JPH0426083Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to an air supply device for an endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a conventional endoscope includes an insertion section 1 that is orally inserted into a body cavity, and a proximal section 2 connected to the proximal end of the insertion section 1. A connecting tube 4 is attached to the portion 2 for connecting to a light source device 3 that supplies light, water, air, etc. into the body cavity. The light source device 3 is provided with a light source (not shown), a pump, a compressor, etc. for supplying air or water, and the connecting pipe 4 includes a light guide fiber bundle for transmitting light and a pipe for supplying water or air. It is arranged. The tip of the insertion section 1 is provided with a light guide window 5, an image guide window 6, a forceps hole 7, a forceps stand 8, and an air/water supply port 9. The output end of the light guide fiber bundle and the objective optical system are facing the light source device 3.
The light is emitted from the light guide window 5. The reflected light of the light emitted from the light guide window 5 is received by the image guide window 6, passes through the observation optical system including the objective optical system, and passes through the eyepiece unit 10.
It is now possible to observe it. In addition, a passageway that passes through a pipe in the connecting pipe 4 connected to the pump or compressor of the light source device 3 and communicates with the air supply port 9, that is, an air supply channel, is connected to the insertion portion 1 and the proximal portion 2.
formed within.

[Problem to be solved]

In the conventional example described above, when air is sent from the air supply port 9, the air generated by the pump or compressor in the light source device 3 contains a lot of dust and atmospheric dust. The air containing the air was blown into the body cavity from the air inlet 9. Since air containing a lot of dust and atmospheric dust was being sent directly into the body cavity, dirty air could enter the body cavity, which could be dangerous to the patient's life, especially during endoscopy during surgery. There was also the possibility that it could pose a danger.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide an air supply device for an endoscope that removes dirt from the air that is supplied into the body cavity.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, this invention purifies the air in the middle of the air channel that sends air from the proximal end of the endoscope through the insertion section and from the tip, or on the way from the air pump or compressor to the endoscope. It is equipped with a filter.

[Effect]

According to this invention, the gas delivered from the tip of the insertion section of the endoscope is always purified and does not have any adverse effects on the patient.

〔Example〕

Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the principle diagram shown in FIG. 1, members similar to those in the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals, and explanations thereof will be omitted. A gas purification filter 12 is provided in the middle of an air supply channel 11 that passes from the proximal part 2 of the endoscope through the insertion part 1 and supplies air from the tip. In this embodiment, the hand portion 2
A gas purification filter 12 was provided inside. One end of the tube 13 in the connecting pipe 4 is connected to the air supply channel 11, and the other end is connected to the pump 14 of the light source device 3. Further, a switching valve 15 is provided in front of the filter 12, and by operating the switching valve 15, air can be supplied or stopped. In this embodiment, a switching valve 15 is provided in the hand portion 2. Note that it is of course possible to use a compressor instead of the pump 14.
Furthermore, it goes without saying that the gas purification filter 12 may be provided anywhere along the air passage from the air pump 14 to the air inlet 9 provided at the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope. FIG. 2 shows a detailed sectional view of the mounting location of the gas purification filter 12.

As the gas purification filter 12, an electret made of a binder-free polypropylene nonwoven fabric was used. An electret is a derivative that maintains permanent polarization (like a permanent magnet). The fibers constituting this gas purifying filter 12 are made so that each fiber has a permanent electric charge before being woven into a nonwoven fabric, and each fiber is made to have a permanent electric charge.
Each wire has an average of 38μ x 10μ to obtain high polarizability.
It is made of plate-shaped fibers. The charged air filter used here can collect dust as fine as 0.001 micron from coarse dust (around 100 micron) in the atmosphere using electrostatic force in addition to inertial action and diffusion action. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the particle diameter and collection efficiency of this filter. That is, as is clear from FIG. 3, particles with a diameter of 0.3 μm or less are mainly collected by diffusion action, and particles with a diameter of 0.3 μm or more are mainly collected by inertial action. In this filter 12, electrostatic force acts in addition to inertial action and diffusion action, and since most of the aerosol particles existing in nature are electrically charged, Coulomb force is generated between the charged particles and the charged fibers. An induced force acts between the uncharged particles and the charged fibers, and a large number of particles can be efficiently collected by each action.

〔effect〕

As explained above, according to this invention, since the gas blown out from the tip of the insertion section of the endoscope has always passed through the gas purification filter,
The dust in the atmosphere is removed, resulting in clean air. Therefore, it is safe to supply air into the body cavity during endoscopic examination during surgery.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the principle of this invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an example where the filter is installed at the hand, and Figure 3 is the particle size of dust when a charged air filter is used as an example of a gas purification filter. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the conventional example, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the conventional example. 1... Insertion section, 2... Proximal section, 3... Supply section,
12... Gas purification filter, 14... Air supply pump or compressor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An endoscope characterized in that a gas purification filter is provided in the middle of an air supply channel that supplies air from the proximal part of the endoscope through the insertion part and from the tip, or on the way from the air supply pump or compressor to the endoscope. air supply device.