JPH072163B2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an endoscope using a so-called multi-lumen tube having a plurality of lumens as an insertion portion.

[Conventional technology]

Many endoscopes that use a multi-lumen tube as an insertion part have a relatively flexible insertion part and are relatively thin. Then, in this type of endoscope, a reinforcing member is provided at a connecting portion between the multi-lumen tube and the operating portion, and the reinforcing member is fitted on the outer periphery of the multi-lumen tube to suppress flexibility, thereby causing a sharp break. It is designed to prevent bending due to bending.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the reinforcing member needs to have a certain thickness at the tip on the insertion portion side, and as a result, the multi-lumen tube has a boundary between a portion covered by the reinforcing member and a portion not covered by the reinforcing member. There is a gap in flexibility. There is a risk that the multi-lumen tube may be broken due to its flexibility and being relatively thin, and the internal organs may be damaged.

Incidentally, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-14635 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 56-5534 propose that a core material is inserted into the wall of a catheter to control its flexibility. However, this is not related to the endoscope insertion portion, is not intended to prevent bending, and does not prevent damage to internal organs. In addition, it was not suitable for small diameters.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to reliably prevent a multi-lumen tube forming an insertion portion from being broken at a joint portion with an operation portion with a simple structure. It is to provide an endoscope that can.

[Means and Actions for Solving Problems]

In the inner lumen of the multi-lumen tube at the connecting portion between the multi-lumen tube used as the insertion section and the endoscope operating section, an elastic member is provided from the portion covered by the folding reinforcing member to the uncoated portion. Provided.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent a rapid change in flexibility in the vicinity of the end portion of the reinforcing member without giving a particular influence to the wall portion of the multi-lumen tube.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the endoscope 1 for blood vessels. The endoscope 1 includes an operation section 2 and an insertion section 3, and the operation section 2 is provided with an eyepiece section 4 and a treatment instrument insertion port section 5. A tip forming member 6 is attached to the tip of the insertion portion 3.

A multilumen tube 7 formed of a flexible resin is used as the insertion portion 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-lumen tube 7 is formed with a plurality of lumens 8 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the lumens 8 ... Are separately equipped with image guide fibers, light guide fibers and the like. Item 9 is decorated. Further, each end of the internal organs 9 is guided to the operating portion 2 and the tip forming portion 6. In addition,
Any of the lumens 8 ... Is used as a channel for water supply or insertion of a treatment tool.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a reinforcing member 9 for preventing bending which is made of an elastic material is fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the multi-lumen tube 7 near the joint with the operation portion 2. The outer diameter of the tip end of the reinforcing member 9 for fixing is gradually reduced toward the insertion portion 3 side.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a long elastic member 10 is inserted into one or a plurality of unused lumens 8 other than the multi-lumen tube 7 in this connecting portion. The elastic member 10 is made of twisted wires and is positioned and fixed by being press-fitted or adhered to the inner cavity 8. Further, the elastic member 10 is the multi-lumen tube 7.
Are installed from the portion not covered with the reinforcing member 9 to the covered portion.

When the multi-lumen tube 7 which is the insertion portion 3 is curved in the above structure, the elastic member 10 inserted in the lumen 8 is also bent accordingly, and the reinforcing member 9 is deformed to absorb the bending stress. To do. Then, the elastic member 10
Thus, the change in flexibility is moderated at the boundary between the portion of the multi-lumen tube 7 which is not covered by the reinforcing member 9 and the portion which is not covered, and there is no extreme change. Therefore, breakage at this portion can be prevented.

By using a wire for the elastic member 10 in this way, the flexibility of the multi-lumen tube 7 can be arbitrarily set by changing the diameter of each element wire while using the same material and the same diameter.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic member 10 is formed of a flexible single wire. Since the wire is not a stranded wire but a single wire, the elastic member 10 can be easily manufactured and the cost can be reduced. Further, since the wire is a single wire, the wire is not frayed at the time of assembly, and it is easy to mount the wire in the inner cavity 8.

In this embodiment, the single wire may be a superelastic alloy such as nickel-titanium alloy.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. That is, FIG. 4 shows the elastic member 10, and the tip portion 11 of the elastic member 10 has a tapered shape. If this elastic member 10 is used, the bending rigidity decreases smoothly as it goes to the distal end side on the operation portion 2 side, so there is no stress concentration portion and the multi-lumen tube 7 is less likely to break.

FIG. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic member 10 is formed by winding a single wire into a tightly wound coil. Since the elastic member 10 has a spiral shape, the bending rigidity can be arbitrarily set according to the pitch and the thickness of the wire. Further, when fixing to the inner cavity 8 of the multi-lumen tube 7 at the time of assembling, it is possible to fix it by friction by utilizing the unevenness of the outer peripheral portion in addition to the adhesion.

FIG. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a synthetic resin-based adhesive is poured into the lumen 8,
This is the elastic member 10. According to this embodiment, since the adhesive is poured, it is not necessary to regulate the dimensional accuracy and the like, and the adhesive only fills the inner cavity 8 to expand the multi-lumen tube 7. Does not cause deformation such as contraction.

The elastic member in the present invention may change its flexibility from the distal end to the proximal end. Further, as a means for changing the flexibility, the material may be changed and the degree of quenching may be used.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, an extreme change in flexibility near the end of the reinforcing member is eliminated without affecting the wall of the multi-lumen tube, etc. You can turn it into. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to internal organs such as an image guide, and also to prevent breakage of a relatively thin insertion portion which is rich in flexibility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the coupling portion in the first embodiment,
FIG. 2 is a side view of the endoscope of the same embodiment, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the coupling portion in the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the elastic member in the third embodiment. Figure 5 is the fourth
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the multi-lumen tube and the elastic member in the embodiment of FIG. 6, and FIG. 3 ... insertion part, 7 ... multi-lumen tube, 8 ...
Lumen, 9 ... Reinforcing member, 10 ... Elastic member.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Masahiro Kawashima 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (72) Shin-sho Akui 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kunio Ohno 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A multi-lumen tube having a plurality of lumens extending in the long axis direction is used as an insertion part, and a reinforcing member for fastening is coated on the outer periphery of a connecting part between the multi-lumen tube and the operating part. In the endoscope described above, an elastic member is provided in at least the portion covered with the reinforcing member for folding and the portion not covered with the reinforcing member for folding in the lumen of the connecting portion between the multi-lumen tube and the operating portion. The characteristic endoscope.