JPH0733761Y2 - Waterproof endoscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a waterproof endoscope having a ventilation member that can be used as a ventilation connector when inspecting an airtight state.

[Conventional technology]

In general, an endoscope is connected to a control unit that is internally equipped with an insertion section that is mainly inserted into an observation target section such as a living body cavity, a manual operation section that performs operations such as bending operation of the insertion section, and a light source and a power supply. It is composed of

The endoscope is disinfected with gas or disinfectant each time it is used, but recently, cleaning and disinfection with a cleaning liquid or disinfectant is generally performed.

By the way, in order to easily and effectively perform the cleaning and disinfection with the cleaning liquid and the disinfecting liquid, the endoscope itself is cleaned,
Since the endoscope is immersed in a disinfectant solution, the endoscope is a waterproof endoscope that can maintain an airtight and liquid-tight state.

This is because, as is well known, the inside of the endoscope contains various components such as a light guide, an image guide, an air / water supply pipe, lead wires, and forceps insertion channels. Is designed to protect these internal components from external impacts, etc., and also to prevent the cleaning liquid and disinfectant liquid from entering the inside and damaging the internal components during cleaning and disinfection. The air-tightness and the liquid-tightness are maintained.

However, since the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted into the living body cavity,
Since it is desirable that the diameter be as small as possible, and that the hand operation part and the connecting part have good operability, there are restrictions on the material and thickness of the outer shell of the endoscope, and the use or cleaning is limited. , It was not uncommon for the outer shell to be damaged during disinfection.

Therefore, by installing a ventilation member that can be used as a ventilation connector at the required location on the outer shell, connecting an airtight tester to this, and pressurizing air etc. to detect leakage of air etc. It is possible to know whether the outer shell of the mirror is damaged.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, in order to check the airtightness in this way,
Air must enter the space of the outer shell of the endoscope, but liquid such as water must not enter. Therefore, it is necessary to insert a water-tight and breathable filter into the ventilation member that can be used as a ventilation connector for feeding air to shield the inside and outside of the outer casing of the endoscope. However, when such a filter is used, the amount of air that penetrates is much smaller than when no filter is used. Therefore, in order not to reduce the amount of permeating air, it is necessary to make the area of the filter as large as possible or to increase the pressure of the air to be sent. However, there is a limitation in using a large filter, and when a pressure over a certain level is exceeded, there is a drawback that a small amount of water adhering to a ventilation connector or the like is transmitted.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In view of the current situation, the present invention provides each of the outer casings for forming an endoscope with a separate ventilation member capable of blocking the outside air by a sealing member, and maintains watertightness and air permeability between the inner ends of these ventilation members. The waterproof endoscope is characterized in that it is connected by a tube and the at least one of the ventilation members is a ventilation connector with an airtight tester.

[Action]

According to the present invention, a ventilation member that can be used as a ventilation connector with an airtight tester can be communicated with the outside air, so that even when decompressing during gas sterilization, the inside and outside of the outer casing of the endoscope can be The pressure difference can be almost eliminated, and an airtight tester is connected to one ventilation member,
If other ventilation members are in communication with outside air prior to the airtight inspection and air is sent, water droplets adhering to the ventilation members or around the ventilation tube can be blown out of the other ventilation members. It is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the outer casing of the mirror and causing a failure. Furthermore, since the watertight and airtight tube that connects the inner ends of the ventilation member has a tubular shape and has a large surface area even if it has a small volume, it is possible to eliminate the internal / external pressure difference in a short time.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an endoscope including a manual operation section 2, an insertion section 3 and a connecting section 5 to a control device 4, and the connecting section 5 of the endoscope 1 is provided with a light guide or an air feeding device. A water pipe, suction pipe, lead wire, etc. are built in.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connector part 6 at one end of the connecting part 5 is provided with connecting ends such as a light guide 7, an air supply pipe 8 and a lead wire 9, a connecting end 10 to an aspirator and a water supply connector. Equipped with 11. The water supply connector 11 communicates with the air supply pipe 8, and switches the valve by operation of the manual operation part to supply air to a water supply tank (not shown), and the pressure is used to supply water in the tank. Is. In addition, the component indicated by the reference numeral 12 in the connector portion 6 is a pipe connecting fitting. As shown in FIG.
Air supply and water supply pipes 13 and 14 connected to valves provided in the manual operation unit and connection ports connected to the air supply pipe 8 are provided. The outer shell of the connector portion 6 is composed of a combination of several annular bodies, which are fitted together and fixed with a set screw. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
When the above-mentioned built-in object fails, it is possible to repair by replacing the above-mentioned built-in object by removing a screw of an appropriate annular body.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, one annular member A for forming the outer shell of the connector portion 6 is provided with two ventilation members 15, 15 'which can be used as ventilation connectors on the opposite wall surfaces. Has been done. Each of the ventilation members 15 and 15 'is provided with a ventilation passage 16 at the center thereof, and a protrusion 17 to the outside of the outer shell is provided with a connection provided at the tip of a flexible tube extending from the airtight tester. A screw 18 for screwing with the portion 23 is provided, and a packing 19 for keeping airtightness is attached to the base portion. A step 22 is provided on the outer surface of the projecting portion 20 to the inner surfaces of the ventilation members 15 and 15 'to prevent detachment when the breathable tube 21 is externally fitted.

The breathable tube 21 is watertight and breathable, and is, for example, a porous foamed Teflon tube.

In the airtightness test, first, the connecting portion 23 of the airtightness tester is connected to one of the ventilation members 15 and the other ventilation member 15 'is communicated with the outside air to supply air. Water droplets and the like attached to the flexible tube 21 can be blown off to the outside of the other ventilation member 15 '. Next, by capping the ventilation member 15 'with air,
Air without water droplets can be sent into the outer shell of the endoscope in a relatively short time, and an airtight test can be performed.

Further, the protrusions to the outside of the outer shell in FIG. 6 showing the ventilation members 25 and 25 ′ that can be used as the ventilation connector of another embodiment are almost the same as those in FIG. The ends of the ventilation passages 27, 27 'of the protrusions 26, 26' have a large diameter in two steps, and the first large diameter portion 28, 28 'has a cylindrical body 29, 2'.
9'is tightly inserted, and a coil spring 31,3 made of extension is provided between the outside of the cylindrical body 29,29 'and the large diameter portion 30,30' of the second stage.
1'is provided, and disk-shaped bodies 32, 32 'slidable in the passages 27, 27' are provided at the tips thereof. Discoid 3
Ventilation holes are formed in the peripheral portions of 2, 32 ′, and when the disc-shaped bodies 32, 32 ′ come into contact with the tubular bodies 29, 29 ′, the passages 27, 2
7'is closed and the disk-shaped bodies 32,32 'are cylindrical bodies 29,2
When it is not in contact with 9 ', it is in an open state. A central rod of the connecting portion of the airtight tester is provided on the opposing surfaces of the disk-shaped members 32, 32 ', that is, the surfaces of the ventilation members 25, 25' on the side of the projection to the outside air.
Abutting portions 34 and 34 'with 33 are provided. Disc-shaped body 32,3
A connecting rod 35 for connecting these is provided on the opposing surface of 2 ', and a length adjusting member 37 incorporating a coil spring 36 so that the length can be adjusted is arranged in the middle thereof.

In the normal state, the disk-shaped bodies 32, 32 'are separated from the cylindrical bodies 29, 29' by the urging of the coil springs 31, 31 ', and the inside of the endoscope is in communication with the outside air.

When connecting the airtight tester to the ventilation member 15, the center rod 33 of the connector of the airtight tester pushes the disc-shaped body 32 so that the other disc-shaped body 32 'is a cylinder against the coil spring 31'. It is pressed against the body 29 'and is closed to the outside, and the air from the airtight tester is arranged in the same manner as the breathable tube 21 and is sent into the endoscope through the breathable tube.

If the air-permeable tube has water droplets or the like, or if it enters, water will be pushed into the fine pores in the air-permeable tube when it is directly pressurized, causing clogging. Therefore, when removing water droplets or the like in the breathable tube prior to the airtightness test, a small diameter draining pin 38 is inserted as shown in FIG. 7 to separate the disc-shaped body 32 'from the tubular body 29'. This is performed by discharging the air containing water droplets in the breathable tube to the side of the ventilation member 25 '.

FIG. 8 shows still another embodiment. The ventilation member 39 on the side where the airtight tester is not attached is provided with a rod 41 provided with a blocking member 40 for the ventilation hole of the ventilation member 39 at the inner end. When the button-shaped plate 42 at the outer end of the rod 41 that has been inserted is pushed, a ventilation state is established, and water droplets and the like in the breathable tube can be removed.

In the above description, the ventilation member is provided in the connector portion 6, but it may be provided in another place, for example, in the main body of the hand operation unit.

[Effect of device]

As is clear from the above description, since the waterproof endoscope according to the present invention is provided with different ventilation members, one air ventilation member is connected to the airtight tester, and another airtight tester is connected prior to the airtightness test. When the ventilation member of is communicated with the outside air to supply air, water droplets adhering to the vicinity of the ventilation member or on the ventilation tube can be blown out to the outside of other ventilation members, and the water droplets can enter the outer shell of the endoscope. It is possible to achieve excellent operational effects in practice, such as eliminating the pressure difference between the inside and the outside in a short time by using a tubular water-tight and air-permeable tube having a large surface area without invading it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a plan view showing the endoscope mounted on a control device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a connector portion having a plurality of ventilation members according to the present invention, and FIG. XX sectional view, FIG. 4 is an exploded enlarged view of the connector portion, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the first embodiment of the ventilation member, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are second embodiments of the ventilation member. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a ventilation member according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 1: Endoscope, 2: Hand operation part 3: Insert part, 4: Control device 5: Connection part, 6: Connector part 7: Light guide, 8: Air pipe 9: Lead wire, 10: Connection end to aspirator 11: Water supply connector, 12: Pipe fittings 13: Air supply pipe, 14: Water supply pipe 15, 15 ', 25, 25', 39: Ventilation member 16, 27: 27 ': Ventilation passage, 17,20,26,26 ': Projection 18: Screw, 19: Packing 21: Breathable tube, 22: Step 23: Connection, 24: Cap 28,28', 30, 30 ': Large diameter part 29, 29 ': Cylindrical body, 31,31': Coil spring 32,32 ': Disc-shaped body, 33: Central rod 34, 34': Abutting portion, 35: Connecting rod 36: Coil spring, 37: Length adjusting member 38 : Drainage pin, 40: Blocking member 41: Rod, 42: Button plate

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An endoscope forming shell is provided with separate ventilation members capable of blocking the outside air by a sealing member, and the inner ends of these ventilation members are connected by a watertight and breathable tube. A waterproof endoscope, wherein at least one of the ventilation members is a ventilation connector with an airtight tester.