JP7245704B2 - Catheter and method of disassembling the catheter - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a catheter to be inserted into a living body such as a blood vessel and a vessel, and a disassembly method thereof.

Conventionally, in order to diagnose and treat an affected area in a biological lumen such as a blood vessel, for example, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS: Intra Vascular Ultra Sound) or optical coherence tomography (OCT: Optical Coherence Tomography) has been used. Imaging catheters are used to acquire images. A diagnostic imaging catheter has a configuration in which an imaging core section including a drive shaft is inserted into a sheath that is inserted into a living body lumen.

Most catheters in use today are manufactured as single-use devices that are discarded after use. However, the disposal of the entire catheter after each use leaves room for improvement in terms of economics and efficient use of resources. In recent years, remanufactured SUD (Single Use Device), in which single-use medical devices are re-sterilized and shipped, is becoming widespread.

Among the constituent elements of the catheter, the sheath portion is thin and made of resin, so irreversible deterioration may occur after a small number of uses. On the other hand, the imaging core section is composed of a metal coil or the like, and is less likely to deteriorate compared to the sheath. Therefore, it is envisioned that the catheter will be disassembled into a sheath and an imaging core, only the sheath will be replaced, and the imaging core will be reused after appropriate treatment such as sterilization and disinfection. Therefore, a catheter with a detachable sheath has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Literature 1, a detachable lever is provided at a connecting portion that connects the proximal end portion of the sheath and an operation portion that operates the drive shaft, and the sheath can be separated by moving the lever back and forth. there is

JP 2018-121831 A

If the catheter has a structure that can be easily disassembled, the catheter may be used in ways different from the intended use intended by the manufacturer. Also, there is a risk that someone other than the proper manufacturer and remanufacturer may perform sterilization and disinfection in an inappropriate manner. Improper use of such catheters may harm the patient, such as jeopardizing the health of the patient. Furthermore, in order to prevent inappropriate disassembly, a portion of the catheter can be fixed using an adhesive or the like, but in that case, it becomes difficult to disassemble and reuse the imaging core.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a catheter and a method for disassembling a catheter that are capable of being disassembled while preventing inappropriate disassembly.

A catheter that accomplishes the above objectives includes a tubular sheath, a drive shaft, a connecting housing, a power transmission member, and a locking member. The sheath is inserted in vivo. The drive shaft is inserted into the sheath and transmits mechanical drive force from the proximal side to the distal side. The connection housing is directly or indirectly connected to the proximal end of the sheath and has a hollow shape. The power transmission member extends within the connection housing and transmits rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft. The locking member is releasably fixed to the connection housing inside the connection housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connection housing, and prevents the power transmission member from moving toward the proximal side. regulate.

A method of disassembling a catheter that achieves the above objectives is a method of disassembling a catheter that includes a tubular sheath, a drive shaft, a connecting housing, a power transmission member, and a locking member. The sheath is inserted in vivo. The drive shaft is inserted into the sheath and transmits mechanical drive force from the proximal side to the distal side. The connection housing is directly or indirectly connected to the proximal end of the sheath and has a hollow shape. The power transmission member extends within the connection housing and transmits rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft. The locking member is releasably fixed to the connection housing inside the connection housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connection housing, and prevents the power transmission member from moving toward the proximal side. regulate. The disassembling method includes inserting a release member from the base end side into a space between the connection housing and the power transmission member, allowing the release member to act on the locking member, and disassembling the connection housing and the power transmission member. and releasing the lock from the locking member.

According to the present invention, the locking member restricts the movement of the power transmission member toward the proximal side. Since the locking member is fixed to the connecting housing inside the connecting housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connecting housing, the fixing between the connecting housing and the locking member can be easily released. It is not possible. Therefore, inappropriate disassembly can be suppressed while the catheter can be disassembled.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an image diagnostic apparatus is connected to the image diagnostic catheter according to the first embodiment; 2 is a side view schematically showing the overall configuration of the diagnostic imaging catheter of FIG. 1 before performing a pullback operation (intermediate pulling operation); FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the overall configuration of a state in which a pullback operation (intermediate pulling operation) of the diagnostic imaging catheter of FIG. 1 is performed; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the diagnostic imaging catheter of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the base end side (hand side) of the diagnostic imaging catheter of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the shape of the locking member in FIG. 5; 6 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the shape of a dedicated jig for operating the locking member of FIG. 5; FIG. It is a figure explaining the method of releasing fixation of a locking member using an exclusive jig. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the shape of the locking member and the connecting pipe; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the proximal side of the diagnostic imaging catheter according to the second embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The diagrams used in the following description are schematic diagrams. The dimensional ratios and the like on the drawings do not necessarily match the actual configuration.

(First embodiment)
A diagnostic imaging catheter 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which an image diagnostic apparatus 300 is connected to an image diagnostic catheter 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the overall configuration of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of FIG. 1 before performing a pullback operation (intermediate pulling operation). FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the overall configuration of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the distal end side of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the base end side (hand side) of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the shape of locking member 165 in FIG. The diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of the present embodiment is, for example, an intravascular ultrasound system (IVUS).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 generally includes a tubular sheath 110 to be inserted into the living body, an outer tube 120 provided on the proximal end side of the sheath 110, and an outer tube 120. An inner shaft 130 inserted into the sheath 110 so as to move forward and backward, a drive shaft 140 rotatably provided in the sheath 110 and a signal transmitting/receiving unit 145 for transmitting and receiving signals are attached to the distal end, and the proximal end of the outer tube 120 It has a unit connector 150 provided and configured to receive the inner shaft 130 and a hub 160 provided proximal to the inner shaft 130 .

In the following description of this specification, the side of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 that is inserted into the living body is referred to as the distal end or distal side, and the side of the hub 160 provided on the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is referred to as the proximal end or the proximal side. , and the extending direction of the sheath 110 is called the axial direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the drive shaft 140 passes through the sheath 110, the outer tube 120 connected to the proximal end of the sheath 110, the inner shaft 130 inserted into the outer tube 120, and extends to the inside of the hub 160. exist. As described below, the drive shaft 140 transfers rotational and axial mechanical drive from the proximal hub 160 to the distal signal transceiver 145 .

The hub 160, the inner shaft 130, the drive shaft 140, and the signal transmitting/receiving section 145 are connected to each other so as to integrally move back and forth in the axial direction. Therefore, for example, when the hub 160 is pushed toward the distal end side, the inner shaft 130 connected to the hub 160 is pushed into the outer tube 120 and the unit connector 150, and the drive shaft 140 and signal transmission/reception are pushed. Portion 145 moves distally inside sheath 110 . For example, when hub 160 is pulled proximally, inner shaft 130 is pulled out from outer tube 120 and unit connector 150 as indicated by arrow a1 in FIGS. The signal transmitter/receiver 145 moves inside the sheath 110 to the proximal side as indicated by an arrow a2.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the inner shaft 130 is pushed all the way to the tip side, the tip of the inner shaft 130 reaches the vicinity of the relay connector 170 . At this time, the signal transmitter/receiver 145 is positioned near the distal end of the sheath 110 . The relay connector 170 is a connector that connects the sheath 110 and the outer tube 120 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the drive shaft 140 has a flexible tubular body 140a and a signal line 140b inserted through the tubular body 140a. The tubular body 140a can be composed of, for example, a multi-layered coil with different winding directions around the axis. Examples of coil constituent materials include stainless steel and Ni--Ti (nickel-titanium) alloys. The signal line 140b can be composed of, for example, a twisted pair cable or a coaxial cable.

The signal transmission/reception unit 145 has an ultrasonic transducer 145a that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and a housing 145b that houses the ultrasonic transducer 145a.

The ultrasonic transducer 145a has a function of transmitting ultrasonic waves as inspection waves into the living body and receiving ultrasonic waves reflected from the living body. The ultrasonic transducer 145a can be made of a material known as a piezoelectric material. For example, ceramics, crystal, or the like can be used as a material forming the ultrasonic transducer 145a.

The diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is shipped with the ultrasonic transducer 145a polarized during the manufacturing process. The polarized ultrasonic transducer 145a generates ultrasonic waves by producing a piezoelectric effect when a voltage is applied. The ultrasonic transducer 145a is electrically connected to an electrode terminal 167, which will be described later, via a signal line 140b.

A priming liquid discharge member 117 having a priming liquid discharge hole 116 for discharging the priming liquid is provided at the distal end of the sheath 110 . When the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is used, the sheath 110 is filled with a priming liquid in order to reduce the attenuation of ultrasonic waves due to the air in the sheath 110 and transmit and receive the ultrasonic waves efficiently. By filling the priming liquid, gas such as air remaining in the sheath 110 can be discharged from the priming liquid discharge hole 116 formed in the priming liquid discharge member 117 .

The sheath 110 is made of a material that is highly transparent to ultrasonic waves. The range in which the ultrasonic transducer 145a moves in the axial direction of the sheath 110 (the distal end of the sheath 110) constitutes an acoustic window formed with higher ultrasonic wave permeability than other parts.

The sheath 110 is formed of a material having flexibility, and the material is not particularly limited, and examples include styrene, polyolefin, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyimide, polybutadiene, and transpolyisoprene , fluororubber-based, chlorinated polyethylene-based thermoplastic elastomers, etc., and one or more of these may be used in combination (polymer alloys, polymer blends, laminates, etc.). . The outer surface of the sheath 110 can be provided with a hydrophilic lubricious coating layer that is lubricious when wet.

A guide wire insertion member 114 having a lumen through which the guide wire W can be inserted is attached to the distal end of the sheath 110 . In addition, the guide wire insertion member 114 is provided with a marker 115 having X-ray imaging properties.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the hub 160 includes a hub housing 161 as a connection housing having a hollow shape, and components accommodated inside the hub housing 161 . The hub housing 161 has a port 162 communicating with the interior of the hub housing 161 for supplying priming liquid. Further, the hub 160 includes, as structural members accommodated in the hub housing 161, a seal member 163 that seals the base end side of the port 162, and a connection pipe 164 that holds the drive shaft 140 (the power transmission member of the present embodiment). ), a locking member 165 that rotatably supports the connection pipe 164 and restricts the movement of the connection pipe 164 to the proximal end side, and an electrode terminal 167 that is electrically connected to the image diagnostic apparatus 300 described later. , rotor 168 .

A portion of the hub housing 161 closer to the proximal end than the portion where the locking member 165 is arranged is called a connector portion 166 . Electrode terminals 167 and a rotor 168 are arranged inside the connector portion 166 . A circular opening 161 a of the hub housing 161 is formed at the proximal end of the connector portion 166 . An external electrode terminal 310 included in the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 (see FIG. 1) is inserted into the connector section 166 through the opening 161 a of the hub housing 161 . The rotor 168 non-rotatably holds the connection pipe 164 and rotates integrally with the electrode terminal 167 .

The distal end of hub housing 161 is indirectly connected to the proximal end of sheath 110 via relay connector 170 , outer tube 120 , unit connector 150 and inner shaft 130 . That is, the inner space of sheath 110 and the inner space of hub housing 161 communicate with each other, and drive shaft 140 extends from sheath 110 to the vicinity of port 162 of hub housing 161 in the interior thereof.

An inner shaft 130 is connected to the tip of the hub housing 161 . Drive shaft 140 is pulled out from inner shaft 130 inside hub housing 161 . A protective tube 133 is arranged between the inner shaft 130 and the drive shaft 140 . Protective tube 133 has the function of preventing damage to drive shaft 140 due to interference between inner shaft 130 and drive shaft 140 .

The connection pipe 164 transmits to the drive shaft 140 a rotational force from a motor 300 a , which will be described later, transmitted via the rotor 168 . The connecting pipe 164 holds the drive shaft 140 at the end opposite the rotor 168 (the tip of the connecting pipe 164 ) to transmit the rotation of the rotor 168 to the drive shaft 140 . A signal line 140b (see FIG. 4) is passed through the connection pipe 164. One end of the signal line 140b is connected to the electrode terminal 167, and the other end is passed through the drive shaft 140 to the ultrasonic transducer 145a. It is connected. A signal received by the ultrasonic transducer 145a is transmitted to the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 via the electrode terminal 167, subjected to predetermined processing, and displayed as an image.

The locking member 165 of the present embodiment is releasably fixed to the hub housing 161 inside the hub housing 161 on the distal side of the proximal end of the hub housing 161 where the connector portion 166 is located. From the user's point of view, the locking member 165 is hidden in the hub housing 161 and is at a position where it cannot be easily reached from the connector portion 166 side by a human finger or an existing tool. In this embodiment, the locking member 165 is arranged between the port 162 inside the hub housing 161 and the connector portion 166 and also serves as a bearing for the connecting pipe 164 . Since the locking member 165 also serves as a bearing, the locking member 165 can be provided without increasing the number of parts, so the number of parts can be reduced. The locking member 165 can also have a recess to accommodate the sealing member 163 around the connecting pipe 164 on the distal side.

An example of the locking member 165 will be described with reference to FIG. When the locking member 165 is attached to the hub housing 161, the upper side in FIG. 6 is the base end side, and the lower side is the distal end side.

The locking member 165 has a cylindrical shape or a truncated conical shape with a slightly narrower tip side, and has a threaded portion 165a having a thread groove (male thread) at least partially provided on the side surface thereof. The threaded portion 165a is screwed into a thread groove 161b (female thread) formed in the inner peripheral surface of the hub housing 161 (see FIG. 5).

The locking member 165 also has a flange portion 165b located on the proximal end side of the threaded portion 165a. A surface of the flange portion 165b facing the base end side is formed with a three-dimensional structure that can be fitted by a special jig 200 as a release member, which will be described later. The three-dimensional structure includes at least one of a concave portion and a convex portion provided on the proximal surface of the locking member 165 . For example, the locking member 165 shown in FIG. 6 has two notch-like recesses 165c in the vicinity of the outer circumference of the circular surface on the base end side. The recess 165c can have any shape and arrangement regardless of the arrangement and shape of FIG. For example, the concave portion 165c viewed in the axial direction may be triangular, pentagonal, star-shaped, or the like. The concave portion 165c of the locking member 165 is located at a position accessible from the base end side of the hub housing 161 by a dedicated jig 200, which will be described later. The recessed portion 165c of the locking member 165 of this embodiment can be reached through the opening 161a on the base end side of the hub housing 161 using a dedicated jig 200, which will be described later.

Further, the locking member 165 has a through hole 165d through which the connection pipe 164 is inserted along the axial direction. The diameter of the through hole 165d is at least partially narrowed from the distal side to the proximal side.

The connecting pipe 164 is rotatably slidable about the axis with respect to the through hole 165 d of the locking member 165 while being inserted into the locking member 165 . The outer diameter of the portion of the connection pipe 164 that penetrates the locking member 165 is at least partially narrowed from the distal end side to the proximal end side corresponding to the shape of the through hole 165d. The connection pipe 164 contacts the locking member 165 at least partially with a tapered surface that narrows toward the proximal side. Thereby, the locking member 165 restricts the movement of the connecting pipe 164 toward the proximal end side.

Fixing between locking member 165 and hub housing 161 is configured to be releasable using dedicated jig 200 as a dedicated releasing member. In this application, "dedicated" for a dedicated release member means having some corresponding structure with the locking member to be released. The threaded portion 165a of the locking member 165 is released from the screw groove 161b of the hub housing 161 by rotating the locking member 165 around the rotation axis of the connection pipe 164 by the special jig 200 . The direction of rotation for unlocking locking member 165 and hub housing 161 is the direction opposite to the direction of torque transmitted from motor 300 a to drive shaft 140 . By doing so, it is possible to prevent the locking member 165 from being rotated by the rotational force of the motor 300a and detached from the hub housing 161 during use of the catheter 100 for diagnostic imaging.

Locking member 165 cannot be operated with a general tool, and is configured to be released from fixation with hub housing 161 by operating dedicated jig 200 as a dedicated releasing member. Therefore, the dedicated jig 200 is configured to have a three-dimensional structure that at least partially engages with the locking member 165 on the distal end side when in use. As an example, the dedicated jig 200 has a cylindrical body portion 200a and a protruding portion 200b positioned on the tip side in use, as shown in FIG. 7, corresponding to the shape of the locking member 165 shown in FIG. have. The inner diameter of the body portion 200 a is larger than the outer diameter of the rotor 168 inside the connector portion 166 of the hub housing 161 . The outer diameter of the body portion 200 a is smaller than the inner diameter of the connector portion 166 of the hub housing 161 . Also, the length of the body portion 200 a is longer than the length from the flange portion 165 b of the locking member 165 to the opening portion 161 a of the hub housing 161 . The position and shape of the protrusion 200b are designed to fit with the recess 165c of the locking member 165. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, when releasing the fixing between the hub housing 161 and the locking member 165, the dedicated jig 200 is moved from the base end side into the annular space between the hub housing 161, the rotor 168 and the connecting pipe 164. inserted. The convex portion 200b of the special jig 200 is engaged with the concave portion 165c of the flange portion 165b of the locking member 165 to apply force to the locking member 165. As shown in FIG. Specifically, when the user holds the end of the special jig 200 on the base end side and rotates it in the direction of loosening the threaded portion 165a of the locking member 165, the fixation between the hub housing 161 and the locking member 165 is released. can do.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is connected to and driven by an imaging diagnostic apparatus 300 .

The diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 is connected to a connector portion 166, which is a proximal end portion of the hub 160, to transmit and receive electrical signals.

The diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 also has a motor 300a as an external power source for rotating the drive shaft 140 and a motor 300b as an external power source for moving the drive shaft 140 in the axial direction. The rotational motion of the motor 300b is converted into axial motion by a ball screw 300c connected to the motor 300b.

The operation of the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 is controlled by a control device 320 electrically connected thereto. Control device 320 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory as main components. Controller 320 is electrically connected to monitor 330 .

Next, a usage example of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

First, the user connects the external electrode terminal 310 of the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 to the electrode terminal 167 of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 . Thereafter, the user connects the syringe S containing the priming liquid to the port 162 and presses the plunger of the syringe S to fill the sheath 110 with the priming liquid.

After priming, the user pushes the hub 160 into contact with the proximal end of the unit connector 150 to move the signal transmitting/receiving section 145 to the distal side, as shown in FIG. In this state, the sheath 110 is inserted along the guide wire W to a target position inside the body (for example, a blood vessel).

When acquiring a tomographic image at a target position in the living body, as shown in FIG. 3, the signal transmitting/receiving unit 145 transmits/receives ultrasonic waves while moving toward the proximal end side together with the drive shaft 140 . Also, at this time, the signal transmitting/receiving unit 145 rotates together with the drive shaft 140 .

The control device 320 controls the motor 300a shown in FIG. 1 to control the rotation of the drive shaft 140 around its axis. The controller 320 also controls the motor 300b to control the axial movement of the drive shaft 140 .

Based on the signal sent from the control device 320, the signal transmitting/receiving section 145 transmits ultrasonic waves into the body. A signal corresponding to the reflected wave received by the signal transmitter/receiver 145 is sent to the control device 320 via the drive shaft 140 and the diagnostic imaging device 300 . Control device 320 generates a tomographic image of a blood vessel or the like based on the signal sent from signal transmission/reception unit 145 and displays the generated image on monitor 330 .

Next, a method for disassembling the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 will be described.

First, the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 that has been used is removed from the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 . The diagnostic imaging catheter 100 removed from the diagnostic imaging apparatus 300 is handed over to a specialized manufacturer or remanufacturer for disassembly and remanufacturing. Hub housing 161 of diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is in the state shown in FIG.

Next, the manufacturer or remanufacturer inserts the exclusive jig 200 from the base end side of the hub housing 161 into the annular space between the hub housing 161 and the rotor 168 and connection pipe 164 to to fit. Further, the manufacturer or remanufacturer rotates the locking member 165 with the dedicated jig 200 fitted to the locking member 165 . As a result, the locking member 165 moves to the base end side and is released from the fixation with the hub housing 161 . When the locking member 165 and the hub housing 161 are released, the connecting pipe 164 can be moved to the proximal end side.

The drive shaft 140 and the signal transmission/reception unit 145 are connected to the connection pipe 164 . A manufacturer or remanufacturer attaches the imaging core, including electrode terminals 167, rotor 168, connection pipe 164, drive shaft 140 connected to connection pipe 164, and signal transmitter/receiver 145, to an opening in hub housing 161. Pull out from 161a. Thereby, the sheath 110 and the imaging core are separated. The imaging core is cleaned, sterilized and reused. On the other hand, the sheath 110 inserted into the living body is discarded and replaced with a new sheath 110 .

As described above, according to the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of the present embodiment, the locking member 165 is positioned inside the hub housing 161 on the distal side of the proximal end of the hub housing 161 where the connector portion 166 is located. , the user cannot easily release the fixation. As a result, the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 can be disassembled while preventing inappropriate disassembly by a person other than the manufacturer or remanufacturer. In addition, since the locking member 165 is in a position where it cannot be operated while the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 is in use, it will not be unintentionally disassembled during use.

Further, in this embodiment, in order to release the fixation between the locking member 165 and the hub housing 161, a dedicated jig 200 corresponding to the uneven shape of the locking member 165 is used. This allows the manufacturer or remanufacturer with the dedicated jig 200 to easily disassemble the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 .

Furthermore, since this embodiment has a structure in which the engagement member 165 and the hub housing 161 are fixed in the form of a screw, it can be easily realized with a simple structure. Furthermore, since the locking member 165 also serves as a bearing for the connection pipe 164, it can be mounted without increasing the number of parts.

In this embodiment, the locking member 165 has a through hole 165d that partially narrows from the distal end side to the proximal end side, and the connection pipe 164 corresponds to the shape of the through hole 165d and extends from the distal end side to the proximal end. It has an outer diameter that narrows towards the sides. That is, the locking member 165 and the connection pipe 164 are in contact with each other through a tapered surface that narrows toward the base end side. However, the shape of the locking member 165 and the connection pipe 164 is not limited to this, and any shape that restricts the proximal movement of the connection pipe 164 while the locking member 165 is fixed to the hub housing 161 may be used. Just do it. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the diameter of the through hole 165d of the locking member 165 changes in a stepped shape in the axial direction, and correspondingly, the connection pipe 164 has a stepped portion 164a in which the outer diameter changes in the axial direction. and the stepped portion 164a abuts against the locking member 165 with the surface facing the base end side.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the proximal side of the diagnostic imaging catheter according to the second embodiment. This embodiment has a configuration in which a locking member 165A is provided around the rotor 168 of the hub housing 161 instead of the locking member 165 in the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 according to the first embodiment. The power transmission member of this embodiment is composed of the rotor 168 . For this reason, the locking member 165A has a thread groove 165Aa that is screwed with a thread groove 161c formed in the inner peripheral surface of the hub housing 161 at a position facing the rotor 168. As shown in FIG. As with the locking member 165 of the first embodiment, the locking member 165A can be unlocked from the hub housing 161 using a dedicated jig.

The locking member 165A has a through hole through which the rotor 168 passes. The rotor 168 is rotatably slidable about the axis within the through hole of the locking member 165A. Also, the locking member 165A restricts the movement of the rotor 168 toward the proximal side. For example, the locking member 165A is provided with a step 165Ab on the inner circumference of the through hole. Correspondingly, the rotor 168 has a stepped portion 168a whose outer diameter changes in the extending direction, and the stepped portion 168a abuts on the locking member 165A on the surface facing the base end side.

Further, in the first embodiment, a bearing 169 is provided between the port 162 inside the hub housing 161 where the locking member 165 is arranged and the connector portion 166 . A bearing 169 rotatably supports the connection pipe 164 . In this case, the connecting pipe 164 has a constant diameter over the extending direction. Since the rest of the configuration is the same as that of the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

According to this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the locking member 165A is fixed inside the hub housing 161 on the distal side of the proximal end of the hub housing 161, so that the user can The fixing of the locking member 165A to the hub housing 161 cannot be easily released. This allows the diagnostic imaging catheter 100 to be disassembled by a person other than the manufacturer or remanufacturer, while preventing inappropriate disassembly.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various variations or modifications based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these variations or modifications are included within the scope of this disclosure.

For example, screwing is used as a method for fixing and releasing the fixing between the locking member and the connection housing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the locking member and the connection housing are fixed by a pin or the like projecting from the locking member into a recess formed in the inner peripheral surface of the connection housing, and when a specific portion of the locking member is pressed by the release member, A structure in which the fixing is released by retracting the pin is also possible.

100 Diagnostic Imaging Catheter (Catheter)
110 Sheath 120 Outer Tube 130 Inner Shaft 140 Drive Shaft 145 Signal Transceiver 150 Unit Connector 160 Hub 161 Hub Housing (Connection Housing)
162 Port 163 Sealing member 164 Connection pipe (power transmission member)
165 locking member 166 connector portion 167 electrode terminal 168 rotor (power transmission member)
169 bearing 170 relay connector 200 dedicated jig (release member)
300 diagnostic imaging device 310 external electrode terminal 320 control device 330 monitor

Claims (8)

a tubular sheath to be inserted into a living body;
a drive shaft that is inserted into the sheath and transmits a mechanical drive force from the proximal side to the distal side;
a connection housing having a hollow shape directly or indirectly connected to the proximal end of the sheath;
a power transmission member extending in the connection housing and transmitting a rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft;
a locking member that is releasably fixed to the connection housing inside the connection housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connection housing and that restricts movement of the power transmission member toward the proximal side; with
A catheter configured such that fixing between the locking member and the connection housing can be released using a dedicated release member. 2. The catheter according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member has a three-dimensional structure that can be fitted by the release member at a position reachable from the proximal end side of the connection housing. 3. The catheter according to claim 2 , wherein the three-dimensional structure includes at least one of a concave portion and a convex portion provided on the proximal surface of the locking member. The locking member is screwed into a thread groove formed on the inner peripheral surface of the connection housing, and is released from the connection housing by being rotated around the rotation axis of the power transmission member by the release member. 4. A catheter according to any one of claims 1-3 . 5. The catheter according to claim 4 , wherein a direction of rotation for releasing fixation between the locking member and the connection housing is a direction opposite to a direction of the rotational force transmitted from the external drive source to the drive shaft. a tubular sheath to be inserted into a living body;
a drive shaft that is inserted into the sheath and transmits a mechanical drive force from the proximal side to the distal side;
a connection housing having a hollow shape directly or indirectly connected to the proximal end of the sheath;
a power transmission member extending in the connection housing and transmitting a rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft;
a locking member that is releasably fixed to the connection housing inside the connection housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connection housing and that restricts movement of the power transmission member toward the proximal side; with
The power transmission member penetrates through the locking member and is in contact with the locking member through a tapered surface that narrows toward the proximal side. a tubular sheath to be inserted into a living body;
a drive shaft that is inserted into the sheath and transmits a mechanical drive force from the proximal side to the distal side;
a connection housing having a hollow shape directly or indirectly connected to the proximal end of the sheath;
a power transmission member extending in the connection housing and transmitting a rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft;
a locking member that is releasably fixed to the connection housing inside the connection housing on the distal side of the proximal end of the connection housing and that restricts the movement of the power transmission member toward the proximal side; with
The power transmission member has a stepped portion that penetrates the locking member and has an outer diameter that changes in the extending direction, and the stepped portion contacts the locking member with a surface facing the proximal end side. . A tubular sheath to be inserted into the living body, a drive shaft inserted into the sheath to transmit a mechanical driving force from the proximal side to the distal side, and directly or indirectly connected to the proximal side of the sheath. a connection housing having a hollow shape, a power transmission member extending within the connection housing and transmitting a rotational force from an external drive source to the drive shaft, and a distal end from the proximal end of the connection housing. A method for disassembling a catheter including a locking member releasably fixed to the connecting housing on the side and inside the connecting housing for restricting proximal movement of the power transmission member, the method comprising:
inserting a release member from the base end side into a space between the connection housing and the power transmission member;
acting the release member on the locking member;
unlocking the connection housing and the locking member.

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