JPH08140924A - Tip part of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a sanitary tip part of an endoscope wherein an erroneous reattachment of a disposable tip cap having a nozzle is prevented. CONSTITUTION: This tip part of an endoscope is provided with a tip cap 50 freely detachably from a tip part body 1 having a nozzle 14 formed thereon to blow a fluid to the surface of an observation window provided on the tip part body at the tip of an inserting part so that the tip cap 50 is made disposable after each use thereof. The tip cap 50 is provided with a brittle part 53 which is adapted to break when it is removed from the tip part body 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distal end portion of an endoscope in which a nozzle is formed in a distal end cap detachably attached to a distal end portion main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tip cap is generally made of a plastic material and is detachably attached to the tip body.

In the past, the tip cap was sometimes made of rubber. However, if the tip cap is made thinner to reduce the outer diameter, the rubber tip cap becomes messy, and Since it becomes very difficult to attach, it is made plastic as the thickness decreases.

Further, a nozzle for spraying a fluid such as water or air on the surface of the observation window was once provided so as to project from the tip end main body. Due to difficulties, nozzles are being formed on the tip cap.

[0005]

Even if the nozzle is formed on the tip cap as described above, it is not easy to completely clean and disinfect the flow path in the nozzle after each use. Therefore, since the tip cap with a nozzle is only an inexpensive part formed by plastic molding, recently, the tip cap with a nozzle is often disposed of after each use.

However, the tip cap removed from the tip body after use can be used as it is if it is attached to the tip body again. Therefore, conventionally, an unclean tip cap that has not been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after use is attached to the tip body, which may cause infection between patients.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hygienic distal end portion of an endoscope in which a distal end cap with a nozzle to be disposable is not accidentally reattached.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the endoscope of the present invention is for spraying fluid on the surface of an observation window provided in the distal end body of the insertion portion distal end. In the distal end portion of the endoscope, the distal end cap having a nozzle is detachably provided to the distal end portion main body, and the distal end cap is made disposable after each use. It is characterized in that a fragile portion which is damaged when being removed from the tip end main body is provided.

[0009]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a side view of the distal end portion of the endoscope, FIG. 5 is a front view, and FIG. 6 shows the ABCDEFGH cross section.

As shown in FIG. 6, the tip body 1 is
The distal end of an insertion portion formed by an elongated flexible tube is connected to a distal end portion of a bending portion 2 that is provided to be bendable by remote control.

The bending portion 2 has a large number of node rings 3 rotatably connected by a rivet 4, a mesh tube 5 is covered on the outer periphery of the bending portion 2, and is covered with a rubber tube 6 or the like. It is configured by binding and bonding to the outer peripheral surface of the main body 1.

The tip body 1 is made of stainless steel metal block 1a which is connected to the tip of the curved portion 2 and is not exposed to the outside, and a plastic block which is fixed to the front side of the metal block 1a and is exposed to the outside. And 1b.

The endoscope of this embodiment is a so-called front-viewing type endoscope for observing the front of the tube axis, and as shown in FIG. 11, an illumination window 12, and a forceps channel outlet hole 13 are arranged, and an air / water supply nozzle 14 that opens toward the observation window 11
Is provided.

As shown in FIG. 6, inside the observation window 11, an objective optical system 16 is fixedly arranged in a metallic lens frame 17. The first lens 16a on the surface is fixed to the lens frame 17 by caulking at a step portion formed midway on the outer peripheral surface thereof. Reference numeral 18 is an aperture stop, and 19 is a spacer.

An insulating ring 21 made of an electrically insulating plastic material is joined to the outer peripheral portion of the front half of the lens frame 17, and is detached in a recess formed so that the front end portion of the lens frame 17 is not exposed. It is filled with the foamed epoxy adhesive 22. The outer peripheral surface of the insulating ring 21 is fitted in the hole formed in the plastic block portion 1b of the tip body 1,
An O-ring 23 for sealing is attached to the fitting portion.

A shield pipe 25 made of metal is fitted and joined to the outer periphery of the rear portion of the lens frame 17, and a solid-state image pickup device 26 made of, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) serves as an image receiving surface in the shield pipe 25. It is fixed facing forward.

On the front side, a transparent cover glass 27 is arranged in close contact, and a YAG laser light cut filter 28 is further attached on the front surface thereof. An observation light image is formed on the image receiving surface of the solid-state image sensor 26 by the objective optical system 16 through the transparent members 27 and 28. Two
Reference numeral 9 is a light-shielding mask.

Inside the shield pipe 25, an electronic component 31 for processing a signal input / output to / from the solid-state image pickup device 26 is mounted behind a solid-state image pickup device 26 and attached to a wiring board 32, and a signal cable 33 is provided. Has been pulled backwards from there.

Insulating tapes 34 and 35 are respectively wound around the outer peripheral surface of the components arranged inside the shield pipe 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the shield pipe 25 to electrically insulate the shield pipe 25 from the inside and outside thereof. ing. The rear end of the insulating tape 35 on the outer surface side of the shield pipe 25 continuously covers the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the signal cable 33.

The present invention is directed to such a solid-state image pickup device 2
It may be applied to an endoscope using an optical image transmitting means using an image guide fiber bundle instead of the electronic image transmitting means using 6, and may be applied to a rigid endoscope.

The illumination window 12 is used to widen the light distribution angle of the illumination light.
The light guide fiber bundle 3 for illumination which is passed through the endoscope insertion portion is provided inside the concave lens 37 attached to the
8 emission ends are arranged.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a tip cap made of a non-conductive plastic material such as polyurethane resin, which is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plastic block portion 1b of the tip body 1 from the tip side of the tip body 1. It is covered and attached.

The tip cap 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having an outer diameter dimension substantially the same as the outer diameter dimension of the tip portion main body 1, and its rear end is open in a tubular shape, but its front end is an air supply. A portion of the water supply nozzle 14 is formed on the end face portion and covers the front end face of the tip portion main body 1 so as to abut. Also,
All the ridges of the tip cap 50 are smoothly rounded so as not to damage the mucous membrane in the body cavity of the patient.

As shown in FIG. 7 in which the tip cap 50 is removed from the tip body 1, a groove (locking groove) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the plastic block portion 1b of the tip body 1. ) 9 is formed in the circumferential direction, and a projection (locking projection) 51 sized to fit into the locking groove 9 is formed in the rear half of the inner peripheral surface of the tip cap 50.
For example, four projections are provided inward.

Therefore, when attaching the tip cap 50 to the tip body 1, the locking projections 51 on the inner surface of the tip cap 50 are extended along the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 1 so that the tip cap 50 is expanded. In the state of being elastically deformed to, it is pushed into the tip body 1 from the tip.

Then, when the tip body 1 enters the tip cap 50 and the locking projection 51 on the inner surface of the tip cap 50 fits into the locking groove 9 on the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 1. The tip cap 50 returns to its original shape as shown in FIG. 6 by its own elasticity, and is locked so that it does not come out of the tip body 1. In this state, the outer surface of the tip cap 50 does not protrude from the outer surface of the tip body 1.

As shown in FIG. 8 showing the IJ cross section, the air feeding tube 41 and the water feeding tube 4 inserted into the insertion portion.
The tip of 2 is inserted and fixed from the rear into a hole formed in the tip body 1 straightly in the tube axis direction.

Both tubes 41, 42 are made of a tetrafluoroethylene resin tube, and spiral grooves are formed on the outer circumferences of the tubes in the bending portion 2, and thin spring wires 43 for preventing buckling are provided. 44 is wound along the spiral groove.

As shown in FIG. 8, the air supply holes 46 and the water supply holes 47 which are formed in the tip end main body 1 and communicate with the air supply tube 41 and the water supply tube 42 are joined together at the most distal end. As shown in FIG. 9, which is a front view of the tip body 1, it forms an air / water feed outlet hole 48 having a circular cross section and opens forward in the tip body 1.

The air / water outlet port 48 communicates with the air / water passage 15 formed on the back surface of the air / water nozzle 14 of the tip cap 50, as shown in FIGS. 9 and EK.
As shown in FIG. 10 showing a cross section, a collar 49 made of an elastic material such as polyurethane rubber is used.
Is embedded in the tip surface portion of the tip portion main body 1 so as to surround the air / water feeding outlet hole 48 and adhered and fixed thereto.

Therefore, the rear surface of the air / water supply nozzle 14 portion of the tip cap 50 is in close contact with the surface of the collar 49, and the air / water supply outlet hole 48 of the tip body 1 extends from the tip cap 50.
The air and water flowing into the flow path 15 of the
No leakage at the boundary with 5.

When the end surface of the collar 49 is arranged so as to protrude from the surface of the tip end main body 1 by about 0.05 to 0.2 mm,
Adhesion with the tip cap 50 is improved, which is more effective for preventing leakage.

With this structure, the air supply tube 41
Air and water selectively sent through the water supply tube 42 are sprayed from the air supply water supply outlet hole 48 through the flow path 15 to the surface of the observation window 11 from the air supply water supply nozzle 14.

FIG. 2 is a side half sectional view of the tip cap 50 alone, FIG. 1 is an II sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front view. FIG. 1 shows four locking projections 51. There is. As shown in each of these drawings, on the outer peripheral surface of the tip cap 50, a pair of grooves 52 having a V-shaped cross-section with a base angle of substantially right angles are formed at positions on the upper and lower sides of the air / water nozzle 14. It is formed straight in the axial direction at a position where it does not interfere with the locking projection 51. Then, the portion on the inner peripheral surface side is correspondingly formed in a circular shape so as to project inward, which serves as a positioning projection 54.

As a result, when an external force is applied to the tip cap 50, a concentrated stress is applied to the bottom of the V-shaped groove 52, and since the thickness of that portion is thin, it is relatively easily broken. . Therefore, the bottom portion of the groove 52 is referred to as a fragile portion 53.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, on the outer peripheral surface side of the tip end main body 1, a pair of concave grooves 10 having a shape to which the positioning projection 54 is just fitted are aligned with the positioning projection 54. Is formed in the axial direction, and the positioning projection 54 engages with the concave groove 10 to position and stop the rotation of the tip cap 50 with respect to the tip body 1.

When removing the tip cap 50 thus constructed and attached to the tip portion main body 1, as shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13, the air / water nozzle 14 of the tip cap 50 is turned over. If the tip cap 50 is raised, the tip cap 50 is split at the fragile portion 53 so that the tip cap 50 is completely separated from the tip cap 50, and the tip cap 50 can be easily removed from the tip cap 50 and cannot be reattached.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the fragile portion 53 may have any other shape. Further, the endoscope may be provided not only with the air / water supply nozzle 14 directed to the surface of the observation window 11, but also with a so-called jet injection nozzle or the like for ejecting water forward.

[0039]

According to the present invention, since the tip cap with the nozzle is provided with the fragile portion which is damaged when the tip cap is removed from the tip body, it is possible to prevent the tip cap from being accidentally reattached. , Very hygienic. Also, the work of removing the tip cap from the tip body becomes very easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of the tip cap according to the embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side half-sectional view of the tip cap of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the tip cap of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an ABCDEFGH cross-sectional view of the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the tip body of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an IJ sectional view of the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the tip body of the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an EK sectional view of the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the distal end portion of the endoscope when the distal end cap of the embodiment is removed.

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the distal end portion of the endoscope when the distal end cap of the embodiment is removed.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the distal end portion of the endoscope when the distal end cap of the embodiment is removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tip Body 11 Observation Window 14 Nozzle 50 Tip Cap 53 Weak Section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tip cap having a nozzle for spraying a fluid formed on a surface of an observation window provided on a tip end main body of an insertion tip is detachably provided on the tip end main body, and the tip is provided. In a distal end portion of an endoscope in which the cap is disposable after each use, the distal end cap is provided with a fragile portion that is damaged when detached from the distal end body. Tip of.