JP4598191B2 - End of the endoscope - Google Patents

Description

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

Many endoscopes are provided with a sub-water supply port for ejecting water toward the subject located in front of the distal end of the insertion section in order to wash away dirt, blood, etc. on the observation mucous membrane surface. Absent. In such an endoscope, conventionally, the auxiliary water supply port is simply formed to open forward (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-292958, paragraph [0014]

  As described above, in the structure in which the auxiliary water inlet is simply opened toward the front, the water ejected from the auxiliary water inlet is not directed toward the center of the observation field, so that it is difficult to aim and the mucosal surface to be observed is soiled. It may take time and effort to wash away blood and the like.

  In view of this, it is conceivable to arrange the auxiliary water supply port obliquely at the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope, but even if such a configuration is adopted, the position of the water ejected from the auxiliary water supply port is the center of the observation field of view. Only when the distance to the subject is a predetermined distance, the position of the water ejected from the sub-water supply port becomes farther away from the center of the observation field as the distance from the subject increases.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a distal end portion of an endoscope that can spray water ejected from a sub-water supply port to the center position of an observation visual field regardless of the distance to the subject.

  In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the endoscope of the present invention has an auxiliary water supply port for ejecting water toward the subject located in front of the distal end of the insertion portion, and the axis of the distal end of the insertion portion. Remotely insert a water flow attracting member that pulls the water ejected from the sub-water supply port to the side and bends the direction of ejection at the distal end of the endoscope that is arranged at the distal end of the insertion section in the parallel direction. By disposing the water flow attracting member so as to advance and retreat in the axial direction of the tip of the section, the water ejection angle is changed correspondingly by changing the water flow attracting member.

  An observation window for taking an endoscopic observation image is arranged on the distal end surface of the distal end of the insertion portion, and a water flow attracting member is provided at a position between the auxiliary water supply port and the observation window. The water ejected from the water mouth may be attracted to the water flow attracting member, and the direction of ejection may be bent in the forward direction of the observation window, and the water flow attracting member may be directed forward from the distal end surface of the distal end of the insertion portion. It may be a pin-like body that projects.

  According to the present invention, the water flow attracting member that acts to draw the water ejected from the auxiliary water supply side to the side and bend the direction of the ejection is moved forward and backward by remote operation, so that the corresponding water jet is ejected from the auxiliary water supply port. Since the angle at which the water is ejected changes, the water ejected from the auxiliary water inlet can be sprayed to the center position of the observation field regardless of the distance to the subject.

  In the distal end portion of the endoscope in which the secondary water supply port for ejecting water toward the subject located in front of the distal end of the insertion portion is arranged at the distal end of the insertion portion in a direction parallel to the axis of the distal end of the insertion portion, A water flow attracting member that draws the water ejected from the water supply port to the side and bends the direction of ejection is arranged to be able to move forward and backward in the axial direction of the distal end of the insertion portion by remote control, and the water flow attracting member is advanced and retracted. By doing so, the ejection angle of the water ejected from the auxiliary water supply port is changed correspondingly.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 shows the entire configuration of the endoscope. A distal end body 2 containing an objective optical system and the like is connected to the distal end of the flexible tubular insertion section 1, and an operation section is connected to the proximal end of the insertion section 1. 3 are connected.

  On the distal end surface 2a of the distal end portion main body 2, a sub water supply port 4 for ejecting water toward a subject located in front of the main body 2 is disposed, and a water supply tube 5 communicating with the sub water supply port 4 is provided. A water injection cap 6 that is inserted from the insertion unit 1 to the operation unit 3 and that injects water into the water supply tube 5 is arranged at the upper end of the operation unit 3.

  Further, the water flow attracting member 7 that acts to draw the water ejected from the auxiliary water supply port 4 to the side and bend the direction of the ejection protrudes from the distal end surface 2 a of the distal end main body 2 along with the auxiliary water supply port 4. It is provided freely.

  An operation knob 8 for advancing and retracting the water flow attracting member 7 in the axial direction of the tip end body 2 is disposed in the operation unit 3, and an operation wire passed from the insertion unit 1 into the operation unit 3. 9, the operation of the operation knob 8 is transmitted to the water flow attracting member 7.

  5 and 6 show the distal end portion of the insertion portion 1 of the endoscope. As shown in FIG. 5, the distal end surface 2a of the distal end portion main body 2 has an observation for taking an endoscope observation image. A window 11 and an illumination window 12 for emitting illumination light toward the observation range are arranged side by side. Reference numeral 13 denotes a treatment instrument protrusion, and reference numeral 14 denotes an air / water supply nozzle that is arranged to open toward the surface of the observation window 11.

  As shown in FIG. 6, an objective optical system 15 is disposed in the distal end main body 2 at the rear position of the observation window 11. Then, the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 16 is disposed at the projection position of the subject by the objective optical system 15, and the straight front of the distal end portion body 2 is observed with an endoscope.

  17 is a water passage hole formed through the tip body 2 in a direction parallel to the axis of the tip body 2, and is connected to the water feed tube 5 at the rear end thereof. It is four. The cross-sectional shape of the water passage hole 17 is a perfect circle, and the cross-sectional shape is opened as the auxiliary water supply port 4 in the front end surface 2a toward the front straight with the cross-sectional shape.

  The water flow attracting member 7 is formed in a long and narrow pin shape with a circular cross section, and is located in the vicinity of the edge of the auxiliary water supply port 4 and directly in front of the position between the auxiliary water supply port 4 and the observation window 11. It is arrange | positioned so that it can advance / retreat to an axial direction toward. Reference numeral 18 denotes an O-ring for sealing.

  The distal end of the operation wire 9 is connected and fixed to the rear end of the water flow attracting member 7, and when the operation wire 9 is advanced and retracted by remote operation from the operation unit 3, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The water flow attracting member 7 projects from the distal end surface 2 a of the distal end main body 2.

  However, when the water flow attracting member 7 comes into a state where the stopper step portions A and B formed so as to face the front end portion main body 2 and the vicinity of the rear end of the water flow attracting member 7 are in contact with each other, the front end portion is further increased. The main body 2 cannot protrude from the front end surface 2a.

  In the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the water flow attracting member 7 is retracted into the distal end surface 2a of the distal end portion main body 2 or is not so projected. In this case, the squirting water W is ejected straight forward from the auxiliary water supply port 4.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the water flow attracting member 7 is gradually projected forward from the distal end surface 2 a of the tip end body 2 and the projecting length of the water flow attracting member 7 reaches a certain level, It is drawn toward the water flow attracting member 7 and its ejection direction is bent in the forward direction of the observation window 11.

  Thus, the water flow attracting member 7 protrudes in parallel with the original jet direction of the jet water W without blocking the front of the sub-feed port 4 from which the jet water W is jetted straight forward. The squirting water W is drawn to the water flow attracting member 7 and bends because the fluid (spout water W) flows in parallel with the water flow attracting member 7 so that the portion between them becomes a negative pressure and the squirting water W is water drawn. It is considered that when the jet water W touches the water flow attracting member 7 by being brought close to the side of the close member 7, the jet water W sticks to the water flow attracting member 7 due to the surface tension of the water thereafter. .

  7, 8, and 1, when the protrusion length of the water flow attracting member 7 from the distal end surface 2 a of the tip end body 2 is gradually increased, the jet water W causes the water flow attracting member 7 to be changed. The angle of turn of the jet water W gradually decreases, and the angle of turn is minimized in the state of FIG. 1 where the stopper steps A and B are in contact.

  Therefore, by moving the water flow attracting member 7 in the axial direction by remote operation from the operation unit 3, the jet angle of the jet water W from the auxiliary water feed port 4 can be arbitrarily changed to determine the distance to the subject. Even in such a case, the filth, blood, and the like can be easily washed by spraying the squirt water W against the mucosal surface at the center position of the observation visual field.

  2 and 3 show how much the protrusion length L of the water flow attracting member 7 from the sub water feed port 4 becomes when the distance e between the sub water feed port 4 and the water flow attracting member 7 is changed. The experiment results when the squirting water W is bent are shown. The diameter d of the water flow attracting member 7 is d = 0.33 mm, and the diameter D of the auxiliary water feeding port 4 is D = 0.5 mm.

  From this experimental result, it is necessary that the distance e between the sub-water supply port 4 and the water flow attracting member 7 does not exceed 0.5 mm (e ≦ 0.5 mm). Even if the state of the water W is unstable and the water flow attracting member 7 hardly protrudes, the squirted water W bends, so the distance e between the sub-water feed port 4 and the water flow attracting member 7 is 0.3 mm to It is desirable to set in the range of 0.5 mm.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, even if it is the structure where the bending direction of the spout water W spouted from the subwater supply port 4 does not turn to the front direction of the observation window 11, this invention is applied. can do.

It is side surface sectional drawing of the state which the water-flow attracting member of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention protruded to the maximum. In the embodiment of the present invention, the distal end portion of the endoscope used in the experiment to clarify the relationship between the interval between the auxiliary water inlet and the water flow attracting member and the occurrence of bending of the jet water ejected from the auxiliary water inlet. It is a partial side sectional view. It is a table | surface which shows the experimental result which clarifies the relationship between the space | interval between the sub-water inlet of the Example of this invention, and a water flow attracting member, and generation | occurrence | production of the bending of the jet water ejected from a sub-water inlet. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the state which the water flow attracting member of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention protruded to the middle. It is side surface sectional drawing of the state which the water flow attracting member of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention protruded to the middle.

Explanation of symbols

1 Insertion Section 2 Tip Body (Insertion Tip)
2a Front end surface 3 Operation part 4 Sub-water supply port 7 Water flow attracting member 8 Operation knob 9 Operation wire 11 Observation window 17 Water flow hole W Spout water

Claims (3)

At the distal end portion of the endoscope, the auxiliary water supply port for ejecting water toward the subject located in front of the distal end of the insertion portion is disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion in a direction parallel to the axis of the distal end of the insertion portion. ,
A water flow attracting member that acts to draw the water ejected from the sub-water supply port to the side and bend the direction of ejection is disposed so as to be movable back and forth in the axial direction of the distal end of the insertion portion by remote control. A distal end portion of an endoscope, wherein the ejection angle of water ejected from the auxiliary water supply port is changed correspondingly by advancing and retracting the member.   An observation window for taking an endoscope observation image is disposed on the distal end surface of the insertion portion distal end, and the water flow attracting member is provided at a position between the auxiliary water supply port and the observation window, The distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1, wherein water ejected from the sub-water supply port is attracted to the water flow attracting member, and the ejection direction is bent forward of the observation window.   The distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water flow attracting member is a pin-like body projecting forward from a distal end surface of the distal end of the insertion portion.

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