JPH02283347A - Apparatus for bending operation of catheter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a tip part of a catheter to be surely restored to a straight shape with a simple construction so as to improve operability safely by covering outside periphery of an operation wire with sag prevention members, which prevents weaving of the operation wire accompanied by pushing, almost throughout the total length of wire. CONSTITUTION:An insert part 2 as a catheter is connected to a tip end of an operation part 1, more than two lumens 3 are bored through this insert part 2, and a coil sheath 8, a spacer 9 and a stopper 10, wherein an operation wire 11 made of a superelastic metal etc., penetrates through, are inserted into one of the lumens 3 in order from the tip side. And the bottom end of the coil sheath 8 passes through a compartment 12 of the operation part and is inserted into a thruster casing 15 which is projecting into a compartment 13. Furthermore, the bottom part of the operation wire 11, which penetrates through the coil sheath 8, penetrates through an operation rod 18. The outside periphery of the operation wire is covered almost throughout its total length by the spacer, the coil sheath, the thruster rod and the operation rod, which constitute sag prevention members 26 for preventing a weaving accompanied by pushing and pulling of the operation wire.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a catheter bending device for bending the distal end of a catheter such as an insertion portion of an endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, as the diameter of the insertion portion of an endoscope has become smaller, a structure different from that using a curved tube formed by rotatably connecting a large number of joint rings has been proposed. For example, JP-A-60-
Publication No. 253428, Japanese Patent Application No. 61-102464, Japanese Patent Application No. 63103540, etc. all have a structure in which a certain portion on the distal end side of the insertion portion is more flexible than other portions,
A device that takes advantage of the fact that an operating wire is inserted into the insertion section, the tip of the operating wire is fixed to the tip of the insertion section, and the flexible portion is bent in a desired direction by pushing and pulling the operating wire. It is.

In all of the above prior art techniques, it is desirable to use the operating wire alone in order to significantly reduce the diameter of the insertion portion. In other words, is it possible to obtain curvature in two directions by providing the operating wires at approximately symmetrical positions in the cross section of the insertion section?If so, we would like to see a drastic reduction in diameter compared to the conventional structure using node rings. That's difficult. Therefore, in order to significantly reduce the diameter of the insertion tube, it is effective to provide a single operating wire in the lumen remote from the central axis of the insertion tube, and to apply curvature in only one direction by pulling this operating wire. .

By the way, the traction mechanism for the operating wire is disclosed in the above-mentioned patent application filed in 1983.
As typically described in the specification of 1.03540, it is common and well-known to wind the operating wire by rotating a pulley linked to an operating lever, or to wind it using a chain. All of them have the function of towing the operating wire, but in order to push it in, a part of the operating wire is exposed inside the insertion section or the operating section, so a part of the operating wire snakes around.
Alternatively, the slack was absorbed using a meandering prevention device.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, when a single operating wire is provided to significantly reduce the diameter of the insertion tube as described above, the operation of returning the insertion tube from the curved state to the original straight state due to the traction of this operation wire is We have no choice but to rely on elastic restoring force, and if the insertion tube becomes bent after repeated bending operations, it will be impossible to return it to a straight position, which will cause significant inconvenience in use and pose a safety risk. was also extremely dangerous to patients. In addition, the structure of a device that uses a meandering prevention device to absorb slack is complicated.

This invention was made based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a catheter bending device that can reliably return the tip of a catheter to a straight state, is safe, has good operability, and has a simple structure. It's about doing.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention covers the outer periphery of the operating wire over substantially its entire length with a sagging prevention member that prevents meandering caused by pushing the operating wire. When the operating wire is pushed in, the operating wire is pushed in without meandering or sagging on the way, thereby forcing the tip of the catheter, which is in a curved state, to return to its original slate state. do. In this way, the pushing force on the proximal side of the operating wire can be reliably transmitted to the distal end, and the distal end of the catheter can be reliably returned to the straight position.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, FIGS. 1 to 3 will be explained regarding the first embodiment of this invention.
This will be explained with reference to the figures. In the figure, 1 is the operating section of the endoscope, and the tip of this operating section 1 has an insertion section 2 as a catheter.
The proximal ends of the two are connected.

This insertion part 2 is made of a resin such as tetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, vinyl acetate, or polyvinyl chloride, and here, as shown in FIG. It consists of 4 tubes. Each lumen 3 has a different inner diameter and is provided at a position away from the central axis of the insertion section 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, an image guide fiber 5 is inserted into one of the four lumens 3, and its tip is optically connected to an objective lens group 6 built in the tip of the lumen 3. The base end passes through the operation section and is optically connected to an eyepiece group (not shown).

A light guide fiber (not shown) that transmits illumination light from the light source to the distal end is inserted into one of the other lumens 3,
Furthermore, another lumen 3 communicates with a forceps insertion port (not shown) provided in the operating section 1, and is used as a channel for inserting a treatment tool and for supplying air and water.

In the remaining one of the lumens 3, in order from the proximal end, there are a coil sheath 8 made of tightly wound wire, a spacer 9 made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber molded into a hollow cylindrical shape, and a metal or hard synthetic resin. A ring-shaped stopper 0 is inserted. The stopper 10 is fixed to the lumen 3 by a fixing means such as adhesive, but the coil sheath 8 and spacer 9 are only inserted.

Then, the coil sheath 8, spacer 9 and stopper 1
A single operating wire made of a superelastic alloy or the like is inserted through the inside of the wire. The tip of the operating wire 1 is fixed to the stopper 0 by fixing means such as adhesive, and the proximal end projects from the multi-lumen tube 4 together with the coil system 8 and is guided into the operating section 1.

The proximal end of the coil sheath 8 passes through the first compartment 2 in the operating section 1, and a thruster is attached to the partition wall 4 between the first compartment 12 and the second compartment 13 so as to protrude into the second compartment 13. The thruster is inserted into the outer cylinder 15 and abuts against a sheath stopper 16 that projects from the inner periphery of the tip of the thruster outer cylinder 15 . Here, since the first compartment 12 houses various built-in items such as the image guide fiber 5, the light guide fiber, a forceps insertion port, and a channel, the coil sheath 8 normally runs straight through the first compartment 12. without being inserted into the
As shown in FIG. 1, it is arranged in a bent state. A reinforcing sheath 17 formed by tightly winding strands thicker than the strands constituting the coil sheath 8 is fitted around the outer periphery of the coil sheath 8 in the first compartment 12, following the curved shape of the coil sheath 8. ing.

An operating rod 18 is provided at the rear side of the sheath stopper 16 within the thruster outer cylinder 15 so as to be slidable along the axial direction of the thruster outer cylinder 15 . This operation rodco. The proximal end of the operating wire 11 that has been passed through the coil sheath 8 is inserted into the coil sheath 8, and the distal end thereof is connected to the operating rod 1.
It is fixed in the middle part within 8 by fixing means such as soldering. Further, an adjustment screw 19 is screwed into the base end of the operation rod 18, and this adjustment screw 19 is also screwed into one end of a cam member 21 that constitutes a part of the bending operation device 20. 8 and the cam member 21 are connected so that the distance between them can be adjusted.

The bending operation device 20 includes the cam member 21 and the second compartment 1.
It consists of a drum 22 rotatably provided in a drum 22, and an operating lever 23 whose one end is connected to the spindle of the drum 22. A pin 24 is protruded from the drum 22,
A cam hole 25 formed at the other end of the cam member 21 is engaged with the cam hole 25 . Therefore, when the drum 22 is rotated by the operating lever 23, the rotational movement of the drum 22 is caused by the interaction between the pin 24 and the cam hole 25, and the operating rod 1
8 in the thrust direction, thereby pushing and pulling the operating wire 1.

In such a configuration, the outer periphery of the operating wire 1 is covered with the spacer 9, the coil sheath 8, the thruster outer cylinder 1-5, and the operating rod 18 from the distal end side over almost the entire length thereof. The thruster outer cylinder 15 and the operating rod 18 are connected to the operating wire 1
Sag prevention member 2 that prevents meandering due to push and pull of
6.

Therefore, the operating lever 23 is adjusted in advance using a single adjustment screw so that the distal end of the insertion portion 2 is in a straight state and the operating lever 23 is placed in the neutral position. At this time,
The tip of the operating rod 18 and the sheath stopper 6 inside the thruster outer cylinder 15 do not come into contact with each other, and a slight pushing allowance 27 is formed between them.

In order to curve the distal end of the insertion section 2, the operating lever 23 is rotated in the direction A in FIG.

Then, the operation rod 18 is moved in the direction of being pulled out from the thruster outer cylinder 15 by the action of the drum 22 and the cam member 2 which are interlocked with the operation lever 23, and the operation wire 1 is thereby moved.
1 is pulled, a compressive force acts on the coil sheath 8 and the spacer. The coil sheath 8 is strong and difficult to bend, but the spacer 9 made of an elastic material is easier to bend than the coil sheath 8. Therefore, as the compressive force applied to the coil sheath 8 and the spacer increases, the spacer 9 gradually begins to curve, thereby causing the distal end of the insertion section 2 to curve in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. I can do it.

On the other hand, in order to return the distal end of the insertion portion 2 to its original straight state, the operating lever 23 is rotated in the direction B. Then, the operating rod 18 moves in the direction of being pushed into the thruster outer cylinder 15, and the operating wire 1] is pushed through the thruster outer cylinder 15, the coil sheath 8, and the spacer 9 without meandering or sagging on the way. At this time, the operating wire 11 naturally moves toward the distal end due to the elastic restoring force of the spacer and the multi-lumen tube 4 up to a certain bending angle, but there is a limit to this restoring force, and as the bending angle decreases, the restoring force When the resistance becomes equal to the pulling resistance of the operating wire 11, the curved tip of the insertion section 2 no longer returns to its original straight state. Here, by rotating the operating lever 23 to the neutral position, the operating wire 11 is pushed in by the slack prevention member 26 without meandering or sagging on the way, thereby causing the operating wire 1
The stopper 1o at the tip of the insertion portion 2 is pushed in and tries to forcibly return the curved tip of the insertion portion 2 to a straight state.

By the way, due to the clearance between the coil sheath 8 and the operating wire 11, the play in each connection part, etc., even if the operating wire 11 is pushed in by the amount that the distal end of the insertion section 2 should be straight, the distal end of the insertion section 2 will not be straight. ]・There may be cases where the rate is not met.

In this case, by rotating the operating lever 23 in the direction B by the push-in allowance 27 formed between the operating rod 18 and the sheath stopper 16 inside the thruster outer cylinder 15, the operating lever 23 is pulled in in the original neutral state. It is possible to push in more of the operating wire 1 than the length, and the distal end of the insertion section 2 is returned to a straight state with a stronger force.

In this way, since the outer periphery of the operating wire 11 is covered over almost its entire length with the sag prevention part +4' 26, which has a simple structure and consists of the spacer 9, the coil sheath 8, the thruster outer cylinder 15, and the operating rod 8, the operating wire 11 The pushing force on the proximal side can be reliably transmitted to the distal end of the insertion section 2.
The tip can be reliably returned to a straight position. In addition, since one adjustment screw is especially provided between the operation rod 18 and the cam member 21, the second knee L after fixing the operation wire 11 and the operation rod 18 with this adjustment screw
adjustment can be made. In addition, the first branch room 12
Since the reinforcing sheath 17 is fitted around the outer periphery of the coil sheath 8 inside, even if the operating wire 11 is pushed in with strong force, the coil sheath 8 will not bend, and the operating wire 1]
The pushing force can be reliably transmitted to the tip side. Furthermore, since the push-in allowance 27 is formed between the tip of the operation end 18 and the sheath stopper 16 in the thruster outer cylinder 15, the tip of the insertion portion 2 can be returned straight with a stronger force. Further, since the bending mechanism is operated by operating the operating lever 23, the structure is relatively simple, and the operator can use it with the same operational feeling as a conventional endoscope. Furthermore, since the operating wire 1 is made of a superelastic alloy, it is less likely to bend and buckle within the coil sheath 8 even if pushed in excessively.

4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the invention.

That is, a heat-shrinkable tube 31 made of tetrafluoroethylene resin or the like is fitted around the outer periphery of the coil sheath 8 in the first compartment 12 so as to follow the curved shape of the coil sheath 8 . Further, the thruster outer cylinder 15 is integrally formed with a part of the partition wall 14 between the first compartment] 2 and the second compartment 13.

Further, the operating rod 18 is connected via an adjustment screw 19 to a rack 32 that constitutes a part of the bending operating device 20. The bending operation device 20 includes the rack 32 and an operation button 35 meshed with the rack 32 via a first gear 33 and a second gear 34. Here, the first gear 33 has more teeth than the second gear 34. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, an indicator 37 is provided on the sliding surface 36 of the operation button 35 in the operation section 1 to indicate the bending angle of the distal end of the insertion section 2. Note that the other basic configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

When the operation button 35 is moved in the direction C in FIG. 4, the second gear 34, the first gear 33 and the rack 3
2, the operating rod 18 moves in the direction of being pulled out from the thruster outer cylinder 15, thereby pulling the operating wire 11, so that the tip of the insertion portion 2 is curved. On the other hand, when the operation button 35 is moved in the D direction, the operation wire 1 is pushed through the thruster outer cylinder 15, the coil sheath 8, and the spacer 9 without meandering or sagging on the way. The tip of section 2 returns to its original straight state.

] 4 According to such a configuration, since the operation wire 1 is pushed and pulled using the rack and pinion mechanism, there is little loss of force transmission, and the bending operation can be performed reliably. Furthermore, by arbitrarily changing the number of teeth of the first and second gears 33 and 34 to be combined, the same amount of movement of the operation button 35 can be used regardless of the stroke amount of the operation wire 11, which varies depending on the thickness of the insertion section 2. The same angle of curvature can be applied.

Furthermore, by making the number of teeth of the first gear 33 greater than the number of teeth of the second gear 34, even if the operation button 35 is suddenly operated, the movement of the operation wire 11 can be slowed down. Thereby, there is no danger of sudden bending of the distal end of the insertion section 2, and it is possible to finely adjust the bending angle.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the invention. That is, the operation part] is made of integrally molded resin, and has a sheath groove 41 into which the proximal end of the coil sheath 8 led out from the lumen 3 of the multi-lumen tube 4 is fitted, and a proximal end of the coil sheath 8 at its distal end. The sheath stopper 42 that comes into contact with
, a wire groove 43 communicating with the sheath groove 4 and into which the operating wire 11 led out from the coil sheath 8 is inserted;
A pulley house 45 in which the pulley 44 of the bending operation device 20 is accommodated, an optical fiber groove 46 into which the base end of the image guide fiber 5 led out from the lumen 3 is inserted, and the like are formed in communication with the wire groove 43. ing. The inner diameter of the wire groove 43 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the operating wire 11, and the gap between the pulley 44 and the pulley house 45 is also formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the operating wire 11. The proximal end of the operating wire 11 is wound around a pulley 44 with the distal end fixed thereto. Further, one end of the operating lever 23 is connected to the support shaft of the pulley 44.

In such a configuration, in addition to the spacer 9 and the coil sheath 8, the wire groove 43 and the pulley house 45 constitute the slack prevention member 26.

When the operating lever 23 is rotated in the direction E in FIG. 6, the operating wire 11 is wound around the pulley 44, and the operating wire 11 is thereby pulled, so that the tip of the insertion portion 2 is curved. become. On the other hand, when the operating lever 23 is rotated in the F direction, the operating wire 11 passes through the gap between the pulley 44 and the pulley house 45, the wire groove 43, the coil sheath 8, and the spacer 9, without meandering or sagging on the way. As a result, the tip of the insertion portion 2, which had been curved, returns to its original straight state. Therefore, even with such a configuration, the intended purpose of the present invention can be achieved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the simple structure of covering the outer periphery of the operating wire with a sag prevention member that prevents the operating wire from meandering along the entire length thereof prevents the operating wire from meandering in the middle. This allows the tip of the catheter, which is in a curved state, to be forcibly returned to its original straight state. In other words, the pushing force on the proximal side of the operating wire can be reliably transmitted to the distal end, and the distal end of the catechil can be reliably returned to the straight position, making it possible to create a catheter bending operating device that is safe, easy to operate, and has a simple structure. Can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the operation section of an endoscope showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the internal structure of the operating section of an endoscope according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 1... Operation section, 2... Insertion section (catheter), 11
. . . Operation wire, 20. Curving operation device, 26. Sag prevention member. Patent attorney Atsushi Tsuboi Patent application No. 105287 Name of the invention Relationship with the catheter bending operation device correction case Patent applicant (037) Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. 4, Agent: 3-7-2-7 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Contents of amendment (1) Specification box page 3] line 3 to section 15 of the same page φ
"Some of the operating wires...were being done."
It says, ``The operating wire snaked around in that part,
No force for pushing the wire was transmitted to the tip of the insertion section. ” is corrected. (2) Delete the following statement from page 4, line 5 of the specification to section 7, line 1 of the same page: ``In addition, the anti-meandering device...was complicated.''

Claims (1)

[Claims] One operating wire is inserted into the catheter eccentrically with respect to the central axis of the catheter, one end of this operating wire is fixed to the distal end of the catheter, and the other end is connected to a curved operating member provided on the operating section. In the catheter bending operation device, which bends the distal end of the catheter by pulling the operation wire with the bending operation member, meandering caused by pushing the operation wire around the outer periphery of the operation wire over substantially the entire length thereof is prevented. A catheter bending operation device characterized by being provided with a sagging prevention member.