JPH08182677A - Mounting device for tubular flexible film - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable a tubular flexible film to be easily mounted in an insertion part with a small-sized device by constituting the mounting device of a tubular flexible film out of an engaging part, with which to engage the end of tubular flexible film, and a pressure generation part consisting of closed space whose volume decreases by penetrating an insertion part into inside from the engaging part. CONSTITUTION: A balloon mounting device 40 for mounting a balloon 30 onto a cap 20 ranging from the body of the tip of an insertion part is composed of an engaging part 41 which can engage the fixing ring 30b of the balloon 30 and a pressure generating part 42 which ranges from this engaging part 41 and whose end is blocked. The inside diameter of the engaging part 41 and the pressure generation part 42 is a little larger than that of cap 20, and also axial length of the pressure generating part 42 is longer than the interval between the tip of the cap 20 and a recess 32. Hereby, when having pushed the cap 20 into the pressure generating part 42, the balloon 30 is mounted on the cap 20 while bulging by the rise of inner pressure by the decrease of the inner volume of the pressure generating part 42.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an intracorporeal examination apparatus which is inserted into a body cavity such as an endoscope and an ultrasonic examination apparatus. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a tubular flexible membrane mounting device for mounting a flexible membrane.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Representative examples of a body cavity inspection apparatus include an endoscope and an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, and also an ultrasonic endoscope in which these endoscope and ultrasonic inspection apparatus are combined. In any case, the in-body cavity inspection apparatus has an insertion portion into the body cavity, and at the tip of this insertion portion, in the case of an endoscope, an endoscope observation mechanism, and in the case of an ultrasonic inspection apparatus, Is equipped with an ultrasonic observation mechanism. The ultrasonic observation mechanism has an ultrasonic transducer, which transmits ultrasonic waves toward the inside of the body cavity and receives reflected echo from the tomographic part of the body tissue. In order to make a standoff between the inner wall of the body cavity and the inner wall of the body cavity, a balloon is attached to a portion of the insertion portion where an ultrasonic transducer is provided, and an ultrasonic transmission medium such as deaerated water is enclosed in the balloon. . This balloon is usually composed of a tubular flexible film made of latex or the like.

When the insertion portion is inserted into or pulled out of the body cavity with the balloon attached, the insertion portion can be easily inserted and removed by keeping the insertion portion retracted. Try to reduce the pain you give. Further, when performing an ultrasonic examination in a body cavity, an ultrasonic transmission medium is supplied to the inside of the balloon and bulged so as to have a predetermined size. Here, since the balloon is provided on the outer periphery of the insertion portion, even when it is in a contracted state, it slides into contact with the inner wall of the body cavity when the insertion portion is pushed along the insertion path. As a result, if the balloon deviates from the insertion portion and is pulled toward one side, the smooth insertion operation of the insertion portion will be hindered. In order to prevent such a situation, the balloon should have a certain degree of tension, and be mounted so that air does not enter between the balloon and the outer surface of the insertion part, so that the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part is kept even in the deflated state. It is preferable to make it adhere closely to.

Since the balloon is inserted into the body cavity, it has to be replaced every time it is used. Therefore, the replacement work is frequently performed at the site of use such as a hospital. However, when attaching the balloon to the insertion portion, it is difficult to perform it manually, and particularly, the work of attaching the balloon so as to be in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a contracted state has extremely poor workability, It also requires a long time and skill.

In consideration of the above points, as a device for easily attaching a balloon to the insertion portion, for example, Japanese Utility Model 6-3
The one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2081 is conventionally known. This known balloon mounting device has a tubular body for drawing in a balloon, and a piston is slidably provided on the tubular body and a rod is connected to the piston. Then, by fitting the open end of the balloon to the outer periphery on one end side of the tubular body and sliding the piston from the fitting side of the open end of the balloon toward the opposite side, the balloon is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the tubular body. I tried to pull it in to let me
The insertion part is inserted into the inside of the balloon, and the open end of the balloon is separated from the tubular body, so that the balloon is attached to the insertion part. This makes it possible to attach the balloon to the insertion portion very easily.

[0006]

By the way, when the piston is slid in the body for retracting the balloon and the balloon is retracted inside the body, the balloon is caught between the piston and the inner surface of the body. If this happens, the balloon is easily damaged, and therefore it is necessary to prevent contact between the piston and the balloon. For this reason, the piston has to be moved further from this position when the balloon is retracted, with the piston being arranged deeper than the part where the balloon is most retracted into the cylinder. There is a problem that the length is remarkably lengthened such that the length is substantially twice as long as that of the balloon.

In addition, in the insertion portion of the body cavity inspection apparatus including the endoscope, a portion to be inserted into the body cavity is covered with a protective cover for preventing fouling so that the protective cover can be replaced each time it is used. In this case, it is extremely advantageous in terms of hygiene during reuse. Even when such a protective cover is attached, it is necessary to use a transparent and flexible thin film as the material of the protective cover. However, since this protective cover is worn over a considerable length from the tip of the insertion portion, the length of the cylinder for retracting the protective cover becomes extremely long when the above-mentioned conventional device is used. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to attach a tubular flexible membrane to an insertion portion easily and without causing wrinkles or the like in a small device. An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting device for a cylindrical flexible film that can be used.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a tubular flexible membrane at a portion from the distal end side to a predetermined position in an insertion portion constituting an in-body cavity inspection apparatus. For fitting, the fitting part has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the insertion part, and is fitted to the end part of the tubular flexible membrane, and is connected to the fitting part, and the fitting part is tubular. A flexible membrane is fitted, and a pressure generating portion formed of a closed space whose volume is reduced by inserting the insertion portion into the fitting portion from the fitting portion. The tubular flexible membrane is configured to be mounted on the insertion portion in a state in which the tubular flexible membrane is swollen at a portion outside the fitting portion due to pressure increase. Is.

[0010]

First, the opening end of the tubular flexible membrane is fitted into the fitting portion. Here, when the tubular flexible film is used as a balloon, some of the ends are closed at one end, and some are open at both ends. Further, when a protective cover for preventing fouling is used, one end portion is closed. When the end portion is closed, when the tubular flexible membrane is fitted into the fitting portion, the tubular flexible membrane and the pressure generating portion form a closed space. Even when this end is open, if the open end is fitted to the tip of the insertion part,
A sealed space is formed by the tubular flexible membrane and the tip surfaces of the pressure generating portion and the insertion portion.

When the insertion portion is inserted from the fitting portion into the pressure generating portion, the volume of the pressure generating portion decreases in accordance with the insertion,
Since the internal pressure rises, the tubular flexible film swells. However, since the tubular flexible film swells toward the outside of the fitting portion, the tubular flexible film wraps the insertion portion. In addition, due to the pressure, it is pressed against the surface of the insertion part and is stretched along the outer surface of the insertion part, and there is substantially no air between the tubular flexible membrane and the insertion part. Like Then, after the insertion part is inserted into the fitting part to a predetermined position, the open end of the tubular flexible film fitted in the fitting part is detached from this fitting part, and the outer surface of the insertion part is attached. By fixing, the tubular flexible membrane will be attached to the insertion portion.

The pressure generating portion can be formed by forming a hard member into a cylindrical shape with a cover, but it may be formed as a telescopic shape, a bellows, or the like whose volume can be changed. However, it is necessary that the length is at least equal to or more than the length at which the tubular flexible film in the insertion portion is covered. Then, the pressure generating portion can be preloaded, and by performing such preloading, the tubular flexible membrane can be bulged to some extent, and the insertion portion is fitted to the fitting portion. Then, the tubular flexible membrane can be swollen immediately. Further, the pressure of the pressure generating section continues to rise due to the insertion of the insertion section into the pressure generating section, and the pressure becomes extremely large in the final stage, and the tubular flexible membrane may come off from the fitting section in the middle. In order to prevent the occurrence of such a situation, pressure absorbing means for reducing the pressure may be provided so that the pressure of the pressure generating portion does not become extremely high.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows, as an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic endoscope in which an endoscope observation mechanism is integrally incorporated in addition to an ultrasonic observation mechanism. However, the present invention is not limited to the ultrasonic endoscope, the point is that it is inserted into the body cavity,
Moreover, it can be applied to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to which a balloon is attached.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an insertion portion, which is composed of a tip end main body 1a, an angle portion 1b and a flexible portion 1c from the distal end side, and most of the length thereof is the flexible portion 1c.
Has become. A main body operating portion 2 is connected to a proximal end portion of the flexible portion 1c of the insertion portion 1, and a universal cord 3 is connected to the main body operating portion 2. Universal code 3
The other end is detachably connected to the light source device 4, the processor 5, and the ultrasonic observation device 6. Illumination light for illuminating the inside of the body cavity is transmitted from the light source device 4. Further, this ultrasonic endoscope is provided with a solid-state image sensor at the tip of the insertion portion, and observation is performed by this solid-state image sensor. The image of the target portion is converted into an electric signal, and the processor 5
And the signal processing is performed by the processor 5, and the image in the body cavity is displayed on the monitor 5a. Further, the universal cord 3 is detachably connected to the ultrasonic observation device 6, and the ultrasonic observation device 6 includes a signal processing unit 6 that processes ultrasonic reflected echo signals.
a and a monitor 6b on which an ultrasonic image generated by this signal processing is displayed.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the distal end portion of the insertion portion. In the figure, 10 is an illumination window, 11 is an observation window, and the emission end of a light guide (not shown) from the light source device 4 faces the illumination window 10 to illuminate the body cavity with illumination light. belongs to. A solid-state image sensor (not shown) faces the observation window 11, and the solid-state image sensor captures an image of an observation target part, converts the image into an electric signal, and transmits the electric signal to the processor 5. Further, reference numeral 12 is an air / water feeding nozzle, and when the observation window 11 is soiled, water is fed from the air / water feeding nozzle 12 to remove contaminants, and then pressurized air is jetted to the observation window 11. Water droplets that adhere are removed. Then, the illumination window 10 and the observation window 11 constitute an endoscope observation mechanism, and the endoscope observation mechanism is mounted on a flat portion provided on the tip portion main body 1a. In addition,
Although the illustrated instrument does not have a treatment instrument insertion channel through which a treatment instrument such as forceps is inserted, the observation window 11
It is also possible to provide a treatment instrument lead-out portion in the treatment instrument insertion channel at the site on the distal end side of the treatment instrument insertion channel.

An ultrasonic observation mechanism is provided so as to project from the tip surface of the tip body 1a. The ultrasonic observation mechanism has a cap 20 made of a resin material or the like having excellent acoustic characteristics, which is provided so as to project from the tip body 1a. The cap 20 is screwed to a connecting portion 21 extending from the tip body 1a. Have been combined. The connecting portion 21 is hollow, and the hollow rotating shaft 2 is provided inside the hollow portion 21a.
2 is inserted and rotatably supported by the bearing 23. A support 24 is connected to the tip of the rotary shaft 22, and an ultrasonic transducer 25 is attached to the support 24. Reference numeral 26 is a cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer 25. Further, a through hole 20a is formed at the tip of the cap 20, and the plug 2 is inserted into this through hole 20a.
7 is screwed in and sealed by a seal member 28. A seal member 29 is also interposed between the rotary shaft 22 and the inner surface of the connecting portion 21, whereby the cap 20 is provided.
The portion where the ultrasonic transducer 25 is arranged is a hermetically sealed space, and an ultrasonic transmission medium made of liquid paraffin or the like is enclosed inside the sealed space. As a tubular flexible film, a balloon 30 made of, for example, latex and having a thin film flexible member excellent in acoustic characteristics formed in a tubular shape is attached to a portion constituting the ultrasonic observation mechanism.

The balloon 30 is composed of fastening ring portions 30a and 30b having a circular cross section at both ends and a flexible film portion 30c therebetween, and the fastening ring portion 30a at one end side is formed at the tip side of the cap 20. The engaging ring 30b on the other end side is fitted and fixed in the annular concave groove 31 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 21.
Therefore, the flexible film portion 30c completely covers the position where the ultrasonic transducer 25 is disposed inside the cap 20.

An ultrasonic transmission medium such as degassed water is supplied to the inside of the balloon 30. For this purpose, a supply passage 33 is formed in the connecting portion 21. The supply path 33 can connect the supply source of the ultrasonic transmission medium from the universal cord 3 through the insertion section 1 through the main body operation section 2. The supply path 33 is open at the bottom surface of the circumferential or arcuate concave portion 34 located on the tip side of the connecting portion 21 from the portion where the concave groove 32 is formed. A discharge passage 35 is opened on the bottom surface of the recess 34, and like the supply passage 33, the discharge passage 35 extends from the insertion portion 1 to the universal cord 3 through the main body operation portion 2. .

In mounting the balloon 30 on the cap 20 connected to the tip end main body 1a of the insertion portion 1, the balloon mounting device 40 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is used. This balloon mounting device 40 is formed in a ring shape at the tip and has a fitting portion 41 into which the fastening ring 30b of the balloon 30 is fitted, and a pressure generating member that is connected to the fitting portion 41 and has its end portion closed. And a section 42. The inner diameters of the fitting portion 41 and the pressure generating portion 42 are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cap 20. Therefore, when the cap 20 is inserted, a predetermined gap is created between them. Further, the axial length of the pressure generating portion 42 is longer than the distance from the tip of the cap 20 to the groove 32.

Here, the fitting portion 41 is, as shown in the drawing,
By forming a concave portion 41a on the outer peripheral surface, as will be described later, even if a certain amount of force acts in the direction in which the pressure rises and deviates from the fitting portion 41, it is retained so as not to deviate from it. However, it is preferable that the difference between the outer diameter of the fitting portion 41 and the diameter of the retaining ring 30b in the natural state is increased to some extent, and the deviation from the fitting portion 41 when the balloon 30 is attached. It can be prevented.

The balloon 30 is attached to the distal end body 1a of the insertion portion 1 by using the balloon mounting device 40 having the above-described structure.
In order to mount the cap 20 on the cap 20, the retaining ring 30a of the balloon 30 is fitted and fixed in the concave groove 31 on the distal end side of the cap 20, as shown in FIG.
The fastening ring 30b is a fitting portion 41 of the balloon mounting device 40.
To fit. Both fixing rings 30a and 30b must be fitted to the cap 20 and the fitting portion 41 so that their diameters are expanded to some extent.
The fitting operation can be performed relatively easily because it is the front end portion of 0 and the vicinity of the end portion of the balloon mounting device 40.

As described above, the pressure generating portion 42 of the balloon mounting device 40 is the flexible film portion 30c of the balloon 30.
Then, the sealed space is formed by the tip portion of the cap 20. In this state, the cap 20 is pushed into the pressure generating portion 42 from the fitting portion 41, so that the internal volume of the pressure generating portion 42 is reduced by the amount of the accumulated deposit of the cap 20. As a result, the pressure inside the pressure generating portion 42 rises, and the balloon 30 is inflated by the action of this pressure.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the cap 20 enters the pressure generating portion 42, a part of the balloon 30 is located outside the fitting portion 41, and the pressure generating portion 4
Also located within 2. Since there is no restriction on the outer part of the fitting part 41, it will swell, and the part inside the pressure generating part 42 will be restricted by the surface of the cap 20, and the fastening ring 30a will fit into the concave groove 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the flexible membrane portion 3 of the balloon 30 is fixed and fixed.
A tensile force acts on 0c and is pressed against the surface of the cap 20. Therefore, the flexible film portion 30c moves from the fitting portion of the fastening ring 30a into the concave groove 31 of the cap 20 to the base end side. While being stretched toward, it comes into close contact with the surface of the cap 20 with a predetermined tension, and there is no air between the outer surface of the cap 20 and the flexible film portion 30c of the balloon 30, Also, it will be covered so that wrinkles do not occur.

When the cap 20 is inserted to the position where the concave groove 32 on the base end side faces the fitting portion 41, if the fastening ring 30b is detached from the fitting portion 41, the fastening ring 30b is removed. 30b can be fitted into the groove 32. As a result, the balloon 30 is attached to the cap 20 with a predetermined tension. Moreover,
The balloon 30 is substantially free of air, so that the balloon 30 is not displaced when it is inserted into the body cavity, and the ultrasonic transmission medium such as degassed water is contained in the balloon 30. And then swell it,
It is not necessary to take measures such as exhausting air again.

Here, in order to bring the balloon into close contact with the surface of the insertion portion such as the cap of the insertion portion, the gap formed between the fitting portion and the outer surface of the insertion portion should be made small to some extent. However, it is preferable in that the balloon can be attached to the outer surface of the insertion portion in a wrinkled state so as not to enter the pressure generating portion. To do this,
The balloon mounting device 50 shown in FIG. 5 may be used. That is, as shown in the figure, an annular projection 5 is formed on the inner surface of the fitting portion 51 that is connected to the pressure generating portion 52 of the balloon mounting device 50.
1a is provided, and the protrusion 51a has a curved surface shape. As a result, it is possible to accurately manage the gap at the inlet portion of the insertion portion. In this way, the protrusion 51a is attached to the fitting portion 51.
When the cap 20 is provided with a balloon, the wall thickness of that portion becomes large, but as a result, the fastening ring 30b must be fitted in a state in which the diameter is considerably expanded. Even if the pressure inside the mounting device 50 rises and the internal pressure rises, the mounting device 50 is held so as not to deviate from the fitting portion 51. Then, in order to prevent the operability of the operation of fitting the fastening ring 30b to the fitting portion 51 from being deteriorated, the tip portion of the fitting portion 51 is formed into a curved surface shape continuous with the protrusion 51a as shown in the figure. Then, it is preferable that the curved surface portion be configured to exert a function as a call-in portion.

Further, if the insertion portion enters into the inner depth of the pressure generating portion 52, the pressure may become abnormally high, and if the pressure becomes too high, the balloon 30 fitted in the fitting portion 51 may be increased. The fastening ring 30b may also come off. In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, the flexible bag 53 is attached to the pressure generator 52, and when the pressure in the pressure generator 52 increases, the flexible bag 53 swells,
Absorption of pressure can be performed. As the pressure absorbing mechanism, the closed end of the pressure generating portion 52 may be formed of a flexible film, or a pressure adjusting valve 54 may be provided as shown in FIG. 6, for example. it can. In this pressure adjusting valve 54, the valve body 54a is opened by a spring 54b.
When the pressure in the pressure generating portion 52 exceeds the pressure set by the spring 54b, the valve body 5c is closed.
4a can be separated from the opening 54c to release the pressure to the atmosphere. As a result, the pressure in the pressure generating portion 52 is always kept at the set pressure of the pressure adjusting valve 54, and there is no fear that the end portion of the pressure generating portion 52 will fall off the fitting portion 51 during the mounting of the balloon 30.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pressure generating portion 62 connected to the fitting portion 61 constituting the balloon mounting device 60 may be provided with a preload mechanism. The pressure generating portion 62 of the balloon mounting device 60 is formed of a cylindrical member having both ends opened, and the opening end of the pressure generating portion 62 opposite to the side where the fitting portion 61 is provided is closed. The member 63 is detachably inserted by a bayonet mechanism or the like. The closing member 63 has a predetermined length L in the axial direction, and is fitted in the pressure generating portion 62 in a substantially tight fit shape. Therefore, in order to mount a balloon using the balloon mounting device 60, the blocking member 63
With the balloon detached, fit the balloon to the fitting portion 61,
Then, by inserting the closing member 63 into the pressure generating portion 62, the pressure in the pressure generating portion 62 is increased by the amount of the accumulated deposits of the closing member 63, so that the balloon has a predetermined tension. As a result, the insertion portion is inserted into the fitting portion 6
Since the balloon can be bulged in the stage before being inserted into 1, the balloon can be reliably stretched and brought into close contact with the outer surface of the insertion portion, and inconveniences such as wrinkles can be reliably prevented. . It should be noted that this closing member may be formed of a columnar member and slidable within the pressure generating portion.

Further, the closing member 63 may be provided with the pressure absorbing mechanism such as the flexible bag and the pressure adjusting valve described above. Further, as the pressure absorbing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 9, a through hole 64 is formed in the closing member 63 'in the axial direction, and the through hole 64 forms a stepped wall portion at the front and rear ends. Rings 64a and 64b are fixedly provided, a movable partition wall 65 is slidably provided in the through hole 64, and a spring 66 is elastically mounted between the movable partition wall 65 and the ring 64a. 65 is urged in the direction of contacting the ring 64b. As a result, when the insertion portion enters the pressure generating portion 62 and the pressure in the pressure generating portion 62 rises to some extent, this pressure acts on the movable partition wall 65 and causes the spring 6 to move.
Since the movable partition wall 65 is displaced in the direction against 6,
It is possible to prevent the balloon fitted in the fitting portion 61 from deviating due to an abnormally high pressure in the pressure generating chamber 62.

Next, as the balloon to be attached to the insertion part, not only the balloon whose both ends are opened as described above, but also only one end is opened as shown in FIG.
At the other end, there is a closed balloon 70. The balloon 70 is attached from the distal end side of the insertion portion 71 so that the fastening ring 70a provided at the end portion on the opening side is fitted into the concave groove 71a provided on the outer surface of the insertion portion 71. . In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the balloon 7 with one end occluded
2 has a retaining ring 72a provided at the end on the opening side thereof and a retaining ring 72b provided near the end on the closed side as well. Recessed grooves 73a and 73b into which the two fastening rings 72a and 72b are fitted are provided at positions on the base end side and the tip end side, respectively.

The balloons 70 and 72 are inserted into the insertion portion 7
The balloon mounting devices 40, 50, 60 described above can also be used when mounting on the balloons 1, 73. Balloon 7
When attaching 0, insert the insertion portion 71 into the balloon 7
When the balloon 72 is attached, the retaining ring 72b is pre-fitted into the recessed groove 73b provided in the insertion portion 73. In the combined state, the balloon 72 is fitted into the fitting portion. In this way, the balloon 7
When the retaining rings 70a, 72a of 0, 72 are fitted into the fitting portion of the balloon mounting device, the pressure generating portion is sealed by the balloons 70, 72.

Further, each of the above-mentioned balloons is for supplying a fluid such as degassed water to the inside thereof and swelling them to prevent the ultrasonic wave from being attenuated. In addition to this, the flexible film may be attached to the insertion part, for example, as a protective cover that protects the insertion part from stains such as body fluid. It is extremely preferable from a hygienic point of view to use the protective cover and replace it each time it is used. For this purpose, the protective cover covers not only the tip of the insertion part but also the entire part inserted into the body cavity,
Use a long one.

For this purpose, the protective cover mounting device 80 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is used. The protective cover 90 mounted by the protective cover mounting device 80 has a fastening ring 90a on the open end side. The fixing ring 90b is provided and is also provided near the closed end. The insertion portion 91 to which the protective cover 90 is attached is composed of a hard tip portion 91a, an angle portion 91b, and a flexible portion 91c, and the fastening ring 90b is fitted to the tip hard portion 91a in the vicinity of the tip. A circumferential recessed groove 92b is provided, and a recessed groove 92a into which the fastening ring 90a is fitted is formed in a portion of the insertion portion 91 on the proximal end side of the flexible portion 91c.

The pressure generating portion 81 of the protective cover mounting device 80 is formed in a telescope shape consisting of an outer cylinder 82 and an inner cylinder 83. Both ends of the outer cylinder 82 are open and one of the inner cylinder 83 is open. The end of is closed. The outer cylinder 82 and the inner cylinder 83 are assembled, and the length in the axial direction when the inner cylinder 83 is pulled out is set to be longer than the length of the mounting portion of the protective cover 90 in the insertion portion 91. There is. The protective cover 9 is attached to the tip of the outer cylinder 82.
A fitting portion 84 into which the open end of 0 is fitted is formed,
Further, an annular projection 85 for adjusting the clearance is provided on the inner surface of the fitting portion 84. A spring 86 for biasing the inner cylinder 83 into the outer cylinder 82 is elastically mounted between the stepped portions 83a, 82a of the inner cylinder 83 and the outer cylinder 82, thereby generating pressure. Part 81
Is urged in a direction in which the length in the axial direction of is contracted. Further, at the end of the outer cylinder 82 opposite to the side where the fitting portion 84 is connected, a hook 87 is provided around the shaft 87a in order to hold the inner cylinder 83 in a state of being pulled out from the outer cylinder 82. It is rotatably attached, and the inner cylinder 83 is attached to the outer cylinder 82.
A hook engaging recess 88 is provided at a portion facing the hook 87 when the hook is most pulled out from the hook.

With the above structure, first, in the protective cover mounting device 80, the inner cylinder 83 of the protective cover mounting device 80 is pulled out from the outer cylinder 82, and the hook 87 is engaged with the hook engaging recess 88. 81 is held in a long state to some extent. The retaining ring 90a of the protective cover 90 is fitted into the concave groove 92a on the distal end side of the insertion portion 91, and the retaining ring 90b is fitted into the fitting portion 84 to fit the distal end hard portion 91a of the insertion portion 91. It is arranged at a position facing the joining portion 84. In this state, when the hook 87 releases the inner cylinder 83, the inner cylinder 83 enters the outer cylinder 84 by the action of the spring 86. As a result, the volume of the pressure generating portion 81 composed of the outer cylinder 82 and the inner cylinder 83 is reduced, and the internal pressure is increased. This pressure acts on the protective cover 90, and the protective cover 90 is fixed to the fastening ring. While keeping 90b fitted in the fitting portion 84, along the surface of the insertion portion 91,
It will bulge toward the base end side, and it will be in a tight state without wrinkles and the like. At this time, the pressure of the pressure generating portion 81 causes the protective cover 90 to come into close contact with the outer surface of the insertion portion 91, so that air is not present between them and the protective cover 90 is stretched to some extent.

From this state, by inserting the insertion portion 91 into the pressure generating portion 81 from the fitting portion 84, the protective cover 90 is stretched and brought into close contact with the outer surface of the insertion portion 91. As the insertion portion 91 enters the pressure generating portion 81, the pressure inside the pressure generating portion 81 increases, but this pressure also acts on the inner cylinder 83. Therefore, when the pressure rises to a certain degree, the inner cylinder 83 springs. Outer cylinder 82 against 86
As a result, the pressure generating portion 81 does not have a high pressure to such an extent that the retaining ring 90b of the protective cover 90 fitted in the fitting portion 84 falls off. Then, in the insertion portion 91, the concave groove 91b has the fitting portion 8
4 is inserted into the pressure generating portion 81, the retaining ring 90b is detached from the fitting portion 84, and the insertion portion 9 is inserted.
The protective cover 90 is attached to the insertion portion 91 by fitting the protective cover 90 into the first concave groove 91b.

As described above, even when the protective cover 90 is mounted over a considerable length of the insertion portion 91, substantially no air is present between the protective cover 90 and the protective cover 90 is stretched to some extent. Since the protective cover 90 can be attached to the protective cover 90, wrinkles do not occur in the mounting portion of the protective cover 90, and even when an operation such as bending of the angle portion 90b is performed, the protective cover 90 is partially inserted into the insertion portion 9
It does not separate from the outer surface of No. 1 and is always held in a close contact state. In particular, if a liquid or the like is adhered to the inner surface of the protective cover 90 or the outer surface of the insertion portion 91, the adhesion force between them becomes stronger, the insertion operation into the body cavity becomes easier, and the patient's pain is reduced. Can be planned.

Further, instead of the protective cover mounting device 80 of FIGS. 12 and 13 described above, a protective cover mounting device 100 can be used as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The protective cover mounting device 100 is configured such that a pressure-generating portion 102, which is a bellows with an end closed, is continuously provided to a ring-shaped fitting portion 101 through which the insertion portion 91 can be inserted. Is normally urged in a contracting direction, and when it is fully extended, it is longer than the mounting length of the protective cover 90 in the insertion portion 91.

In order to mount the protective cover 90 on the insertion portion 91 using the protective cover mounting device 80, the pressure generating portion 102 is first extended to some extent to protect the concave groove 91a on the distal end side of the insertion portion 91. The fastening ring 90a on the closed end side of the cover 90 is fitted in advance, and the fastening ring 90b on the open end side of the protective cover 90 is fitted in the fitting part 101. In this state, the pressure in the pressure generating portion 102 is reduced to increase the pressure in the pressure generating portion 102, and thus the protective cover 90 is swollen. In this state, the insertion part 9
1 is inserted into the pressure generating portion 102, the protective cover 90 is attached to the surface of the insertion portion 91 while the protective cover 90 is attached to the protective cover 90 while the protective cover 90 is attached to the surface of the insertion portion 91. Will be able to. Of course, when the pressure in the pressure generating section 102 becomes high due to the insertion of the insertion section 91 into the pressure generating section 102, the pressure generating section 102 itself also expands.
There is no danger of abnormally high pressure.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, the fitting portion having the inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion and adapted to fit the end portion of the tubular flexible membrane is connected to the fitting portion. With the tubular flexible membrane installed in the fitting part, the tubular flexible film is formed by the pressure generating part consisting of a closed space whose volume is reduced by inserting the insertion part into the fitting part. The device for mounting the membrane is configured, and the tubular flexible membrane is inserted in a state in which the portion outside the fitting portion is bulged by the pressure increase based on the decrease in the volume of the pressure generating portion. Since it is made to cover the portion, the tubular flexible membrane can be easily attached to the insertion portion with a small device, and there is substantially no air between the tubular flexible membrane and the insertion portion.
In addition, the tubular flexible membrane can be attached to the insertion portion in a stretched state to some extent.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an ultrasonic endoscope as an example of an apparatus to which a tubular flexible film according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory view of a balloon mounting apparatus which is a first embodiment of the cylindrical flexible membrane mounting apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the operation of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a structural explanatory view of a balloon mounting device that is a second embodiment of the cylindrical flexible membrane mounting device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a structural explanatory view of a pressure reducing valve as an example of a pressure absorbing unit of a pressure generating unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a balloon attachment device that is a third embodiment of the tubular flexible membrane attachment device of the present invention.

8 is a cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a structural explanatory view showing an example of a preloading means of the pressure generating part.

FIG. 10 is a structural explanatory view of another example of a balloon as a tubular flexible film.

FIG. 11 is a structural explanatory view of still another example of a balloon as a tubular flexible film.

FIG. 12 is a structural explanatory view of a protective cover mounting device that is the fourth embodiment of the cylindrical flexible film mounting device of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a structural explanatory view of a protective cover mounting device that is a fifth embodiment of the cylindrical flexible film mounting device of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 71, 73, 91 insertion part 20 cap 25 ultrasonic transducer 30, 70, 72 balloon 40, 50, 60 balloon mounting device 41, 41, 61, 84, 101 fitting part 42, 52, 62, 81, 102 Pressure Generating Part 53 Flexible Bag 54 Pressure Control Valve 63 Closing Member 65 Movable Partition Wall 80, 100 Protective Cover Mounting Device 82 Outer Cylinder 83 Inner Cylinder 90 Protective Cover

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion is formed on the insertion portion constituting the in-body cavity inspection device so that a tubular flexible film is attached to a portion from the distal end side to a predetermined position. , A fitting portion for fitting the end portion of the tubular flexible membrane, and the insertion portion fitted to the fitting portion, with the tubular flexible membrane fitted in the fitting portion. A pressure-generating part formed of a closed space whose volume decreases by entering the inside of the tubular flexible membrane from the outside of the fitting part. An apparatus for mounting a tubular flexible membrane, characterized in that the tubular flexible membrane is attached to the insertion portion in a state where the portion is expanded. 2. The pressure generating portion is formed of a tubular member having one end closed, and the pressure generating portion has at least a length of a portion of the insertion portion to which the tubular flexible film is attached. The mounting device for a tubular flexible membrane according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The cylindrical flexible member according to claim 2, wherein the pressure generating portion is composed of a tubular body having both ends opened, and a closing member detachably attached to the opening portion on one end side. Flexible membrane mounting device. 4. The pressure generating portion is formed by a tubular member with a lid that is expandable and contractable and has a length of a portion of the insertion portion to which the tubular flexible film is attached when the pressure generating portion is extended. 1
A device for mounting a tubular flexible membrane as described above. 5. The tubular flexible membrane mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure generating portion is provided with a preload generating means for preloading the inside thereof. 6. A pressure absorbing means is attached to the pressure generating part so that when the tubular flexible film is attached, the volume of the insertion part when the tubular flexible film is inserted into the pressure generating part is reduced so that the tubular flexible film has a predetermined size or more. The tubular flexible membrane mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure absorbing means adjusts the pressure when it swells. 7. The pressure absorbing means includes a movable partition wall slidably provided on the pressure generating portion, a pressure reducing valve that opens when a pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, or a flexible bag connected to the pressure generating portion. The tubular flexible membrane mounting device according to claim 6, wherein the tubular flexible membrane mounting device is any one of the following.