JP4295997B2 - Endoscope internal pressure adjustment device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an internal pressure adjusting device provided in an endoscope that may be sterilized by an autoclave, ethylene oxide gas (EOG), or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to perform ethylene oxide gas, autoclave, etc. to sterilize an endoscope, it is necessary to temporarily depressurize the sterilization chamber containing the endoscope, and the endoscope has a structure that can withstand such a low pressure environment. There is a need to.
[0003]
The problem here is that the most flexible part of the exterior of the endoscope, for example, the covering tube of the curved part, which is generally made of rubber, may swell and burst during decompression. is there.
[0004]
Therefore, a check valve that prevents gas from passing from the inside of the endoscope to the outside and does not pass gas from the outside to the inside of the endoscope is provided. Further, steam, gas, washing water or the like is prevented from entering the endoscope during sterilization or cleaning.
[0005]
However, with such a structure, the endoscope's internal pressure remains lower than the atmospheric pressure even after the endoscope has been sterilized, so it is the most flexible of the endoscope's exterior. There is a possibility that a covered tube or the like of a curved portion may be in a state of being bitten between the members on the inner side and causing a failure.
[0006]
Therefore, conventionally, during the sterilization process, a valve opening adapter that is detachable from the check valve is attached to the check valve, and after the sterilization process is completed, the check valve is camped while the valve opening adapter is being removed from the check valve. The inside of the endoscope is communicated with the outside by being forcedly opened by a mechanism (for example, Patent Document 1).
[0007]
In addition, in the method of attaching and detaching the valve opening adapter to the check valve after the sterilization process, there is a possibility that the attachment / detachment itself may be forgotten.
[0008]
Also, since steam and the like must not enter the endoscope during sterilization, the check valve is not forcibly opened when the valve opening adapter is attached to the check valve. It has been opened.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-31896
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional apparatus as described above, since the check valve is opened only for a short time during the removal of the valve opening adapter from the check valve after the sterilization process is completed, when the valve opening adapter is removed carefully, A sufficient amount of outside air may not be sent into the endoscope.
[0011]
Then, as described above, since the internal pressure of the endoscope remains lower than the atmospheric pressure, the most flexible curved tube covering tube etc. in the exterior of the endoscope is placed between the inner members. There is a risk of malfunction due to being bitten.
[0012]
Therefore, the present invention secures a check valve opening time so that a sufficient amount of outside air is sent into the endoscope that has become a low pressure due to sterilization processing, and the inside of the endoscope is brought to the same pressure as the outside air. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope internal pressure adjusting device which can be reliably returned.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the endoscope internal pressure adjusting device of the present invention is an endoscope in which the outer wall partitioning from the outside is all hermetically configured, and gas passes from the inside of the endoscope to the outside. In an endoscope internal pressure adjusting device provided with a check valve that does not allow gas to pass from the outside to the inside of the endoscope, the valve body of the check valve is normally in a convex convex portion facing outward. A slit-like opening member for forcibly opening the slit by a manual operation from the outside is provided while being formed by an elastic film-like member in which a closed slit is formed.
[0014]
The slit opening member may be a pipe-like member that can be inserted into and removed from the slit. Further, the slit opening member may be elastically supported by the check valve, or may be detachable from the check valve.
[0015]
Further, the check valve may be an adapter that can be attached to and detached from the vent hole provided on the outer wall of the endoscope.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an endoscope outer wall that partitions the outside and the inside of the endoscope, for example, an outer wall of an operation unit or a light guide connector unit.
[0017]
In this endoscope, the endoscope outer wall 1 is entirely hermetically configured by packing, an O-ring, or the like. A mounting seat 11 for a vent hole base 10 is provided on the outer surface of the endoscope outer wall 1 so as to be in a vented state between the inside and the outside of the endoscope. Reference numeral 13 denotes an O-ring for sealing.
[0018]
A base end portion of a tubular valve seat forming member 14 protruding outward is screwed and fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the mounting seat 11, and the valve seat forming member 14 is narrowed inward toward the protruding end side. The tapered surface portion formed so as to be a circle is the valve seat 14a. Further, on the outer peripheral portion of the valve seat forming member 14, an engagement pin 12 for engaging with an engagement groove 32 of a check valve adapter 30 described later is provided so as to project sideways. Reference numeral 19 denotes a sealing O-ring.
[0019]
The vent valve 15 for opening and closing the vent cap 10 is disposed in the valve seat forming member 14 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and an O-ring 16 is formed in a circular groove formed in a tapered surface portion facing the valve seat 14a. It is installed.
[0020]
Therefore, when the O-ring 16 is pressed against the valve seat 14a, the vent base 10 is closed and the space between the inside and the outside of the endoscope is completely closed, and the ventilation valve 15 moves outward. When the O-ring 16 is separated from the valve seat 14a, the inside and outside of the endoscope communicate with each other through the gap.
[0021]
A compression coil spring 17 is always loaded between the ventilation valve 15 and the mounting seat 11 so that the ventilation valve 15 is constantly urged outward (that is, in the closing direction). Yes.
[0022]
An endoscope provided with such a vent cap 10 normally has a waterproof structure in which the inside and the outside are completely isolated, and the vent cap 10 is forced by pushing the vent valve 15 from the outside. Will open, allowing ventilation between the inside and outside of the endoscope.
[0023]
FIG. 3 shows a check valve adapter 30 that is detachably attached to the vent base 10, and an L-shaped engagement groove 32 is formed in the connection tube 31 that covers the valve seat forming member 14 of the vent base 10. Is formed. When the check valve adapter 30 is attached to the vent hole 10, the engagement pin 12 may be guided into the engagement groove 32.
[0024]
Inside the connection tube 31, there is a vent hole opening pin 33 for forcibly pushing the vent valve 15 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 17 when the check valve adapter 30 is attached to the vent hole 10. It is fixedly arranged so as to protrude downward. 34 is a vent hole, 35 is an O-ring for sealing the fitting surface with the valve seat forming member 14, and 36 is a porous member that allows air to pass but not moisture.
[0025]
A check valve body 38 made of an elastic rubber material or the like is fixed between the adapter main body cylinder 37 screwed and connected to the upper half of the connection cylinder 31 and the connection cylinder 31. As a material of the check valve body 38, for example, fluorine rubber or silicon rubber having heat resistance can be used.
[0026]
The check valve body 38 is formed in a thick film shape except for peripheral fixed portions, and the central portion thereof is formed in a curved surface shape having a convex cross section outward (convex portion 39). . And, as shown in FIG. 4 illustrating the IV-IV cross section, for example, a cross-shaped slit 40 is formed in the convex portion 39 so as to penetrate between the front and back of the check valve body 38. .
[0027]
The slit 40 formed in the convex portion 39 of the elastic thick film member is opened by the pressure difference when the inner pressure becomes larger than the outer pressure, and conversely, the outer pressure is changed to the inner pressure. When it becomes larger than the pressure, it has a non-returning property that does not easily open, and in a normal state where there is no difference between the internal and external pressures, the closed state is maintained.
[0028]
A cylindrical slit opening cylinder 41 is arranged so as to face the slit 40 from the outside, and the check valve body is inserted into the slit 40 by manual operation from the outside. 38 can be elastically deformed to forcibly open the slit 40. In addition, the front-end | tip outer peripheral part of the slit open | release cylinder 41 is formed in the taper-taper shape.
[0029]
The slit opening cylinder 41 is formed by a plurality of connecting arms 42 arranged radially with respect to locking protrusions 43 that are detachably engaged with locking grooves 37 a formed on the outer peripheral portion of the adapter body cylinder 37. It is connected and is detachably supported by the adapter main body cylinder 37.
[0030]
A knob 44 for manually pushing and pulling the slit opening cylinder 41 in the axial direction is formed at the projecting end portion of the slit opening cylinder 41, and V-V is provided at an intermediate portion of the slit opening cylinder 41. As shown in FIG. 5 showing a cross section, a vent hole 45 communicating with the outside air is formed.
[0031]
The slit opening cylinder 41 needs to have a certain degree of hardness to spread the slit 40, and the connecting arm 42 has a certain degree or more so that the slit opening cylinder 41 can be advanced and retracted in the axial direction without a large resistance. Flexibility is required.
[0032]
However, the slit open cylinder 41, the connecting arm 42, the locking projection 43, and the knob 44 can be integrally formed of a rubber material or a plastic material having both a certain degree of hardness and elasticity, and have heat resistance, for example. When it is thin, it can be formed of a tetrafluoroethylene resin or the like that can be relatively elastically deformed.
[0033]
FIG. 6 shows that the check valve adapter 30 configured as described above is attached to the vent base 10, and the vent base 10 is forcibly maintained in the open state by the vent base opening pin 33 of the check valve adapter 30. When the endoscope is sterilized, it is placed in the sterilizer in the state shown in FIG.
[0034]
Then, when the pressure of the environment where the endoscope is placed decreases after the sterilization operation starts, as shown in FIG. 7, the slit 40 of the check valve body 38 is caused by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the endoscope outer wall 1. Is pushed open from the inside, the air in the endoscope outer wall 1 flows out, and the pressure in the endoscope outer wall 1 is reduced, so that there is no difference in the pressure inside and outside the endoscope.
[0035]
Thereafter, when sterilizing gas, steam, or the like is blown into the sterilizing apparatus, the slit 40 is kept closed as shown in FIG. 6, so that the sterilizing gas, steam, or the like does not enter the endoscope.
[0036]
When the sterilization process is completed and the endoscope is taken out of the sterilizer and placed in an atmospheric pressure environment, the slit opening cylinder 41 is non-returned by pushing the knob 44 by hand as shown in FIG. The valve body 38 is forcibly opened, and the outside air flows into the endoscope outer wall 1 through the slit opening cylinder 41 and the vent hole 45. However, the entry of moisture is blocked by the porous member 36.
[0037]
The state continues until the knob 44 is pulled back, during which external air is sufficiently sent into the endoscope, so that sufficient time is secured to maintain the pressure in the endoscope at the same level as the outside air. Finally, the check valve adapter 30 is removed from the vent 10.
[0038]
By forming the outer surface of the convex portion 39 of the check valve body 38 as a rough surface, the tip end portion of the slit opening cylinder 41 inserted into the slit 40 is easily held there by frictional force. Even when the hand is released from the knob 44, the open state of the slit 40 is maintained.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the valve body of the check valve is formed by an elastic film-like member in which a slit that is normally closed is formed on a convex portion that protrudes outward, and from the outside. The slit opening member for forcibly opening the slit by manual operation is provided so that when the outside air is sent into the endoscope that has become low pressure by sterilization processing after the sterilization is finished, the slit is opened. The opening time of the check valve by the member can be sufficiently secured, and the inside of the endoscope can be reliably returned to the same pressure as the outside air.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a check valve is opened according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vent cap according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a check valve adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a check valve adapter is just attached to the vent hole of the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the check valve adapter is attached to the vent hole of the embodiment of the present invention and the surroundings start to be depressurized.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope outer wall 10 Vent hole 15 Ventilation valve 30 Check valve adapter 33 Vent hole metal opening pin 38 Check valve body 39 Convex part 40 Slit 41 Slit opening cylinder (slit opening member)
42 connecting arm 44 knob 45 vent hole

Claims (6)

An endoscope that has an airtight outer wall that partitions the outside is provided with a check valve that allows gas to pass from the inside of the endoscope to the outside and does not allow gas to pass from the outside to the inside of the endoscope. In the endoscope internal pressure adjusting device,
The valve body of the check valve is formed by an elastic film-like member in which a slit that is normally closed is formed in a convex portion convex outward, and
Slit opening member to forcibly open the slits are provided by a manual operation from the outside,
The slit opening member is provided with a cylindrical tip portion that can be inserted and removed from the outside in the slit, and a side surface portion of the intermediate portion of the slit opening member has a vent hole that communicates the inside and the outside. An endoscopic pressure adjusting device for an endoscope, wherein a knob for performing a manual operation for moving the slit opening member back and forth in the axial direction is provided at an outer end portion of the slit opening member . 2. The endoscopic pressure adjusting device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of a convex portion formed on the valve body of the check valve is formed to be a rough surface . The endoscope internal pressure adjusting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slit opening member is elastically supported by the check valve. 4. The endoscope internal pressure adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the slit opening member is detachable from the check valve. The endoscope internal pressure adjustment device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the check valve is an adapter that is detachable from a vent hole provided on an outer wall of the endoscope. The internal pressure adjusting device for an endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an outer peripheral surface of a tip portion of the slit opening member is formed in a tapered shape.

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