JP5006605B2 - Endoscope flexible tube - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a flexible tube of an endoscope.

  In general, a flexible tube of an endoscope inserted into a body has a configuration in which a metal spiral tube is covered with a mesh tube and a flexible skin is further covered on the outside thereof. However, when high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization (autoclave) is performed after using the endoscope, the metal spiral tube may contract in the axial direction.

Therefore, in order to obtain durability not to be easily shrunk by high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization (autoclave), instead of a metal spiral tube, a plurality of rigid short joint pieces arranged in series on the same axis are rivets. There is one using a flexible tubular frame structure in which a plurality of pivotal connection shafts are rotatably connected (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-9-24020

  However, even in the case of an endoscope flexible tube using a flexible tube frame in which a plurality of joint pieces are rotatably connected by a connecting shaft, if the high temperature and high pressure steam sterilization (autoclave) is performed, the axis line A large force that tries to contract in the direction is still applied, and the force acts as a force that bends the connecting shaft. For this reason, the high temperature and high pressure steam sterilization (autoclave) is repeatedly performed, whereby the connecting shaft is gradually deformed, and the flexible tube may not bend smoothly.

  The present invention relates to an endoscope flexible tube using a flexible tube frame in which a plurality of joint pieces are rotatably connected by a connecting shaft, and is contracted in the axial direction by high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization (autoclave). It is an object to prevent the connecting shaft from being deformed even when a force to be applied acts and maintain a flexible flexibility.

  In order to achieve the above object, the flexible tube of the endoscope according to the present invention is a flexible tube that can be bent as a whole by a plurality of short cylindrical joint pieces arranged in series on a coaxial line. A flexible tube for an endoscope having a structure in which a tube frame is formed, a mesh tube formed by braiding wires is covered with a flexible tube frame, and an outermost layer is covered with a flexible skin. The tongue pieces protrude from the front and rear ends of each joint piece, and one tongue piece is recessed in the radial direction of the joint pieces so that the tongue pieces of adjacent joint pieces overlap each other. In a flexible tube of an endoscope in which adjacent joint pieces are rotatably connected by a connection shaft fitted from the other tongue piece side into a connection hole formed in at least one tongue piece, When a force to compress the flexible tube in the axial direction is applied, the connecting shaft is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole. Before the outer peripheral surface is pressed, the protruding edge of the outer tongue piece abuts the stepped portion of the inner tongue piece in the overlapping portion of the tongue pieces, and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft contacts the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole. Is not pressed.

  The connecting shaft may be formed integrally with the other tongue piece, or the connecting shaft is formed separately from the plurality of joint pieces and connected to both overlapping tongue pieces. A connection hole through which the shaft passes may be formed.

  According to the present invention, when the force for compressing the flexible tube of the endoscope in the axial direction is applied, the overlapping portion of the tongue pieces is overlapped before the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole. In this case, the protruding edge of the outer tongue comes into contact with the stepped portion of the inner tongue so that the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft is not pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole. Thus, even if a force for contracting in the axial direction is applied, the connecting shaft is not deformed, and flexible flexibility can be maintained.

  A plurality of short cylindrical joint pieces arranged in series on a coaxial line are rotatably connected to form a flexible tube frame that can be bent as a whole, and a mesh tube formed by braiding wire is possible. It is a flexible tube of an endoscope that is covered with a flexible tube frame and has a structure in which a flexible skin is covered on the outermost layer, and tongue pieces are formed to protrude at both front and rear ends of each joint piece, One tongue piece is formed to be recessed in the radial direction of the joint piece so that the tongue pieces of adjacent joint pieces overlap each other, and is fitted into the connecting hole formed in at least one tongue piece of the overlapping tongue pieces from the other tongue piece side. When a force compressing the flexible tube of the endoscope in the axial direction is applied to the flexible tube of the endoscope in which the adjacent joint pieces are rotatably connected by the connected shaft, the inner periphery of the connection hole The tongues overlap before the outer surface of the connecting shaft is pressed against the surface. Projecting edge of the outer tongues to recessed step portion of the inner side of the tongue in the stomach portion abuts, so that the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft to the inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole is not in a state being pressed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows the appearance of an endoscope, and a flexible tube portion 1 constituting an insertion portion to be inserted into the body has flexibility that can be bent to an arbitrary state by an external force, and an optical fiber. And various built-in objects such as signal cables and tubes are inserted in the interior.

  A bending portion 2 that is bent by a force acting by remote operation is provided at the distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 1, and a distal end portion body 3 on which an observation window or the like is arranged is connected to the distal end of the bending portion 2. The bending portion 2 is operated in a desired direction as exemplified by a two-dot chain line by selectively rotating the bending operation knobs 5 and 6 in the operation portion 4 connected to the proximal end of the flexible tube portion 1. Can be bent at a desired angle.

  A connector portion 12 that is detachably connected to a light source device (also serves as a video processor) (not shown) is attached to the distal end of a flexible connecting flexible tube 11 that extends rearward from the operation portion 4. .

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a flexible tube portion 1. In the flexible tube portion 1 of the present invention, a plurality of short cylindrical joint pieces 7 arranged in series on a coaxial line are rotatably connected. A flexible tube frame that can be bent as a whole is formed, and the outer peripheral surface thereof is covered with a net-like tube 8 braided with a fine wire made of, for example, a stainless steel fine wire, and the outermost layer portion that is the outer periphery thereof is synthesized. The flexible outer skin 9 made of a resin material or an elastomer is covered. In addition, illustration of built-in things, such as an optical fiber bundle, is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, which is a single perspective view, the joint piece 7 has both front and rear ends of a short cylindrical short tube portion 70 made of a metal material such as austenitic stainless steel material. A pair of tongue pieces 72, 72 and 73, 73 are formed so as to project at 180 ° symmetrical positions in the circumferential direction.

  Each pair of tongue pieces 72, 72 and 73, 73 has a short pair of tongue pieces 72, 72 at one of the front and rear ends so that the tongue pieces 72, 73 of adjacent joint pieces 7 overlap each other. A pair of tongue pieces 73, 73 at the other end are formed without a step difference from the short cylinder portion 70. Reference numeral 71 denotes a stepped portion of the tongue piece 72 formed to be recessed from the short tube portion 70.

  And it is inserted from the other tongue piece 73 side into the connection hole 74 formed in one tongue piece (in this embodiment, the tongue piece formed in a recess) 72 of the overlapping tongue pieces 72 and 73. The adjacent joint pieces 7 and 7 are rotatably connected by the connecting shaft 75.

  The connecting shaft 75 of this embodiment is integrally formed with the joint piece 7 and the tongue piece 73 by a manufacturing method such as metal injection, and is inserted into the connecting hole 74 from the outside to the inside so as to be freely rotatable. In this way, it is formed so as to protrude inward in a short cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 4, which is a front view of the joint piece 7, the connection hole 74 and the connection shaft 75 are provided in directions different by 90 ° around the axis of the joint piece 7.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the connecting hole 74 is formed to a size that fits somewhat loosely with the connecting shaft 75, and when a force for compressing the flexible tube portion 1 in the axial direction is applied, Before the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 75 is pressed against the peripheral surface, the protruding edge of the outer tongue piece 73 comes into contact with the stepped portion 71 of the inner tongue piece 72 in the overlapping portion between the tongue pieces 72 and 73. The outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 75 is not pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole 74.

  That is, in FIG. 1, a gap (gap in the axial direction of the joint piece 7) E between the connecting shaft 75 and the connecting hole 74 is a gap between the protruding end of the outer tongue piece 73 and the stepped portion 71 (the axis of the joint piece 7). The gap in the direction is larger than e). That is, E> e.

  As a result, even in a flexible tube of an endoscope using a flexible tube frame in which a plurality of joint pieces 7 are rotatably connected by a connecting shaft 75, the axis line is obtained by high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization (autoclave). When a force for contracting in the direction is applied, the connecting shaft 75 is not deformed, and flexible flexibility can be maintained.

  FIG. 5 shows only the connecting portion of the adjacent joint piece 7 of the flexible tube frame in the flexible tube of the endoscope according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the connecting shaft 75 is formed independently from each joint piece 7, and a connecting hole 74 through which the connecting shaft 75 passes is formed in both overlapping tongue pieces 72 and 73.

  The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a large number of joint pieces 7 arranged in series on the coaxial line are rotatably connected to form a flexible tube structure that can be bent as a whole. The outer peripheral surface is covered with a mesh tube (not shown) and a flexible skin.

  The connecting hole 74 is formed to a size that fits to the connecting shaft 75 somewhat loosely, and when a force for compressing the flexible tube portion 1 in the axial direction is applied, the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole 74 is formed. Before the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 75 is pressed, at the overlapping portion of the tongue pieces 72, 73, as shown in FIG. Since the edge does not contact and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 75 is not pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole 74, the connecting shaft 75 is not deformed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, the structure of the connection part of the adjacent joint piece 7 of various structures, such as the one in which the connection shaft 75 is integrally molded by the overlapping inner tongue piece 72, is carried out. The present invention can be applied to anything.

It is side surface sectional drawing of the flexible tube part of the endoscope of 1st Example of this invention. 1 is an external view of an example of an endoscope to which the present invention is applied. It is a perspective view of the single piece of the joint piece of the 1st example of the present invention. It is a front view which shows a part of single unit of the joint piece of the 1st Example of this invention in a cross section. It is side surface sectional drawing of the connection part of the adjacent joint piece of the 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible pipe part 7 Joint piece 8 Reticulated pipe 9 Flexible outer skin 70 Short cylinder part 71 Step part 72 Tongue piece 73 Tongue piece 74 Connecting hole 75 Connecting shaft

Claims (3)

A plurality of short cylindrical joint pieces arranged in series on a coaxial line are rotatably connected to form a flexible tube frame that can be bent as a whole, and a mesh tube formed by braiding a wire is the above-mentioned An endoscope flexible tube having a configuration in which a flexible tube frame is covered and a flexible outer skin is covered on the outermost layer,
Tongue pieces are formed to protrude at both front and rear ends of each joint piece, and one tongue piece is formed to be recessed in the radial direction of the joint piece so that the tongue pieces of adjacent joint pieces overlap each other. In the flexible tube of the endoscope in which the adjacent joint pieces are rotatably connected to each other by a connecting shaft fitted from the other tongue piece side into a connecting hole formed in one tongue piece,
When the force that compresses the flexible tube of the endoscope in the axial direction is applied, the inner surface of the overlapping portion of the tongue pieces overlaps before the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connecting hole. In the axial direction of the joint piece, the protruding edge of the outer tongue piece contacts the stepped portion of the tongue piece so that the outer peripheral surface of the connection shaft is not pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the connection hole . A flexible tube for an endoscope, wherein a gap (E) between the connecting shaft and the connecting hole is formed to be larger than a gap (e) between the protruding end of the outer tongue piece and the stepped portion .   The flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the connecting shaft is integrally formed with the other tongue piece.   The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the connecting shaft is formed separately from the plurality of joint pieces, and a connecting hole through which the connecting shaft passes is formed in both overlapping tongue pieces. Flexible tube.

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