JP5026310B2 - Endoscope flexible tube - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope flexible tube used for medical purposes and the like, and more particularly to a highly durable endoscope flexible tube.

  Conventionally, a flexible tube (for an endoscope) that is inserted into a living body such as a human body and used for diagnosis and treatment of an organ, collection of a specimen, etc. is wound with a thin strip-like plate spirally And a blade (net) that covers the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube, and a resin outer cover that covers the outer peripheral surface of the blade.

  In the conventional endoscope flexible tube (hereinafter also simply referred to as a flexible tube) configured as described above, the blade is positioned between the screw tube and the outer skin as described above, and By adhering to the inner peripheral surface, it plays the role of a rigid reinforcement for the flexible tube. That is, the blade increases the rigidity of the flexible tube as compared with the case where the blade is not used for the flexible tube, that is, compared with the case where only the outer skin covers the screw tube.

Such a blade is generally formed by knitting metal fibers such as stainless steel or brass. Therefore, for example, when a general resin outer skin is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the blade by a normal forming method such as extrusion, the chemical bond between the metal and the resin is originally due to intermolecular force. Since only weak bonding is used, the adhesiveness (adhesion or bonding) between the blade of the flexible tube and the outer skin often decreases while the endoscope is used.
In addition, since the chemical bond between metal and resin is very weak to water, the endoscope should be used in situations where water or water vapor exists, or in water, disinfectant, or cleaning liquid. In the case of the endoscope that covers the case of being washed, the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin of the flexible tube is quickly reduced.

  In the flexible tube, if the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin is reduced as described above, the function of the blade as a rigid reinforcement for the flexible tube is reduced, causing a reduction in the rigidity of the flexible tube, It often interferes with the use of endoscopes. Furthermore, in the flexible tube, if the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin is lowered as described above, the blade and the outer skin are peeled off, the buckling of the flexible tube occurs, and the endoscope It may be impossible to use.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope usable in which a network tubular blade formed by knitting a fibrous material and an outer skin (outer tube) are bonded (joined) with an adhesive interposed therebetween. A flexible tube is disclosed.
Patent Document 2 discloses that a fiber having a blade is formed by winding a fiber made of a thermoplastic resin around at least one metal wire of a metal wire set for knitting the blade, and a fiber made of a thermoplastic resin. An endoscope flexible tube in which the blade and the outer skin are bonded by melting is disclosed.
Further, in Patent Document 3, a release agent is interposed between the screw tube (flex) and the blade, and the blade and the blade are synthesized by an adhesive of polyester urethane using toluene diisocyanate as a monomer applied to the surface of the blade. An endoscope flexible tube in which an outer skin made of resin is bonded (bonded) is disclosed.

JP 59-137030 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-256085 JP-A 61-46923

The flexible tube for an endoscope disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a blade and an outer skin adhered by an adhesive, so that it is possible to prevent the flexible tube from being cured when an adhesive is used. Separation of the blade and the outer skin of the flexible tube, that is, a decrease in adhesiveness can be prevented.
However, the flexible tube for an endoscope disclosed in Patent Document 1 can prevent hardening of the flexible tube that occurs when an adhesive is used, but the adhesive is also generally made of resin, Since the bond between the blade and the outer skin is weak, the decrease in adhesion between the blade and the outer skin is not different from that of a conventional flexible tube for an endoscope.

In addition, since the endoscope flexible tube disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a part of the blade made of thermoplastic resin, the blade and the fiber serving as an adhesive are physically separated from each other. The blade and the outer skin are bonded by force and the fibers are melted, so that the blade and the outer skin are bonded to each other rather than the flexible tube in which the blade and the outer skin are bonded (adhered) with only the adhesive. It is considered that the adhesive strength (adhesion strength or bond strength) is high.
However, as described above, the flexible tube for an endoscope disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an adhesive strength between the blade and the outer skin rather than the flexible tube in which the blade and the outer skin are bonded only through the adhesive. However, while using a flexible tube, that is, an endoscope, the adhesiveness (adhesion or bondability) between the blade and the outer skin decreases and the rigidity of the flexible tube decreases. .

  Moreover, the flexible tube for endoscopes disclosed in Patent Document 3 uses a conventional adhesive because the blade and the outer skin are bonded to each other by a polyester-based urethane adhesive using toluene diisocyanate as a monomer. Although the adhesion between the blade and the outer skin is stronger than that of the flexible tube, the blade and the outer skin are basically bonded to each other by an adhesive made of resin. Even if the time is long, the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin is eventually lowered.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a blade and an outer sheath in a flexible tube due to moisture in the operating environment of the endoscope (including a cleaning environment) even when the endoscope is continuously used. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly flexible endoscope flexible tube that does not deteriorate its adhesiveness.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a screw tube formed by spirally winding a belt-like plate, a blade that covers the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube, and a resin-made resin that covers the outer peripheral surface of the blade. A flexible tube for an endoscope having an outer skin, wherein the blade is made of a metal fiber, and is made of a metal fiber layer formed as an inner layer in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube, and a first resin fiber, It has a two-layer structure in which a resin fiber layer formed as an outer layer is connected to the outside of the metal fiber layer, and the resin fiber layer of the blade has an adhesive attached to at least an outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin. In addition, the present invention provides a flexible tube for an endoscope, wherein only the resin fiber layer is adhered to the outer skin via the adhesive.

  In this invention, it is preferable to have the 2nd resin fiber which connects the said 1st resin fiber of the said resin fiber layer, and the said metal fiber of the said metal fiber layer.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that both the said metal resin layer and the said resin fiber layer are mesh shape.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that the said 1st resin fiber of the said resin fiber layer is a heat resistant resin fiber.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to further have a coat layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the outer skin.

  According to the present invention, by having the above-described configuration, the adhesiveness (adhesiveness or binding property) between the blade and the outer skin due to moisture under the usage time (including the cleaning environment) such as the usage time of the endoscope or the like. It is possible to provide a flexible tube for an endoscope that is reduced, i.e., the rigidity of the flexible tube for an endoscope hardly occurs. Further, by using such a flexible tube for an endoscope, Even if it is used for a long time, it does not cause buckling. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly durable endoscope with high durability, cost performance, and safety.

  Hereinafter, the flexible tube for an endoscope of the present invention will be described in detail based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example of an endoscope using the flexible tube for an endoscope of the present invention.
An endoscope 10 shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into an examination site such as a body cavity (gastrointestinal tract, otolaryngology, etc.) to observe the examination site, take a photograph or a movie, collect a tissue, and the like. .
The endoscope 10 is basically a known endoscope (endoscope apparatus) except for an endoscope flexible tube 26 (hereinafter also simply referred to as a flexible tube 26) of the present invention described later. It is the same thing, and is comprised by the insertion part 12, the operation part 14, and the universal cord 18 similarly to a normal endoscope.

The insertion part 12 is a long part to be inserted into an inspection part such as a body cavity, and includes a tip part 22 at the tip (tip on the insertion side = opposite end to the operation part 14), an angle part (curving part) 24, and the like. The flexible tube 26 of the present invention, which will be described later, has a distal end portion 22 connected to the distal end of the flexible tube 26 of the present invention via an angle portion 24.
The angle portion 24 is configured such that the direction of the distal end portion 22 can be changed by the operation knob 36 or 38 of the operation portion 14.

The operation unit 14 is a part that operates the endoscope 10.
Similar to a normal endoscope, a forceps port 28 for inserting a forceps, a suction button 30 for performing suction from an air / water supply nozzle at the distal end portion 22, and an air / water supply for performing air / water supply. A water supply button 32 and the like are arranged. As described above, the operation unit 14 is provided with operation means (the operation knob 36 or 38) for bending the angle portion 24 of the insertion unit 12.

  The universal cord (LG soft part) 18 is a part that connects the operation part 18 to a connector (not shown) for connecting the endoscope 10 with a water supply means, an air supply means, a suction means, and the like.

  In addition, in the endoscope 10 shown in FIG. 1, a light guide for illuminating an unillustrated inspection site, an air / water channel connected to an air / water nozzle, a forceps channel for inserting forceps, and an inspection A built-in object such as a cable (image guide for observation) for imaging a part is inserted.

As described above, the flexible tube 26 of the present invention is configured to be connected to the distal end portion 22 via the angle portion 24, and inspects the portion connecting the distal end portion 22 and the angle portion 24 and the operation portion 14. It is a long one having sufficient flexibility for insertion into a part, and accommodates the light guide, air / water supply channel, forceps channel, cable and the like.
FIG. 2 conceptually shows an embodiment of the flexible tube 26 of the present invention.

The flexible tube 26 of the present invention includes a screw tube (flex) 40 formed by spirally winding a thin strip plate, a blade (net) 42 covering the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40, and an outer peripheral surface of the blade 42. Further, the blade 42 is made of a metal fiber 52, a metal fiber layer 41 formed as an inner layer in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40, and a resin fiber 50, It has a two-layer structure in which a resin fiber layer 43 formed as an outer layer is connected to the outside of the metal fiber layer 41, and the resin fiber layer 43 of the blade 42 has an adhesive attached to at least the outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin 44. In other words, only the resin fiber layer 43 is bonded to the outer skin 44 via an adhesive.
Here, the resin fiber 50 is preferably a heat-resistant resin fiber.
In addition, the flexible tube 26 of the present invention preferably has a coat layer 46 that covers the outer peripheral surface of a resin outer shell 44 as shown in FIG.
In the present invention, a hollow tubular body in which the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40 is covered with the blade 42 is referred to as an inner tube (intermediate product) 48.

  The screw tube 40 is not particularly limited, and may be attached to the flexible tube 26 of the endoscope 10 as long as it can accommodate and protect the light guide, the air / water supply channel, the forceps channel, the cable, and the like. What is generally used may be used.

In addition, you may use the screw tube 40 which attached the mold release agent as needed.
In this case, the release agent to be attached to the screw tube 40 may be a known release agent, and the method for attaching the release agent to the screw tube 40 may be performed by a known method.

By the way, for example, in Patent Document 2, a blade in which a fiber made of a thermoplastic resin is wound around a metal fiber (metal wire) constituting the blade is used, and the thermoplastic resin is melted to bond the blade and the outer skin. A flexible tube is disclosed.
Further, the present inventor has a blade 104 in which metal fibers 100 and resin fibers 102 are mixed as shown in FIG. 3 (FIG. 4) as an alternative to the conventional flexible tube, as shown in FIG. Then, an adhesive 106 was applied to the entire blade 104, and a flexible tube was devised in which the blade 104 and the outer skin 108 were adhered by the adhesive 106.
3 is a schematic view of a comparative example for explaining the flexible tube of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the blade shown in FIG.

  As described above, the bond between a metal and a resin is originally a very weak bond that is connected only by an intermolecular force, and is particularly susceptible to moisture such as water and water vapor. The adhesiveness (adhesiveness or bondability) between the metal blade and the resin outer skin is deteriorated due to change, moisture under use environment or cleaning environment. Even if an adhesive is used to enhance the adhesion between the metal blade and the resin outer shell, the adhesive is generally made of resin, so the metal blade and the adhesive The adhesion between the blade and the outer skin is insufficient to sufficiently bond the blade and the outer skin. With the use of the endoscope, the adhesiveness between the metal blade and the outer skin made of the resin is lowered.

  Compared to such a case, the flexible tube disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above has the blade as described above, so that the resin fiber and the metal fiber serving as an adhesive are physically separated. As a result, the bond between the adhesive and the metal fiber is strengthened. In addition, the adhesion between the blade and the outer skin is strengthened, and the metal blade and the resin outer skin are bonded only through the adhesive. It is considered that the decrease in adhesion between the blade and the outer skin is less than that of the flexible tube.

  Further, the flexible tube using the blade 104 in which the metal fiber 100 and the resin fiber 102 are mixed as shown in FIG. 3 (FIG. 4) devised by the present inventor described above is originally an adhesive between the resin and the resin. The resin with low hardness penetrates and cures into the voids on the surface of the cured resin, and the anchor effect that works like a nail or wedge is firmly tied without being affected by time or moisture, Compared to a flexible tube in which a metal blade and a resin outer shell are bonded only through an adhesive, it is considered that there is little decrease in the adhesive force between the blade and the outer shell.

  However, each of the flexible tubes is less deteriorated in adhesion between the blade and the outer skin of the flexible tube than the flexible tube in which the metal blade and the resin outer skin are bonded via an adhesive. However, it can solve the problem that the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin decreases due to the change over time of the endoscope, etc., and the moisture in the usage environment or cleaning environment, and the rigidity of the flexible tube decreases. There wasn't.

Therefore, the present inventor examined a conventional flexible tube in which a blade having a resin part (resin fiber) partly bonded to an outer skin via an adhesive, and found that the metal part (metal fiber) of the blade. The outer skin is also weak compared to the adhesiveness between the blade resin part (resin fiber) and the outer skin, but it is adhered by an adhesive, and the adhesive between the metal part of the blade and the outer skin is a flexible tube. It was found that it was included in the adhesive strength between the blade and the skin before use, and it was derived that the adhesion between the metal part of the blade and the outer skin was a cause of the decrease in the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin.
On the other hand, as a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have determined that the metal part of the blade whose adhesiveness is easily lowered due to aging or moisture is not allowed to adhere to the outer skin, and the blade whose adhesiveness does not deteriorate due to moisture or aging. It has been found that a flexible tube that does not deteriorate the adhesiveness between the blade and the outer skin can be realized by adhering only the fiber portion to the outer skin by the anchor effect described above.

Therefore, the blade 42 according to the present invention, as described above and as shown in FIG. 5 (FIG. 2), is composed of the metal fiber 52 and is formed as an inner layer in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40. And a resin fiber layer 43 formed by connecting a resin fiber layer 43 formed as an outer layer on the outside of the metal fiber layer 41. The resin fiber layer 43 of the blade 42 covers at least the outer skin 44. An adhesive is attached to the outer peripheral surface, and only the resin fiber layer 43 is bonded to the outer skin 44 via the adhesive.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the blade 42 has knitted resin fibers 58, and the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43 are connected by the knitted resin fibers 58.
FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the flexible tube 26 of the present invention in the longitudinal direction, and is used to describe the flexible tube 26 of the present invention in detail.

  In the present invention, the metal fiber layer 41 is a lower layer (inner layer) of the two layers constituting the blade 42 and covers the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40, and the rigidity of the flexible tube 26 and the endoscope 10. In order to improve the shielding property against CCD (charge-coupled device), there is no particular limitation as long as it is composed of metal fibers 52, and metal fibers generally used for reinforcing the rigidity of flexible tubes. What is constituted may be used.

In FIG. 5, the metal fiber layer 41 is composed of about 40% of metal fibers 52 and about 60% of space per unit area. In the present invention, the metal fiber layer 41 is made of metal per unit area. The density of the fibers 52 is sufficient if the rigidity of the flexible tube 26 and the shielding performance of the endoscope 10 with respect to the CCD 10 can be sufficiently secured and the operability and cost performance of the endoscope 10 are not deteriorated. There is no particular limitation.
In order to sufficiently maintain the rigidity of the flexible tube 26 and the shielding performance against the CCD of the endoscope 10, the density of the metal fibers 52 per unit area in the metal fiber layer 41 is 30% or more, and further 50 % Or more is preferable.

The metal fiber 52 is not particularly limited as long as it can exhibit a sufficient rigidity effect with respect to the flexible tube 26, and a general metal fiber used for the blade 42 may be used.
Suitable metal fibers 52 include stainless steel having a diameter of 0.1 mm.

  The resin fiber layer 43 is composed of the resin fiber 50, and an adhesive 54 is attached to the upper surface (outer layer) of the two layers constituting the blade 42 and at least the outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin 44, As long as it adheres to the outer skin 44, there is no particular limitation, and an adhesive may be attached to portions other than the surface portion covered with the outer skin 44.

  In FIG. 5, the resin fiber layer 43 is composed of approximately 100% resin fibers 50 per unit area. In the present invention, the density of the resin fibers 50 per unit area in the resin fiber layer 43 is There is no particular limitation, and a space may be appropriately provided as long as the metal fiber layer 41 can be covered so that the metal fiber layer 41 does not contact the outer skin 44.

  The resin fiber 50 is not particularly limited as long as it has sufficient heat resistance against the heat applied when the flexible tube 26 is manufactured, and a general heat-resistant resin fiber used for the blade 42 is used. That's fine.

In addition, what is necessary is just to use the resin fiber 50 to which the adhesive agent was adhered as needed.
In this case, the weight of the resin fiber 50 to which the adhesive 54 is attached so that sufficient adhesion can be secured between the resin fiber layer 43 formed by the resin fiber 50 to which the adhesive is attached and the outer skin 44. However, it is preferable that the amount of the resin fiber 50 be increased by about 10% or more as compared with the weight of the resin fiber 50 before the adhesive 54 is applied.
As a method for attaching the adhesive 54 to the resin fiber 50, a known impregnation method or the like may be suitably used. As a specific method, the resin fiber 50 is immersed in a tank filled with the adhesive 54, and a predetermined method is used. A method of lifting the resin fiber 50 from the tank and drying the solvent after soaking for a time is mentioned.

  The 54 adhesive attached to the resin fiber layer 43 is sufficient to secure the resin fiber layer 43 and the outer skin 44 so that the adhesiveness between the blade 42 and the outer skin 44 is not lowered when the endoscope 10 is used. In the present invention, there is no particular limitation as long as it can be adhered to the outer layer 44. Preferably, the outer shell 44 is formed of a polyester resin or a polystyrene resin, and more preferably a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. And a polyurethane-based resin having good adhesiveness are preferably exemplified.

The knitted resin fiber 58 in the illustrated example is used to connect the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43 in the present embodiment as described above. Therefore, the knitted resin fiber 58 is preferably a heat-resistant resin fiber that has sufficient strength to connect the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43 and does not denature during the formation of the outer skin 44.
In addition, the knitted resin fiber 58 may be the same as the resin fiber 50 or may be different.
Furthermore, since the thickness of the knitted resin fiber 58 is used to connect the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43, it is preferably thinner than the resin fiber 50 forming the metal fiber layer 41.
Further, in order to sufficiently bond the blade 42 and the outer skin 44, knitted resin fibers 58 to which an adhesive 54 is attached may be used as necessary.

  Note that, in the present invention, the configuration in which the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are connected is knitted with one metal fiber 52 and one resin fiber 52 as in the flexible tube 26 shown in FIG. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the resin fibers 58 are connected. If the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43 can be connected with sufficient strength, the knitted resin fibers 58 may include two or more resin fibers 50, or even metal fibers. Two or more 52 may be connected, and the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 may be connected.

  The method of forming the blade 42 is that the adhesive 54 adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the metal fiber layer 41, which is an outer layer of the metal fiber layer 41 and at least covered with the outer skin 44, which is made of the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber 43. There is no particular limitation as long as a two-layer structure in which the resin fiber layer 43 is bonded can be formed, but as an example, an apparatus as shown in FIG. 6 may be used.

In FIG. 6, the conceptual diagram of an example of the braiding apparatus used when forming the braid | blade 42 which concerns on this invention is shown.
The apparatus shown in FIG. 6 has two guide grooves 72 and 74 formed on the outside of the entire circumference of the guide disc 70 so as to meander endlessly and cross over and over again. Two guide grooves 76 and 78 formed in the same manner are provided on the inner side of the entire circumference of the disc 70, and the outer guide grooves 72 and 74 and the inner guide grooves 76 and 78 intersect with the circle. Is provided with a single guide groove 80 formed on the guide disk 70.

The guide disk 70 has a large number of half-clockwise movements along the outer guide grooves 72, 74 and the inner guide grooves 76, 78, and the other half is moved in a counterclockwise direction. A bobbin 82 is disposed.
In the illustrated example, only four bobbins 82 are arranged in each of the outer guide grooves 72 and 74 and the inner guide grooves 76 and 78, but depending on the number of fibers used for the braiding, Placed.

Further, a bobbin 82 that moves in one direction along a circular guide groove 80 is disposed on the guide disk 70.
The metal fiber 52 is disposed in the bobbin 82 disposed in the inner guide grooves 76 and 78, and the resin fiber 50 is disposed in the circular guide groove 80 in the bobbin 82 disposed in the outer guide grooves 72 and 74. The knitted resin fiber 58 is wound around the bobbin 82.
Further, an insertion hole 86 for inserting a resin cylindrical member forming the blade 42 on the outer peripheral surface is provided at the center of the guide disk 70.

  In the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, only two circular guide grooves 80 are drawn in order to avoid the drawing from becoming complicated, and the resin fibers 50 and the metal fibers 52 are respectively Although only four of them are drawn, it is assumed that there are appropriate numbers according to the blades 42 to be formed.

  In the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 as described above, the metal fiber 52 is moved while the bobbin 82 arranged in the inner guide grooves 76 and 78 is moved along the guide grooves 76 and 78 by a moving operation mechanism (not shown). By feeding out, the metal fiber layer 41 is knitted on the outer peripheral surface of the long resin cylindrical member 84, and the bobbin 82 disposed in the outer guide grooves 72 and 74 is guided by a moving operation mechanism (not shown). The resin fiber layer 43 is knitted on the outer peripheral surface of the metal fiber layer 41 by feeding the resin fiber 52 while moving along the grooves 76 and 78.

Further, in the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, when the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are formed as described above, the bobbin 82 disposed in the circular guide groove 80 is moved and operated (not shown). Thus, the knitted resin fiber 58 is fed out while being moved along the guide groove 80, whereby the knitted resin fiber 58 braids the resin fiber 50 and the metal fiber 52, and the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are separated. Tie.
The bobbin 82 disposed in the circular guide groove 80 moves to the outer guide grooves 72 and 74 except when the resin fibers 50 and the metal fibers 52 are braided by the knitted resin fibers 58, and the resin fibers When forming the layer 43 and braiding the resin fiber 50 and the metal fiber 52, the layer 43 moves to the circular guide groove 80, and connects the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41.
Alternatively, the bobbin 82 disposed in the circular guide groove 80 may be stopped at the innermost position and the outermost position of the guide groove 80 except when the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are connected. is there.

As described above, the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 knits the blade 42 in which the inner layer bound by the knitted resin fibers 58 is the metal fiber layer 41 and the outer layer is the resin fiber layer 43.
The blade 42 knitted as described above is cut to a predetermined length, and the resin cylindrical member 84 is removed to obtain the cylindrical blade 42 used for the flexible tube 26 of the present invention.

Further, as another method for forming the blade 42, the metal fiber layer 41 and the resin fiber layer 43 are formed separately, and are laminated so that the resin fiber layer 43 becomes an outer layer of the metal fiber layer 41, and the knitted resin A method of tying the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 using the fibers 58 is exemplified.
Specifically, using a device similar to the device shown in FIG. 6, a hollow metal fiber layer 41 and a hollow resin fiber layer 43 are separately formed, and a metal is formed inside the resin fiber layer 43. A method of forming the blade 42 by inserting the fiber layer 41 and connecting the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 with the knitted resin fiber 58 using an appropriate means is exemplified.

  As described above, the resin fiber layer 43 in the present invention only needs to have the adhesive 54 attached to at least the outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin 44, and the adhesive 54 is attached to the resin fiber layer 43. Although there is no limitation on the method of making the resin fiber layer 43, the resin fiber layer 43 is formed using the resin fiber 50 to which the adhesive 54 has been previously attached. An adhesive 54 must be attached to the outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin 44.

  The timing for attaching the adhesive 54 to the resin fiber layer 43 is also not particularly limited. After the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are combined, the resin fiber layer 43 is bonded by an appropriate application method such as a dip forming method. Adhesive 54 may be attached to at least the outer peripheral surface of the resin or the entire resin fiber layer 43, and before the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 are combined, an appropriate application method such as a dip forming method is used. Thus, the adhesive 54 may be attached to at least the outer peripheral surface of the resin fiber layer 43 or the entire resin fiber layer 43.

  Specifically, the resin fiber layer 43 or a combination of the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 is passed through a container filled with the adhesive 54, and at the same time, the resin fiber layer 43 is removed from the resin fiber layer 43 at the outlet of the container. The excess adhesive agent 54 is scraped off through a hole having an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter, and the solvent of the adhesive agent 54 is evaporated under the conditions of a predetermined temperature and atmosphere. The method of attaching is mentioned.

  Even when the resin fiber layer 43 is formed using the resin fibers 50 to which the adhesive is previously attached, the adhesive 54 may be further attached by the method described above after the resin fiber layer 43 is formed. .

In the present invention, the method of covering the outer surface of the screw tube 40 with the blade 42 is not particularly limited. As an example, the screw tube 40 is inserted inside the hollow (tubular) blade 42, After insertion, there is a method in which the blade 42 is pulled and stretched by an appropriate means until there is no gap between the screw tube 40 and the blade 42, and the blade 42 is coated so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40. .
Thus, the inner tube (intermediate organism) 48 can be formed in a state where the outer surface of the screw tube 40 is covered with the blade 42.

  In the above embodiment, the blade 42 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 84 made of resin, and the inner surface 48 is obtained by covering the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40 with the blade 42. For example, the inner tube 48 may be obtained by forming the blade 42 directly on the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube 40 instead of the cylindrical member 84 using the apparatus shown in FIG.

The outer skin 44 is made of resin and is not particularly limited as long as it can protect the inside of the flexible tube and does not affect the living body when the endoscope 10 is inserted into the body.
The resin forming the outer skin 44 is not particularly limited, but polyurethane resin, other synthetic resins such as vinyl chloride, nylon, polyester, Teflon (registered trademark), polystyrene resin, polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyester Preferable examples include a resin, a polyurethane resin, a polyamide resin, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a fluorine resin, and a mixture thereof.

  The method of forming the outer skin 44 is not particularly limited, and the hollow tubular outer skin 44 may be formed by a method of manufacturing a known hollow tube. In addition, for example, a known extruder is used. Then, the melted resin is extruded and adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 48 to a uniform thickness, and then cooled immediately thereafter to form the outer skin 44 directly on the outer peripheral surface of the blade 42 of the inner tube 48. A method is mentioned.

  As described above, when the outer skin 44 is directly formed on the outer peripheral surface of the blade 42, the adhesive 54 attached to the resin fiber layer 43 is melted by the heat of the resin used, and the resin fiber layer 43 of the blade 42 is melted. Only the adhesive 54 firmly adheres to the outer skin 44, thereby covering the blade 42 with the outer skin 44.

In the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the method for covering the outer peripheral surface of the blade 42 of the inner tube 48 with the outer skin 44. As described above, the outer skin 44 is directly formed on the outer peripheral surface of the blade 42, and the blade 42. The outer skin 44 may be covered with the outer skin 44, and as another example, the inner tube 48 is covered with a preformed hollow tubular skin 44, and the whole is subjected to a temperature of about 160 ° C. to 180 ° C. With this heat, the adhesive 54 adhering to the resin fiber layer 43 is melted, and the resin fiber layer 43 and the outer skin 44 are bonded via the adhesive 54, so that the outer skin is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 48. The method of coating 44 is mentioned.
The temperature range of about 160 ° C. to 180 ° C. is such that when the polyurethane resin adhesive 54, the silicone resin mold release agent 56, and the outer skin 44 made of polyurethane elastomer or polyester elastomer are used, the blade 42 is placed inside. When the outer peripheral surface of the tube 48 is coated, the adhesive 54 melts, and the adhesive 54 sufficiently bonds the resin fiber layer 43 and the outer skin 44 of the blade 42 without bonding the blade 42 and the screw tube 40. It is a suitable temperature range that acts to adhere.

As described above, in the flexible tube 26 of the present invention, the metal fiber layer 41 made of the metal fiber 52 and the resin fiber 50 are used to form the metal fiber layer 41 in any method. By including a blade 42 having a two-layer structure in which an outer layer and a resin fiber layer 43 having an adhesive 54 attached to at least an outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin 44 are combined, the resin fiber layer 43 of the blade 42 is provided. However, since only the outer skin 44 is firmly bonded via the adhesive 54, the bonding (adhesion) is influenced by the influence of time and moisture in the bonding that bonds the blade 42 and the outer skin 44 by the anchor effect. Bonds with reduced properties are almost eliminated.
In addition, in the present embodiment, the metal fiber layer 41 is firmly bonded to the resin fiber layer 43 by the knitted resin fibers 58, so that the resin fiber layer 43 and the metal fiber layer 41 do not peel off, The metal fiber layer 41 can sufficiently fulfill the role as a rigid reinforcement of the outer skin 44 (flexible tube 26).
That is, the flexible tube 26 of the present invention having the above-described configuration does not deteriorate the adhesiveness between the grade 42 and the outer skin 44 due to the use time of the endoscope, moisture in the use environment, or the like. The highly durable endoscope 10 in which the rigidity of the tube 26 does not decrease can be provided.

  When the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 48 is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 48 and the outer surface of the screw tube 40 and the blade 42 are bonded by the adhesive 56, the screw tube is removed by, for example, squeezing with a finger. The adhesive between the blade 40 and the blade 42 may be peeled off.

In the present invention, the coating layer 46 is a non-adhesive layer, protects the outer skin 44, prevents body filth from adhering to the outer surface portion of the endoscope 10, and the endoscope 10. This is to increase the resistance of the flexible tube 26 inserted into the body cavity of the patient, and to increase the resistance to chemicals.
The material for forming the coat layer 46 is not particularly limited, and any material used for the conventional flexible tube 26 may be used. Also, the formation method is not particularly limited, and may be formed by a known method. Good.
Furthermore, the method for covering the outer peripheral surface of the outer skin 44 with the coat layer 46 is not particularly limited, and may be performed by a known method.

In the illustrated example, the resin fiber 50, the metal fiber 52, and the knitted resin fiber 58 are one fiber, but a set of several fibers may be used. For example, in the case of the metal fiber 52, it is preferable to set nine metal fibers as one set.
Further, the number of one set of the metal fibers 52 and the number of one set of the resin fibers 52 may be the same, for example, the metal resin so that the density of the metal fiber layer 41 is lower than the density of the resin fiber layer 43. The number of one set of 52 may be made smaller than the number of one set of the resin fibers 50.
In addition, the number of sets of the metal fibers 50 for forming the metal fiber layer 41 and the number of sets of the resin fibers 50 for forming the resin fiber layer 43 may be the same, and the density of the metal fiber layers 41 may be In order to make it lower than the density of the resin fiber layer 43, the number of resin fibers 50 used to form the resin fiber layer 43 is set to be smaller than the number of metal fibers 52 used to form the metal fiber layer 41. Also good.

  Although the endoscope flexible tube of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various improvements and modifications are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it's also good.

It is the schematic of one Example of the endoscope using the flexible tube for endoscopes of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of one Example of the flexible tube for endoscopes of this invention. It is a reference figure of the comparative example for demonstrating the flexible tube of this invention. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the blade shown in FIG. 3. It is a schematic diagram of one Example of the flexible tube for endoscopes of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of one Example of the braiding apparatus used when the blade which concerns on this invention is mixed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope 12 Insertion part 14 Operation part 18 Universal code 22 Tip part 24 Angle part 26 Endoscope flexible tube 28 Forceps port 30 Suction button 32 Air supply / water supply button 36,38 Operation knob 40,110 Screw tube 42 104 Blade 44, 108 Outer skin 46 Coat layer 48 Inner tube 52, 100 Metal fiber 50, 102 Resin fiber 54, 106 Adhesive 41 Metal fiber layer 43 Resin fiber layer 58 Knitted resin fiber 70 Guide disks 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 Guide groove 82 Bobbin 84 Cylindrical member 86 Insertion hole

Claims (5)

A screw tube formed by spirally winding a belt-like plate;
A blade covering the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube;
A flexible tube for an endoscope having a resin outer shell covering the outer peripheral surface of the blade,
The blade is made of a metal fiber and is formed of an inner layer in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the screw tube, and a resin fiber layer made of a first resin fiber and formed as an outer layer on the outer side of the metal fiber layer. Is a two-layer structure,
The resin fiber layer of the blade has an adhesive attached to at least an outer peripheral surface covered with the outer skin, and only the resin fiber layer is bonded to the outer skin via the adhesive. A flexible tube for an endoscope.   The flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a second resin fiber that connects the first resin fiber of the resin fiber layer and the metal fiber of the metal fiber layer.   The flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both the metal resin layer and the resin fiber layer are mesh-shaped.   The flexible tube for an endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first resin fiber of the resin fiber layer is a heat-resistant resin fiber.   Furthermore, the flexible tube for endoscopes in any one of Claims 1-4 which has a coating layer which coat | covers the outer peripheral surface of the said outer skin.