JP3999043B2 - Endoscope with sheath - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an endoscope with a sheath sheath in which a sheath sheath for preventing an insertion portion from directly contacting a patient's body wall is detachably provided.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an endoscope with a sheath sheath is configured such that a sheath sheath that shields the flexible insertion portion of the endoscope from the outside can be detachably covered on the flexible insertion portion. By replacing, it is possible to completely prevent infection between patients by the endoscope.
[0003]
In such an endoscope with a sheath sheath, the flexible insertion portion having a substantially constant outer diameter is provided so that the flexible insertion portion can be properly covered with the sheath sheath up to the connection end with the operation portion. The configuration is simply connected to the operation unit.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a configuration in which the flexible insertion portion is simply connected to the operation portion, the flexible insertion portion can be used both in the use state where the outer sheath is attached and in the storage state where it is not attached. When the part is bent suddenly in the vicinity of the connection part with the operation part, the buckling damage may occur relatively easily.
[0005]
Therefore, it is conceivable to attach a so-called folding stopper made of a resilient member to the proximal end portion of the flexible insertion portion. However, simply doing so makes the hard portion longer to attach the outer sheath. Since the portion that is difficult to bend at the base portion of the operation portion is further lengthened, it becomes very difficult to use.
[0006]
Therefore, the present invention provides a flexible insertion portion that is not easily buckled and damaged in the vicinity of the connection portion with the operation portion in both the use state in which the outer sheath is attached and the storage state in which the outer sheath is not attached. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope with a sheath sheath excellent in durability and operability, in which a portion that is difficult to bend at a base portion is not significantly lengthened.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope with a sheath sheath according to the present invention has a sheath sheath for attaching and detaching a flexible insertion portion whose base end is connected to an operation portion from the outside to the flexible insertion portion. In the endoscope with an outer sheath provided so as to be freely covered, a first folding stop made of an elastic material is provided surrounding the proximal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and the elastic The second folding stop made of a certain material is provided on the outer sheath so as to surround the first folding stop when the outer sheath is attached to the flexible insertion portion.
[0008]
Note that one of the first crease and the second crease may be formed to have a constant thickness, and the other thickness may be gradually reduced toward the front side.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, 10 is an endoscope, and 20 is attached to and detached from the flexible insertion portions 11, 12, and 13 in order to insulate the flexible insertion portions 11, 12, and 13 of the endoscope 10 from the external environment. An outer sheath that is freely covered.
[0010]
The flexible insertion portions 11, 12, and 13 of the endoscope 10 have a distal end in which a bending portion 12 that is bent by remote operation is connected to a distal end of an elongated flexible tube portion 11, and an observation window 14 or the like is disposed on a distal end surface. The body 13 is connected to the tip of the bending portion 12.
[0011]
A bending operation knob 16 or the like for remotely bending the bending portion 12 is disposed on the operation portion 15 connected to the proximal end of the flexible tube portion 11, and bending is performed by rotating the bending operation knob 16. The part 12 bends.
[0012]
A cylindrical first folding stop 11 </ b> A made of an elastic material is attached so as to surround the proximal end portion of the flexible tube portion 11. Reference numeral 19 denotes a fixed ring for fixing the first folding stop 11 </ b> A to the operation unit 15.
[0013]
As shown in detail in FIG. 3 to be described later, the first fold prevention 11A is formed in a cylindrical shape having a substantially constant wall thickness as a whole. Even if the flexible tube portion 11 is bent during storage of the endoscope 10 or the like, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Due to the action of 11A, the vicinity of the connecting portion with the operation portion 15 is not bent suddenly, and buckling damage of the flexible tube portion 11 is prevented.
[0014]
A guide pipe 17 made of, for example, a flexible polyethylene resin tube or the like is disposed from inside the flexible insertion sections 11, 12, 13 to the inside of the operation section 15, and a distal end opening 17a of the guide pipe 17 is a distal end portion. It is formed on the front end surface of the main body 13.
[0015]
A forceps port member 30 is disposed at a position facing the proximal end opening of the guide conduit 17 disposed in the operation unit 15, and a forceps plug 32 is attached to the insertion port portion of the forceps port member 30. ing.
[0016]
For example, a sheath tube 20 formed in a thin cylindrical shape with a stretchable material such as a silicone rubber tube is detachably attached to the outer tube 20 on the flexible tube portion 11 and the bending portion 12 of the endoscope 10. Provided to be covered, a tip cap 22 formed of a transparent member and fitted on the tip portion main body 13 is attached to the tip thereof in a watertight manner.
[0017]
A second fold stop 24 formed in a tapered shape whose thickness gradually decreases toward the front side by an elastic material is connected and fixed to the base end of the covering tube 21.
[0018]
In the covering tube 21, a flexible channel tube 23 (here, a treatment instrument insertion channel) made of, for example, a flexible tetrafluoroethylene resin tube is inserted and disposed over the entire length.
[0019]
The distal end of the flexible channel tube 23 is fixed to the distal end cap 22 so as to open to the outer surface at the distal end surface of the distal end cap 22, and the proximal end portion 23 a of the flexible channel tube 23 is the second folding stop. 24 extends backward through the interior.
[0020]
The flexible channel tube 23 can be inserted into and removed from the guide pipe 17 of the endoscope 10 over its entire length, and guides the proximal end portion 23a of the flexible channel tube 23 as indicated by a one-dot chain line arrow. The tube 17 can be inserted from the distal end opening 17a side and pulled out from the proximal end side opening.
[0021]
FIG. 2 shows a usage state in which the outer sheath 20 is covered with the flexible insertion portions 11, 12, and 13 of the endoscope 10 until the distal end cap 22 comes into contact with the distal end surface of the distal end portion main body 13. ing.
[0022]
In this state, the attachment base 24a of the outer sheath 20 is fixed to the stationary ring 19 of the endoscope 10, and the second folding stop 24 of the covering tube 21 surrounds the first folding stop 11A.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows in detail the vicinity of the first and second folding stoppers 11A, 24 in that state, and the illustration of the flexible channel tube 23 and the like that are built-in components is omitted. In the flexible tube portion 11, a base end cap 11 a is fixed to the frame 15 a by a holding ring 9 that is screwed into an end portion of the frame 15 a of the operation portion 15.
[0024]
The first folding stop 11A has a flange-like protruding portion formed at the base end thereof that is pressed and fixed to the frame 15a by a fixing ring 19 that is screwed into the frame 15a of the operation portion 15. The attachment base 24 a of the folding stopper 24 is fixed to the fixed ring 19 by tightening the manual fixing screw 25 toward the outer peripheral surface of the fixed ring 19. As a result, not only the surface of the flexible tube part 11 but also the first folding stop 11A part is isolated from the contaminated area when the endoscope is used.
[0025]
In this state, the second folding stop 24 is set at a position surrounding the first folding stop 11A. As a result, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the flexible tube portion 11 of the endoscope 10 is set. Even if it is bent in the use state, the vicinity of the connecting portion with the operation portion 15 is not abruptly bent by the action of the first bend 11A and the second bend 24, and the buckling breakage of the flexible tube portion 11 is prevented. The
[0026]
In addition, since the first crease 11A and the second crease 24 are formed so as to be doubled in the radial direction, their lengths can be shortened. Since the difficult-to-bend portion of the base portion of the portion 15 is not so long, good operability can be ensured.
[0027]
When the endoscope 10 is in use, the outer sheath 20 is covered with the flexible tube insertion portions 11, 12, and 13, and at the same time, the flexible channel tube 23 is passed through the guide conduit 17. 4 shows the vicinity of the base end of the guide pipe line 17 in this state.
[0028]
The distal portion of the forceps port member 30 is inserted into a cylinder hole 18 formed in a deep countersink shape in the proximal end opening portion of the guide conduit 17 so as to be movable back and forth in the axial direction, and is flexible. A base end portion 23 a of the channel tube 23 is fixed in a state where it can be inserted into and removed from the forceps port member 30. Reference numeral 31 denotes a forceps insertion passage formed in the forceps port member 30.
[0029]
An O-ring 33 for performing sealing and click fixing is mounted on the side of the forceps port member 30 into which the proximal end portion 23a of the flexible channel tube 23 is inserted, and the proximal end portion 23a of the flexible channel tube 23 is attached. The base end portion 23 a of the flexible channel tube 23 is fixed to the forceps port member 30 by engaging the O-ring 33 with a circumferential groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the forceps port.
[0030]
The flexible channel tube 23 can advance and retreat in the axial direction over the entire length in the guide conduit 17, and the forceps port member 30 is outwardly moved by a compression coil spring 40 disposed in the cylinder hole 18 (FIG. 4). Is always urged to the left). As a result, the flexible channel tube 23 is always pulled from the forceps port member 30 side by the urging force of the compression coil spring 40.
[0031]
With such a configuration, when the bending portion 12 is bent by the operation of the bending operation knob 16 and the compressive force in the axial direction acts on the flexible channel tube 23, the forceps opening member 30 protrudes outward from the cylinder hole 18. The compressive force applied to the flexible channel tube 23 is absorbed by moving in the direction.
[0032]
On the other hand, when a tensile force in the axial direction acts on the flexible channel tube 23, the forceps port member 30 moves in a direction to enter the cylinder hole 18, and the tensile force applied to the flexible channel tube 23 is absorbed. As a result, an unreasonable force does not act on the flexible tube portion 11, the bending portion 12, and the like.
[0033]
In the case where a so-called multi-lumen tube is used as the flexible channel tube 23, as shown in FIG. 5, the base end portion is further extended to the outside in a state of being fixed to the forceps port member 30, It may be connected to an air / water supply device not shown.
[0034]
34 is an detachable retaining O-ring that restricts the guide duct 17 from coming out of the forceps port member 30, and 23 b is a forceps insertion hole (also a suction port) in the flexible channel tube 23 and forceps insertion. A side hole 23 s formed in the flexible channel tube 23 for passing through the passage 31, a closing plug for closing the end of the lumen used for suction, and a suction tube 50.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the first fold prevention made of the elastic material is provided so as to surround the proximal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and the second fold prevention made of the elastic material is allowed. By providing the outer sheath so as to surround the first fold when the outer sheath is attached to the flexible insertion portion, the outer sheath can be attached without significantly lengthening the difficult-to-bend portion of the base portion of the operation portion. In both the used state and the unattached storage state, the flexible insertion portion is not easily buckled and damaged near the connecting portion with the operation portion, and excellent durability and operability can be obtained. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial side cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of an endoscope with a sheath according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a storage state.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the overall configuration of the endoscope with sheath sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention in use.
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the folding prevention in the usage state of the endoscope with an outer sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the proximal end of the guide conduit in the usage state of the endoscope with a sheath according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the proximal end of the guide pipe line in the usage state of the endoscope with a sheath according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Endoscope 11 Flexible tube part (flexible insertion part)
11A 1st bending prevention 12 Bending part (flexible insertion part)
13 Tip body (flexible insertion part)
15 Operation part 20 Outer sheath 21 Covering tube 24 2nd bend prevention

Claims (3)

In an endoscope with a sheath sheath provided so that a sheath sheath for shielding a flexible insertion portion whose base end is connected to an operation portion from the outside is detachably covered by the flexible insertion portion.
A first bend made of an elastic material is formed in a cylindrical shape having a constant thickness and is provided to surround the proximal end portion of the flexible insertion portion, and a second made of an elastic material. Is formed in a shape in which the outer surface is tapered and the wall thickness is gradually reduced toward the front side, and the outer sheath is attached to the flexible insertion portion. An endoscope with a sheath sheath, which is provided on the sheath sheath so as to surround a stopper. A flexible channel tube having a distal end portion fixed to the distal end portion of the outer sheath, and an urging means for urging the flexible channel tube in a state in which the flexible channel tube is always pulled from the operation portion side. The endoscope with a sheath sheath according to Item 1. The endoscope with an outer sheath according to claim 2, wherein the flexible channel tube is inserted into a guide conduit disposed from the flexible insertion portion to the operation portion .

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