JPH0314161Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an endoscope whose bending portion can be bent by a manipulation wire.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in an endoscope, many members such as an optical fiber bundle for observation, an optical fiber bundle for illumination, and a channel tube are inserted into the insertion section. However, in order to alleviate patient pain, it is necessary to reduce the outer diameter of the insertion portion, so each of the above-mentioned members must be closely assembled. Therefore, it is not possible to freely select the size of the guiding wire receiver for the operating wire for bending the bending portion, and it is necessary to make it smaller. Therefore, the operating wire itself approaches the inner circumferential surface of the curved ring. In particular, when a certain operating wire is pulled in order to apply a bend, the operating wire 1 is moved to a position a or b relative to the head 4 of the rivet 3 connecting the bending rings 2 and 2, as shown in FIG. It hits and locks. Then, in this buffered state, if another operating wire 1 is used to further bend the wire in the perpendicular direction, each locking position a, as shown in FIG.
The operating wire 1 comes off from b, and the slack in the operating wire 1 at this time causes the curved pipe portion to move rapidly, which is dangerous for operation. For example, when a surgical knife protrudes from the tip of an endoscope, it may inadvertently damage the body cavity wall, creating a danger.

Conventionally, as a means to prevent the interference between the operation wire and the rivet, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 55-112502, the position of the insertion hole of the wire receiver is made eccentric to the central axis side of the insertion part so that the wire receiver protrudes. There is a method that prevents buffering between the operating wire and the rivet as much as possible while suppressing the amount. Also, Utsukai Showa 57-157302
As disclosed in the above publication, there is also one in which only the portion of the curved ring to which the wire receiver is fixed protrudes inward.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 55-112502, the position of the insertion hole of the wire receiver is eccentric to the central axis side of the insertion part, so the wall portion on the eccentric side of the insertion hole of the wire receiver is extremely thin. Become. Then, there was a problem in that this edge-like thin portion damaged the operating wire.

Furthermore, the means disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-157302 has a problem in that the amount of built-in objects accommodated within the curved portion is reduced by the amount of protrusion of the portion of the curved ring that fixes the wire receiver.

The present invention was developed with attention to the above problems, and its purpose is to improve the safety of use, to prevent damage to the operating wire as much as possible with the wire receiver, and to prevent the operation wire from being damaged inside the curved part. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can secure the storage capacity of objects.

[Means and actions for solving problems]

A plurality of curved rings are arranged in a row in the axial direction, and adjacent ends of each of the curved rings are respectively pivotally supported by a shaft member to constitute a core material of a curved portion that can be curved vertically and horizontally,
The tip of an operating wire corresponding to the bending is attached to the distal end side of the core material, and in an endoscope that bends the bending portion by pulling each of the operating wires in the operating section, the inner surface of the bending ring is attached. is provided with four wire receivers each having an insertion hole through which each of the operating wires is inserted and guided, and one or two of the wire receivers have a wall thickness in the radial direction larger than that of the other wire receivers. It is something.

Therefore, during use, interference between the operating wire and the shaft member is reduced, and the above-mentioned disadvantageous phenomenon does not occur.

〔Example〕

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. 11 in FIG. 2 is an endoscope, and this endoscope 11 consists of an insertion section 12 and an operation section 13.
A light guide cable 14 is connected to the operation section 13. In addition, the insertion section 12 is connected to the flexible tube section 1
5, a curved portion 16 connected to this tip, and a tip portion 17 connected to the tip of this curved portion 16. The curved portion 16 is bent vertically and horizontally by four operating wires 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d, which will be described later.
Each of the above operating wires 18a, 18b, 18c, 18
d is inserted into the interior of the flexible tube section 15 and the bending section 16, and its base end side is adapted to be pushed or pulled by a bending operation mechanism provided in the operation section 13. The left and right operation knobs 19 and the up and down operation knobs 20 of the bending operation mechanism are coaxially installed outside the operation section 13.

On the other hand, the core material 2 of the flexible tube section 15 of the insertion section 12
1 is constructed as shown in FIG. That is, a plurality of curved rings 22 each formed into a short tube shape.
are connected in the axial direction, and the adjacent ends of each curved ring 22 are pivotally supported by a rivet 23, which is a shaft member. Each of the rivets 23 is inserted in such a way that it overlaps and penetrates connecting portions 24, which are protruding from adjacent ends of the curved ring 22 and are offset by 180 degrees. Further, since the positions of the connecting portions 24, which are pivotally supported by the rivets 23, are alternately shifted by 90 degrees, the core member 21 as a whole can be freely curved vertically and horizontally. Further, on the distal end side of the curved portion 16, for example, the most advanced curved ring 22, each of the upper, lower, left and right operating wires 18 are provided.
The tips of a, 18b, 18c, and 18d are attached corresponding to their upper, lower, left, and right positions. Furthermore, the inner surface of each of the curved rings 22 has a plurality of insertion holes 25 for inserting and guiding each of the operation wires 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d that respectively curve the curved portion 16 in a plurality of different directions. Wire receivers 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d are provided. These wire receivers 26a, 26b, 26
c, 26d are guiding operation wires 18a, 18
b, 18c, and 18d are attached to the upper, lower, right, and left sides of each curved ring 22. Further, it is provided at an end portion opposite to the connecting portion 24 .
Therefore, each of the operation wires 18a, 18b, 1
8c and 18d pass over the rivet 23 and are guided by wire receivers 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d.

In addition, each of the wire receivers 26a, 26b, 26
c and 26d are formed from short tubular members, and are fixed to the inner wall of the curved ring 22 by soldering or the like. Furthermore, when using this endoscope 11, operation wires 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d
For example, a wire receiver 26a that inserts and guides the operating wire 18a that curves the curved portion 16 upward has a radial wall thickness that is smaller than that of the other wire receivers 26.
It is larger than those of b, 26c, and 26d.
Although the operating wire 18a guided by the wire receiver 26a passes over the corresponding rivet 23, it is separated from the head 27 of the rivet 23 so as not to interfere with it. Note that the specific wires with the greatest interference are the operation wires 18a, 18b, 18c, 1 while the insertion portion 12 is kept straight.
8d, the operating wires 18a, 18
The amount by which b, 18c, and 18d collide with the head 27 of the rivet 23, that is, FIGS.
This refers to the direction in which h and i in the figure are larger than those in other directions. In addition, these h and i are defined as "operation wire 18a,
18b, 18c, 18d and head 2 of rivet 23
7 and 7." On the other hand, the operating wires 18a, 18b, 18c, and 18d inserted through the wire receivers 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d are at least partially coated with a solid lubricant such as molybdenum disulfide and fixed thereto.

When bending the bending section 16 of the endoscope 11, the operation knobs 19 and 20 of the operation section 13 are rotated. For example, when curving left and right, use the left and right operation knob 1.
9 to rotate the left and right operation wires 18a, 18b.
By pushing and pulling, you can curve left and right. In addition, when bending vertically, the vertical operating knob 20 is rotated and the vertical operating wires 18a, 1
By pushing and pulling 8b, it can be curved up and down.

By the way, this endoscope 11 is assumed to be used in many cases where the bending portion 16 is particularly strongly curved upward. However, the wire receiver 2 that inserts and guides the operating wire 18a that curves the curved portion 16 upward
6a has a radial wall thickness of another wire receiver 26.
It is larger than those of b, 26c, and 26d.
Therefore, when the operating wire 18a guided by the wire receiver 26a is stretched while the insertion portion 12 is kept straight, the operating wire 18a passes over the corresponding rivet 23, but the rivet 2
3, away from the head 27 and do not interfere with it. Therefore, the operating wire 18a and the head 27 of the rivet 23 do not come into strong contact. In order to bend the bending portion 16 upward, even if the operating wire 18a is pulled, the operating wire 1 will not move against the head 4 of the rivet 3 connecting the bending rings 2 and 2, as shown in FIG. There is no strong contact and locking at position a or b. Then, while maintaining this buffered state, if the other operating wires 26c and 26d are used to further bend it in the left and right direction perpendicular to it,
Operating wire 1 from each locking position a, b shown in FIG.
It is possible to avoid a phenomenon in which the bending portion 16 suddenly moves due to the loosening of the operating wire 1 at this time. This phenomenon is dangerous because, for example, when a surgical knife protrudes from the tip of the endoscope, it may inadvertently injure the wall of the body cavity, but since this phenomenon can be avoided, safety can be ensured.

In addition, the above interference is small, that is, the fifth
Since the movement from the positions a and b in the figure to the other positions a and b is performed smoothly, the bending operation can be performed lightly and smoothly.

Furthermore, operation wires 18a, 18b, 18c,
18d and the rivet 23 which is a shaft member, for example, only the wire receiver 26a that inserts and guides the operating wire 18a that curves the curved portion 16 upward, has a radial wall thickness that is smaller than that of the other wire receivers 26b. , 26c, 26d, the other wire receivers 26b, 26c, 26
The protrusion amount of d is small. Therefore, the capacity of the built-in items within the curved portion 16 is not impaired.

In addition, the operation wires 18a, 18b, 18c, 1
8d and the shaft member rivet 23, that is, the radial wall thickness of the wire receiver 26a that inserts and guides the operating wire 18a that curves the curved portion 16 upward is compared to the other wire receivers 2.
Since it is larger than those of 6b, 26c, and 26d, the operation wire 18 passing through the wire receiver 26a
Damage to a can be prevented.

In this embodiment, the wire receivers 26b, 26c, and 26d other than the wire receiver 26a may be formed by bending the material of the curved ring 22, as shown in FIG.

Note that the specific one in which the interference between the operating wire and the shaft member is the greatest is not limited to the one in the above embodiment. For example, a duodenal endoscope has two directions: upward and leftward.

[Effects of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, the safety in use is improved, the wire receiver prevents damage to the operating wire as much as possible, and the amount of internal objects accommodated in the curved part is reduced. can be secured.
Furthermore, due to the structure of the present invention, even when fixing a wire receiver with a large wall thickness, there are no restrictions on the mounting direction in the circumferential direction or the mounting location.
It has the advantage of being easy to assemble.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a curved portion of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an endoscope according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the curved portion of another embodiment, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are cross-sectional views of the shaft support of the curved pipe in the conventional type. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Endoscope, 12... Insertion part, 13... Operation part, 16... Curved part, 18a, 18b, 18
c, 18d... Operating wire, 21... Core material, 22
...Curved ring, 23...Rivet, 26a, 26
b, 26c, 26d...Wire receiver.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A core of a curved portion that can be curved vertically and horizontally by arranging a plurality of curved rings in a row in the axial direction, and supporting each adjacent end of each curved ring by a shaft member. In the endoscope, the tip of the operating wire corresponding to the bending is attached to the distal end side of the core material, and the bending portion is bent by pulling the respective operating wires in the operating section. Four wire receivers are provided on the inner surface of the ring, each having an insertion hole through which each of the operating wires is inserted and guided. An endoscope that is characterized by being larger than the previous one. (2) The wire receiver whose thickness in the radial direction of the wire receiver is larger than that of the other wire receivers corresponds to the direction in which the bending angle of the curved portion is large. The endoscope described in item 1.