JPH07155283A - Cover-type endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a constitution wherein processing of an inserting part of an endoscope is made easy, to make both workability when a cover for the inserting part is mounted and adhesiveness between the endoscope and the cover for the inserting part good and to perform good curving operation. CONSTITUTION:An inserting part of a cover-type endoscope is provided with a cover 19 for an inserting part covering the inserting part of the endoscope by a single body, a set 20 of a channel part of a pipe path being a different body from the cover 19 for the inserting part, and a covering tube 21 covering the cover 19 for the inserting part and the set 20 of the channel part of the pipe path. By hooking a fixed nail 47 formed on a channel apex part 34 of the set 20 of the part of the pipe path to a recessed part 35 formed on the cover apex part 29 of the cover of the inserting part, the set 20 of the channel part of the pipe path and the apex part of the cover apex part 29 are connected and fixed together and by covering the covering tube 21 thereon, the intermediate part of the set 20 of the channel part of the pipe path is movably fixed to the cover 19 for the inserting part in the axial direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope which is inserted into a body cavity for endoscopically observing a site to be examined, and particularly to an endoscope having an observation optical system, and air supply, water supply, and suction. The present invention relates to a cover-type endoscope having a duct channel used for endoscopic examination such as the above and having a cover for covering the endoscope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Endoscopes for observing the inside of body cavities play a major role in discovering various diseases and treating affected areas. Since this endoscope is used by inserting its insertion portion into a body cavity, it is necessary to wash and sterilize it in advance when using the same endoscope for another subject.

However, since it takes a long time to sufficiently clean and sterilize the endoscope, there are many problems in the efficiency of using the endoscope in the medical field.

Therefore, in recent years, a disposable cover provided with an air supply conduit, a water supply conduit, a suction conduit, a forceps channel, etc., necessary for endoscopic observation, and which has been sufficiently washed and sterilized,
It has been proposed to be used by mounting on an endoscope having only optical elements. In this case, since the cover is disposable, it is not necessary to consider the hygiene of the endoscope itself.

As a cover used for an insertion portion of a conventional cover-type endoscope, a pipe channel is integrated with the insertion portion cover as in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-54734.
It has been proposed that the conduit channel is constructed separately from the insertion portion cover as in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-101907.

In the latter case where the conduit channel is separate from the insertion section cover, a groove is provided in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section of the endoscope, and after covering the endoscope insertion section with the cover, the channel is formed in the groove. The entire channel is fitted and fixed.

[0007]

However, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-54734 in which the channel is integrally formed with the insertion portion cover, the endoscope having the observation optical system is inserted into the insertion portion cover. Then, there was a problem that the endoscope channel could not be inserted smoothly because the duct channel in the cover was obstructed. In particular, in the case of an insertion portion that is not provided with a long groove or the like for avoiding the conduit channel, insertion was difficult.

[0008] In addition, in the case where the pipe channel of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-101907 is constructed separately from the insertion portion cover,
Since a groove is provided in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion and the entire length of the conduit channel is fitted and fixed in this groove, the following problems occur.

That is, with this configuration, (1) it is difficult to manufacture the groove provided in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion. (2) It is difficult to exactly fit the covering material of the insertion portion cover to the insertion portion having the groove. (3) Since the conduit channel fits perfectly over the entire length in the insertion section cover and the concave groove of the endoscope insertion section, when the insertion section of the endoscope is bent, the conduit channel is inserted into the endoscope. The operation of the endoscope is restricted without sliding back and forth with respect to the part, so that the bending part cannot be bent to a desired angle, or the amount of bending force is large, and good bending operation cannot be performed. There is a possibility that the target area may not be observed well. It had problems such as

As described above, in the structure of the conventional cover-type endoscope, it is difficult to manufacture, and the workability at the time of mounting the cover and the operability of the endoscope may deteriorate. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and it is easy to process the insertion portion of the endoscope, the workability at the time of mounting the insertion portion cover, and the close contact between the endoscope and the insertion portion cover. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cover-type endoscope that has good flexibility and can perform a favorable bending operation.

[0012]

A cover type endoscope according to the present invention comprises a flexible endoscope insertion portion having an observation optical system,
An endoscope having an endoscope insertion section and a duct channel used for an endoscopic examination provided separately from the endoscope insertion section, the insertion section cover covering the endoscope insertion section by itself, First connecting means for arranging the conduit channel along the insert cover and fixing the tip of the conduit channel to the insert cover; and an intermediate part of the conduit channel for the insert cover. Second, which is fixed so as to be movable in the axial direction
And a connecting means of.

[0013]

After the insertion portion of the endoscope is covered by the insertion portion cover by itself, a separate channel is provided along the insertion portion cover, and the distal end portion is fixed to the insertion portion cover by the first connecting means. The second connecting means fixes the intermediate portion of the conduit channel to the cover of the insertion portion so as to be movable in the axial direction to form a cover-type endoscope having a channel.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an endoscope apparatus using a cover-type endoscope, and FIG. 2 is an insertion portion of a cover endoscope. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration in the vicinity thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an insertion portion cover,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the conduit channel section set, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of a covering tube which covers the insertion section cover and the conduit channel section set by loosely connecting them in an axially movable manner. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cover-type endoscope in a use state in which a cover endoscope, an insertion portion cover, a conduit channel portion assembly, and a covering tube are combined, and FIG. 7 is a cover-type endoscope insertion of FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 8, and FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view showing the movement of the conduit channel in a state where the cover-type endoscope is curved.

In the present embodiment, an example in which an electronic endoscope having an image pickup means is used in the endoscope apparatus is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, an endoscope cover type endoscope apparatus 1 is an apparatus having an endoscope cover type endoscope (hereinafter referred to as a cover type endoscope) 2.

The cover-type endoscope 2 includes an endoscope cover (hereinafter abbreviated as a cover) 3 and an endoscope cover endoscope (which is inserted into the cover 3 to cover the outer surface thereof). Hereinafter, it will be abbreviated as a cover endoscope) 4. Use a clean cover 3 when performing endoscopy.
The insertion portion of the cover endoscope 4 and the like are covered with the cover endoscope 3 and the cover 3 is discarded after the inspection, while the cover endoscope 4 is
It features a new clean cover and repeated use. This makes it unnecessary to clean and disinfect the endoscope after the inspection.

The endoscope apparatus 1 includes the cover-type endoscope 2, a cart 5 in which various peripheral devices to which the cover-type endoscope 2 is connected are installed, and the cover-type endoscope 2 And a cover holder 6 for holding.

The cart 5 contains, for example, a light source device 7, a video processor 8, a fluid control device 9 and the like. Also, on the upper surface of the cart 5, a video processor 8
Monitor 1 that receives the video signal from the computer and displays an endoscopic image
0 is placed.

The cover endoscope 4 is provided with an operation portion 12 which also serves as a large-diameter grip portion at the proximal end of the elongated endoscope insertion portion 11 on the proximal side.
, The universal cord 13 extends from the side of the operating portion 12, and the connector 14 is provided at the end of the universal cord 13.

The light source device 7 is detachably connected to the cover endoscope 4 through the connector 14 and supplies illumination light to the endoscope. The video processor 8 is detachably connected to the cover endoscope 4 via a signal cable 15 extending from the side portion of the connector 14, and drives the image pickup means built in the cover endoscope 4. , And the signal output from the image pickup means is converted into a standard video signal and output to the monitor 10.

The endoscope cover 3 comprises a previously sterilized insertion section cover section 16, an operation section cover section 17, and a universal cord cover section 18. The endoscope insertion of the cover endoscope 4 is performed. The unit 11, the operation unit 12, and the universal cord 13 are respectively covered.

The insertion portion of this cover-type endoscope includes an endoscope insertion portion 11 shown in FIG. 2, and an insertion portion cover portion 16 as an insertion portion cover 19 shown in FIG. 3 and a conduit channel portion shown in FIG. It is configured by combining the set 20 and the covering tube 21 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4 is formed to have a substantially D-shaped cross section.
The endoscope insertion portion 11 includes a rigid endoscope tip portion 22 and
A bending portion 23 that bends in four directions of up, down, left and right and a twisting direction of a combination thereof by remote operation of a bending operation unit (not shown).
And the flexible tube portion 24 are continuously provided. An objective lens 25, which is an observation optical system, an illumination lens 26, and an air supply port 27 for sending air into the insertion portion cover 19 are provided on the front end surface of the endoscope front end portion 22. Further, a groove is provided in a circumferential shape near the distal end of the endoscope distal end portion 22, and a friction fixing member 28 made of elastic rubber, a leaf spring or the like is attached along the entire circumference of the groove. The cover tip portion 29 can be fixed by a frictional force generated between the insertion portion cover 19 and the inner surface of the cover tip portion 29.

The operation section 12 or the connector 14 on the hand side of the endoscope insertion section 11 is provided with an air supply mouthpiece 30 communicating with the air supply opening 27, and air supply of the air supply device 31 shown in FIG. The tube 32 can be detachably attached.

The cover tip portion 29 of the insertion portion cover 19 shown in FIG. 3A is formed of a hard plastic such as acrylic, noryl, or vinyl chloride, and the tip surface of the cover tip portion 29 of the endoscope is formed. A lens cover 33 made of transparent plastic such as acrylic or polycarbonate is watertightly fixed at a position corresponding to the observation optical system. Also,
On both sides of the side surface of the cover tip portion 29, recesses 35 that engage with the tip portion 34 of the conduit channel assembly 20 are formed while ensuring watertightness of the cover.

The cover body 36 connected to the distal end portion 29 of the insertion portion cover 19 is a soft tube having an opening that is substantially the same as or slightly wider than the outer diameter of the endoscope insertion portion 11.
It is made of a plastic elastomer such as urethane, vinyl chloride, or silicon, and has a length that can cover almost the entire length of the endoscope insertion portion 11. A hard ring 37 is provided at the proximal end of the cover body 36, and one end of an elastic rubber ring 38 is fixed on the hard ring 37. When inserting and removing the endoscope insertion part, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic rubber ring 38 is folded back so that frictional force does not work, and after the insertion portion cover 19 is completely attached, the elastic rubber ring 38 is returned to the original position to insert the insertion portion cover 19
The proximal end portion of the above can be fixed to the flexible tube portion 24 of the endoscope insertion portion 11 by frictional force.

The conduit channel section assembly 20 shown in FIG. 4 is formed separately from the insertion section cover 19 and is detachable. The proximal side body portion 40 having the channel distal end portion 34 of the distal end portion and the treatment instrument insertion port body 39 is formed of a hard plastic molded product, and the conduit and the proximal side body portion 40 provided between them. To the fluid control device 9 is composed of a tube body 41 made of soft plastic such as PTFE, Irax, and urethane.

In the conduit channel section set 20, as the conduit channel, the suction and treatment instrument insertion channel 4 is used.
2, an air supply channel 43 and a water supply channel 44 are provided, which communicate with a channel opening 45 provided in the channel tip portion 34 and an air supply / water supply nozzle 46, respectively. Elastically deformable fixing claws 47, which serve as first connecting means, are integrally formed with the channel tip portion 34 on both sides of the flat surface portion of the channel tip portion 34 at positions corresponding to the recesses 35 of the cover tip portion 29. Is formed and the recess 35 is formed.
Is adapted to engage with. The fixed claw 47 may be formed of a separate member such as a metal leaf spring. Further, one end of a fastening band 49 having a sticking portion 48 made of an adhesive, a velcro tape, or the like for connecting to the operation portion 12 of the endoscope is fixed to the proximal mouth portion 40.

The covering tube 21 serving as the second connecting means shown in FIG. 5 is provided with an elastic rubber ring 50 at the tip thereof,
The insertion portion cover 19 is provided on the rear end side of the elastic rubber ring 50.
Cover body 3 made of the same material as the cover body 36 of
Same or thinner than 6 (eg 0.1-0.5m)
The second cover body 51 made of a soft tube of m) is continuously provided. In addition, at the rear end of the second cover body 51, the treatment instrument insertion port body 39 of the conduit channel subassembly 20 is provided.
Band 5 for hooking on and connecting the covering tube 21
2 is fixed. The covering tube 21 covers the insertion section cover 19 and the conduit channel section set 20 and then covers them so that the tube body 41 in the middle of the conduit channel section set 20 is against the insertion section cover 19. It can be loosely connected so as to be movable in the axial direction, and it is possible to prevent the tube body 41 from being greatly separated and damaging the inner wall of the body cavity.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope 2 in a used state in which the respective constituent elements of FIGS. 2 to 5 are combined. The cover tip portion 29 and the channel tip portion 34 are formed by the first connecting means including the fixing claw 47 and the recess 35.
And are fixed, and in this fixed state, the surface of the lens cover 33 of the cover tip portion 29 and the height and direction of the air feeding and water feeding by the air feeding / water feeding nozzle 46 of the channel tip portion 34 are properly matched. ing. The elastic rubber ring 50 of the covering tube 21 covers the outer peripheral portion of the fixed claw 47 from the tip of the insertion portion, and covers the gap between the fixed claw 47 and the fitting portion of the recess 35.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. In a state where the endoscope insertion portion 11, the insertion portion cover 19, the conduit channel portion set 20, and the covering tube 21 are combined,
A sufficient gap is formed between the tube body 41 of the insertion section cover 19 and the conduit channel section set 20 and the second cover body 51 of the covering tube 21 so that the tube body 41 can slide back and forth. .

Further, inside the endoscope insertion portion 11, a signal cable 53 connected to a solid-state image pickup device (not shown) for picking up an image formed by the objective lens 25, and a light guide connected to the illumination lens. A fiber bundle 54, an air supply pipe 55 that connects the air supply port 27 of the endoscope distal end portion 22 and the air supply mouthpiece 30, and 4 for bending the bending portion 23 in four directions.
The curved traction member 56 of the book is inserted.

The cover type endoscope configured as described above performs the following preparatory treatment before use at the stage of preparation for endoscopic examination.

First, the operation portion 12 of the cover endoscope 4 free from dust and water droplets (if any, remove them) is fixed to a clean cover holder 6, and the insertion portion 1 is inserted.
1 is straightened. Then, after the elastic rubber ring 38 at the rear end portion of the insertion portion cover 19 is folded back as shown in FIG. 3B, from the air supply port 27 of the cover endoscope 4, for example, 0.5 kg / cm ² The endoscope insertion portion 11 is inserted into the insertion portion cover 19 while the cover main body 36 of the insertion portion cover 19 is inflated and extended by supplying air at a pressure of about 10 mm, and the insertion portion cover 19 is mounted up to the tip of the insertion portion. After the mounting, the air supplied from the air supply port 27 is sucked, and the endoscope insertion portion 11 and the insertion portion cover 19 are brought into close contact with each other. When the insertion portion cover 19 is attached to the endoscope insertion portion 11, the distal end side is affected by the frictional force of the friction fixing member 28 of the endoscope distal end portion 22.
The endoscope insertion portion 11 and the insertion portion cover 19 are securely fixed to each other by the frictional force of the elastic rubber ring 38 on the proximal side of the insertion portion cover 19. At this point, the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4 can be isolated from the outside world.

Next, the fixing claw 47 of the conduit channel assembly 20 is engaged with the recess 35 of the cover tip 29, and the fastening band 49 is wound around the rear end of the insert cover 19, so that the conduit channel portion is formed. The set 20 is laterally connected and fixed to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the insertion portion cover 19, respectively. At this time, the first connecting means by the fixing claw 47 and the recess 35 aligns and fixes the channel opening of the channel end of the conduit, the air / water nozzle, etc. and the transparent lens cover of the tip of the insertion part cover. Can be done reliably. After that, the covering tube 21 is put on the insertion section cover 19 and the conduit channel section set 20, and the tip end and the proximal side are fixed by the elastic rubber ring 50 and the band 52. In this way, after the preparation of the cover-type endoscope is completed, the inspection is carried out by a normal endoscopic inspection procedure.

FIG. 8 shows the movement of the conduit channel in the bending (bending) state of the insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope configured as shown in FIG. When the insertion part is bent,
As shown in (a), when the conduit channel section assembly 20 bends to the inner peripheral side, the tube body 41 in the middle slides rearward (on the hand side) in the covering tube 21, so that the insertion portion is easily and without resistance. Bend to the desired angle. Also, FIG.
As shown in (b), when the conduit channel portion assembly 20 bends to the outer peripheral side, the tube body 41 in the middle slides forward (toward the distal end side), and similarly, the insertion portion is easily bent to a desired angle without resistance. To do. Since at least the insertion portion cover and the conduit channel are movably fixed in the intermediate portion of the insertion portion as described above, the bending operation of the endoscope insertion portion is not restricted by the conduit channel, and the bending operation is not performed. Moreover, it is possible to surely bend to a desired angle with a light force in any direction.

In this embodiment, since the covering tube 21 covers almost the entire length of the insertion portion of the cover type endoscope,
It is possible to completely eliminate the possibility of damaging the inner wall of the body cavity by the fitting portion of the first connecting means including the fixing claw 47 and the concave portion 35 and the tube body 41 of the conduit channel.

After the end of the endoscopic examination, the band 52 and the fastening band 49 are removed, and the overtube made of a thin and long plastic bag like an umbrella bag (not shown) is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the insertion portion of the cover type endoscope. Then, both the insertion section cover 19 and the conduit channel section set 20 covered with the covering tube 21 are removed from the endoscope insertion section 11 as a unit over the overtube, and these covers are discarded together with the overtube. To do. By providing the endoscope cover in this way, it is not necessary to clean and disinfect the endoscope after each examination, and it is possible to eliminate hygiene considerations for the endoscope itself.

As described above, in the structure of the present embodiment, the conduit channel section set and the insert section cover are provided separately, and the fixing claw 47 and the recess 35 for connecting and fixing these are provided to form the conduit channel. Since there is no need to provide a groove in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion for fixing, the processing of the endoscope insertion portion is easy and the manufacturability can be improved. In addition, when inserting the endoscope insertion part into the insertion part cover, it is only inserted into the single tube-shaped insertion part cover, so the conduit channel can be smoothly inserted without obstruction during insertion. The part can be inserted and the insertability is good. Further, since there is no conduit channel or the like in the insertion section cover and no concave groove is provided in the endoscope insertion section, the adhesion between the insertion section cover and the endoscope insertion section can be enhanced. Further, since the conduit channel slides with respect to the endoscope insertion part when the insertion part is curved, it is possible to prevent the bending and bending operation of the insertion part from being restricted by the conduit channel, which is preferable. A bending operation can be performed.

9 to 11 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure of a covering tube and a conduit channel assembly, and FIG. 10 is an endoscope insertion portion and an insertion portion cover. An axial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a cover-type endoscope in a state in which a covering tube and a conduit channel sub-assembly are combined
11 is a cross-sectional view of the cover type endoscope insertion portion of FIG. 10 taken along the line BB.

The second embodiment is constructed such that the covering tube of the first embodiment is preliminarily attached to the conduit channel assembly. Since the basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, only different parts will be described.

The covering tube 61 is attached so as to cover the conduit channel section set 62 and is integrally constructed.
The cover body 6 of the covering tube 61 serving as the second connecting means
A portion corresponding to 3 has a double-lumen shape having two lumens as shown in the axial sectional view of FIG. 10 and the transverse sectional view of FIG.

The first lumen 64 has an opening at the front end and the rear end, and has an opening portion that is substantially the same as or slightly wider than the insertion portion cover 19 that covers the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4. A cover insertion lumen is formed. In addition,
In FIG. 11, the inside of the insertion portion cover 19 is omitted.

The second lumen 65 has a channel tip portion 66 fitted to the tip side and a hand side mouth portion 67 fitted and fixed to the rear end side. Second lumen 65
Inside the tube, a tube body 4 forming a treatment instrument insertion channel 42, an air supply channel 43, and a water supply channel 44.
1 is loosely inserted so as to be movable in the axial direction, and a lubricating powder 68 such as cornstarch and starch starch that is safe for the living body is sealed in the space between the tube body 41 and the second lumen 65.

In the channel tip portion 66, the channel opening portion 4 communicating with the treatment instrument insertion channel 42 is formed in the center portion.
5 are provided, and separate air supply nozzles 69 and water supply nozzles 70 are arranged on both sides of the channel opening 45.
The fixing claw 47 serving as the first connecting means is provided on the side of the channel tip portion 66 as in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, when the endoscope is used, as in the first embodiment, the insertion portion cover 19 is put on the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4, and then the covering tube is covered with these. 61
Through the first lumen 64, and the fixing claw 47 is engaged with the concave portion 35 of the cover distal end portion 29 to fix the insertion portion cover 19 and the conduit channel assembly 62. After the cover-type endoscope is assembled and prepared as described above, it is used for endoscopic examination.

In the configuration of the second embodiment, since the conduit channel section set 62 and the cover main body 63 of the covering tube which is the second connecting means are integrally formed, the cover type endoscope is prepared. At this time, the labor required for assembling the insertion section is small, and the covered insertion section can be configured in a short time. In addition, due to the effect of the lubricating powder 68 enclosed in the second lumen 65 that serves as the lumen for inserting the channel,
When the insertion portion is bent, the movement of the tube body 41 in the axial direction becomes smoother, and the bending performance can be further improved. Other actions and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment.

12 to 14 relate to the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the construction of an insertion portion cover and a covering tube, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the construction of a conduit channel assembly. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cover-type endoscope in a state where the insertion section cover and the covering tube are combined with the conduit channel section assembly.

In the third embodiment, the covering tube and the insert portion cover of the first embodiment are integrally formed. Since the basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, only different parts will be described.

The cover main body 72 of the covering tube 71 serving as the second connecting means is integrally provided so as to cover the insertion portion cover 73. The insertion portion cover 73 and the insertion portion of the cover endoscope of this embodiment are formed in a cylindrical shape having a circular cross section, and the insertion portion cover 73 is provided at the cover tip portion 74 of the insertion portion cover 73. A lens cover 33 having a substantially circular shape and substantially coaxial with is watertightly fixed and provided. Further, a fixing claw 4 for connecting the insertion section cover and the conduit channel section set is provided on the side of the cover tip section 74.
7 is provided. Cover tube cover body 72
Is formed of a single tube having one lumen as in the first embodiment, and forms a conduit channel insertion lumen 75 with the insertion portion cover 73.

On the other hand, the conduit channel section assembly 76 has the tube body 41 as in the first embodiment, and the channel tip portion 77 has the channel opening 4 communicating with the tube body 41.
5 and an air / water supply nozzle 46 are provided. Also,
A concave portion 35 that engages with the fixed claw 47 is provided on the side portion of the channel tip portion 77. That is, the fixed claws 47 and the recesses 35, which serve as the first connecting means, are provided on the opposite sides of the first embodiment.

The mouth part 7 on the proximal side of the conduit channel assembly 76
A fixed claw 79 is formed on the side 8
This fixing claw 79 is the mouth side body part 8 of the insertion part cover 73.
It engages with the concave groove 81 provided in the side portion of 0 to connect the conduit channel portion set 76 and the proximal side of the insertion portion cover 73. As shown in FIG. 14, the connecting portion between the proximal side mouth body portion 78 of the duct channel portion assembly 76 and the proximal side mouth body portion 80 of the insertion portion cover 73 is adjusted in accordance with the movement of the tube body 41 in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. In the connected state, the fixed claw 79 has the concave groove 81.
It has a structure that can be slidably fixed back and forth along.

In the present embodiment, when using the endoscope, after covering the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4 with the insertion portion cover 73 integrated with the covering tube 71, the covering tube 7 is formed.
The conduit channel part assembly 76 is inserted into the conduit channel insertion lumen 75 of No. 1, and the fixing claw 47 of the cover tip 74 is engaged with the recess 35 of the channel tip 77 to insert the cover 73 and the conduit channel part assembly. 76 and are fixed. After the cover-type endoscope is assembled and prepared as described above, it is used for endoscopic examination.

In the configuration of the third embodiment, the insertion portion cover 73
And a cover tube cover body 72 which is a second connecting means.
Since the and are integrally formed, it is possible to omit the work of covering the covering tube afterward similarly to the second embodiment, and it is possible to configure the insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope in a short time. Further, unlike the second embodiment, since the cover main body of the covering tube is a single tube, the outer diameter of the insertion portion can be made smaller than that of the case of forming the double lumen tube.

Further, since the proximal side mouth body portion 78 of the conduit channel portion assembly is fixed so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction without rotating in the covering tube, the tube body 41 when the insertion portion is bent. Movement becomes smoother, and the bending performance can be further improved especially in a sigmoid scope having a short insertion portion. Further, since the endoscope insertion portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, it is possible to further improve the bendability and the insertion operability as compared with the D-shaped cross-sectional shape. Other actions and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment.

FIGS. 15 and 16 relate to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a cover-type endoscope in which a cover endoscope, an insert cover, a channel channel assembly and a covering tube are combined. 16 is a perspective view showing the configuration of FIG. 16, and FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along line CC of the cover-type endoscope insertion portion of FIG.

In the fourth embodiment, the insertion portion cover 85 and the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4 are constructed so that their cross sections are fan-shaped. Since the basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, only different parts will be described.

Insert part cover 85 and insert part cover 8
The endoscope insertion portion 11 to be inserted into the endoscope 5 has a fan-shaped cross section, and has a cover tip portion 86 of the insertion portion cover 85.
The lens cover 87 for the objective lens and the lens cover 88 for the illumination lens are separately provided in the above, and a light shielding wall 89 is provided between these lens covers.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the conduit channel section assembly 90 is constructed by surrounding the tube body 41 with a tube covering body 91, and the tube covering body 91 has a sectional shape of insertion. It is fan-shaped so that when it is combined with the partial cover 85, the whole becomes substantially circular.

The covering tube, which is the second connecting member, covers not the entire length of the insertion portion but the length from the bending portion 23 of the endoscope to the portion corresponding to the flexible tube portion 24 on the rear end side by about 2 to 20 cm. A covering tube 92 having a short length is provided.
Elastic rubber rings 9 for fixing are provided at both ends of the covering tube 92.
3 is provided so that the insertion section cover 85 and the conduit channel section set 90 are fixed by the elastic rubber ring 93 when the covering tube 92 is mounted. On the rear end side of the covering tube 92, for example, according to the scale of the insertion portion,
A third connecting member 94, which is a fixing member such as an adhesive tape or a rubber band, is provided at intervals of 10 to 30 cm, and the third connecting member 94 connects the insertion portion cover 85 and the tube covering body 91 of the conduit channel portion assembly 90. Are configured to be connected.

In the present embodiment, when the endoscope is used, after the insertion portion cover 85 is put on the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4, the insertion portion cover 85 and the conduit channel portion assembly 90 are connected. Are connected in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the outer peripheral portions of these are covered with the covering tube 92 and fixed by the elastic rubber rings 93 at both ends.
Then, the third connecting member 94 connects and fixes the insertion portion cover 85 on the rear end side of the insertion portion and the tube covering body 91 of the duct channel assembly 90. After the cover-type endoscope is assembled and prepared as described above, it is used for endoscopic examination.

In the structure of the fourth embodiment, since the covering tube serving as the second connecting member is short, it can be easily mounted. With the insertion part of the cover-type endoscope assembled,
By loosely covering at least the portion corresponding to the bending portion with the coating tube, the tube body can be smoothly moved in the axial direction during bending. In addition, since the plurality of tubes are loosely bundled into one by the tube covering body 91, the tubes are separated even if only the third connecting means is provided at a predetermined interval as the connecting means on the rear end side of the insertion portion. There is no problem in insertion operability.

Further, since the cross section of the endoscope insertion portion is fan-shaped, which is close to a circle, the bendability and insertion operability are improved as compared with a D-shaped section having a circular shape. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the entire insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope can be close to a circular shape, and the insertability into the body cavity can be improved. Further, since the lens cover is provided separately for the objective and the illumination, and the light shielding member is provided between them, it is possible to obtain a good observation visual field without illumination light flare. Other actions and effects are similar to those of the first embodiment.

17 to 19 relate to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a side view showing the structure of the insertion portion of the cover type endoscope as seen from above, and FIG. 18 is a DD view of FIG. FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG.

The fifth embodiment is a structural example of a side-view endoscope. The channel tip portion 96 of the duct channel portion assembly 95
A channel opening 45 and an air / water feeding nozzle 46 are provided on the side of the channel opening 45, and the distal end of the channel tube 97 constituting the treatment instrument channel 42 is exposed at the channel opening 45. In this embodiment, the endoscope insertion portion 1 is inserted into the insertion portion cover insertion lumen 98 of the duct channel portion assembly 95.
The insertion portion cover 99 that covers 1 is inserted and configured.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, at the tip of the channel tube 97, a raising knob provided on the operation portion of the endoscope is used to convey the raising and lowering operations to the tip. The pulling member 100 is connected, and constitutes a treatment instrument raising device 101 that drives the end portion of the tube body to raise and lower the treatment instrument. The raising pulling member 100 is configured by inserting a raising linear body 103 such as a metal wire into a guide tube body 102 such as a PTFE tube, and the raising linear body 103 is the channel tube 97. Is connected to the tip of the.

The cover tip portion 104 of the insert portion cover 99 is provided with observing and illuminating lens covers 105 and 106, and the tip surface of the cover tip portion 104 and the insert portion cover insertion lumen of the conduit channel assembly 95 are provided. Fixing means 107 by surface bonding of an adhesive tape or a magnet and metal or the like is provided as a first connecting means at a corresponding portion in 98. The covering tube 108 for covering the conduit channel section set 95 is configured such that both ends thereof are fixed to the conduit channel section set 95 in advance or afterward by the adhesive tape 109 serving as the second connecting means.

In the present embodiment, when the endoscope is used, after covering the insertion portion cover 99 on the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4, these are covered with the insertion portion cover of the duct channel portion assembly 95. Inserting into the insertion lumen 98, fixing means 1 for the front end surface of the cover
07, cover tip 104 and channel tip 9
Fix 6 and. Then, the covering tube 108 is covered on the outer peripheral portion of the conduit channel unit set 95, and is fixed to the conduit channel unit set 95 by the adhesive tape 109. After the cover-type endoscope is assembled and prepared as described above, it is used for endoscopic examination.

As described above, even in the side-view type endoscope, the first
A cover-type endoscope having a configuration similar to that of the embodiment can be constructed. In the structure of the present embodiment, the first connecting means for fixing the cover tip portion and the channel tip portion are fixed by the close contact between the surfaces, so that the outer diameter of the insertion portion of the cover endoscope becomes large. Can be prevented.

The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications such as combinations shown in FIG. 20 are also conceivable. As shown in FIG. 20 (a), it is also shown in FIG. 20 (b), that the first conduit channel subassembly 111 having only the air feeding tube 43 and the water feeding tube 44 is attached to the same insertion portion cover 19. As described above, in addition to the air supply tube 43 and the water supply tube 44, it is possible to attach the second conduit channel sub-unit set 112 including the suction / treatment instrument tube 42. Furthermore, it is possible to use it in a configuration without conduit channels. Further, the endoscope is not limited to the electronic endoscope and may be a fiberscope.

Further, in the first embodiment, the air supply port 2 for inflating the cover body 36 by improving the slipperiness between the inner surface of the insertion section cover 19 and the outer surface of the endoscope insertion section 11 is provided.
7, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the insertion part by eliminating the air supply function of the air supply mouthpiece 30, the air supply pipe 55, and the like, and in the third embodiment, the air is supplied to the proximal side mouth part 80 of the insertion part cover 73. Base 3
It is also possible to provide 0 to supply air from here. Further, as the conduit channel assembly, an ultrasonic probe, a laser probe, and other sensors to which sensors are attached in advance can be used, and the insertion section cover 1 can be used.
Since 9 is a single tube and has relatively good cleaning and sterilization properties, it may be made of a heat sterilizable material so that it can be reused. In addition, various combinations and modifications can be implemented.

As described above, according to the above-described present embodiment, the conduit channel section assembly and the insertion section cover are provided separately,
By providing the connecting means for connecting and fixing these, there is no need to provide a concave groove in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion part to fix the conduit channel, and the processing of the endoscope insertion part is easy and manufacturability is improved. Can be good. In addition, when inserting the endoscope insertion part into the insertion part cover, it is only inserted into the single tube-shaped insertion part cover, so the conduit channel can be smoothly inserted without obstruction during insertion. The part can be inserted and the insertability can be improved. Further, since there is no conduit channel or the like in the insertion section cover and no groove is provided in the endoscope insertion section, the adhesion between the insertion section cover and the endoscope insertion section can be enhanced. . Further, since the conduit channel slides back and forth with respect to the endoscope insertion part when the insertion part is bent, it is possible to prevent the bending and bending operation of the insertion part from being restricted by the conduit channel. A good bending operation can be performed.

Furthermore, by improving the sterilization resistance of the insertion section cover, it is sufficient to dispose of only the conduit channel side, which is time-consuming to clean, which can reduce the running cost of the cover-type endoscope and reduce waste. be able to. In addition, it is possible to replaceably attach conduit channels with different specifications such as inner diameter and number of channels, channels with special functions such as laser probe, ultrasonic probe, etc. to the same insertion part cover, during inspection It is possible to reduce the labor of attaching and detaching the cover and reduce the cost of the entire apparatus.

Here, the structure and assembling method of the bending portion 23 of the cover endoscope 4 shown in the first embodiment will be described in detail below. FIG. 21 is a view showing an axial cross section of the bending portion 23.

The bending portion 23 has substantially the same structure as the bending portion of an endoscope without a conventional cover. Curved part 2
3, a bending tube 122 having a plurality of bending pieces 121 is provided, and an outer peripheral portion of the bending tube 122 is covered with a bending rubber 123 made of fluororubber or the like. Curved tube 1
A plurality of bending pieces 121 are rotatably connected by rivets 124, and a knitting tube (blade) 125 in which stainless steel wires or Kevlar wires are knitted is covered on the bending pieces 121 to form a knitting tube. Solder both ends of 125,
It is configured by being fixed to the bending pieces 121a and 121b at both ends by adhesion or the like. Both ends of the curved rubber 123 are fixed to the endoscope distal end portion 22 and the flexible tube portion 24 by thread winding, respectively, and the thread winding portion 126 is adhesively fixed by an adhesive so that the thread is not unwound. . By fixing the curved rubber 123 in this manner, both ends of the curved portion 23 are fixed in a watertight manner. An image pickup unit 12 having an objective lens 25 and a solid-state image pickup device for picking up a subject image by the objective lens 25 at the endoscope front end 22.
7 are provided.

Further, the bending piece 12 on the tip side of the bending tube 122.
The distal end portions of the four bending operation wires 128, one end of which is fixed to the bending operation portion on the proximal side (not shown), are fixed to the fixing portion 129 at 1a by brazing or soldering. By pulling these bending operation wires 128, the bending portion 23 is bent vertically and horizontally. The bending tube 122 is provided with wire receivers 130 for restricting the position of the bending operation wire 128 fixed to the inner surface of the bending piece 121 by brazing or soldering, respectively, and the bending operation wire 128 is inserted therethrough.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the bending portion 23 of FIG. 21 taken along the line AA. The cross-sectional shape of the bending portion 23 is a substantially D-shape, and each of the bending pieces 121 is also formed in a substantially D-shape.

A method of manufacturing the curved tube having a substantially D-shaped cross section will be described below.

Conventionally, in the case of manufacturing a curved tube having an irregular shape such as a substantially D-shaped cross section, after manufacturing a curved tube having a circular cross section, it is formed into a desired sectional shape by press molding. Was there. However, according to such a manufacturing method,
The connecting portion that connects the bending pieces is distorted, which is a factor that hinders the smooth bending operation of the bending tube. Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in this example, by using a manufacturing method as described below, it is possible to easily and surely manufacture a curved tube having a deformed cross section, and Prevent obstacles.

A first method of manufacturing a curved tube having an irregular cross section will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 26.

First, as a first step, a pipe material 132 having a different cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 23 is formed by extrusion molding or pultrusion molding.

Next, as a second step, as shown in FIG. 24, the pipe member 132 is cut into a desired shape by a processing method such as laser cutting or electric discharge wire cutting press, and is connected to the end portion so as to project. Forming the part 131,
A connecting hole 133 for inserting the rivet 124 is formed in the connecting portion 131 to form a bending piece blank 134.

Then, as a third step, as shown in FIG. 25, the interval between the pair of connecting portions 131 facing each other in the bending piece blank 134 is set so as to smoothly rotate when the respective bending pieces are connected. Are pressed to the inner diameter side or the outer diameter side by a press so that the desired dimensions X and Y are obtained and the connecting portion 131 becomes a flat surface, thereby forming the connecting portion 131. As a result, the bending piece 121 as shown in FIG. 26 is formed.

At this time, the connecting hole 13 is formed by the third step.
3 is considered, when forming the connecting hole 133 in the second step, a hole having a diameter smaller than a desired diameter by about 0.1 to 0.2 mm is provided, and after the third step. As a fourth step, the diameter may be expanded by a reamer or the like so as to obtain a desired diameter.

The cross-sectional dimension of the pipe material 132 is shown in FIG.
In Fig. 7, if the dimension a is 3 mm (more preferably 5 mm) or more, the dimension b is similarly 3 mm (more preferably 5 mm) or more, and the R of each corner is 0.2 mm (more preferably 0.5 mm) or more, It can be easily molded.

Then, as a fifth step, the bending pieces 121 manufactured by the above-described steps are sequentially rotatably connected by rivets 124 to form a bending tube 122.

According to the above manufacturing method, a curved tube having an irregular cross section can be manufactured easily and reliably.
The bending tube can be configured so that a smooth bending operation is possible.

Next, a second method for manufacturing a curved tube having an irregular cross section will be described with reference to FIGS. 28 to 30.

First, as a first step, as shown in FIG. 28, a circular pipe 135 having an inner peripheral length β (α≈β) substantially the same as the desired inner peripheral length α of the modified cross section is pressed. The deformed pipe 136 is formed.

Then, regarding the second to fifth steps, the bending piece 121 as shown in FIG. 26 is formed by the same steps as the above-mentioned first method, and the bending tube 122 is manufactured.

Here, in the first step, the circular pipe 135
When the is molded into the deformed pipe 136, if the press molding is performed only by the outer die that regulates only the outer shape, the deformed bottom surface 137 may be deformed inward as shown in FIG. In order to prevent such deformation of the bottom portion, as shown in FIG. 30, a core metal 139 is inserted into the inner diameter side of the pipe together with the outer mold 138 and press-molded. At this time, in order to perform press molding along the outer mold more reliably and accurately, in order to perform the press molding in FIG.
As shown in (d), the diameter of the core metal 139 is set to 119a to 119.
It is desirable to gradually reduce the value to c (preferably every 0.2 mm) and press-form a plurality of times.

In this method, compared with the first method,
It is not necessary to manufacture a deformed pipe material by extrusion molding or the like, and a curved pipe 12 having a deformed cross section using a circular pipe as a raw material.
2 can be manufactured, which further reduces the manufacturing cost.

A third method of manufacturing a curved tube having an irregular cross section will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 and 32.

First, as a first step, as shown in FIG. 31, a circular pipe 135 having an inner peripheral length β that is substantially the same as the inner peripheral length α of a desired modified cross section is processed by a processing method such as a laser cut press. A connecting hole 13 for cutting into a desired shape and inserting the rivet 124 into the connecting portion 131.
3 is drilled to form a circular bending piece blank 140.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 32, the distance L'between the facing connecting portions 131 of the circular bending piece blank 140 is between the facing connecting portions 131 of the bending piece blank 134 having a desired deformed shape. The outer shape is cut so that it becomes the same as the distance L (L = L ').

Next, as a second step, the circular bending piece blank 140 is formed by pressing to obtain a bending piece blank 134. Here, at the time of press-forming in the second step, it is desirable to insert a cored bar into the inner diameter side of the circular bending piece blank 140, as in the first step of the above-mentioned second method.

Then, regarding the third to fifth steps, the bending piece 121 as shown in FIG. 26 is formed by the same steps as the above-mentioned first method, and the bending tube 122 is manufactured.

In this method, a processing method of cutting a circular pipe is used in the cutting step for constructing the bending piece blank 134, as compared with the above-mentioned two manufacturing methods, and therefore a processing machine for cutting is used. This has the effect of making it easier to attach the pipe material.

By the way, in the bending piece, there is provided a so-called stepped bending piece 141 whose outer shape is changed as shown in FIG. 33 at both ends of the bending portion. In the stepped bending piece 141, when the stepped portion 142 is formed by expanding the bending piece 121 formed by the above-described first to third manufacturing methods from the inner diameter side, the connecting portion 131 near the stepped portion 142 is formed. There is a problem that is deformed. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, when the stepped bending piece 141 is formed, the following manufacturing method is used. A processing method for forming the stepped bending piece will be described as a fourth method of manufacturing the bending tube with reference to FIG.

First, as a first step, a part of the circular pipe 135 having an inner peripheral length β that is substantially the same as the desired inner peripheral length α of the modified cross section is expanded from the inner diameter side by a required length. To form a circular step 143, and a stepped blank 144
To form.

Then, the stepped blank 144 is processed by using the first to fifth steps of the above-described third manufacturing method as the second to sixth steps of the present processing method, and similarly, as shown in FIG.
The bending piece 121 as shown in FIG. 6 is formed, and the bending tube 122 is manufactured.

By using such a processing method,
The stepped bending piece 141 can be easily manufactured.

When the circular bending piece blank 140 and the stepped blank 144 are press-formed to have an irregular cross section in the third or fourth method for manufacturing a bending tube described above, as shown in FIG. , The connecting portions 1 facing each other
It is desirable to insert the core metal 145 into the connection hole 133 of 31 and then press-mold. As a result, it is possible to prevent the relative position of the connecting hole 133 from being displaced as shown in FIG. 36 during press molding, and to connect the opposing connecting pieces 133 in the bending piece blank 134 having a deformed cross section as shown in FIG. 37. A desired relative position of the connecting hole 133 can be obtained without shifting the position of the hole 133.

The curved tube 122 manufactured by the above-described processing method has its rear end connected and fixed to the flexible tube portion 24.

At the connecting portion between the bending tube 122 and the flexible tube portion 24, as shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, the bending tube 12
A tongue piece 146 is provided on the bending piece 121b at the rear end of 2,
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 40, the front mouthpiece 147 of the flexible tube portion 24 is provided with a fixing hole 148 into which the tongue piece 146 is fitted.

When connecting the bending tube 122 and the flexible tube portion 24, the bending piece 121b and the front cap 147 of the flexible tube portion 24 are connected.
After fitting and, as shown in FIG. 41, the bending piece 121b
The tongue piece 146 is engaged with the fixing hole 148 of the front mouthpiece 147 to be fixed. The bending piece 121 is not limited to the fixing means by the tongue piece 146 and the fixing hole 148, but may be fixed by a screw like a connecting portion of a conventional endoscope without a cover.
b and the front base 147 may be fixed. The tongue piece 146 serving as the fixing means, the fixing hole 148, the screw fixing hole, and the like are provided in the flat surface portion 149 of the pipe portion having a modified cross section as shown in FIGS. 39 and 40. By providing the fixing means at such a position, the positional accuracy is improved as compared with the case where it is provided on the curved surface portion, and the fixing can be performed more reliably.

Next, a modification of the above-mentioned embodiment of the cover type endoscope is shown in FIGS. In this modified example, the structure of the connecting means for connecting and fixing the channel front end and the cover front end is changed, and only parts different from the embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 42, the insertion portion cover 160
The cover tip portion 161 is provided with a locking protrusion 162 on the side portion. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 43, the channel tip portion 164 of the conduit channel portion set 163 has a substantially columnar outer shape, and the cover tip portion insertion hole 16 is provided inside.
5 are provided. Further, on the side of the cover tip end insertion hole 165 on the side of the channel tip end portion 164, as shown in FIG. 44, when the cover tip end portion 161 is inserted, the engagement protrusion 162 is formed at a portion corresponding to the engagement protrusion 162. A locking hole 166 having substantially the same diameter is provided, and an introduction groove 168 is provided from the locking hole 166 toward the end surface 167 of the channel tip portion 164.
And the elastic grooves 16 are provided on both sides of the introduction groove 168.
9 is provided.

In the structure of this modification, when the channel front end 164 and the cover front end 160 are connected and fixed,
When the cover front end portion 160 is inserted into the cover front end portion insertion hole 165, the locking protrusion 162 of the cover front end portion 160 is easily called into the locking hole 166 by the introduction groove 168 and engaged with the locking hole 166. Then, as shown in FIG. 45, the channel front end 164 and the cover front end 160 are fixed by being locked. At this time, the tongue portion 170 between the introducing groove 168 and the elastic groove 169 shown in FIG. 44 is easily deformed to the elastic groove 169 side by the elastic groove 169, so that the locking protrusion 162 easily engages in the introducing groove 168. Is engaged with the locking hole 166.

After the channel front end 164 and the cover front end 160 are connected and fixed, as shown in FIG. 45, the fixing cover cover 171 for bundling the conduit channel section set and the insertion section cover is fixed to the locking projection. By covering so as to cover the front end side from 162, the fixed portion of the channel front end and the cover front end can be covered, so that there is no fear of damaging the inside of the body cavity.

By constructing the connecting means between the channel tip and the cover tip in this way, the channel tip 164 and the cover tip 160 can be securely and easily attached and detached.

[0113]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is easy to process the insertion portion of the endoscope, and the workability at the time of mounting the insertion portion cover and the adhesion between the endoscope and the insertion portion cover are improved. There is an effect that it is good and that a good bending operation can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 8 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an endoscope apparatus using a cover-type endoscope.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration near an insertion portion of the cover endoscope.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an insertion portion cover.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conduit channel subassembly.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a covering tube which covers the insertion portion cover and the conduit channel portion assembly by loosely connecting them so as to be movable in the axial direction.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cover-type endoscope in a use state in which a cover endoscope, an insertion portion cover, a conduit channel assembly, and a covering tube are combined.

7 is a cross-sectional view of the cover type endoscope insertion portion of FIG. 6 taken along the line AA.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view showing the movement of the duct channel when the cover-type endoscope is bent.

9 to 11 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a covering tube and a conduit channel assembly.

FIG. 10 is an axial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a cover-type endoscope in which an endoscope insertion portion and an insertion portion cover are combined with a covering tube and a conduit channel subassembly.

11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of the cover type endoscope insertion portion of FIG.

FIG. 12 to FIG. 14 relate to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing configurations of an insertion portion cover and a covering tube.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a duct channel assembly.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cover-type endoscope in a state in which an insertion section cover and a covering tube are combined with a conduit channel section assembly.

15 and 16 relate to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a cover-type endoscope in a state in which a cover endoscope, an insertion portion cover, a conduit channel portion assembly, and a covering tube are combined. Perspective view showing the structure of the mirror

16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the cover-type endoscope insertion portion of FIG.

FIGS. 17 to 19 relate to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a side view showing a configuration of an insertion portion of a side-view type cover endoscope seen from above.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the combination of the insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope.

FIG. 21 is an axial sectional view showing a configuration of a bending portion of an endoscope insertion portion.

22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the curved portion of FIG.

23 to 26 are explanatory views showing a first manufacturing method of a curved tube having an irregular cross section, and FIG.
FIG. 23B is a side view showing the configuration of the modified pipe material according to the first step, and FIG. 23B is a perspective view of the modified pipe material.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory view showing a process of forming the bending piece blank according to the second step.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory view showing a bending piece forming process in the third step.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a bending piece formed by a third step.

FIG. 27 is a dimensional explanatory view showing a cross-sectional dimension of a deformed pipe material in the first manufacturing method.

28 to 30 are explanatory views showing a second manufacturing method of a curved tube having an irregular cross section, and FIG. 28 shows the first method.
Explanatory drawing showing the forming process from circular pipe to deformed pipe by the process of

FIG. 29 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the bottom surface portion is deformed at the time of press molding into a deformed pipe.

FIG. 30 is an explanatory view showing a detailed procedure at the time of press molding in the first step.

31 and 32 are explanatory views showing a third manufacturing method of a curved pipe having a deformed cross section, and FIG. 31 shows a forming process from a circular pipe to a circular bending piece blank by the first step. Explanatory diagram

FIG. 32 is a side view showing the cross-sectional shapes of the circular bending piece blank according to the first step and the deformed bending piece blank according to the second step.

FIG. 33 is an axial sectional view showing the configuration of a stepped bending piece.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory view showing a method of processing a circular pipe in the case of forming a stepped bending piece as a fourth manufacturing method of a bending tube having an irregular cross section.

FIG. 35 is an explanatory view showing a cored bar used when press-forming a circular bending piece blank and a stepped blank in the third or fourth method for manufacturing a bending tube.

FIG. 36 is an explanatory view showing a case where the relative positions of the connecting holes of the connecting portions of the bending piece facing each other are displaced.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory view showing a case where the relative positions of the connecting holes of the connecting portions of the bending piece which face each other are formed correctly.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a bending piece at the rear end of the bending tube.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory view showing a tongue piece provided on the side surface portion of the bending piece at the rear end.

FIG. 40 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a front mouthpiece at the front end portion of the flexible tube portion.

FIG. 41 is an axial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bending piece at the rear end of the bending tube and the front mouthpiece of the flexible tube portion are connected to each other.

42 to 45 are related to a modification of the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the cover-type endoscope, and FIG. 42 is a side view showing the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion cover.

FIG. 43 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the distal end portion of the duct channel assembly.

FIG. 44 is a side view showing the configuration of the channel tip portion.

FIG. 45 is an axial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the distal end portion in a state where the insertion portion cover and the conduit channel subassembly are combined.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... Cover-type endoscope 3 ... Endoscope cover 4 ... Cover endoscope 11 ... Endoscope insertion part 16 ... Insertion part cover part 19 ... Insertion part cover 20 ... Pipe channel part assembly 21 ... Covering tube 23 Curved part 29 ... Cover tip part 34 ... Channel tip part 35 ... Recessed part 41 ... Tube body 47 ... Fixed claw

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 14, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0009

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

That is, with this configuration, (1) it is difficult to manufacture the groove provided in the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion. (2) It is difficult to exactly fit the covering material of the insertion portion cover to the insertion portion having the groove. (3) Since the conduit channel fits perfectly over the entire length in the insertion section cover and the concave groove of the endoscope insertion section, when the insertion section of the endoscope is bent, the conduit channel is inserted into the endoscope. regulating the operation of the endoscope without smoothly slide back and forth relative part, Therefore, the curved portion may not bent to the desired angle, force for bending is increased, it is good bending operation Without this, there is a risk that the target area will not be observed well. It had problems such as

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0062

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

In the present embodiment, when the endoscope is used, after the insertion portion cover 85 is put on the insertion portion 11 of the cover endoscope 4, the insertion portion cover 85 and the conduit channel portion assembly 90 are connected. Are connected in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the outer circumferences thereof are covered with the covering tubes 92 and fixed by the elastic rubber rings 93 at both ends. Then, the third connecting member 94 connects and fixes the insertion portion cover 85 on the rear end side of the insertion portion and the tube covering body 91 of the duct channel assembly 90. After the cover-type endoscope is assembled and prepared as described above, it is used for endoscopic examination.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0071

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications such as combinations shown in FIG. 20 are also conceivable. As shown in FIG. 20 (a), it is also shown in FIG. 20 (b), that the first conduit channel subassembly 111 having only the air feeding tube 43 and the water feeding tube 44 is attached to the same insertion portion cover 19. As described above, in addition to the air supply tube 43 and the water supply tube 44, it is possible to attach the second conduit channel sub-unit set 112 including the suction / treatment instrument tube 42. Furthermore, it is possible to use it in a configuration without conduit channels. Further, the endoscope is not limited to the electronic endoscope and may be a fiberscope .

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0079

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

A method of manufacturing the curved tube having a substantially D-shaped cross section will be described below. Using this method,
Several pieces are approximately D-shaped, and the pieces on the rear end side from the middle are the same as before
Of course, it may be applied to a method of manufacturing a curved tube having a cross section.

[Procedure Amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0083

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Next, as a second step, as shown in FIG. 24, the pipe material 132 is laser-cut and discharged.
By cutting into a desired shape by a processing method such as wire cutting or pressing to form a connecting portion 131 protruding at the end, a connecting hole 133 for inserting the rivet 124 is formed in the connecting portion 131, The bending piece blank 134 is configured.

[Procedure correction 6]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0095

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

First, as a first step, as shown in FIG. 31, a circular pipe 135 having an inner peripheral length β that is substantially the same as the desired inner peripheral length α of the modified cross section is not laser-cut or pressed . The connecting hole 1 for cutting into a desired shape and inserting the rivet 124 into the connecting portion 131 by any processing method.
33 is drilled to form a circular bending piece blank 140.

[Procedure Amendment 7]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Fig. 45

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 45

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope having a flexible endoscope insertion portion having an observation optical system and a duct channel used for endoscopy provided separately from the endoscope insertion portion. And an insertion section cover that covers the endoscope insertion section by itself, and the conduit channel is arranged along the insertion section cover, and the distal end of the conduit channel is fixed to the insertion section cover. And a second connecting means for fixing the intermediate portion of the conduit channel to the insertion portion cover so as to be movable in the axial direction. .