JPH02126824A - Curving device for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable curve operation knobs to be anytime cleaned, disinfected, and replaced by providing two curve operation knobs so as to be detachable, and further providing a detecting means by which these two curve operation knobs can be detached by manual operation, so that these knobs can be easily detached from an operation part. CONSTITUTION:On the head part of a right-and-left directional turning shaft 8, a tightening knob 30 capable of being turned by manual operation is fittedly screwed so as to be projected toward the upper part of a right-and-left directional curve operation knob 6. And, by once manually tightening this knob 30, the right-and-left directional curve operation knob 6 is pressed down from above to be fixed to the right-and-left directional turning shaft 8. Thereby, at the same time, an up-and-down directional curve operation knob 5 is fitted to an up-and-down directional turning shaft 10. If the tightening knob 30 is loosened and drawn out from the right-and-left directional turning shaft 8, both the curve operation knobs 5 and 6 can be drawn out upward and can be taken out. Therefore, by one detaching means or by the manual operation of the tightening knob 30, two curve operation knobs can be detached.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a bending device for an endoscope, and more particularly to a structure for attaching and detaching a bending operation knob protruding from an operation section.

[Prior Art] In an endoscope bending device, in consideration of operability, a vertical bending operation knob and a left and right bending operation knob are generally provided so as to coaxially overlap and protrude from the operation section. ing. And the curvature of conventional endoscopes? In this case, each bending operation knob was individually attached to the bending operation mechanism of the operating section with screws or nuts.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, when the curved operation knob is attached with a screw or nut, it cannot be attached or detached without using a screwdriver or special tool. It has not been easy to freely attach and replace the curved operating knobs of various shapes depending on the purpose of use and preference. Further, the curved operating knob, which has dirt and the like attached to it from the operator's hands, cannot be easily removed, cleaned, and disinfected after use.

Furthermore, even if a screwdriver or special tool is used, each of the two curved operation knobs must be attached and detached individually, making the attachment and detachment operation extremely complicated and extremely difficult for the user (surgeon) to attach and detach. It was bothersome.

Note that, conventionally, there have been some devices in which an adapter having a larger shape than the bending operation knob is detachably attached to the bending operation knob. However, with such a device, it is very complicated to attach and detach the adapter to both the two bending operation knobs, and since the bending operation knob itself is not attached or detached, the bending operation knob can be easily removed and cleaned. However, it still has the disadvantage that it cannot be disinfected.

The present invention eliminates such conventional drawbacks, and allows the two curved operation knobs to be easily attached and detached from the operation section for cleaning and cleaning at any time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope bending device that can be disinfected or replaced.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the endoscope bending device of the present invention has a bendable curved part formed on the distal end side of the insertion part, and an operating part connected to the proximal end side of the insertion part. A vertical bending operation knob and a left and right bending operation knob are coaxially superimposed and protruded from the operation part, and the bending part is bent by rotating each of the bending operation knobs. The bending device for an endoscope is characterized in that both of the two bending operation knobs are provided in a detachable manner, and one attachment/detachment means is provided for attaching and detaching the two bending operation knobs to and from the operating portion by one manual operation.

[Function] Both the vertical bending operation knob and the left and right bending operation knob are attached to the operation section by one attachment/detachment means, and by operating the one attachment/detachment means, both bending operation knobs can be attached to the operation section at the same time. It can be removed from.

[Example] Examples will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the endoscope. 1 is an insertion section sheathed by a flexible tube. A curved portion 2 is formed on the distal end side, which can be bent in up, down, left and right directions, and any combination of these directions. A tip main body 3 containing an objective optical system and the like is connected to the tip of the curved portion 2.

An operating section 4 is connected to the proximal end of the insertion section l, and a vertical bending operating knob 5 and a horizontal bending operating knob 6 are coaxially overlapped and protruded from the operating section 4. .

FIG. 1 shows a bending operation device. A fixed shaft 7 is fixedly protruded from a substrate 40 fixed within the operating section 4 , and the fixed shaft 7 projects outside the operating section 4 . A left-right pulley 9 is engaged with the lower end of a left-right rotating shaft 8 rotatably fitted to the fixed shaft 7 so as to rotate together. In addition, the rotation shaft 8 for left and right direction
A vertical pulley 11 is engaged with the lower end of a vertical rotating shaft 10 that is rotatably fitted on the outside of the vertical rotating shaft 10 so as to rotate together with the vertical rotating shaft 10 . 15 is a washer-like spacer.

A proximal end portion of an operating wire 12.13 whose tip end is connected to the curved portion 2 is wound around each pulley 9.11, and the operating wire 12.13 is pulled by the rotation of the pulleys 9, 11. The curved portion 2 is bent. Reference numeral 14 denotes a cover that serves as a bearing for the vertical rotating shaft 10 and is provided to prevent the operating wires 12 and 13 from protruding from the pulleys 9 and 11.

The upper end portion of the vertical rotating ring 10 is formed to have a large diameter, and one half of the large diameter portion has a non-circular cross-sectional shape, for example, a square. The vertical bending operation knob 5 is engaged with that portion from above. 16 is the holding part. The shape of the retaining hole formed in the center of this vertical bending operation knob 5 is the shape of the vertical rotating wheel lO
It is consistent with the non-circular cross-sectional shape of . Therefore, the vertical bending operation knob 5 rotates together with the vertical rotating shaft 10, but by pulling it upward in FIG. 1, it can be attached to and removed from the vertical rotating shaft lO. can.

Similarly, the large-diameter portion of the left-right rotating shaft 8 formed above and the left-right bending operation knob 6 are integrally connected, for example, by a non-circular engagement portion 18 formed in a square shape. Although it rotates, it is provided so that it can be attached or detached by pulling up the left/right direction bending operation knob 6.

In addition, an engaging portion 16, which receives each bending operation knob 5.6,
18, the sum of the thicknesses m and n of each of the bending operation knobs 5 and 6 therebetween is significantly smaller than the distance e between the bottoms of the bending operation knobs 5 and 6. Therefore, when the bending operation knobs 5 and 6 are engaged with the engaging portions 16 and 18, the bending operation knobs 5 and 6 do not interfere with each other and are independent from each other without any play. can be rotated.

A tightening knob 30 that protrudes above the left-right bending operation knob 6 and can be rotated manually is screwed into the head of the left-right rotating shaft 8 .

By manually tightening the tightening knob 30 once, the left-right bending operation knob 6 is pressed from above and fixed to the left-right rotating shaft 8. Thereby, the vertical bending operation knob 5 is attached to the vertical rotating wheel 10 at the same time. Furthermore, by loosening the tightening knob 30 and removing it from the left-right rotating shaft 8, both bending operation knobs 5 and 6 can be pulled upward and removed. Therefore, the two curved knobs can be attached and detached by means of one manual attachment and detachment means for the tightening knob 30.

An elastic member 31 is compressed and interposed between the left and right rotating shaft 8 and the fixed shaft 7 in the upper large diameter portion thereof. Therefore, when the horizontal rotation shaft 8 rotates, the fixed shaft 7
Since frictional resistance is generated between the two, the bending motion in the left and right direction is always braked with a constant force. The amount of compression of the elastic member 31 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of tightening of the nut 32 that is screwed into the inner side near the upper end of the left-right rotating shaft 8.

33 is to prevent the horizontal rotation shaft 8 from coming off upward.
This is a bolt screwed onto the top of the fixed shaft 7 to prevent removal.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the endoscope bending device of the present invention, both the vertical and horizontal bending operation knobs can be attached and detached at the same time by manually operating one attachment/detachment means. This has an excellent effect in that both curved operation knobs can be easily removed from the operation section on the operator's side to be cleaned, disinfected, or replaced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the overall configuration of an endoscope according to the embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Insertion part, 2... Curved part, 4... Operation part, 5
. . . Curving operation knob for vertical direction, 6 . . . Curving operation knob for left and right directions, 8 . . . Rotation shaft for left and right directions, lO .

Claims (1)

[Claims] A bendable curved portion is formed on the distal end side of the insertion portion, and an operating portion is connected to the proximal end side of the insertion portion, and the operating portion has a bending operation knob for the vertical direction and a bending operation knob for the left and right directions. In the bending device for an endoscope, the bending device for an endoscope is provided with bending operation knobs that are coaxially stacked and protruding, and the bending portion is bent by rotating each of the bending operation knobs. 1. A bending device for an endoscope, characterized in that both of the two bending operation knobs are detachably attached to each other, and one attachment/detachment means is provided for attaching and detaching the two bending operation knobs to and from an operating section by manual operation.