JPH0411682Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an endoscope that is inserted into a body cavity or the like and is used for internal viewing and treatment of the body cavity.

[Prior Art] In general, an endoscope has an insertion section connected to an operation section main body, and the insertion section is inserted into a body cavity of a human body to observe the inside of the body cavity or perform a prescribed treatment, etc. The insertion section can be operated by an operator such as a doctor by grasping the main body of the operation section with their hands. Here, an angle operation knob for bending the distal end portion of the insertion section in a predetermined direction is attached to the operation section main body, and a treatment instrument insertion section for inserting a treatment instrument such as forceps into the insertion section is provided. It is being Therefore, in order to be able to operate the angle operation knob, insert and operate the treatment tool, the main body of the operating section can be gripped with one hand.

In addition to the above-mentioned angle operation knob and treatment instrument insertion section, the main body of the operation section is also used for cleaning the observation window formed at the tip of the insertion section, cleaning the inside of the body cavity, and the like. In order to control the air and water supply to inflate the body cavity and enlarge the observation field, an air supply valve and a water supply valve (these air supply valves and water supply valves are integrated as an air and water supply valve) are used. Valves such as a suction valve for suctioning body fluids inside the body cavity, an inert gas supply valve for supplying inert gas into the body cavity, etc. are installed, as well as a camera shutter. Buttons such as release switches are now installed. The operating means consisting of these valves and buttons can be operated with the fingers of the hand that grips the main body of the operating section. Moreover, from the viewpoint of operability, etc., such valves and buttons are usually operated using the index finger and thumb. These valves and buttons are attached to the position where the index finger and thumb are placed.

Here, the frequency of use of the operating means consisting of the valves and buttons described above is not uniform; for example, the air and water supply valves are used frequently, followed by the suction valves, and the inert gas supply valves and Camera shutter switches are operated as needed, and are used much less frequently than air and water valves and suction valves. For this reason, in conventional endoscopes, for example, the frequently used air and water supply valves and suction valves are installed near the index finger, and the camera shutter switch is installed at a position away from these valves. In addition, the inert gas supply valve is constructed so that it can be operated with the thumb.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] By the way, in the endoscope of the prior art described above, the operating means consisting of various valves and buttons are provided in an exposed state in the main body of the operating section. For this reason, there is a risk that they may be activated by mistake, but if all operating means are exposed to the outside regardless of the degree of frequency of use, the possibility of malfunction increases accordingly. Also,
During operation of an endoscope, the main body of the operating section is usually gripped with four fingers other than the index finger, and in this case, there is sufficient space for the three fingers other than the thumb to be placed. However, since operating means such as the above-mentioned inert gas supply valve are provided at the position where the thumb is placed,
This limits the space available for placing the fingers, and this has led to significant operator fatigue when operating the endoscope for long periods of time, resulting in difficulties in operability. It's inconvenient.

The present invention was developed in view of the above points, and its purpose is to reduce the degree of fatigue even when operated for a long period of time, reduce the risk of erroneous operation of the operating means, and improve operability. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope having an excellent operating section main body.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention utilizes a plurality of operation means consisting of valves for supplying and discharging fluid and buttons such as a camera shutter release switch. The device is characterized in that one or more operating means that are rarely used are mounted inside the openable and closable lid at the part where the thumb comes into contact when operating the main body of the operating section with one hand.

[Function] As described above, by mounting part of the operating means inside the lid body, the possibility of erroneous operation during operation is reduced. Moreover, when operating the operating means housed within the lid, it is possible to do so by opening the lid, and since this operating means is used infrequently, There is no need to repeatedly open and close the lid during operation, so this operation does not become too troublesome.

Since a part of the operating means is housed inside the lid and is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to increase the space on the main body of the operating section where the thumb is placed. Even if the endoscope is operated for a period of time, it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the hand holding the operating section main body, and the operability of the endoscope as a whole is improved.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicates an operating section main body, and the operating section main body 1 has an insertion section 2 connected to one side of the operating section main body 1 for insertion into a body cavity of a human body, and other parts. An eyepiece 3 is attached to the side, and a camera can be connected to the eyepiece 3. An angle operation knob 4 for bending the tip of the insertion section 2 is attached to the operation section main body 1, and a treatment instrument insertion channel (not shown) formed inside the insertion section 2 is inserted into the body cavity. A treatment instrument insertion portion 5 for inserting a treatment instrument therein is formed.

The operation section main body 1 further includes an insertion section 2.
An air/water supply valve 6 for supplying a cleaning liquid and air for purging the cleaning liquid in order to clean the observation window formed at the tip of the body cavity, and a suction valve 7 for suctioning body fluids etc. in the body cavity. is installed. The air/water supply valve 6 and the suction valve 7 are provided at positions where they can be operated with the index finger of the user when the operating section main body 1 is held with one hand.

On the other hand, a recess 8 is formed at the position where the thumb hits when gripping the operating unit main body 1.
An inert gas supply valve 9 and a camera shutter release switch 10 are provided inside. A lid 11 is attached to cover the upper portions of the inert gas supply valve 9 and the shutter release switch 10. The lid body 11 is
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, one side thereof is connected to the operating section main body 1 by a hinge 12, and the recess 8
It is designed to be able to open and close. The hinge 12 is provided with a torsion spring 13 in the direction in which the lid 11 is opened, and the other side of the lid 11 is engaged with a locking portion 14 recessed in the side wall of the recess 8 in the operation section main body 1. A latch 15 is provided.
The latch 15 is slidable, and is normally biased by a spring 16 in the direction of protruding to the other side of the lid 11 and engaged with the locking portion 14, so that it is easy to use with your hands and fingers. When the latch 15 is slid against the spring 16 using a screwdriver or the like, the latch 15 can be removed from the locking portion 14.

The aforementioned air/water supply valve 6, suction valve 7, inert gas supply valve 9, and shutter release switch 10 constitute operating means.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation section main body 1 is in a closed state, and the operation section main body 1 is in a closed state.
By grasping the body cavity and inserting the insertion section 2 into the body cavity, the interior of the body cavity can be observed and prescribed treatments can be performed. As shown in FIG. Although the gas supply valve 9 and the shutter release switch 10 are installed, these operating means are not exposed at this location, so there is plenty of space where the thumb can be placed freely. As a result, a finger rest portion is formed on which the thumb can be comfortably placed, and the hand gripping the operating portion main body is less likely to get tired even when operating the endoscope for a long period of time. Further, the outer surface of the lid body 11 can be shaped so that it is easy to place the thumb on it.
This further improves the grip operability.

Here, although the air and water supply valve 6 and the suction valve 7 are exposed to the outside, the inert gas supply valve 9 and the shutter release switch 10 are closed by the lid body 11. If you accidentally touch these operating means,
No malfunctions will occur. Since these inert gas supply valve 9 and shutter release switch 10 are rarely operated during normal operation of the endoscope, they are closed by the lid body 11. Even if it is, it's not that inconvenient.

On the other hand, if it is necessary to operate the above-mentioned inert gas supply valve 9 or camera shutter release switch 10, the latch 15 can be engaged by sliding it with your thumb against the spring 16. As a result, the lid 11 is opened by the torsion spring 13 acting on the lid 11, and these operating means can be operated. Moreover, when the operation of these operation means is completed, if the lid body 11 is pushed with the thumb,
The latch 15 engages with the locking portion 14 by the action of the spring 16, and the lid can be returned to the closed state again.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, a medical endoscope is shown in which a predetermined operation means is provided inside the lid body, but an industrial endoscope may also be used for a camera shutter release. It is also possible to provide a switch or the like inside the lid. In addition, as the operating means provided in the lid body 11, an inert gas supply valve 9 and a camera shutter release switch 10 are shown, but the point is that the operating means provided in the main body of the operating section, Of the various operating means that can be operated with one finger, those that are used less frequently may be provided; for example, only an inert gas supply valve may be provided inside the lid, or other operating means, such as a gas supply valve, may be provided. In the case where the air valve is provided separately from the water supply valve, the air supply valve may be provided inside the lid, and furthermore, a freeze button or the like may be provided inside the lid. Furthermore, the lid body 11 may be provided at the most convenient location for operation with the thumb, and does not need to be located at the center of the lower surface of the operation unit main body as shown in the figure, for example, away from the angle operation knob 4. It may also be provided on the opposite side. Further, the lid 11 can be opened and closed with a single touch, such as by pushing it into the recess 8.

[Effects of the invention] As detailed above, the present invention is configured such that among the various operating means provided on the main body of the operating section, those that are used less frequently are provided within the lid body provided in the area where the thumb rests. , there is now more space at the pressing position of the thumb that grips the main body of the operating section, and there is no need for the thumb to be placed in an unreasonable position, which can cause fatigue to the operator even when operating for a long period of time. This significantly improves operability, and since the operating means provided inside the lid body does not come into contact with fingers when the lid is closed, it becomes possible to prevent erroneous operation of the operating means. It has various effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partially sectional main part configuration diagram of an endoscope showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a bottom view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a bottom view of Fig. 1.
The figure is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the operating section main body, and FIG. 4 is an external view of the main part of the operating section main body, showing the lid in an open state. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Operating unit main body, 2... Insertion part, 6... Air and water supply valve, 7... Suction valve, 8... Recessed part, 9
...Inert gas supply valve, 10...Shutter release switch, 11...Lid body.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an endoscope in which an insertion section is connected to an operating section main body, and a plurality of operating means including valves for fluid supply and discharge and buttons such as a camera shutter release switch are attached to the operating section main body, The present invention is characterized in that one or more of the operating means that are used less frequently are mounted inside the lid that can be opened and closed at the part that the thumb comes into contact with when operating the operating member main body with one hand. endoscope.