JP5006733B2 - Fixing structure of light guide fiber in perspective-type ultrasound endoscope - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a perspective ultrasonic endoscope, and more particularly to a light guide fiber fixing structure that supplies light to an illumination lens provided on an inclined surface of a perspective ultrasonic endoscope.

As a conventional example of a perspective-type ultrasonic endoscope, there are those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example.
The ultrasonic endoscope 01 includes a convex ultrasonic probe 03 at the distal end of the insertion portion 02, and immediately after the ultrasonic probe 03 is a resin portion 04 made of a synthetic resin. An inclined surface 05 that is inclined with respect to the axis of the insertion portion 02 (resin portion 04) is formed at the distal end portion of the resin portion 04, and an illumination lens 06, an objective lens (not shown), and the like are provided on the inclined surface 05. ing.
As shown in the drawing, a light guide fiber insertion hole 07 that penetrates the resin portion 04 is formed inside the resin portion 04. The light guide fiber insertion hole 07 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the axis of the insertion part 02 from the tip of the axis parallel part 08 and the axis parallel part 08 parallel to the axis of the insertion part 02. And a sloped portion 09 that reaches.
The light guide fiber LGF provided in the insertion portion 02 supplies illumination light to the illumination lens 06. As shown in the drawing, the front end portion and the vicinity of the front end portion are fitted in the light guide fiber insertion hole 07, The front end face is connected to the illumination lens 06.

As shown in the figure, the axial parallel part 08 is designed to have a larger diameter than the inclined part 09 and the light guide fiber LGF. This is because the distal end portion of the light guide fiber insertion hole 07 is an inclined portion 09 that is inclined with respect to the axis of the insertion portion 02.
That is, if the axis parallel part 08 has the same diameter as the light guide fiber LGF, the front end part of the light guide fiber LGF is inclined when the light guide fiber LGF is inserted into the light guide fiber insertion hole 07 from the rear end of the resin part 04. It becomes impossible to fit the part 09. However, when the axis parallel part 08 is formed to have a larger diameter than the light guide fiber LGF as shown in the drawing, the light guide fiber LGF is tilted with respect to the axis parallel part 08 in the axis parallel part 08, and the light guide fiber The front end portion of the LGF can be fitted to the inclined portion 09.

However, if the axial parallel portion 08 is made larger in diameter than the light guide fiber LGF in this way, a gap is formed between the axial parallel portion 08 and the light guide fiber LGF, so that the light guide fiber LGF does not move within the axial parallel portion 08 as it is. I'll be overwhelmed.
Therefore, a screw hole 010 extending inward in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the resin part 04 toward the axis parallel part 08 is formed, and a fixing screw 011 is screwed into the screw hole 010, and the tip of the fixing screw 011 is inserted. The surface is pressed against the peripheral surface of the light guide fiber LGF, and the light guide fiber LGF is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel part 08 and the tip of the fixing screw 011.
JP-A-8-248329

In recent years, in order to reduce the burden on the patient, the insertion portion 02 (and its distal end portion) of the endoscope is often designed to have a smaller diameter than before. When the diameter of the insertion portion 02 is reduced in this way, the diameter of the resin portion 04 is reduced accordingly, so that only a short screw hole 010 can be drilled in the resin portion 04.
However, when the screw hole 010 is shortened, the screwing amount between the screw hole 010 and the fixing screw 011 decreases, so that the screwing force between the two decreases, and as a result, the fixing force of the light guide fiber LGF by the fixing screw 011 decreases. Resulting in.
On the other hand, in order to make the screw hole 010 longer, the diameter of the resin portion 04 may be increased. However, if the diameter of the resin portion 04 is increased, the insertion portion 02 becomes larger in diameter, which increases the burden on the patient. Resulting in.

  The present invention provides a perspective type ultrasonic endoscope that can securely fix a light guide fiber in a light guide fiber insertion hole formed in a hard portion that is a component near the distal end of the insertion portion even if the insertion portion has a small diameter. An object of the present invention is to provide a light guide fiber fixing structure.

The fixing structure of the light guide fiber in the perspective type ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention is located immediately after the ultrasonic probe formed at the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and is inclined on the outer peripheral surface with respect to the axis of the insertion portion. A perspective-type ultrasonic endoscope comprising: a hard portion having an inclined surface; an illumination lens provided on the inclined surface; and a light guide fiber provided in the hard portion and having a distal end connected to the illumination lens. In the above, the axis parallel part having a larger diameter than the light guide fiber extending substantially parallel to the axis from the rear end surface of the hard part to the front, formed so as to penetrate the inside of the hard part, and the axis parallel part A light guide fiber insertion hole into which the light guide fiber is inserted, and an inner circumference of the axis parallel portion, the inclined portion extending while being inclined with respect to the axis from the front end toward the inclined surface And inserted into the said axis parallel portion so as to contact the circumferential surface of the light guide fiber, extending in a direction parallel to the said axis parallel portion, and a front tapered surface whose diameter is reduced toward the peripheral surface of the front end face forward And a fixing rod.

  When the fixing rod is inserted into the axis parallel portion, it is preferable that the rear end portion of the fixing rod protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the hard portion.

  A first covering member straddling a peripheral surface of the light guide fiber between a portion located in the axial parallel portion and a portion projecting rearward from the hard portion; and a front end located at the rear of the first covering member And a second covering member that is radially overlapped with a rear end portion of the first covering member, and a thread winding portion around which the rear end portion of the first covering member and the front end portion of the second covering member are wound. The fixing rod is fixed to each other, and the fixing rod is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion and the peripheral surface of the light guide fiber, and the bobbin winding portion on the portion protruding rearward from the rear end surface of the hard portion It is preferable to have a recess that is recessed so as to escape.

  According to the present invention, when the fixing rod is inserted into the gap formed between the inner peripheral surface of the light guide fiber insertion hole and the axial parallel portion of the light guide fiber and the light guide fiber, the fixing rod is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the axial parallel portion and the light guide. Since it contacts the outer peripheral surface of the fiber, the light guide fiber is fixed in the axial parallel portion.

  In order to increase the fixing force of the light guide fiber by the fixing rod in the present invention, when the light guide fiber is inserted into the axis parallel portion, the outer peripheral surface of the light guide fiber is the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion and the light guide. The cross-sectional shape of the fixing rod may be set so as to be in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fiber, and the longitudinal dimension of the fixing rod may be increased in order to increase the contact area between the light guide fiber and the axis parallel portion. And since it is possible to process the fixing rod in this way even if the hard part (insertion part) has a small diameter, according to the present invention, the light guide fiber is used regardless of the diameter of the hard part (insertion part). Can be firmly fixed.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rear end portion of the fixing rod protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the hard portion when the fixing rod is inserted into the axis parallel portion. ) And can be inserted into and removed from the axis parallel part of the fixing rod. Therefore, it becomes easy to insert and remove the fixed rod from the axis parallel portion.

When the rear end portion of the first covering member covering the outer peripheral surface of the light guide fiber and the front end portion of the second covering member are fixed to each other by the thread winding portion, the thread winding portion is attached to the rear end portion of the first covering member and the second covering member. On the other hand, it protrudes radially outward. For this reason, if the rear end portion of the fixing rod has the same thickness as the other portions, the rear end portion of the fixing portion interferes with the bobbin winding portion, and the fixing rod cannot be inserted into the axis parallel portion.
However, according to the third aspect of the present invention, even if the thread winding portion is formed on the light guide fiber, the concave portion formed on the fixing rod escapes the thread winding portion, so that the fixing rod and the thread winding portion do not interfere with each other. Therefore, it is possible to insert and remove the fixing rod from the axis parallel portion.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the following description, the front-rear direction defines the distal end side of the insertion portion 13 of the ultrasonic endoscope 10 as “front” and the proximal end side of the insertion portion 13 as “rearward”.
The perspective-type ultrasonic endoscope 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes both an operation unit 11 and an insertion unit 13 that extends forward from the operation unit 11 and covers most of the circumferential surface with a mesh tube 12a and a skin material 12b. A universal tube 14 and an ultrasonic image transmission tube 15 extending from the operation unit 11 to the opposite side of the insertion unit 13, and the end of the universal tube 14 and the ultrasonic image transmission tube 15 are connected to the processor connector 16 and the ultrasonic image transmission tube 15. A sonic image connector 17 is provided.
The bending portion 19 that forms the vicinity of the distal end portion of the insertion portion 13 is a portion that bends in the vertical and horizontal directions in accordance with the rotation operation of the bending operation lever 20 provided in the operation portion 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a convex ultrasonic probe 22 is provided at the distal end portion of the insertion portion 13. Furthermore, an annular groove 23 for fitting an elastic ring (not shown) for fixing a balloon (not shown) attached to the ultrasound probe 22 to two places before and after the ultrasound probe 22 and an annular groove. 24 is recessed.
When an ultrasonic switch (not shown) provided in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (not shown) connected to the ultrasonic image connector 17 is pressed, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the surface of the ultrasonic probe 22 toward the test portion. Then, the ultrasonic probe 22 receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the test part. Further, inside the insertion portion 13 (resin portion 25), the operation portion 11 and the ultrasonic image transmission tube 15, an ultrasonic wave having a front end connected to the ultrasonic probe 22 and a rear end connected to the ultrasonic image connector 17 is provided. An image signal transmission cable UC is provided (see FIG. 3). Accordingly, when an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 22 to the test portion with the ultrasonic image connector 17 connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic image signal obtained by the ultrasonic probe 22 is converted into an ultrasonic wave. After being electrically processed by the diagnostic device, it is displayed on the CRT monitor.

The portion immediately after the ultrasonic probe 22 in the insertion portion 13 is constituted by a resin portion (hard portion) 25 formed of synthetic resin and not elastically deformable. As shown in the figure, an inclined surface 26 that is inclined with respect to the axis of the resin portion 25 (and the insertion portion 13) is formed in the vicinity of the front end portion of the resin portion 25.
The inclined surface 26 is provided with an illumination lens L1 (see FIG. 2), an objective lens (not shown), and an outlet opening (not shown) of the treatment instrument insertion tube 27 (see FIG. 3). Since the front end of the light guide fiber LGF disposed in the insertion portion 13 (resin portion 25), the operation portion 11, the universal tube 14, and the processor connector 16 is connected to the illumination lens L1, the processor connector 16 Is connected to the processor P, light generated by a light source (not shown) built in the processor P is irradiated from the illumination lens L1 to the outside through the light guide fiber LGF.
An imaging element 28 (see FIG. 3) built in the resin portion 25 is located immediately after the objective lens, and the imaging element is in the insertion portion 13, the operation portion 11, the universal tube 14, and the processor connector 16. An image signal transmission cable (not shown) extending from 28 is provided. Accordingly, when the processor connector 16 is connected to the processor P, an observation image by the objective lens picked up by the image pickup device 28 is sent as an electronic image signal to an image processing device in the processor P and displayed on the CRT monitor to which the processor P is connected. Is done.

Next, the fixing structure of the light guide fiber LGF in the resin portion 25 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a light guide fiber insertion hole 30 that penetrates the resin portion 25 is formed in the resin portion 25. As shown in the drawing, the light guide fiber insertion hole 30 includes an axial parallel part 31 extending in parallel with the axis of the insertion part 13 (resin part 25) from the rear end surface of the resin part 25 and the front end of the axial parallel part 31. An inclined portion 32 that extends in a direction inclined with respect to the axis and opens at the inclined surface 26 is provided.
The light guide fiber LGF is obtained by bundling a large number of light-guiding fibers, covering the vicinity of the tip portion with a first covering member 35, and covering the rear portion of the first covering member 35 with a second covering member 36. . Further, the front end portion of the second covering member 36 is overlapped with the rear end portion of the first covering member 35 from the outer peripheral side, and a thread winding portion 37 is formed by winding a thread around the overlapping portion and then hardening with an adhesive. The front end portion of the second covering member 36 and the rear end portion of the first covering member 35 are fixed to each other by the thread winding portion 37.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, since the inclined portion 32 is inclined with respect to the axis parallel portion 31, even if the light guide fiber LGF is inserted straight into the axis parallel portion 31 from the rear of the resin portion 25, the light guide The tip of the fiber LGF cannot be guided to the inclined portion 32. Therefore, when the distal end portion of the light guide fiber LGF is inserted up to the front end portion of the axial parallel portion 31, the inclination of the distal end portion of the light guide fiber LGF is utilized using the internal space of the axial parallel portion 31 having a larger sectional diameter than the light guide fiber LGF. The tip portion of the light guide fiber LGF is inserted into the inclined portion 32 while adjusting the angle. As shown in FIG. 2, when the distal end portion of the light guide fiber LGF is inserted into the inclined portion 32, the bobbin winding portion 37 is positioned behind the rear end surface of the resin portion 25.

  When the vicinity of the distal end portion of the light guide fiber LGF is inserted into the light guide fiber insertion hole 30 in this manner, the outer peripheral surface of the light guide fiber LGF (first covering member 35) and the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion 31 are illustrated as shown. There is a gap between them. Therefore, from the rear of the resin portion 25, the gap in the axis parallel portion 31 extends in a direction parallel to the axis parallel portion 31, and the front end and the rear end circumferential surfaces become a front end tapered surface 41 and a rear end tapered surface 42, respectively. The fixing rod 40 made of resin (beveled) is fitted. Then, the peripheral surface of the fixing rod 40 is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the light guide fiber LGF (first covering member 35), and further, the outer periphery of the light guide fiber LGF (first covering member 35). Since the portion of the surface opposite to the fixing rod 40 is in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion 31, the light guide fiber LGF is firmly fixed in the axis parallel portion 31.

In addition, the fixing rod 40 of the present embodiment has an advantage that the light guide fiber LGF can be firmly fixed regardless of the diameter of the resin portion 25 (insertion portion 13).
That is, the requirement for increasing the fixing force of the light guide fiber LGF in the axis parallel part 31 when using the fixing rod 40 is as follows:
(A) When the fixing rod 40 is inserted into the axis parallel part 31, the outer peripheral surface of the fixing bar 40 comes into pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel part 31 and the peripheral surface of the light guide fiber LGF (first covering member 35). To set the cross-sectional shape of the fixing rod 40,
(B) In order to increase the contact area with the light guide fiber LGF (first covering member 35) and the axis parallel part 31, the longitudinal dimension of the fixing rod 40 is increased.
And it is possible to manufacture the fixing rod 40 so as to satisfy the requirements (A) and (B) even if the resin portion 25 (insertion portion 13) has a small diameter. Therefore, in this embodiment, the light guide fiber LGF can be firmly fixed regardless of the diameter of the resin portion 25 (insertion portion 13).

  Further, a front end tapered surface 41 and a rear end tapered surface 42 are formed at the front end and the rear end of the fixed rod 40. Therefore, compared to the case where the front end tapered surface 41 and the rear end tapered surface 42 are not provided, the insertion of the fixing rod 40 into the axis parallel part 31 and the removal from the axis parallel part 31 are simple.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
The fixing rod 50 of this embodiment is made of resin, and the pressing portion 51 that forms the front half of the fixing rod 50 has the same cross-sectional shape as the fixing rod 40. On the other hand, a concave portion 52 is formed in the rear half of the fixed rod 50, so that the rear half of the fixed rod 50 is a small diameter portion 53 having a smaller diameter than the front half. Furthermore, the peripheral surface of the front end of the pressing portion 51 is a front end tapered surface 54.
For example, when the front half of the fixing rod 50 is inserted into the axis parallel part 31 while pinching the small diameter part 53 with tweezers (not shown), the pressing part 51 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel part 31 and the light guide fiber LGF (first covering material). 35), the light guide fiber LGF can be firmly fixed as in the first embodiment.
Further, since the total length of the fixing rod 50 is longer than the axis parallel portion 31, when the fixing rod 50 is inserted into the axis parallel portion 31, the rear end portion of the small diameter portion 53 protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the resin portion 25, and the small diameter portion 53 is Opposite to the thread winding portion 37. However, since the concave portion 52 of the fixing rod 50 escapes from the thread winding portion 37 at this time, the fixing rod 50 can be inserted into the axis parallel portion 31 without interfering with the thread winding portion 37.
Furthermore, if the portion protruding backward from the resin portion 25 of the small diameter portion 53 is picked with, for example, tweezers, the fixing rod 50 inserted into the axis parallel portion 31 can be easily extracted from the axis parallel portion 31.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on 1st and 2nd embodiment, this invention is not limited to both embodiment, It can implement, giving various deformation | transformation.
For example, in the first and second embodiments, the fixed rod 40 and the fixed rod 50 are made of resin, but may be formed of a material other than resin (for example, metal).
Moreover, you may shape | mold the hard part which comprises the front-end | tip part vicinity of the insertion part 13 with hard materials other than a synthetic resin.

1 is an overall view of an ultrasonic endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of front-end | tip part of an ultrasonic endoscope. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III arrow line of FIG. It is a side view similar to FIG. 2 of 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope of a prior art example. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI arrow line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic endoscope 11 Operation part 12a Reticulated tube 12b Outer material 13 Insertion part 14 Universal tube 15 Ultrasonic image transmission tube 16 Processor connector 17 Ultrasonic image connector 19 Bending part 20 Bending operation lever 22 Ultrasonic probe 23 24 annular groove 25 resin part (hard part)
26 Inclined surface 27 Treatment instrument insertion tube 28 Imaging element 30 Light guide fiber insertion hole 31 Axis parallel portion 32 Inclined portion 35 First covering member 36 Second covering member 37 Thread winding portion 40 Fixing rod 41 Front end tapered surface 42 Rear end tapered surface 50 Fixing rod 51 Pressing portion 52 Recessed portion 53 Small diameter portion 54 Front end tapered surface L1 Illumination lens LGF Light guide fiber P Processor UC Ultrasonic image signal transmission cable

Claims (3)

A hard portion that is located immediately after the ultrasonic probe formed at the distal end portion of the insertion portion and has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the axis of the insertion portion on the outer peripheral surface thereof;
An illumination lens provided on the inclined surface;
In the perspective type ultrasonic endoscope provided with the light guide fiber provided in the hard portion, the tip portion of which is connected to the illumination lens,
An axis parallel portion having a diameter larger than that of the light guide fiber and extending substantially parallel to the axis from the rear end surface of the hard portion to the front, and the front end of the axis parallel portion formed so as to penetrate the inside of the hard portion A light guide fiber insertion hole into which the light guide fiber is inserted, having an inclined portion extending while being inclined with respect to the axis from the inclined surface to the inclined surface;
Inserted into the axial parallel portion so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the axial parallel portion and the peripheral surface of the light guide fiber, extending in a direction parallel to the axial parallel portion, and as the peripheral surface of the front end surface is moved forward. A fixed rod having a tapered surface at the front end to reduce the diameter ;
A structure for fixing a light guide fiber in a perspective-type ultrasonic endoscope. In the fixing structure of the light guide fiber in the perspective ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1,
A structure for fixing a light guide fiber in a perspective ultrasonic endoscope in which a rear end portion of the fixing rod protrudes rearward from a rear end surface of the hard portion when the fixing rod is inserted into the axis parallel portion. In the fixing structure of the light guide fiber in the perspective ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 2,
A first covering member straddling a peripheral surface of the light guide fiber between a portion located in the axis parallel portion and a portion protruding rearward from the hard portion; and a front end portion of the first covering member located behind the first covering member A second covering member that is overlapped with the rear end portion of the first covering member in the radial direction;
Fixing the rear end portion of the first covering member and the front end portion of the second covering member to each other by a thread winding portion around which a thread is wound;
The fixing bar is recessed so as to escape the wound portion from the inner peripheral surface of the axis parallel portion and the pressing portion that contacts the peripheral surface of the light guide fiber and the portion protruding rearward from the rear end surface of the hard portion. And a light guide fiber fixing structure in a perspective ultrasonic endoscope.

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