JPH0730004Y2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is to bend a bending portion connected to a distal end side of a flexible tube of an endoscope to an arbitrary angle by remote control from an operating portion. The present invention relates to an endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in an endoscope, operation wires for performing a bending operation are used in pairs, and when one of them is pulled, the other is loosened. Then, one end of each operation wire is locked near the tip of the bending portion, and the other end is connected to the operation device of the operation portion. Further, the operation wire is inserted into a closely wound guide coil inside the flexible tube, and one end of this guide coil is locked near the proximal end of the bending portion and the other end is locked at the operation portion. There is.

In an endoscope having such a configuration, conventionally, the proximal end portion of the guide coil is used as an operating portion in a state where the flexible tube is straightened and the guide coil inserted therein is also in a straight natural state. It was locked.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

The closely-coiled coil has a property that when it is bent, its length is extended as compared with a straight state.

However, more than that, the flexible tube has the property of extending its outer length when it is bent. Therefore, when the flexible tube is bent, the guide coil that is inserted straight through the flexible tube is stretched by being stretched.

When the guide coil extends, the operation wire inserted therethrough is in the same state as when it is pulled, and a large tension is applied to the operation wire.

The tension at this time is as large as about 5 kg to 10 kg. Therefore, each part such as the cutting of the operation wire or the breakage of the node ring forming the bending portion is damaged, which causes inability to bend or the bending angle is decreased, and the bending operation force amount is increased.

This invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and even when the flexible tube forming the insertion portion is bent, a large tension is not applied to the operation wire, and an endoscope having excellent durability of each bending device portion is provided. The purpose is to provide.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

To achieve the above object, the endoscope of the present invention comprises an elongated flexible tube forming an insertion portion of the endoscope and a bendable tube connected to a distal end side of the flexible tube. A curved portion, an operating portion connected to the proximal end side of the flexible tube, and inserted into the flexible tube, one end of which is locked near the proximal end of the bending portion and the other end of which is the operating portion. A tightly wound guide coil that has been locked, and a guide coil that is inserted into the guide coil so as to be able to move forward and backward so that one end is locked near the tip of the bending portion and the other end is connected to an operating device provided in the operating portion. In the endoscope having at least a pair of operation wires, the guide coil is pushed straight into the flexible tube from the operation portion side in a state where the flexible tube is straightened, and a base of the guide coil is provided. It is characterized in that the end portion is locked to the operation portion.

[Action]

When both the bending portion and the flexible tube are straightened, the guide coil is pushed into the flexible tube and meanders.

When the flexible tube is bent and its length is extended, the guide coil inserted therein is in a state of being pulled from both ends, but since the guide coil is pulled from the state of meandering, There is no phenomenon in which the meandering is eliminated by the pulling, the bend is made to just follow the shape of the flexible tube, and the wire is stretched by being pulled from both ends.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an endoscope, and an insertion portion 1 to be inserted into a body cavity or the like is formed by a flexible tube 10 which is elongated and flexible as a whole. A bendable bending portion 11 is connected to the tip side thereof. The tip of the insertion portion 1, that is, the curved portion 11
On the tip side of, the tip body 12 with built-in objective optical system etc.
Are connected.

FIG. 2 shows a tip portion of the bending portion 11, and 20 is a plurality of node rings rotatably connected by rivets 21. twenty two
Reference numerals 23 and 23 are a mesh tube and an outer rubber tube that cover the curved portion 11. 24 is a pair of operation wires, and the rivet 21
Are arranged in a position symmetrical about 180 degrees with the center as the center. A wire retaining ring 25 is fixed to the head of the operation wire 24 by silver brazing or the like. Then, the operation wire 24 is inserted into the wire guide ring 26 fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the most advanced node ring 20.
Has been inserted.

Therefore, when the operation wire 24 is pulled to the right in FIG. 2, the wire retaining ring 25 collides with the wire guide ring 26,
The frontmost node ring 20 is pulled to the right, and the bending portion 11 bends in the direction in which the operation wire 24 is arranged.

The operation wire 24 is connected to the most advanced node ring 20 or tip body 12
You may stick to.

Returning to FIG. 1, reference numeral 29 denotes a guide coil which is inserted into the flexible tube 10 by allowing the operation wire 24 to be inserted and removed freely. The guide coil is closely wound with a stainless steel wire and has an inner diameter of the operation wire 24. It is formed to be slightly thicker than the outer diameter.

The tip portion of the guide coil 29 is fixed to a component connecting the bending portion 11 and the flexible tube 10 by silver brazing or the like. This fixing portion may be provided on a component on the side where the bending portion 11 is formed or may be provided on a component on the side where the flexible tube 10 is formed, and may not necessarily be fixed. The tip of the guide coil 29 may be locked near the base end of the portion 11.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation portion 3 is connected to the base end side of the flexible tube 10, and the base end portion of the guide coil 29 is
It is fixed to the frame 39 of the operation unit 3. 40 is a stopper pipe fixed to the guide coil 29. Reference numeral 41 denotes a stopper receiver fixed to the frame 39 of the operation portion, and by locking the stopper pipe 40 to the stopper receiver 41,
The guide coil 29 is fixed to the frame 39 of the operation unit 3.

When fixing the guide coil 29, as shown in FIG. 1, with the flexible tube 10 straightened, the guide coil 29 is fixed.
29 a little (for example, 0.5 mm to 3 mm) from the operation unit 3 side to the flexible tube 10
The guide coil 29 is assembled so that the guide coil 29 meanders in the flexible tube 10 by pushing it inside. Therefore, the flexible tube
Even if 10 is bent or, in some cases, a loop is formed as shown in FIG.
The phenomenon in which 29 is forcibly pulled and stretched in the flexible tube 10 does not occur.

Returning to FIG. 1, the operation unit 3 is provided with a bending operation device 30 for performing a bending operation. 31 is a bending operation knob
It is a pulley rotated by 32.

A pair of pulling wires 33 for pulling the operation wire 24 are wound around the pulley 31, and one of the pulling wires 33 is rotated by rotating the bending operation knob 32.
It is wound around 31 and the other is sent out from the pulley 31.
As a result, one of the pair of operation wires 24 is pulled,
The other side is fed into the guide coil 29, and the bending portion 11 bends in the direction in which the pulled operation wire 24 is attached.

The operation wire 24 and the pulling wire 33 are the operation wires on the loose side.
It is connected by a slack remover 35 for absorbing 24 slacks. The slack removal device 35 is formed of an outer cylinder 36 and a floating piece 37 that can float in the outer cylinder 36. The pulling wire 33 is fixed to the outer cylinder 36 and the operation wire 24 is fixed to the floating piece 37. Has been done.

When connecting the operation wire 24, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, with the bending portion 11 and the flexible tube 10 both straightened, the floating piece 37 plays in the outer cylinder 36. And
The operating wire 24 is assembled so that no tension is applied to it. The play allowance t may be, for example, about 0 to 3 mm. If the play allowance t is set to be too large, play will be excessive when operating the bending operation knob 32, which is not preferable.

When the endoscope is inserted into a human body cavity or the like and actually used, the flexible tube 10 is always bent. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the flexible tube 10 is bent in a loop shape during use.

In such a state, the flexible tube 10 is extended in length as it goes to the outside of the loop, and the guide coil 29 inserted therein is pulled from both ends. However, since the guide coil 29 is pulled from the initially meandering state, the meandering is eliminated by the pulling, and the guide coil 29 is smoothly bent in accordance with the loop shape of the flexible tube 10. Also, by pulling from both ends, the guide coil
Even if 29 stretches a little, the amount of stretch is slight.

However, when the guide coil 29 is bent, the entire length of the guide coil 29 is slightly increased. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation wire 24 is drawn into the guide coil 29 by the length of the entire length of the guide coil 29, and the play allowance t of the operation wire 24 disappears or is significantly reduced. Become.

At this time, how much tension is applied to the operation wire 24, or whether the tension is still zero, the state is the flexible tube 10
Depending on the bending state of. However, in any case, the tension applied to the operation wire 24 during actual use is significantly reduced as compared with the conventional one.

In addition, since the play of the operation wire 24 is completely eliminated or greatly reduced, the bending operation knob 32 is not used during actual use.
The play will either be completely eliminated or will be greatly reduced, and there will be no hindrance to operability.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
For example, although only one pair of operation wires 24 is provided in each of the above-described embodiments, two or more pairs of operation wires may be provided by changing the mounting direction in the bending portion, and a bending operation device using a rack and pinion other than a pulley or the like. May be

[Effect of device]

According to the endoscope of the present invention, when the flexible tube is bent, it is possible to prevent the guide coil from being stretched by being pulled from both ends. The durability of each part is significantly improved, and the bending operation force is not heavy, and excellent operability can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan sectional view of a tip portion of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged front view of an operating portion of the embodiment of the present invention. A sectional view and FIG. 4 are schematic plan views of the flexible tube of the embodiment of the present invention in a looped state. 1 ... Insertion part, 3 ... Operation part, 10 ... Flexible tube, 11 ... Bending part, 24
... operation wire, 29 ... guide coil, 30 ... bending operation device,
33 ... traction wire.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An elongated flexible tube forming an insertion portion of an endoscope, a bendable bending portion connected to a distal end side of the flexible tube, and a base of the flexible tube. An operation part connected to the end side, a tightly wound guide coil inserted into the flexible tube, one end of which is locked near the proximal end of the bending part and the other end of which is locked to the operation part. An at least one pair of operating wires that are inserted into the guide coil so as to be able to move back and forth, one end of which is locked near the tip of the bending portion, and the other end of which is connected to an operating device provided in the operating portion. In the endoscope, in a state where the flexible tube is straightened, with the guide coil being pushed into the flexible tube from the operation portion side, the proximal end portion of the guide coil is locked to the operation portion,
An endoscope characterized in that both the guide coil and the operation wire inserted therein are made to meander in a straight flexible tube.