JP5246687B2 - In-pipe self-propelled device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention includes, for example, an in-tube self-propelled device that includes an insertion cable that is inserted into a pipe of an artificial duct such as a living body duct or an embedded pipe in the large intestine, and that self-runs in the inserted pipe. The present invention relates to a cylindrical expansion / contraction body used for a running device or the like.

In recent years, endoscopes have been widely used as medical instruments for examining the inside of a body cavity such as the large intestine. An endoscope is a device for photographing an inner wall of the intestine by inserting an insertion cable having a camera and a lighting device attached to the distal end thereof into a body cavity. The cable is made of a flexible material, and the cable The cable is inserted to the deep part of the body cavity while bending the lens so that imaging inside the body cavity can be performed.
By the way, the operation of the endoscope is usually performed by operating the operating rod provided on the proximal end side of the cable with the left hand to operate the bending direction of the cable and pushing the cable into the body cavity with the right hand. ing. However, since there are many bends and slacks in the intestine, the operation of inserting the cable to the deep part of the body cavity requires skill.
Accordingly, a method has been proposed in which a propulsion auxiliary means for propelling the cable is provided at the distal end portion of the endoscope, and the cable is smoothly inserted to a deep part of a body cavity such as an intestinal tract. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of this, and this self-propelled device 50 is a restriction that covers the front balloon 52, the elastic tube 53a, and the outer periphery of the elastic tube 53a on the distal end side of the insertion cable 51 of the endoscope. Advancing / retreating driving elastic body 53 comprising a cylinder 53b for driving, a rear balloon 54, and a propulsion auxiliary means 56 having a spring 55 provided on the outer peripheral side of the advancing / retreating driving elastic body 53 are mounted. For example, when the insertion cable 51 is advanced in the cavity of the large intestine 1, the insertion cable 51 is pushed into the cavity of the large intestine 1 as shown in FIG. With the body 53 extended, air is sent into the front balloon 52 to inflate only the front balloon 52 and fix the insertion cable 51 in the cavity of the large intestine 1. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15 (b), air is sent into the inside 53n (see FIG. 14) of the elastic tube 53a of the advance / retreat driving elastic body 53 to expand the advance / retreat driving elastic body 53 in the diameter and shaft. The rear balloon 54 is attracted by contracting in the direction. Next, as shown in FIG. 15 (c), air is sent into the rear balloon 54 to inflate the rear balloon 54, and air is discharged from the front balloon 52 and the elastic tube 53a. The insertion cable 51 is fixed in the cavity of the large intestine 1. At this time, the front balloon 52 and the advance / retreat driving elastic body 53 are pushed into the back side of the large intestine 1 by the elastic restoring action of a spring (not shown), and therefore the insertion cable 51 to which the propulsion auxiliary means 56 is attached. Can be inserted into the back side of the large intestine 1 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, as the above-described propulsion auxiliary means, as shown in FIG. 16, a plurality of balloons 61 (61a to 61d) that expand in an egg shape are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the insertion cable 51, and the adjacent balloons 61 are insertion cables. There has also been proposed a propulsion auxiliary means 60 that is spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the axial direction of 51 and arranged at an angle rotated by 90 ° in the radial direction (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The propulsion auxiliary means 60 detects, for example, the movement of the intestinal wall protrusion 1b by noting that the intestinal wall protrusion 1b protruding into the intestine from the inner wall 1a of the large intestine 1 and the like rotates spirally. Then, the balloons 61a to 61d are inflated in accordance with the timing of the spiral rotational movement, and the intestinal wall projection 1b is pushed by the balloons 61a to 61d, thereby pushing the insertion cable 51 into the cavity of the large intestine 1. Is.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 17, an endoscope having a configuration including an insertion assisting means 70 for making it easy to insert the insertion cable 51 of the endoscope into the body cavity by removing the bending or loosening of the body cavity has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3). The insertion assisting means 70 is provided with a plurality of variable tubes 71 to 74 that are expanded and contracted by supply and discharge of compressed air on the outer peripheral portion of the insertion cable 51 and an outer skin 75 that covers these variable tubes 71 to 74. The amount of compressed air supplied to and discharged from each of the variable tubes 71 to 74 is controlled to generate a traveling wave that travels from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the insertion cable 51 in the outer skin 75. The traveling wave is used to push the insertion cable 51 into the body cavity using a separately provided cable insertion mechanism (not shown) while feeding the heel in the body cavity backward. As a result, a portion with a large bend such as the sigmoid colon of the large intestine can be straightened, and the insertion cable 51 can be smoothly pushed into the body cavity.
JP-A-2-136120 JP 59-181125 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-9545

However, the propulsion auxiliary means 56 described in Patent Document 1 not only has a complicated structure and high manufacturing cost, but also simply inflates and contracts the front balloon 52 and the rear balloon 54 in order. Even though 51 can be self-propelled linearly, it is difficult to insert the insertion cable 51 into the body cavity while bending or slackening the intestinal tract.
Further, in the method using the propulsion auxiliary means 60 described in Patent Document 2, since the shape and distribution of the intestinal wall projection 1b that is caught is not uniform, it is inflated in accordance with the timing of the peristaltic movement of the large intestine 1. Unless a highly accurate control is performed, it is difficult to smoothly push the insertion cable 51 into the large intestine 1.
On the other hand, the insertion assisting means 70 described in Patent Document 3 can bend and loosen the body cavity, but the outer skin 75 is configured to be deformed with its both ends fixed to the insertion cable 51. Therefore, the insertion cable 51 is not advanced or retracted.

  The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and when inserted into a body cavity such as the large intestine or a hollow tube made of a flexible material, the body cavity or the hollow tube is bent. It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-pipe self-propelled device that can remove slack and can smoothly move in a body cavity or a hollow tube, and a cylindrical stretchable body used in the in-pipe self-propelled device.

According to a first aspect of the present invention includes an insertion cable to be inserted into duct is attached to the insertion cable in the tube self-propelled device that includes a propulsion means to propel the insertion cable The propulsion means includes three or more cylindrical expansion / contraction bodies connected in the axial direction of the insertion cable, and the cylindrical expansion / contraction body expands in the radial direction by pressurization and contracts in the axial direction. A cylindrical expansion member made of an elastic expansion body, a cylindrical expansion member that is provided inside the cylindrical expansion member and expands and contracts in the axial direction, and is attached to both ends of the expansion member and the expansion member A fluid supply / discharge passage for supplying and discharging fluid to and from a space formed by the first and second connection members, the expansion member, the expansion and contraction member, and the first and second connection members; It is characterized by.
A second aspect of the present invention is the in-pipe self-propelled device according to the first aspect, wherein the fluid supply / discharge passage is connected to the fluid supply / discharge device at one end, and the other end is open to the space. It is characterized by being a sex tube.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a tube free-running apparatus according to claim 2, a plurality of through-holes in the first connecting member communicating with the space, the opposite side of the circumference on the above space a plurality of protrusions projecting is provided et al is, above the second coupling member are formed corresponding to the plurality of the through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the space, opposite the space formed on the circumferential side, the plurality of protrusions and a plurality of insertion holes are inserted is provided, et al is, among a plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member, one of the through holes The through hole other than the sealed through hole is sealed, and the through hole of the second connecting member corresponding to the through hole is connected by the tube, and corresponds to the sealed through hole. A fluid is supplied to the space from the through hole of the second connecting member .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the fluid supply / exhaust path is provided inside the elastic expansion body, and is a fluid supply / exhaust device and a gap portion communicating with the space .
The invention according to claim 5, the upper Symbol first connecting member, and a plurality of through holes communicating with a plurality provided one end of the gap portion, projecting from the opposite side of the circumference on the above space a plurality of protrusions provided et al is, above the second coupling member are formed corresponding to the plurality of through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the other end of the gap portion, opposite to the space And a plurality of insertion holes into which the plurality of protrusions are inserted, and one of the plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member is sealed. The fluid is supplied to the space from the gap corresponding to the sealed through hole .
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the in-pipe self-propelled device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the elastic expansion body includes a cylindrical body made of an elastic body, and the cylindrical body. A plurality of fibers arranged so as to extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body are provided inside.

According to the present invention, an in-pipe self-propelled device that is self-propelled inside a pipe line is formed by a cylindrical expansion member that is formed of an elastic expansion body that expands in the radial direction and contracts in the axial direction. A cylindrical expansion / contraction member provided on the inner side and extending / contracting in the axial direction, a connecting member provided at both ends of the expansion member and the expansion / contraction member and having an inner diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the expansion / contraction member, and the expansion member; Propulsion formed by connecting three or more cylindrical expansion / contraction bodies provided with fluid supply / discharge passages for supplying and discharging fluid to / from the space formed by the expansion / contraction member and the connecting member in the axial direction of the cylindrical expansion / contraction body Since the means is configured to be attached to an insertion cable inserted into the pipe line, an in-pipe self-propelled device capable of moving forward and backward while peristally moving in the pipe can be obtained. Therefore, if the intraductal self-propelled device is applied to a flexible insertion cable that is inserted into a duct, such as an insertion portion of an endoscope, a bent portion such as the sigmoid colon of the large intestine or traversing Since the colon can be moved smoothly while removing the looseness of the colon, the burden on the patient can be reduced.
At this time, if the fluid supply / discharge path is a flexible tube having one end connected to the fluid supply / discharge device and the other end opened to the space, the fluid can be supplied into the space with a simple configuration. The fluid can be discharged from the space.
Further, a plurality of through-holes in the first connecting member communicating with said space, and a plurality of projections projecting from the opposite side of the circumference on the above space is provided on the second coupling member It is formed corresponding to the plurality of the through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the space, is formed on the opposite side of the circumference on the above space, and a plurality of insertion holes in which the plurality of protrusions are inserted is provided, among the plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member, sealing the one of the through-hole, the through hole other than the sealed through hole corresponding to the through hole If the through hole of the second connecting member is connected with the tube and fluid is supplied to the space from the through hole of the second connecting member corresponding to the sealed through hole , the connecting cylindrical shape Since the same cylindrical elastic body can be used as the elastic body, the production efficiency of the propulsion means can be improved. Can.

Further, if the fluid supply / discharge passage is provided inside the elastic expansion body and is a fluid supply / discharge device and a gap communicating with the space , it is not necessary to dispose a tube in the space. The body can be expanded and contracted more smoothly.
Further, the upper Symbol first coupling member, provided with a plurality of through holes communicating with a plurality provided one end of the gap portion, and a plurality of projections projecting from the opposite side of the circumference on the above space is, above the second coupling member are formed corresponding to the plurality of through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the other end of the gap portion, it is formed on the opposite side of the circumference on the above space A plurality of insertion holes into which the plurality of protrusions are inserted , and seals one of the plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member, and Even if the fluid is supplied to the space from the gap corresponding to the through hole , the cylindrical expansion and contraction body can be made common, so that the production efficiency of the propulsion means can be improved.
Further, as the elastic expansion body, an elastic body including a cylindrical body made of an elastic body, and a plurality of fibers arranged inside the cylindrical body so as to extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body. If an expansion body is used, since the extension of the elastic expansion body in the axial direction can be reliably controlled, the elastic expansion body can be efficiently expanded .

Hereinafter, the best mode of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an endoscope 10 according to the best mode of the present invention.
The endoscope 10 is provided with a photographing device 11m and an illuminating device 11n at a distal end 11a, a flexible insertion cable 11 to be inserted into a body cavity such as the large intestine, and an attachment in the insertion cable 11. A bending propulsion mechanism (not shown) for bending the distal end 11a of the insertion cable 11 or pushing the insertion cable 11 into a body cavity, a propulsion / bending control unit 12 for controlling the bending propulsion mechanism, An operating portion 13 provided with an operating rod 13a for inputting the bending direction of the distal end 11a of the insertion cable 11 and a propulsion button 13b for inputting instructions for advancing / retreating / stopping the insertion cable 11; The cable propulsion means 14, the compressor 15, the regulator 16, the air cable mounted at a position away from the distal end 11a of the insertion cable 11 by a predetermined distance. Comprises a chromatography blanking 17a to 17d, the air control valve 18, and a propulsion control unit 19. Hereinafter, the compressor 15 side is the upstream side, and the distal end 11a side of the insertion cable 11 is the downstream side.
The cable propulsion means 14 of this example includes four cylindrical expansion / contraction bodies (hereinafter referred to as expansion / contraction units) 20a to 20d that are connected in the axial direction and expand in the radial direction by pressurization and contract in the axial direction. A mounting member 26 attached to the downstream side of the most downstream extension unit 20a and an air tube insertion member 27 attached to the upstream side of the most upstream extension unit 20d are provided.
The four telescopic units 20a to 20d are supplied with compressed air from the compressor 15 through the air tubes 17a to 17d and the air tube insertion member 27, respectively. The regulator 16 defines the pressure of the compressed air. The air control valve 18 includes a supply valve 18a and an open valve 18b provided between the air tubes 17a to 17d and the regulator 16, and controls the supply and discharge of air to the expansion units 20a to 20d. To do. The propulsion control means 19 controls the air control valve 18 to control the peristaltic movement of the cable propulsion means 14 in conjunction with the propulsion / bending movement of the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cylindrical expansion / contraction unit 20 according to the present invention, and the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d have the same configuration.
In each figure, 21 is a bellows, 22 is an elastic expansion body, 23 is a connection tube, 24 and 25 are connection members, and 28 is an air chamber. Hereinafter, the connection member 24 provided on the distal end 11a side (downstream side) of the insertion cable 11 is referred to as a first connection member, and the connection member 25 provided on the proximal end side (upstream side) of the insertion cable 11 is referred to as a connection member 25. It is called a second connecting member.
The bellows 21 is a substantially cylindrical expansion / contraction member having a bellows structure, and expands / contracts in the axial direction. The insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the space 21S inside the bellows 21.
The elastic expansion body 22 is a cylindrical expansion member arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of the bellows 21 at a predetermined distance from the bellows 21 so as to surround the bellows 21, as shown in FIGS. ), A cylindrical body 22a made of an elastic body, and a plurality of fibers 22b arranged inside the cylindrical body 22a so as to extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 22a. Yes. Since the fiber hardly expands or contracts in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 22a, which is an extension direction of the fiber, if the inside of the cylindrical body 22a is filled with a fluid such as air and expanded, the elastic expansion body 22 is expanded. Expands in the radial direction and contracts in the axial direction. In this example, the elastic expansion body 22 and the bellows 21 are arranged coaxially.
Examples of the material constituting the cylindrical body 22a include synthetic rubber such as silicone rubber or natural rubber such as natural latex rubber. Moreover, as said fiber 22b, a glass roving fiber, a carbon roving fiber, etc. are used suitably, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second connecting members 24 and 25 are annular members respectively attached to both ends of the elastic expansion body 22 and the bellows 21, and the elastic expansion body 22, the bellows 21, and the like. Is supported from both sides in the axial direction. Further, the elastic expansion body 22 and the bellows 21 have first and second ends at their respective ends so that an air chamber 28 between the elastic expansion body 22 and the bellows 21 is sealed. The connecting members 24 and 25 are attached so as to be in close contact with each other.
A plurality of cylindrical protrusions 24 a are provided on the circumference of the first connecting member 24 opposite to the air chamber 28 at a predetermined angle. On the other hand, a plurality of insertion holes 25a into which each of the plurality of protrusions 24a is inserted at a position facing each of the protrusions 24a on the circumference opposite to the air chamber 28 of the second connecting member 25. Are protruded from each other at a predetermined angle.
The first and second connecting members 24 and 25 are provided with through holes 24b and 25b, respectively. In this example, the through hole 24b of the first connecting member 24 penetrates in the thickness direction of the first connecting member 24, one end of which opens at the tip of the protruding portion 24a, and communicates with the air chamber 28. The through hole 25b of the second connecting member 25 penetrates in the thickness direction of the second connecting member 25, one end of which opens at the bottom of the insertion hole 25a, and the air chamber. A through hole communicating with 28 was used.
Since the number of cylindrical expansion / contraction units 20 constituting the cable propulsion means 14 is four, the number of through holes 25b formed in the second connecting member 25 located on the upstream side may be four, In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, in order to give the expansion / contraction unit 20 versatility, six of the through holes 24b are formed, and four of them are used. On the other hand, the first connecting member 24 located on the downstream side is also formed with six through holes 24b, but since one of them is sealed, the number of actually functioning through holes 24b Is five, which is one less than the number of the through holes 24b. The number of through holes 24b of the first connecting member 24 may be five from the beginning.

The connection tube 23 is a flexible tube disposed in the air chamber 28, one end communicating with the through hole 25 b of the second connection member 25, and the other end penetrating the first connection member 24. The through holes 24b and 25b are inserted and fixed so as to communicate with the through holes 24b formed at positions facing the holes 25b.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, among the six through holes 25 b of the second connecting member 25, the lower through hole is a through hole 250, hereinafter, counterclockwise. Through holes 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255, among the six through holes 24 b of the first connecting member 24, the sealed through hole on the lower side of FIG. When the through holes 241, 242, 243, 244, and 245 are counterclockwise, the through hole 251 and the through hole 241, the through hole 252 and the through hole 242, the through hole 253 and the through hole 243, and the through hole 254 and the through hole are provided. 244, the through hole 255 and the through hole 245 are respectively connected by the connecting tube 23, and only the through hole 250 opens into the air chamber 28 (not shown). In FIG. 4, the bellows 21, the elastic expansion body 22, and the air chamber 28 are omitted for the sake of simplicity.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the mounting member 26 is a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter substantially the same as the outer shape of the insertion cable 11 attached to the first connecting member 24 of the telescopic unit 20a located on the most downstream side. An O-ring insertion groove 26a for inserting the outer peripheral side of the rubber O-ring R is provided on the inner peripheral surface thereof. An insertion hole 26b into which the protrusion 24a of the first connecting member 24 is inserted is provided on the circumference of the mounting member 26 on the first connecting member 24 side.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the air tube insertion member 27 is a cylinder having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the insertion cable 11 attached to the second connecting member 25 of the expansion / contraction unit 20d located at the most upstream. The air tube insertion member 27 protrudes toward the base end side of the insertion cable 11 on the opposite side of the air tube insertion member 27 from the second connecting member 25 to supply air from the compressor 15. A tube insertion portion 27a for attaching the air tubes 17a to 17d is formed, and protrudes toward the second connecting member 25 on the circumference on the second connecting member 25 side, so that the second connecting member A plurality of protrusions 27b inserted into the 25 insertion holes 25a are provided to protrude from each other at a predetermined angle. The tube insertion portion 27a is formed with through holes 27c that open to the air tubes 17a to 17d and the protrusions 27b and communicate with the through holes 25b of the second connecting member 25, respectively. Yes.
In addition, among the through holes 27c, the through holes provided in the tube insertion portion 27a to which the air tubes 17a to 17d are not connected are sealed.

Next, a method for connecting the extension units 20 in the axial direction will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the expansion / contraction unit located on the upstream side is referred to as an expansion / contraction unit 20P, and the expansion / contraction unit located on the downstream side is referred to as 20Q. When connecting the expansion units 20P and 20Q, the expansion unit 20Q located on the downstream side is rotated by 60 ° in the axial direction of the unit 20Q with respect to the expansion unit 20P located on the upstream side. The protrusion 24a provided in the first connection member 24 of the downstream extension unit 20Q is inserted and connected to the insertion hole 25a provided in the second connection member 25 of the upstream extension unit 20P. .
At this time, the diameter of the insertion hole 25a may be slightly smaller than the diameter of the protrusion 24a, and the first connecting member 24 and the second connecting member 25 may be fitted. A pin hole is provided in the side surface of the second connecting member 25, and the first connecting member is connected to the first connecting member 24 and the second connecting member 25 by driving a pin into the pin hole. 24 and the second connecting member 25 may be detachably connected.
The rotation angle θ is an angle formed by the adjacent through holes 25b and 25b of the second connecting member 25. When the number of the through holes 25b is N, the rotation angle θ is θ = 360 ° / N.
When the upstream expansion unit 20P and the downstream expansion unit 20Q are connected as described above, since the through hole 240 of the expansion unit 20P is sealed, the expansion unit 20P is connected to the through hole 255 of the expansion unit 20Q. Compressed air does not flow through the connecting tube 23.
On the other hand, since the through hole 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20P is connected to the through hole 250 that is not connected to the connection tube 23 of the expansion / contraction unit 20Q, the connection tube 23 connected to the through hole 241 is connected to the air tubes 17a to 17a. If it communicates with any of 17d, compressed air is supplied from the through hole 250 to the expansion / contraction unit 20Q.
Moreover, since the through hole 242 of the expansion / contraction unit 20P is connected to the through hole 251 connected to the connection tube 23 of the expansion / contraction unit 20Q, the connection tube 23 connected to the through hole 242 is connected to the air tube 17a. ˜17d, the compressed air reaches the through hole 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20Q via the connecting tube 23. When the connection tube 23 connected to the through hole 242 is not connected to any of the air tubes 17a to 17d, the connection tube 23 is a connection tube to which compressed air is not supplied.
The case of the other through holes 243 to 245 of the expansion / contraction unit 20P is the same as the case of the through holes 242.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are pseudo development views schematically showing the flow of compressed air when the expansion and contraction units 20a to 20d are connected by the above method. The through holes 241 to 245 and the through holes 250 to 255 surrounded by white rectangles in the figure are open through holes, and the through holes 240 and the through holes 254 surrounded by the mesh-like rectangles in the figure. The through holes 254 and 255 marked with (x) of 255 are sealed through holes.
The air tubes 17d to 17a communicate with the through holes 250 to 253 formed in the second connecting member 25 of the expansion unit 20d on the most upstream side through the through holes 27c of the air tube insertion member 27, respectively. Yes. On the other hand, the through holes 254 and 255 are sealed. Further, the through holes 251 to 255 of the second connection member 25 and the through holes 241 to 245 of the first connection member 24 of the expansion / contraction unit 20 d are communicated with each other by the connection tube 23.
Therefore, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17d is introduced from the through hole 250 into the expansion / contraction unit 20d. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tubes 17c, 17b, and 17a reaches the through holes 241 to 243 from the through holes 251 to 253 through the connecting tube 23, respectively.
The extension unit 20c on the downstream side of the extension unit 20d is connected to the extension unit 20d in a state where the extension unit 20d is rotated by 60 ° in the axial direction of the extension unit 20c. Here, the through hole 240 of the expansion / contraction unit 20d is sealed, and is the same as being sealed because compressed air is not introduced into the connecting tube 23 connected to the through holes 244 and 245. . That is, among the through holes 250 to 255 formed in the second connecting member 25 of the downstream expansion / contraction unit 20c, the through holes communicating with the unsealed through holes 241 to 243 of the expansion / contraction unit 20d are: The through holes are 250 to 252. The compressed air supplied from the air tube 17c is introduced into the telescopic unit 20c from the through hole 250 communicating with the through hole 241. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tubes 17b and 17a reaches the through holes 241 and 242 of the expansion / contraction unit 20c from the through holes 251 and 252 through the connecting tube 23, respectively.
The extension unit 20b on the downstream side of the extension unit 20c is also connected to the extension unit 20c in a state where the extension unit 20c is rotated by 60 ° in the axial direction of the extension unit 20b. Therefore, as in the case of the expansion / contraction unit 20c, among the through holes 250 to 255 formed in the second connecting member 25 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b, the through-holes 241, 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20c that are not sealed. Since the through holes communicating with 242 are the through holes 250 and 251, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17 b is introduced into the expandable unit 20 b from the through hole 250 communicating with the through hole 241. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17a reaches the through hole 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b from the through hole 251 through the connecting tube 23.
The most downstream extension unit 20a is also connected to the extension unit 20b in a state where the extension unit 20a is rotated by 60 ° in the axial direction of the extension unit 20a. Therefore, as in the case of the expansion / contraction unit 20b, among the through holes 250 to 255 formed in the second connecting member 25 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b, the through-hole 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b is not sealed. The through hole that communicates is only the through hole 250. Therefore, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17a is introduced into the expansion / contraction unit 20b from the through hole 250 communicating with the through hole 241.
In this way, the expansion unit 20 having the same configuration is used as the expansion units 20a to 20d, and the downstream expansion unit 20Q is rotated by 60 ° in the axial direction of the expansion unit 20Q with respect to the upstream expansion unit 20P. In this state, if it is connected to the expansion / contraction unit 20P, compressed air can be independently sent to the air chambers 28 of the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d.

The operation of the telescopic unit 20 having the above configuration will be described.
First, the compressor 15 for supplying compressed air shown in FIG. 1 is operated, and the regulator 16 is operated to set the pressure of the compressed air supplied by the compressor 15 to a predetermined pressure. Here, the expansion / contraction unit to be expanded / contracted is the most downstream expansion / contraction unit 20a. The propulsion control means 19 controls the air control valve 18 to close the release valve 18b connected to the air tube 17a for sending compressed air to the air chamber 28 of the expansion / contraction unit 20a and to open the supply valve 18a. . As a result, the connecting tubes in the upstream extension units 20b to 20d from the through holes 27c provided in the air tube insertion member 27 attached to the upstream side of the upstreammost extension unit 20d to which the air tube 17a is connected. 23 and the through hole 25b (specifically, the through hole 250) of the second connecting member 25 of the expansion / contraction unit 20a, compressed air is fed into the air chamber 28 of the expansion / contraction unit 20a.
The elastic expansion body 22 of the expansion / contraction unit 20a includes a fiber 22b that restricts expansion / contraction in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 22a inside the cylindrical body 22a made of an elastic body. As shown in the drawing on the left side of FIG. 8, the elastic expansion body 22 that is cylindrical as shown in the drawing on the right side of FIG. 8 expands in the radial direction of the expansion / contraction unit 20 a and axially. Shrink to. As the elastic expansion body 22 contracts in the axial direction, the bellows 21 having the bellows structure also contracts in the axial direction. Since the expansion / contraction unit 20a is fixed to the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 via a mounting member 26 attached to the downstream side of the expansion / contraction unit 20a, the elastic expansion body 22 and the bellows 21 are fixed. With the contraction in the axial direction, the telescopic unit 20a is pulled toward the mounting member 26 side. Since the bellows 21 has a bellows structure, it is not deformed in the radial direction by the introduction of the compressed air except when the wall thickness is extremely thin.
In order to return the expansion / contraction unit 20a to its original state, the air control valve 18 may be controlled to close the supply valve 18a and open the release valve 18b. As a result, the inside of the air chamber 28 of the expansion / contraction unit 20a returns to the atmospheric pressure, so that the expansion / contraction unit 20a returns to the original state as shown in the left diagram of FIG.
The other expansion units 20b to 20d also perform the same operation as the expansion unit 20a, although there is a difference in the passage of compressed air. The other extension units 20 b to 20 d are not directly fixed to the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10, but the extension unit 20 a is inserted through the mounting member 26. Since it is fixed to the cable 11, when the elastic expansion body 22 is expanded, each second connecting member 25 is contracted so as to be drawn toward the first connecting member 24.

Next, a method for propelling the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9A shows an initial state (stationary state), in which the direction of the arrow is the traveling direction, the traveling direction side is the downstream side, and the opposite side is the upstream side. In this state, the most downstream extension unit 20a and the most upstream extension unit 20d of the cable propulsion means 14 are inflated.
The air control valve 18 is controlled to return the expansion / contraction unit 20d to its original state and expand the expansion / contraction unit 20b adjacent to the most downstream expansion / contraction unit 20a, as shown in FIG. 9B. In this state, since the expansion / contraction unit 20d extends in the axial direction and the expansion / contraction unit 20b contracts in the axial direction, the insertion cable 11 is still stationary.
From this state, as shown in FIG. 9C, the expansion unit 20a is returned to the original state, and the expansion unit 20c adjacent to the expansion unit 20b is expanded. Since the downstream side of the most downstream extension unit 20a is fixed to the insertion cable 11, and the other extension units 20b to 20d are in a free state with respect to the insertion cable 11, the extension unit 20a. The movement to extend in the axial direction is converted into the movement of moving the insertion cable 11 forward, and the insertion cable 11 moves forward.
Next, as shown in FIG. 9D, when the expansion / contraction unit 20b is returned to its original state and the most downstream expansion / contraction unit 20d adjacent to the expansion / contraction unit 20c is expanded, the expansion / contraction unit 20b is restored to its original state. Return to the state and extend in the axial direction. Thereby, the insertion cable 11 further advances in the traveling direction. The reason is the same as in the case of FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9E, the expansion / contraction unit 20c is returned to its original state, and the most downstream expansion / contraction unit 20a is expanded. In this state, even if the expansion / contraction unit 30c extends in the axial direction, the expansion / contraction unit 20a contracts in the axial direction, so that the insertion cable 11 does not move forward. That is, the state of FIG. 9 (e) is the same as the state of FIG. 9 (a), that is, the initial state.
Therefore, if the air control valve 18 is controlled by the propulsion control means 19 so that each of the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d repeats the states of FIG. 9 (a) to FIG. 11 can be smoothly advanced.
In order to retract the insertion cable 11, the state shown in FIG. 9E may be set as an initial state, and the state shown in FIGS. 9E to 9B may be repeated.
Such an exercise is hereinafter referred to as a peristaltic exercise.

Next, the case where the endoscope 10 of the present invention is inserted into the sigmoid colon of the large intestine will be described.
FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an outline of the large intestine 1. In the figure, 2 is a rectum directly connected to the anus 3, 4 is a sigmoid colon, 5 is a descending colon, 6 is a transverse colon, 7 is an ascending colon, and an endoscope 10 is inserted into the large intestine from the anus 3. Since the rectum 2 has a shape that is relatively close to a straight line, if the doctor or the examiner operates the propulsion button 13b of the operation unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 to propel the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10. The insertion cable 11 can be smoothly inserted up to the rectum 2 side of the sigmoid colon 4.
When the distal end 11a of the insertion cable 11 reaches the sigmoid colon 4, the sigmoid colon 4 is greatly bent. Therefore, the doctor or the inspector operates the operation rod 13a of the operation unit 13 to insert the insertion cable. The insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 needs to be propelled by operating the propulsion button 13b while changing the propulsion direction of the cable 11, but the endoscope 10 according to the present invention pushes the cable into the insertion cable 11. Since the means 14 is mounted, the cable pushing means 14 can be operated in the sigmoid colon 4 to push the insertion cable 11. That is, the cable propulsion means 14 can advance the insertion cable 11 while performing a peristaltic motion, so that the doctor or the inspector does not need to operate the propulsion button 13b. Therefore, if the insertion cable 11 is advanced by the cable propulsion means 14, the doctor or the inspector can concentrate on the bending operation of the insertion cable 11 by operating only the operating rod 13a.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), when the distal end 11a of the insertion cable 11 reaches the sigmoid colon 4, it is fixed in advance behind the cable propulsion means 14 of the insertion cable 11. The inserted expansion body 8 is expanded to lock the insertion cable 11 in the vicinity of the anus 3, and the cable propulsion means 14 is operated in this state. The cable propulsion means 14 not only advances the insertion cable 11 but also, as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (d), the expansion / contraction unit 20 expands from the expansion / contraction unit 20a on the downstream side. Move upstream in order. At this time, since the expanded telescopic units 20 are in contact with the inner wall of the sigmoid colon 4, the cable propulsion means 14 advances on the outer peripheral surface from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the insertion cable 11. A wave is generated. As a result, the sigmoid colon 4 can be pulled toward the rectum 2 while bending or slackening. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the locking expansion body 8 is contracted, the cable propulsion means 14 swings the insertion cable 11 so that the bending and loosening are removed. If the sigmoid colon 4 is pushed inward, the insertion cable 11 can be pushed smoothly into the sigmoid colon 4.
Even when the insertion cable 11 is pushed into the transverse colon 6 located between the descending colon 5 and the ascending colon 7 and having a large bend or slack, if the cable propulsion means 14 is operated, the insertion cable 11 is inserted. The cable 11 can be smoothly pushed from the descending colon 5 side to the ascending colon 7 side of the transverse colon 6.
Even when the insertion cable 11 is pushed into the descending colon 5 or the ascending colon 7, the insertion cable 11 may be propelled using the cable propulsion means 14, but the descending colon 5 or the ascending colon Since the colon 7 has a shape that is relatively close to a straight line, the operation rod 13a does not need to be moved so much. Therefore, it is more efficient to push the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 by operating the push button 13b of the operation unit 13.

As described above, according to the best mode, the bellows 21 having the bellows structure, the elastic expansion body 22 that is provided outside the bellows 21 and expands in the radial direction and contracts in the axial direction, and the bellows 21. Telescopic units 20 a to 20 including first and second connecting members 24 and 25 attached to both ends of the elastic expansion body 22 and an air chamber 28 provided between the bellows 21 and the elastic expansion body 22. The cable propulsion means 14 that connects 20d in the axial direction is attached to the distal end 11a side of the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10, and the compressed air sent to each of the telescopic units 20a to 20d is controlled so that the insertion cable Since 11 is peristally moved, it is pushed into a body cavity such as the sigmoid colon 4 of the large intestine 1, so that the insertion cable 11 can be removed while removing bending and slack in the intestine. It can be inserted deep into the body cavity.
At this time, the elastic expansion body 22 is a cylindrical body 22a made of an elastic body, and a plurality of fibers arranged inside the cylindrical body 22a so as to extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 22a. Therefore, the elastic expansion body 22 can be efficiently expanded in the radial direction and contracted in the axial direction.

In the above-described best mode, the example in which the cable propulsion unit 14 is attached to the insertion cable 11 of the endoscope 10 has been described. However, the cable propulsion unit 14 of the present invention may be another medical instrument such as a catheter or a medical device. In addition to being applied to the living body, the present invention can be applied to a self-propelled in-pipe apparatus that self-propels in an artificial pipeline such as an embedded pipe.
In the above example, the endoscope 10 including the cable propulsion unit 14 has been described. However, the cable propulsion unit 14 of the present invention can be attached to an insertion cable of an existing endoscope. In this case, the propulsion control means 19 for controlling the cable propulsion means 14 may be provided separately from the operation portion for controlling the insertion cable propulsion / bending of the existing endoscope.
In the above example, the cable propulsion unit 14 is configured by connecting the four cylindrical expansion / contraction units 20 (20a to 20d) that expand in the radial direction and contract in the axial direction in the axial direction. The number of the telescopic units 20 may be five or more, or may be three, and may be set as appropriate depending on the properties of the tube to be inserted and the cable to be attached.
Further, in the above example, in order to lock the insertion cable 11 in the vicinity of the anus, the locking expansion body 8 is separately provided. However, the number of the expansion / contraction units 20 constituting the cable propulsion means 14 is increased, and the most upstream side is provided. The expansion / contraction unit located in the vicinity of the anus may be expanded separately from the expansion / contraction of the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d, and the insertion cable 11 may be locked in the vicinity of the anus.
In the above example, the through hole 24b is provided in the protrusion 24a of the first connecting member 24, and the through hole 25b is provided in the insertion hole 25a of the second connecting member 25. However, the through holes 24b and 25b are The protrusion 24a and the insertion hole 25a may be provided separately. Further, the number of the protrusions 24a and the insertion holes 25a may be different from the number of the through holes 24b and 25b. At this time, it goes without saying that the number of the through holes 24b, 25b needs to be equal to or larger than the number of the cylindrical expansion / contraction units 20 constituting the cable propulsion means 14.

In the above example, the cable propulsion unit 14 is configured by connecting adjacent expansion units 20 by rotating them by a predetermined angle. However, as shown in FIG. If the unit 20Z is used, even if the expansion / contraction unit 20Z is connected without changing the angle, the same operation as the cable propulsion unit 14 can be performed.
Specifically, the second connecting member 25Z has the same configuration as that of the second connecting member 25, and the through hole on the lower side of the figure is a through hole 250. , 253, 254, and 255 are formed. On the other hand, of the six through holes 24b of the first connecting member 24Z, the lower through hole 240 is not sealed, and the through holes 251, 252, 253 are counterclockwise from the through hole 240. , 254, 255, the through hole 255 in front of the through hole 240 is sealed. The connecting tube 23 includes the through hole 251 and the through hole 240, the through hole 252 and the through hole 241, the through hole 253 and the through hole 242, the through hole 254 and the through hole 243, and the through hole 255 and the through hole 244, respectively. Connected by a connecting tube 23, only the through hole 250 opens into an air chamber 28 (not shown).
Thereby, from the said through-hole 250, when compressed air is introduce | transduced into the air chamber 28 (not shown) of the said expansion-contraction unit 20Z and compressed air is introduce | transduced into the other through-holes 251-255, the said compressed air is Through the connecting tube 23 and the through holes 240 to 244, the downstream expansion unit 20 (not shown) is introduced from the through holes 251 to 255. That is, in the expansion / contraction unit 20Z, only one through hole 250 opens into the air chamber 28 (not shown), and the other through holes 251 to 255 communicate with the air chamber 28 (not shown) of the downstream expansion / contraction unit 20.
12 (a) and 12 (b) are pseudo development views schematically showing the flow of compressed air when the expansion units 20a to 20d including the expansion unit 20Z having the above-described configuration are connected, and the air tubes 17d to 17a. The connection state is the same as in FIG.
The compressed air supplied from the air tube 17d is introduced from the through hole 250 into the expansion / contraction unit 20d. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tubes 17c, 17b, and 17a reaches the through holes 240 to 242 through the connecting tubes 23 from the through holes 251 to 253, respectively.
Since the through holes 240 to 242 communicate with the through holes 250 to 252 of the expansion unit 20c on the downstream side of the expansion unit 20d, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17c communicates with the through hole 240. The through-hole 250 is introduced into the telescopic unit 20c. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tubes 17b and 17a reaches the through holes 240 and 241 of the expansion / contraction unit 20c from the through holes 251 and 252 through the connection tube 23, respectively.
Since the through holes 240 and 241 communicate with the through holes 250 and 251 of the expansion unit 20b on the downstream side of the expansion unit 20c, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17b communicates with the through hole 240. The through-hole 250 is introduced into the telescopic unit 20b. On the other hand, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17a reaches the through hole 240 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b from the through hole 251 through the connecting tube 23.
Since the through-hole 240 of the expansion / contraction unit 20b communicates with the through-hole 250 of the most downstream expansion / contraction unit 20a, the compressed air supplied from the air tube 17a communicates with the through-hole 240. To the telescopic unit 20a.
Thus, if the expansion / contraction unit 20Z of the same structure is used as the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d, compressed air is independently supplied to the air chambers 28 of the expansion / contraction units 20a to 20d without rotating adjacent expansion / contraction units 20 to each other. Can send.
In addition, you may abbreviate | omit what is not used among the through-holes 24b and 25b of the expansion-contraction unit 20, and the connection tube 23. FIG. In this case, the number of parts is small, but the versatility of the expansion / contraction unit 20 is reduced. Therefore, it is preferable to use the expansion / contraction unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 or the expansion / contraction unit 20Z shown in FIG.

In the above example, the connecting tube 23 is used as the compressed air flow path. However, instead of the connecting tube 23, a compressed air flow path may be provided in the elastic expansion body 22 constituting the telescopic unit 20. Good.
FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing an example thereof. In this example, a gap extending in the axial direction has one end communicating with the through hole 24 b of the first connecting member 24 and the other end communicating with the through hole 25 b of the second connecting member 25 in the elastic expansion body 22. A portion 22m is provided, and this gap portion 22m is used as a flow path for compressed air. In this case, the through holes 240 to 245 and the through holes 250 to 255 of the first and second connecting members 24 and 25 are all opened. Instead, a communication groove 22n that communicates with the air chamber 28 of the expansion unit 20 and extends in the axial direction of the expansion unit 20 is provided in the gap 22m that communicates with the lower through holes 250, 240. What is necessary is just to supply compressed air to the air chamber 28 of the said expansion-contraction unit 20 from the communicating groove | channel 22n. In this case, the expansion units 20 are connected to each other by rotating the adjacent expansion units 20 by a predetermined angle as shown in FIG.
Moreover, what is necessary is just to form the extending direction of the said gap | interval part 22m from the axial direction, in order to make it the form which connects adjacent expansion-contraction units 20 as shown in FIG. 11, without rotating. Specifically, in the elastic expansion body 22, the through hole 251 and the through hole 240, the through hole 252 and the through hole 241, the through hole 253 and the through hole 242, the through hole 254 and the through hole 243, the through hole 255 and the through hole Each of the gap 22m and the communication groove 22n is communicated with a gap 22m having no communication groove 22n and the through hole 250 and the through hole 245 are communicated with each other through the gap 22m having the communication groove 22n. What is necessary is just to form.
As described above, when the space 22m is provided in the elastic expansion body 22 and is used as a compressed air flow path, the number of flow paths is increased by one as compared with the case where the connecting tube 23 is used. However, since there is no connection tube 23 in the air chamber 28, the expansion / contraction unit 20 can be smoothly expanded. Instead of the communication groove 22n, a communication hole that communicates the gap 22m and the air chamber 28 may be provided.

  As described above, the in-pipe self-propelled device of the present invention can take the bending and slack of the tube and can smoothly run in the tube. By attaching the cable to the insertion cable of the mirror and moving the cable forward and backward in the body cavity, the cable can be moved smoothly even in places where it is difficult to insert the endoscope, so the inspection time can be shortened. At the same time, the burden on the patient can be reduced.

It is a figure showing an outline of an endoscope concerning the best mode of the present invention. It is a figure which shows one structural example of the expansion-contraction unit by this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the elastic expansion body which concerns on this best form. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a connection tube and a through-hole. It is a figure which shows the attachment method and the attachment method of the air tube insertion member which concern on this best form. It is a figure which shows the connection method of an expansion-contraction unit. It is a figure which shows the connection state of the expansion-contraction unit of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the expansion-contraction unit which concerns on this best form. It is a figure which shows the propulsion method of the cable for insertion of an endoscope. It is a figure which shows the method of inserting the endoscope of this invention in the sigmoid colon of a large intestine. It is a figure which shows the other structure of the expansion-contraction unit by this invention. It is a figure which shows the connection state of the expansion-contraction unit of FIG. It is a figure which shows the other structure of the expansion-contraction unit by this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional in-pipe self-propelled apparatus. It is a figure shown for demonstrating operation | movement of the conventional in-pipe self-propelled apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the cable of the endoscope provided with the conventional promotion assistance means. It is a figure which shows an example of the cable of the endoscope provided with the conventional insertion assistance means.

Explanation of symbols

10 endoscope, 11 insertion cable, 11a tip, 11m photographing device,
11n lighting device, 12 propulsion / bending control unit, 13 operation unit, 13a operation rod,
13b propulsion button, 14 cable propulsion means, 15 compressor,
16 regulator, 17a-17d air tube, 18 air control valve,
18a supply valve, 18b release valve, 19 propulsion control means,
20, 20a-20d telescopic unit, 21 bellows, 22 elastic expansion body,
22a cylindrical body, 22b fiber, 23 connection tube, 24 1st connection member,
24a protrusion, 24b through-hole, 25 second connecting member, 25a insertion hole,
25b through-hole, 26 mounting member, 26a O-ring insertion groove, 26b insertion hole,
27 Air tube insertion member, 27a Tube insertion portion, 27b Projection portion,
27c Through hole, 28 air chamber, RO ring.

Claims (6)

And inserting cable to be inserted into duct is attached to the insertion cable a pipe self-propelled device that includes a propulsion means to propel the insertion cable,
The propulsion means includes three or more cylindrical expansion / contraction bodies connected in the axial direction of the insertion cable, and the cylindrical expansion / contraction body expands in a radial direction by pressing and elastically expands in an axial direction. A cylindrical expansion member made of a body, a cylindrical expansion member that is provided inside the cylindrical expansion member and expands and contracts in the axial direction, and a first and a second attached to both ends of the expansion member and the expansion member And a fluid supply / discharge passage for supplying and discharging fluid to and from a space formed by the second connection member, the expansion member, the expansion / contraction member, and the first and second connection members. In-pipe self-propelled device.   The self-propelled device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply / discharge path is a flexible tube having one end connected to the fluid supply / discharge device and the other end opened to the space. Above the first connecting member and a plurality of through holes communicating with the space, and a plurality of projections projecting from the opposite side of the circumference on the above space provided et al is,
Above the second connecting member are formed corresponding to the plurality of the through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the space, is formed on the opposite side of the circumference on the above space, the plurality of protrusions a plurality of insertion holes provided it is to be inserted,
Of the plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member , seal any through hole,
The through hole other than the sealed through hole and the through hole of the second connecting member corresponding to the through hole are connected by the tube,
The in-pipe self-propelled device according to claim 2, wherein fluid is supplied to the space from a through hole of the second connecting member corresponding to the sealed through hole . The self-propelled in-pipe apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply / discharge passage is a fluid supply / discharge device and a space communicating with the space provided inside the elastic expansion body . Above the first connecting member, and a plurality of through holes communicating with a plurality provided one end of the gap portion, and a plurality of projections projecting from the opposite side of the circumference on the above space provided et al is,
Above the second connecting member are formed corresponding to the plurality of through holes, a plurality of through holes communicating with the other end of the gap portion, is formed on the opposite side of the circumference on the said space said plurality a plurality of insertion holes protrusion is inserted is provided, et al is,
One of the plurality of through holes provided in the first connecting member is sealed, and fluid is supplied to the space from a gap corresponding to the sealed through hole. The in-pipe self-propelled device according to claim 4. The elastic expansion body includes a cylindrical body made of an elastic body, and a plurality of fibers arranged inside the cylindrical body so as to extend along the axial direction of the cylindrical body. tract self apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized.