JP4520165B2 - Ultrasound endoscope tip - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a distal end portion of an ultrasonic endoscope.

  In general, the distal end portion of an ultrasonic endoscope is provided with an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal and an objective optical system for performing optical observation on a distal end main body arranged at the most distal portion of the insertion portion. A flexible substrate, which is a signal transmission member that is disposed and transmits signals inputted to and outputted from the ultrasonic probe in the insertion portion, is drawn from the distal end portion main body into the insertion portion behind the flexible substrate.

In addition, it is possible to reinforce the electrical insulation formed with the same width as the flexible board so that the wiring provided on the flexible board does not break by repeating the bending following the bending operation of the endoscope. The flexible sheet is disposed so as to overlap the flexible substrate in a state where the flexible substrate is sandwiched between the distal end body and the insertion portion (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP2002-153468

  However, if such a reinforcing flexible sheet is inserted too deeply into the tip body from the rear end side during assembly, wiring on the flexible substrate surface is damaged at the tip of the reinforcing flexible sheet. There is a fear.

  In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to carry out assembly work while strictly measuring the depth of insertion of the reinforcing flexible sheet into the tip body, which is very cumbersome and at the same time assembling mistakes. It was easy to occur.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a distal end portion of an ultrasonic endoscope that can easily assemble a reinforcing flexible sheet that is assembled with a flexible substrate in an accurate positional relationship with respect to a distal end portion main body. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention includes an ultrasonic probe and an optical device for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal to the distal end portion body disposed at the most distal end portion of the insertion portion. An objective optical system for observation is arranged, and a flexible substrate, which is a signal transmission member for transmitting a signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe, is pulled from the distal end body into the insertion portion behind the distal end body. And an electrically insulating reinforcing flexible sheet formed to have the same width as the flexible substrate is overlapped with the flexible substrate so that the flexible substrate is sandwiched between the tip body and the insertion portion. At the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope arranged together, the distal end surface of the reinforcing flexible sheet is placed at a predetermined position when the reinforcing flexible sheet is inserted into the distal end main body from the rear. There are those formed with abutting step.

  According to the present invention, a step is formed in the distal end portion main body so that the distal end surface of the reinforcing flexible sheet abuts at a predetermined position when the reinforcing flexible sheet to be assembled with the flexible substrate is inserted from behind. Thus, the reinforcing flexible sheet can be easily assembled in an accurate positional relationship with respect to the distal end body, and damage to the wiring of the flexible substrate can be avoided without any burden on the assembly work.

  An ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal and an objective optical system for performing optical observation are arranged on the distal end main body arranged at the most distal portion of the insertion portion, and are input to and output from the ultrasonic probe. A flexible substrate, which is a signal transmission member for transmitting a signal to be transmitted in the insertion portion, is led from the tip body into the insertion portion at the rear of the flexible substrate, and is electrically reinforced with the same width as the flexible substrate. The flexible sheet for use in the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope disposed so as to overlap the flexible substrate so that the flexible substrate is sandwiched between the distal end portion body and the insertion portion is reinforced to the distal end portion body. A step was formed in which the leading end surface of the reinforcing flexible sheet abuts at a predetermined position when the flexible sheet for insertion was inserted from the rear.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
2 is a front view of the distal end surface of the insertion portion of the electronic radial scanning ultrasonic endoscope, FIG. 1 is a side sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

  1 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a bending portion formed in the vicinity of the distal end of the insertion portion so as to be bent by remote operation from an operation portion (not shown) connected to the proximal end side of the insertion portion. Yes, the tip end body 2 is connected to the foremost part.

  The tip portion main body 2 is formed by two members, a main body portion 2A whose rear half portion is formed in a double cylinder shape and a tip nut portion 2B screwed and fixed to the outer periphery of the tip portion. The endoscope member arrangement hole 2a having a constant diameter that opens to the rear end surface is formed around the axis except for the vicinity of the tip.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an observation window 3, an illumination window 4, and a treatment instrument protrusion 5 are disposed on the distal end surface of the main body 2 </ b> A. As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 7 is arranged at the imaging position of the subject by the objective optical system 6 arranged in the back of the observation window 3, and the front side of the tip body 2 is located. An imaging signal of the optical observation image of the subject is sent out by the CCD signal cable 8.

  Further, a treatment instrument insertion channel 9 is connected to the rear of the treatment instrument protrusion 5, and an exit end of an illumination light guide 10 is disposed behind the illumination window 4 as shown in FIG. The instrument insertion channel 9 and the illumination light guide 10 are inserted into the endoscope member arrangement hole 2a together with the CCD signal cable 8, and are not rearwardly protruded from the diameter of the endoscope member arrangement hole 2a. Is drawn into the curved portion 1.

  The tip nut portion 2B is formed in a donut shape and is screwed to the outer periphery of the tip end of the main body portion 2A, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received radially around the axis of the tip portion main body 2 at the rear portion of the tip nut portion 2B. The annular ultrasonic probe 11 that performs the radial scanning is arranged so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion of the main body 2A.

  In the ultrasonic probe 11, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 11 a are evenly distributed over the entire circumference around the axis of the tip body 2 (for example, as shown in FIG. 2, 60 ultrasonic transducers 11 a have 6 ° By being driven electronically in order, radial scanning can be performed seamlessly around the axis of the tip body 2 over the entire 360 ° circumference.

  The rear end portion of the ultrasonic probe 11 faces the front end portion of the outer cylindrical portion of the main body portion 2A formed in a double cylindrical shape, and shows a cross section taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. As also shown, a plurality of flexible boards 12 which are signal transmission members for transmitting signals inputted to and outputted from each ultrasonic transducer 11a are inserted into the space between the double cylinders of the main body 2A. The space is filled with an adhesive 13.

  For example, four sets of flexible substrates 12 obtained by folding and overlapping two substrates are provided, and each of them is printed with a conductive line connected to, for example, 15 ultrasonic transducers 11a.

  Each of the flexible substrates 12 is disposed so as to be distributed at approximately 90 ° intervals around the axis of the distal end portion body 2 with its surface facing a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the distal end portion body 2. 11 is pulled out through the gap of the double cylinder of the main body 2A into the rear curved portion 1, and is passed through the insertion portion over the entire length.

  3 on the front and back surfaces of the flexible substrate 12 arranged in such a manner from the position in the space of the main body portion 2A to the entire length behind it for the purpose of preventing the wiring from being disconnected by an external force. As shown in FIG. 5 showing the V cross section, two electrically insulating reinforcing flexible sheets 14 are arranged in close contact with the flexible substrate 12 so as to sandwich the flexible substrate 12 in a sandwich shape. ing.

  The reinforcing flexible sheet 14 is disposed in close contact with the surfaces on both sides of the flexible substrate 12, and as the material thereof, for example, a polyester resin-based, polyethylene resin-based or fluororesin-based synthetic resin sheet is used. Can do.

  And in the back part from the rear end of the front-end | tip part main body 2, the electrically insulating heat contraction tube 15 is also shown in FIG. 6 which illustrates the VI-VI cross section in FIG. 3 in the state which surrounds those outer surfaces. Thus, the flexible substrate 12 is mechanically and electrically protected. As the heat shrinkable tube 15, for example, a synthetic resin tube such as polyester resin, polyethylene resin, fluorine resin, or silicon resin can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the main body portion 2A of the front end portion main body 2 is formed in a shape in which the inner portion and the outer portion of the double cylinder structure are partially connected integrally in the vicinity of the rear end portion, A substrate passage hole 16 through which the flexible substrate 12 and the reinforcing flexible sheet 14 along the flexible substrate 12 pass is formed through the portion in the front-rear direction. Two substrate passage holes 16 having an arc shape of, for example, about 150 ° around the axis of the main body 2A are formed at 180 ° symmetrical positions around the axis.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the reinforcing flexible sheet 14 is inserted into the substrate passage hole 16 from the rear of the tip body 2 at the position near the front end of the substrate passage hole 16 during assembly. Sometimes, there is a step 19 where the front end face of the inner reinforcing flexible sheet 14 of the two reinforcing flexible sheets 14 provided in close contact with both the inner and outer surfaces of each flexible substrate 12 abuts. The inner cylindrical portion of the main body 2A is formed at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface.

  As a result, in the process of assembling the flexible substrate 12 to the tip body 2, the inner reinforcing flexible sheet 14 can be accurately positioned if it is inserted to a position where the tip surface abuts against the step 19, and no further inside. In this state, the adhesive 13 is fixed to the tip body 2 by curing. The outer reinforcing flexible sheet 14 may be inserted and fixed in alignment with the inner reinforcing flexible sheet 14.

  A balloon 20 for removing an air layer from between the ultrasound probe 11 and the subject is detachable by an O-ring-shaped annular band 21 or the like in a circumferential groove formed at both front and rear ends of the tip body 2. Fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a supply / drainage hole 24 is formed in a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main body 2A located in the balloon 20, as shown in FIG. A communication hole 25 that communicates with the liquid hole 24 is formed in a state that the rear end of the main body 2 </ b> A extends in a direction parallel to the axis of the front end main body 2.

  Although only one supply / drainage hole 24 appears in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 5, the supply / drainage hole 24 is for leading and discharging liquid into the balloon 20. They are formed independently of each other at 180 ° symmetrical positions around the axis of the main part 2.

  The communication holes 25 communicating with the respective supply / drainage holes 24 are formed so as to be pulled out to the rear end of the main body 2A in a direction parallel to the axis of the front end main body 2 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. The tip of a balloon expansion tube 26 for feeding a fluid such as deaerated water into the balloon 20 is connected to one of the communication holes 25 at a 180 ° symmetrical position, and the other is connected to the fluid from the balloon 20. A balloon contraction tube 27 for discharging is connected.

  Each of the balloon expanding tube 26 and the balloon deflating tube 27 passes through the curved portion 1 rearward and is drawn rearward in the insertion portion. As shown in FIG. 6, the balloon expansion tube 26 and the balloon contraction tube 27 are divided into different gap portions between the plurality of flexible substrates 12 arranged at intervals of 90 °, as shown in FIG. Are arranged.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, you may apply this invention to ultrasonic endoscopes other than an electronic radial scanning type.

It is side surface sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope of the Example of this invention. It is a front view of the front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope of the Example of this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2 of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3 of the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is VV sectional drawing in FIG. 3 of the front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope of the Example of this invention. It is VI-VI sectional drawing in FIG. 3 of the front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope of the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Tip part main body 2A Body part 2B Tip nut part 3 Observation window 6 Objective optical system 9 Treatment tool insertion channel 11 Ultrasonic probe 11a Ultrasonic vibrator 12 Flexible substrate 14 Reinforcing flexible sheet 15 Heat shrinkable tube 16 Substrate passage hole 19 steps

Claims (1)

An ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal and an objective optical system for performing optical observation are arranged on the distal end main body arranged at the most distal portion of the insertion portion, and input and output to the ultrasonic probe. A flexible substrate, which is a signal transmission member for transmitting a signal to be transmitted in the insertion portion, is drawn from the distal end body into the insertion portion behind the flexible substrate, and is formed to have the same width as the flexible substrate. insulating two reinforcing flexible sheet over the inserted portion from the distal portion within the body, the flexible substrate the flexible substrate in a state of sandwiching the sandwich from the inner and outer directions in the radial direction of the distal end portion main body At the distal end of the ultrasonic endoscope arranged so as to overlap with
At least the second half of the tip body is formed in an inner / outer double cylinder shape, and the one positioned on the inner side of the two reinforcing flexible sheets when the reinforcing flexible sheet is inserted from the rear . stepped distal end surface of the sheet only abuts, ultrasonic endoscope, characterized in that formed in the middle position of the outer peripheral surface of the inner tubular body of said inner and outer double tubular tip body The tip of the.

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