JPH036887Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an endoscope that can prevent vapor from entering and breakage of the fiber.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] In recent years, endoscopes have come to be widely used in the medical and industrial fields.

The above-mentioned endoscopes are divided into rigid endoscopes that have a rigid and substantially straight insertion section, and flexible endoscopes that have a flexible insertion section that can be inserted into a curved path from the oral cavity or lumen. . These endoscopes require sterilization, especially when inserted into a body cavity.

For this reason, in recent years, endoscopes having a waterproof function have been developed, and endoscopes can now be easily cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized by being directly immersed in a chemical solution.

However, if this immersion is repeated repeatedly,
Humidity can increase inside the endoscope even with waterproof endoscopes due to steam entering the interior through the polyurethane resin or synthetic rubber membrane that forms the endoscope's insertion section. be.

When humidity increases in this way, in a flexible endoscope, problems may occur between the fibers of the optical fiber bundle (fiber bundle) that forms the image guide and light guide inserted into the flexible insertion section, or between the fibers and the inner periphery of the outer skin tube. The function of the anti-friction agent (solid lubricant) such as powdered molybdenum disulfide to smooth the sliding of the fibers decreases, and the fibers at the curved portion are more likely to break when bent, which may impede observation. However, there was a problem in that the amount of illumination light decreased.

Therefore, as in the endoscope proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-130527, a material with low vapor permeability is used in the curved portion of the tube for covering the optical fiber bundle of the endoscope. There is a double tube structure in which the rear side is made of a tube made of a material with high vapor permeability (high vapor permeability).

The above-mentioned endoscope is constructed so that the optical fiber bundle at the curved part is not wetted by steam, so it can prevent breakage due to bending, but the endoscope is more complex than one constructed from tubes made of the same material. Become. In addition, as shown in the application drawing above, covering the outside of a high vapor permeability tube with a low vapor permeability tube to form a partially double structure is useful for the outside of the insertion section of the endoscope. This increases the diameter and causes greater pain to the patient during insertion and removal.

[Purpose of the invention] The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned points. It is waterproof, prevents breakage of optical fibers, and has a simple structure that allows optical fiber bundles to be stored even during ethylene oxide gas sterilization. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can prevent the tube it covers from bursting.

[Summary of the invention] The invention includes a flexible tube that covers at least one optical fiber bundle forming an image guide and a light guide in an endoscope, and is made of a material with low vapor permeability. The above objective is achieved by providing a through part such as a hole in a part.

[Embodiments of the invention] The invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 3 relate to one embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 showing the overall configuration of the endoscope of the embodiment, and Figure 2 showing an enlarged view of the distal end of the insertion section in Figure 1. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of an image guide in one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a flexible endoscope 1 includes an elongated and flexible insertion section 2 that can be inserted into a body cavity, etc.
An operation section 3 with a large diameter and a wide width connected to the rear end of the insertion section 2, an eyepiece section 4 formed on the rear end side of the operation section 3, and an eyepiece section 4 extending outward from the side of the operation section 3. It consists of a flexible light guide cable (universal cord) 6 attached with a connector 5 that can be connected to a light source device (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion section 2 includes a rigid tip structure section 8 that accommodates an objective lens system 7 and the like;
Curving portions 9 that can be bent are successively connected from the distal end side, and by rotating a bending operation knob (not shown) formed on the operating portion 3, the bending portions 9 can be bent as shown in FIG. As shown by the dashed line, it can be curved upward or downward (and in the left-right direction).

In addition, there is an air/water supply button 11 on the side of the operation unit 3.
and a suction button 12 are formed adjacent to each other,
A forceps insertion port 13 is provided in front of the air/water supply button 11 to allow forceps to be inserted from an oblique direction.

On the other hand, a through hole is formed adjacent to the distal end component 8 in the two axial directions of the insertion section, and one of the holes has a rear (back) hole whose front end is closed with a cover glass 14.
The objective lens system 7 is fixed to the lens frame 15. The objective lens system 7 is covered with a flexible covering tube 17 and formed of a fiber bundle so that its front end face faces the imaging position where an optical image of the object in front of the lens system 7 is formed. An image guide 18 is disposed, and the front end (tip) side of the image guide 18 bound and fixed with a cap 19 is fixed to the inner wall of the through hole, and the covered tube is attached to the outer periphery of the tip of the cap 19 protruding from the through hole. The front end of 17 is fixed by winding a copper wire, for example.

The image guide 18 has its front end fixed to the distal end component 8, is inserted into the insertion section 2, and its rear end extends to the eyepiece section 4, and as shown in FIG. For example, it is fixed by winding copper wire around it.

On the other hand, the front end of the other through hole adjacent to the through hole in which the objective lens system 7 is disposed is closed with a cover glass 21, and the back end thereof is covered with a flexible covering tube 22 formed of a fiber bundle. A light guide 23 is provided. The front end of the light guide 23 bound and fixed by the cap 24 is fixed to the inner wall of the through hole, and the front end of the covered tube 22 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rear end of the cap 24 by winding a copper wire or the like.

The insertion section 2 is covered with a flexible outer tube 26, and the front end of the outer tube 26 is fixed to the rear end of the outer periphery of the distal end component 8. Note that at least a portion of the outer tube 26 is made of a material that is easily permeable to gas, so that even if the endoscope 1 is housed in a low-pressure container, the gas inside the endoscope 1 will not be able to pass through. This allows it to quickly equalize to external pressure and adapt without bursting due to expansion.

The curved portion 9 adjacent to the tip structure portion 8 has a large number of joint pieces 27, 27,
..., 27 are connected cascaded in the axial direction of the insertion portion 2 by pivoting the connecting portions of the adjacent joint pieces 27, 27, and can be bent by pulling and relaxing wires (not shown). be. Note that the foremost joint piece 27 is fixed to the distal end component 8 by brazing or the like.

Joint pieces 27, 27 forming the curved portion 9,
. . , 27, the above-mentioned image guide 18 and light guide 23 are inserted through the tubes 17 and 27, respectively, and are covered with covering tubes 17 and 22, respectively.

The covering tubes 17 and 22 are formed in a tube shape using a moisture-proof material that is impermeable to water vapor or has low water vapor permeability (low vapor permeability), such as butyl rubber,
Butyl-based synthetic rubber such as butyl chloride rubber and butyl bromide rubber, or synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber or fluorinated rubber, or polyvinyl-based rubber such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidene chloride, or polyethylene such as polyethylene or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer. It is made of a material having a moisture-proofing function, such as a fluorine-based synthetic resin such as vinylidene fluoride or a fluorine-based synthetic resin such as vinylidene fluoride.

As shown in FIG. 3, the covering tube 17 that covers the image guide 18 has a single through hole 28 in the vicinity of the eyepiece (rear end) side cap 20, for example, in a portion inserted into the operating section 3. Alternatively, a plurality of tubes are formed, so that under reduced pressure, the pressure inside the covering tube 17 and the pressure outside the covering tube 17 are quickly equalized through the through hole 28. That is, when the through hole 28 is not provided in the covering tube 17,
Due to its low vapor permeability, it tends to expand and burst inside the operating part 3 during ethylene oxide sterilization. This is because inside the endoscope, the operation section 3 has the most space, and the flexible covering tube 1
This is because the tube 7 easily expands, but in the first embodiment, the through hole 28 is provided to prevent the tube from bursting.

Since the through hole 28 is provided, steam enters through the through hole 28, but most of the parts that affect the breakage of the optical fiber bundle are the curved part 9 and its vicinity, and the optical fiber bundle is Even if the inside of the operation part 3, which is hardly curved or movable, becomes slightly damp, there is almost no effect of breakage.

The covering tube 22 that covers the light guide 23 is also formed with one or more through holes (not shown) in the operating section 3 .

The operation of one embodiment of the present invention configured in this manner will be described below.

By immersing the endoscope 1 in the chemical solution, steam penetrates through the tubular resin forming the insertion section 2 and the light guide cable 6, and the interior becomes highly humid. When the endoscope 1 is used in this high humidity state to perform a bending operation on the bending part 9, the image guide 18 and light guide 23 inserted inside the bending part 9 are
The image guide 18 and the light guide 23 in the insertion section 2 are respectively covered with low vapor permeability covering tubes 17 and 22, so the covering tube 1
Steam infiltration into the fiber portions inside 7, 22 is prevented. Therefore, the solid lubricant such as powdered molybdenum disulfide attached to the optical fiber bundle is prevented from absorbing moisture (in other words, the anti-friction effect is prevented from decreasing due to absorption of moisture), and the anti-friction function is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the fiber from breaking due to bending.

Next, when the endoscope 1 is sterilized with ethylene oxide gas (EOG), the inside of the EOG device becomes negative pressure. In this embodiment, the covering tubes 17, 2
Since the through-hole 28 and the like are provided in the inside of the operating part 3 at 2, the gas inside the covering tubes 17 and 22 flows out through the through-hole 28 and the like, and the pressure quickly becomes equal to that of the outside, and the gas inside the covering tube 17 , 22 from expanding and bursting.

Therefore, according to the endoscope 1 of the first embodiment, EOG
Can be sterilized.

In addition, when installed under conditions different from the normal external pressure, the penetration part that allows gas to flow in and out so that the pressure inside the covering tubes 17 and 22 is equal to the pressure outside is formed by a minute pinball. It is clear that a cut groove (through groove) or the like may also be used.

Further, it is preferable that the penetrating portion is formed in the operation portion 3, but is not limited thereto, and is formed at least in a portion other than the curved portion 9 which has a large amount of curvature or is frequently bent. belongs to the present invention.

Incidentally, a flexible tube covering the flexible image guide and light guide, in which at least one of the flexible tubes is made of a material with low vapor permeability and has a through portion formed therein, belongs to the present invention.

[Effects of the invention] As described above, according to the invention, the tube that covers the flexible optical fiber bundle is made of a material with low vapor permeability, and penetration parts are provided at appropriate locations other than the curved parts. Therefore, even if the insertion part is of a simple structure and is immersed in a chemical solution, it is possible to prevent steam from penetrating into the part with a large amount of curvature and effectively prevent breakage of the optical fiber bundle without increasing the diameter of the insertion part. .
Further, even if sterilization is performed under conditions different from the external pressure (not limited to reduced pressure) such as ethylene oxide gas sterilization, the tube can be used without bursting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 relate to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a side view showing the external appearance of the endoscope of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross section showing the structure on the distal end side of FIG. 1. 3 are partially cutaway side views showing the structure of the image guide. 1... Endoscope, 2... Insertion section, 3... Operation section,
4... Eyepiece section, 6... Light guide cable, 7
... Objective lens system, 8 ... Tip component, 9 ... Curved section, 17, 22 ... Covered tube, 18 ... Image guide, 19, 22 ... Base, 23 ... Light guide, 27 ... Joint Piece, 28...through hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) An endoscope in which at least one of an image guide and a light guide is formed by an optical fiber bundle covered with a flexible tube, which is not permeable to vapor or The tube is formed of a material with low vapor permeability that is difficult to permeate, and the tube is provided with penetration portions that allow gas to flow in and out at appropriate locations other than inside the curved portion through which the tube is inserted. Endoscope. (2) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the penetrating portion is formed in a tube portion within the operating portion of the endoscope. (3) The tube made of the low vapor permeability material is made of butyl-based synthetic rubber such as butyl rubber, butyl chloride rubber,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope is formed using a polyethylene-based or fluorine-based synthetic resin.