. In the state where the air / water supply button 32 protrudes, the air supply tube 82 and the air supply tube 88 communicate with each other, and when the air / water supply button 32 is pressed, the water supply tube 84 and the water supply tube 90 communicate with each other. A vent hole (not shown) is formed in the air / water feed button 32, and the air supply tube 88 communicates with the outside air through the vent hole.

  The air supply tube 88 and the water supply tube 90 are inserted into the universal cable 16 and extend to the water supply connector 92 of the LG connector 18. The tube 26 is detachably connected to the water supply connector 92, and the tip of the tube 26 is connected to the water storage tank 27. The water supply tube 90 is communicated below the liquid level of the water storage tank 27, and the air supply tube 88 is communicated above the liquid level.

  An air tube 94 is connected to the water supply connector 92, and the air tube 94 communicates with an air supply tube 88. The air tube 94 communicates with the air pump 21 in the light source device 20 by connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20. Therefore, when the air pump 21 is driven to supply air, the air is supplied to the air supply tube 88 via the air tube 94. This air escapes to the outside air through a vent (not shown) when the air / water feed button 32 is not operated. When the surgeon closes the vent hole, the air in the air supply tube 88 is supplied to the air supply tube 82, and the air is injected from the air supply / water supply nozzle 56. When the air / water feed button 32 is pressed, the air supply tube 88 and the air supply tube 82 are shut off, so that the air supplied to the air tube 94 is supplied onto the liquid level of the water storage tank 27. . As a result, the internal pressure of the water storage tank 27 increases and water is fed to the water supply tube 90. Then, water is injected from the air / water supply nozzle 56 through the water supply tube 84. In this way, water or air is jetted from the air / water supply nozzle 56 and sprayed onto the observation optical system 52, whereby the observation optical system 52 is cleaned.

  On the other hand, a forceps tube 96 is connected to the forceps port 58. The forceps tube 96 branches and communicates with the forceps insertion portion 40 and the valve 98. Therefore, the treatment instrument can be led out from the forceps opening 58 by inserting a treatment instrument such as a forceps from the forceps insertion portion 40. A suction tube 100 is connected to the valve 98 and a suction button 34 is attached to the valve 98. In a state where the suction button 34 protrudes, the suction tube 100 communicates with the outside air, and the suction tube 100 and the forceps tube 96 are connected by pressing the suction button 34. The suction tube 100 extends to the suction connector 102 of the LG connector 18, and is connected to a suction device (not shown) by connecting a tube 28 (see FIG. 1) to the suction connector 102. Therefore, a lesioned part or the like can be sucked from the forceps opening 58 by pressing the suction button 34 while the suction device is driven.

  A first balloon 42 made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the outer peripheral surface near the distal end of the insertion portion 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the first balloon 42 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends narrowed. After the insertion portion 12 is inserted and disposed at a desired position, the both ends of the first balloon 42 are It is mounted by being fixed to the insertion portion 12. The first balloon 42 is configured to be freely expandable and contractible, and is inflated into a substantially spherical shape or contracted so as to stick to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12.

  A vent hole 62 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12 where the first balloon 42 is attached. The ventilation hole 62 communicates with the supply / suction port 44 via the tube 104 shown in FIG. One end of a tube 64 is connected to the supply / suction port 44, and the other end of the tube 64 is connected to a balloon control device 66. Accordingly, the first balloon 42 can be inflated and deflated by supplying and sucking air with the balloon control device 66.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, a lubricant outlet 110 is formed on the outer surface of the insertion portion 12. A tube 112 is connected to the spout 110, and the tube 112 is inserted through the insertion portion 12 and connected to the injection port 114 of the hand operation portion 14. Therefore, the lubricant is poured out from the spout 110 by injecting the lubricant from the inlet 114 using the injection means such as the syringe 116. Note that a backflow prevention valve may be provided at the inlet 114 and the spout 110 to prevent the backflow of the lubricant. The means for injecting the lubricant is not limited to the syringe 116, and the lubricant may be injected using a pump or the like.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the position of the spout 110 in the axial direction of the insertion portion 12. In the figure, X is the distance from the distal end surface 47 of the insertion portion 12 to the spout 110, and L1 is from the proximal end surface of the insertion assisting tool when the insertion assisting tool 40 is moved to the most proximal side. The length to the distal end of the insertion portion 12 , L2 is the axial length of the insertion assisting tool 70, and L3 is the distance from the distal end of the insertion portion 12 to the proximal end of the first balloon 42.

  The position of the spout 110 is set so as to satisfy the relationship (L1−L2) <X <(L2 + L3). By setting in this way, the spout 110 is disposed within the movement range of the insertion assisting tool 70. That is, even when the insertion assisting tool 70 is moved to the foremost side as long as it does not contact the first balloon 42 as shown in FIG. 4A, or as shown in FIG. The spout 110 is disposed within the range of the insertion assisting tool 70 even in a state in which is moved most proximally. Therefore, when the lubricant is poured out from the spout 110, the lubricant is reliably supplied to the gap between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70.

  The insertion assisting tool 70 shown in FIG. 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape, has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 12, and has sufficient flexibility. A rigid gripping portion 74 is provided at the proximal end of the insertion assisting tool 70, and the insertion portion 12 is inserted from the gripping portion 74. A latex second balloon 72 is mounted near the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70. The second balloon 72 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose both ends are narrowed, and is attached in a state where the insertion assisting tool 70 is penetrated. A pipe line 78 is connected to the second balloon 72, and the second balloon 72 communicates with the supply / suction port 76 of the grip portion 74 via the pipe line 78. An end of a tube 79 is connected to the supply / suction port 76, and the other end of the tube 79 is connected to a balloon control device 66. Therefore, the second balloon 72 is inflated and deflated by driving the balloon control device 66 to supply and suck air. The second balloon 72 is expanded into a substantially spherical shape by supplying air, and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool 72 by sucking air.

  Next, an operation method of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the intestinal tract (for example, the descending leg of the duodenum) with the insertion assisting tool 70 placed on the insertion portion 12. At this time, the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are deflated. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the second balloon 72 is inflated by supplying air to the second balloon 72 while the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70 is inserted up to the bent portion of the intestinal tract 77. As a result, the second balloon 72 is locked to the intestinal tract 77, and the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70 is fixed to the intestinal tract 77.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), only the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 77. Then, as shown in FIG. 5D, air is supplied to the first balloon 42 to be inflated. Thereby, the first balloon 42 is fixed to the intestinal tract 77.

  Next, after the air is sucked from the second balloon 72 and the second balloon 72 is contracted, the insertion assisting tool 70 is pushed in and inserted along the insertion portion 12 as shown in FIG. And after holding the front-end | tip of the insertion auxiliary tool 70 to the vicinity of the 1st balloon 42, as shown in FIG.5 (f), air is sent to the 2nd balloon 72, and it is expanded. Thereby, the second balloon 72 is fixed to the intestinal tract 77. That is, the intestinal tract 77 is grasped by the second balloon 72.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (g), the insertion assisting tool 70 is pulled forward. As a result, the intestinal tract 77 is in a contracted state, and the extra bending or bending of the insertion assisting tool 70 is eliminated. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (h), air is sucked from the first balloon 42 to contract the first balloon 42. And the front-end | tip part 46 of the insertion part 12 is inserted in the deep part of the intestinal tract 77 as much as possible. That is, the insertion operation shown in FIG. Thereby, the distal end portion 46 of the insertion portion 12 can be inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 77. When inserting the insertion portion 12 into a deeper portion, after performing a fixing operation as shown in FIG. 5D, a pushing operation as shown in FIG. ), A hand-drawing operation as shown in FIG. 5G, and an insertion operation as shown in FIG. Thereby, the insertion part 12 can be further inserted into the deep part of the intestinal tract 77.

  In the above-described operation, when the insertion assisting tool 70 is slid relative to the insertion portion 12 (that is, during the insertion operation of FIG. 5C or the pressing operation of FIG. 5E), the insertion portion 12 and the insertion portion are inserted. If the frictional resistance with the auxiliary tool 70 is large, the insertion auxiliary tool 70 cannot be smoothly slid.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lubricant is supplied to the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool 70 and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12 by injecting the lubricant from the injection port 114 of the hand operating portion 14. Thereby, the friction between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70 is reduced, and the insertion assisting tool 70 can be smoothly slid relative to the insertion portion 12.

  By the way, in the present embodiment, a lubricant introduction conduit including an inlet 114, an introduction tube 112, and a spout 110 is provided in the insertion portion 12. Therefore, when supplying the lubricant, the surgeon can easily supply the lubricant by operating the syringe 116 with the other hand while holding the hand operation unit 14 of the endoscope 10 with one hand. it can. In contrast, in the case where the insertion line for the lubricant is provided in the insertion assisting tool 70, the syringe 116 is further held while gripping the insertion assisting tool 70 in a state where the hand operation unit 14 of the endoscope 10 is gripped. Because it must be operated, it cannot be operated alone. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the lubricant introduction pipe line is provided in the insertion portion 12, the supply operation of the lubricant can be easily performed.

  FIG. 6 is a conduit configuration diagram schematically showing a fluid conduit in the endoscope apparatus of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment shown in the figure, the introduction tube 112 is communicated with the water supply tube 84. And the three-way valve 120 is arrange | positioned in the communicating part. The three-way valve 120 is connected to an operation lever (not shown) disposed in the hand operation unit 14, and the switching operation by the three-way valve 120 is performed by rotating the operation lever. In the switching operation by the three-way valve 120, a shut-off state in which the introduction tube 112 is blocked from the water supply tube 84 and a communication state in which the introduction tube 112 is communicated only with the water supply tube 84 on the valve 86 side are switched.

  In the second embodiment configured as described above, the air / water supply button 32 is pressed to supply water to the water supply tube 84, and the operation lever is operated to rotate the introduction tube 112 to the water supply tube 84. , The water flowing through the water supply tube 84 can be diverted to the introduction tube 112. Thereby, since water is poured out from the spout 110 at the tip of the introduction tube 112, water can be supplied to the gap between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70, and the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70 are relative to each other. Can slide smoothly.

  According to the second embodiment described above, the water sent to the distal end portion of the insertion portion 12 is diverted and used as a lubricant, so there is no need to supply water for the lubricant separately, and the device configuration is simplified. can do. Further, according to the second embodiment, since the operation lever is provided in the hand operation unit 14, the operator can handle the operation lever with the hand holding the hand operation unit 14, and the lubricant can be handled with one hand. Supply work can be performed.

  FIG. 7 is a conduit configuration diagram schematically showing a fluid conduit in the endoscope apparatus of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment shown in the figure, the introduction tube 112 is communicated with the water supply tube 84, and the lubricant switching valve 130 is disposed on the introduction tube 112 and the water supply tube 84.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the lubricant switching valve 130 includes a cylinder 131 and a piston 132, and the cylinder 131 is a case 15 of the hand operation unit 14. The piston 132 is provided in the cylinder 131 so as to be able to appear and retract, and an operation button 133 is attached to the head. Further, the cylinder 131 is urged in the protruding direction by a spring 134 interposed between the operation button 133 and the cylinder 131. As a result, the piston 132 protrudes as shown in FIG. 8A in a natural state (that is, in a state where no pressing operation is performed), and the pressing operation is performed against the elastic force of the spring 134 as shown in FIG. In this way, the cylinder 131 is immersed.

  The bottom end of the cylinder 131 is connected to a position where the water supply tube 84A on the base end side (that is, the valve 86 side in FIG. 7) and the water supply tube 84B on the front end side face each other. The water supply tube 84A and the water supply tube 84B communicate with each other when the piston 132 is in a natural state as shown in FIG.

  In the middle part of the cylinder 131, a proximal-side introduction tube 112A and a distal-side introduction tube 112B are connected to opposing positions. A concave groove 135 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the piston 132 over the entire circumference. When the piston 132 is pushed down as shown in FIG. 8B, the introduction tube 112A and the tube 112B form the concave groove 135. To communicate with each other. In this state, the water supply operation is performed by pressing the air / water supply button 32 (see FIG. 7), whereby water in the water supply tube 84 is poured out into the spout 110 through the introduction tubes 112A and 112B. Therefore, the lubricant can be supplied to the gap between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70. In addition, the code | symbols 136 and 137 of FIG. 8 are O-rings, respectively, and block the gap between the piston 132 and the cylinder 131. Accordingly, in the state of FIG. 8A, the introduction tube 112A and the introduction tube 112B are blocked, and in the state of FIG. 8B, the water supply tube 84A and the water supply tube 84B are blocked.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the lubricant is supplied to the gap between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70 by pressing the operation button 133 and the air / water supply button 32. it can. Further, according to the third embodiment, since the operation button 133 and the air / water supply button 32 can be pressed with the hand holding the hand operation unit 14, the operator can supply the lubricant with one hand. It can be performed.

  In the third embodiment described above, the arrangement of the operation buttons 133 is not particularly limited. However, it is preferable to arrange the operation buttons 133 in parallel with the air / water supply buttons 32. Thereby, it becomes easy to operate the operation button 133 and the air / water supply button 32 at the same time, and the operability can be improved.

  In the second and third embodiments described above, the three-way valve 120 and the lubricant switching valve 130 are used as the valve member for feeding water from the water supply tube 84 to the introduction tube 112. The type is not limited to these, and for example, a solenoid valve may be used. In this case, a switch for operating the electromagnetic valve may be arranged in the hand operation unit 14 or provided in the balloon control device 66.

  FIG. 9 is a conduit configuration diagram schematically showing a fluid conduit in the endoscope apparatus of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment shown in the figure, the introduction tube 112 is communicated with the valve 86. Then, by operating the valve 86, the water in the water supply tube 90 flows into the introduction tube 112. In this case, as a specific structure of the valve 86, for example, as shown in FIGS.

  The air / water supply valve 86 shown in FIG. 10 includes a cylinder 140 and a piston 142, and the cylinder 140 is fixed to the case 15 of the hand operation unit 14. Two branch pipes (hereinafter referred to as water supply tubes 90a and 90b) of the air supply tube 82, the water supply tube 84, the introduction tube 112, the air supply tube 88, and the water supply tube 90 are connected to the cylinder 140. . A button receiver 144 is fixed to the head of the cylinder 140. Inside the button receiver 144 is provided a disk 146 that comes into contact when the air / water supply button 32 is pressed, and the disk 146 is biased upward by a spring 148.

  On the other hand, the piston 142 is supported by the cylinder 140 so as to be able to appear and retract. On the outer peripheral surface of the piston 142, two grooves 150 and 152 are formed in the circumferential direction over the entire circumference. The piston 142 is formed with a vent hole 154 along the central axis. An air / water feed button 32 is attached to the head of the piston 142, and a leak hole 156 communicating with the vent hole 154 is formed in the air / water feed button 32. The piston 142 is urged in the protruding direction by a spring 158 interposed between the air / water supply button 32 and the button receiver 144. Therefore, when the air / water supply button 32 is pressed, the spring 158 is first compressed as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, this pressing operation is referred to as a first stage pressing operation. When the air / water supply button 32 is further pressed, the air / water supply button 32 compresses the spring 148 via the disk 146 as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, this pressing operation is referred to as a second stage pressing operation. In the first-stage pressing operation and the second-stage pressing operation, the resistance increases by the amount corresponding to the spring 148, so that the operational feeling changes. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between the first step pressing operation and the second step pressing operation.

  The state shown in FIG. 10 is a state in which the air / water supply button 32 is not pressed (that is, no operation state), and the air supply tube 82 and the air supply tube 88 are communicated with each other. The tube 88 communicates with the outside air through the vent hole 154 and the leak hole 156. Therefore, in a no-operation state, the air supplied to the air supply tube 88 flows to the outside via the vent hole 154 and the leak hole 156 and is not supplied to the water supply tube 82. Further, in this state, the water supply tube 84, the water supply tubes 90a and 90b, and the introduction tube 112 are blocked. Therefore, in the non-operation state, water is not supplied to the water supply tube 84 or the introduction tube 112.

  As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 10, when the leak hole 156 is closed with the finger 160 without pressing the air / water supply button 32 (hereinafter referred to as a closing operation state), the leak hole 156 is closed. The air tube 88 communicates only with the air supply tube 82. Therefore, the air supplied to the air supply tube 88 flows into the air supply tube 82, and the air is ejected from the air / water supply nozzle 56.

  In the first-stage pressing operation state shown in FIG. 11, the water supply tube 90 a and the water supply tube 84 are communicated via the groove 150 of the piston 142. In this state, the introduction tube 112, the air supply tube 82, the air supply tube 88, and the water supply tube 90b are blocked. Accordingly, since the air supply tube 88 is blocked from the other pipes, the air supplied from the air pump 21 in FIG. 9 is supplied onto the liquid surface of the water storage tank 27. Thereby, the internal pressure of the water storage tank 27 rises, and the water in the water storage tank 27 is sent to the water supply tube 90a. Therefore, the water flowing through the water supply tube 90 a flows into the water supply tube 84 through the groove 150 of the piston 142 and is injected from the air / water supply nozzle 56.

  In the second-stage pressing operation state shown in FIG. 12, the introduction tube 112 and the water supply tube 90 b are communicated with each other via the groove 152 of the piston 142. In this state, the air supply tube 82, the water supply tube 84, the air supply tube 88, and the water supply tube 90a are blocked. Accordingly, since the air supply tube 88 is blocked from other pipes, the water in the water storage tank 27 is sent to the water supply tube 90b. Then, the fed water flows into the introduction tube 112 through the groove 152 and is supplied to the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion guide 70 and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12. Thereby, the friction between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion guide 70 is reduced, and the insertion guide 70 can be smoothly slid with respect to the insertion portion 12.

  As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the air / water supply valve 86 has a two-stage push-down operation structure, and air is injected from the air / water supply nozzle 56 by performing the closing operation of the leak hole 156, thereby supplying the air. Water is ejected from the air / water feed nozzle 56 by pressing the air / water feed button 32 in the first stage, and the insertion portion 12 and the insertion guide 70 are operated by pressing the air / water feed button 32 in the second stage. Water is supplied to the gap. Therefore, the air supply / water supply operation from the air / water supply nozzle 56, the water supply operation, and the lubricant (water) supply operation can be switched only by operating the air / water supply button 32.

  10 to 12, reference numeral 162 denotes an O-ring that closes a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 140 and the outer peripheral surface of the piston 142.

  In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the example in which water is used as the lubricant has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other fluids such as air may be used. For example, when air is used as a lubricant in the second and third embodiments, the introduction tube 112 may be communicated with the air supply tube 82. When air is used as a lubricant in the fourth embodiment, a branch pipe of the air supply tube 88 may be connected to the water supply tube 90b in the valve 86 shown in FIGS.

The system block diagram which shows the endoscope apparatus which concerns on this invention The perspective view which shows the front-end | tip part of the insertion part of FIG. Pipe line configuration diagram of the endoscope apparatus of the first embodiment Explanatory drawing explaining the positional relationship of the spout Explanatory drawing which shows the operation method of an endoscope apparatus Pipe line configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to the second embodiment Pipe line configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to a third embodiment Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the lubricant switching valve of FIG. Pipe line configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to a fourth embodiment Sectional view showing the valve structure of FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the valve shown in FIG. Sectional drawing of the state where the valve shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscope, 12 ... Insertion part, 14 ... Hand operation part, 42 ... 1st balloon, 46 ... Tip part, 66 ... Balloon control apparatus, 70 ... Insertion aid, 72 ... 2nd balloon, 110 ... Spout 112 ... Inlet tube, 114 ... Inlet, 116 ... Syringe, 120 ... Three-way valve, 130 ... Lubricant switching valve

Claims (4)

In an endoscope apparatus comprising: an endoscope; and an insertion assisting tool that covers the insertion portion of the endoscope and guides insertion of the insertion portion into a body cavity.
An introduction conduit for introducing a lubricant into the gap between the insertion portion and the insertion aid is formed in the insertion portion, and communicated with a spout formed in the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion,
The position of the spout is L1, the length from the proximal end of the insertion assisting tool to the distal end of the insertion portion when the insertion assisting tool is moved to the most proximal side, and the axial direction of the insertion assisting tool. The distance X from the distal end of the insertion portion to the spout is given by L2 and the distance from the distal end of the insertion portion to the proximal end of the balloon attached to the insertion portion as L3.
(L1-L2) <X <(L2 + L3)
An endoscope apparatus characterized by being set to satisfy the above relationship . The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the introduction pipe line communicates with a water supply pipe line that supplies water to a distal end portion of the insertion portion. The valve member is disposed at a communication portion between the introduction pipe line and the water supply pipe line, and an operation unit for the valve member is disposed at a hand operation part of the endoscope. The endoscope apparatus described. The introduction conduit is connected to a valve that switches between air supply and water supply to the distal end of the insertion portion, and water supplied to the distal end is supplied to the introduction conduit by operating the valve. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2.

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