JPH08538A - Protective structure of wire-shaped member in endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to well protect wire-shaped members which are relatively vulnerable by a simple method. CONSTITUTION:Spirally wound protective members' 24, 25 having elasticity are mounted at the wire-shaped members, for example, light guide 21 and image guide 22, arranged within the operating part of an endoscope. This mounting is executed at the time of or after mounting of the light guide 22 and the image guide 22. The protective member 24 of, for example, the light guide 21 having a bent part is composed by providing the member with spiral parts 24A of a prescribed band width for protecting straight parts and spiral parts 24B formed of a band width smaller than the band width described above in order to protect the bent part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for protecting an endoscope internal member, particularly an image guide, a light guide and the like arranged on an operating portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An endoscope apparatus includes a distal end portion having an irradiation window, an observation window, an insertion portion for inserting the distal end portion into an object to be observed, an operation portion having an eyepiece portion, a light source portion, etc. It consists of Further, a light guide for introducing the observation light into the object to be observed is arranged from the light source part to the tip part, and an image guide for supplying an image inside the object to be observed is arranged from the tip part to the eyepiece part. Has been done. Therefore, when the inside of the body to be observed is illuminated by the observation light supplied through the light guide, the image is guided by the image guide to the eyepiece, whereby the inside of the body cavity or the like can be observed. In addition, a tube for supplying water or air, a tube for guiding a treatment tool, and the like are arranged in the endoscope. In the electronic endoscope, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), which is an image sensor, is used,
A signal cable will be provided.

[0003]

However, the conventional endoscope has a problem that the protection against external factors such as a light guide and an image guide, which are arranged in the operating portion, is insufficient. That is, in the light guide and the image guide, a coating is formed on the outer periphery of the optical fiber bundle, and this coating has to reduce the diameter of the tip end portion and the insertion portion where each guide is arranged,
It is formed relatively thin. These light guides and image guides are provided to the operation section as described above, and the operation section is provided with members related to operation, a treatment instrument insertion channel, a tube for supplying water or air, and the like. ing.

Therefore, while assembling these members, the light guide and the image guide may come into contact with other parts, tools, etc., and after the assembly, at the time of operating the endoscope. It occurs that the respective members come into contact with the light guide and the image guide. Therefore, in the thin coating formed on the light guide and image guide,
There is a problem that it is easily scratched and causes inconvenience such as disconnection. This is true not only for light guides and image guides, but also for other linear members arranged inside the endoscope. In electronic endoscopes, signals that transmit video signals and control signals are used. The line (code) becomes a problem as a protection target.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an endoscope endoscopic linear member capable of satisfactorily protecting a linear member which is relatively easily damaged by a simple method. To provide a protective structure.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the protective structure for an endoscopic endoscope linear member according to the invention of the first aspect is the size of the linear member disposed in the endoscope. According to
Forming a protective member having elasticity wound in a spiral shape, and when the protective member is assembled or after the linear member is assembled,
It is characterized in that it is attached to the linear member. The linear member corresponds to a member that is easily damaged, such as a light guide, an image guide, a signal line, or a tube. Further, in the invention of the second aspect, in order to protect the protection member, a spiral portion having a predetermined band width a for protecting linear members arranged in a straight line, and a linear member arranged in a bent manner. And a spiral portion formed with a band width b smaller than the band width a.

[0007]

According to the above structure, the spiral protection member is attached to the linear member while being entangled with the linear member when or after the linear member is assembled. That is, since the protective member has elasticity, it can be stretched straight in the form of releasing the spiral state, for example, by entwining the tip of the protective member with the linear member and sending it while rotating the whole, The protective member is easy to install. Therefore, there is also an advantage that the protective member can be attached to the linear member of the entire operation section from the inlet arranged in a part of the operation section.

Further, since the spiral member having a small band width is attached to the bent linear member, the protective member can be favorably attached to the bent member without a gap even in the bent portion.

[0009]

1 shows a structure for protecting a linear member in an endoscope operation section according to an embodiment.
The insert portion 11 is connected to the left side of the figure, and the light source section is connected to the cable 12 on the lower side of the figure. In this operation unit 10,
A treatment instrument insertion port (forceps port) 13 is arranged, and this insertion port 1
A treatment instrument such as forceps is passed through the treatment instrument insertion channel 14 from 3. The operation unit 10 has a main housing 16 to which various members are attached. The cable 12 is attached to the main housing 16 and various operation buttons 17 are arranged.
Operations such as water supply are performed. Then, tubes for air supply and water supply are provided from the cable 12 (light source section) through the operation section 10 to the tip. Further, on the right side of the main housing 16, an eyepiece section 19 having an eyepiece lens 18 is provided. In such a main housing 16, an opening 20 for assembling or repairing various members is provided, and this opening 20 is finally closed by a lid (not shown).

Next, a light guide 21 for supplying the observation light is provided as shown in the figure. The light guide 21 passes from the light source section through the cable 12, the operation section 10 and the insertion section 11 and has a distal end. It is arranged up to the part. Since the light guide 21 is passed through the cable 12 arranged in the right angle direction from the operation portion 10, it is gently bent in the right direction in the main housing 16. Further, an image guide 22 for supplying an image of the inside of the body to be observed is provided from the tip end portion through the insertion portion 11 and the operation portion 10 to the eyepiece portion 19, and the rear end of the image guide 22. Part 2
3 is connected on the optical axis of the eyepiece lens 18.

FIG. 2 shows a protection member 24 used for the light guide 21, and FIG. 3 shows a protection member 25 used for the image guide 22. The protective member 25 of the image guide 22 shown in FIG. 3 is made of a flexible material such as Teflon (trademark) and has a band width a as shown in the drawing.
The belt width a is set to a width that facilitates attachment in consideration of the diameter of the image guide 22. Further, the protective member 25 has elasticity and can be straightened by the force of the hand, and when the force is released, the original spiral state is restored.

Similarly, the protective member 24 of the light guide 21 of FIG. 2 is also made of a synthetic resin material, and the spiral portion 24A having the band width a is provided corresponding to the linearly arranged portion. In this case, Further, a spiral portion 24B having a band width b (b <a) smaller than the band width a is provided corresponding to the bent portion of the light guide 21. According to this, the light guide 2
When the protection member 24 is attached along the bend of 1, the gap of the outer spiral can be prevented from becoming large. The band width b is determined according to the diameter of the light guide 21 and the radius of curvature of the bent arrangement, and is set smaller as the radius of curvature becomes smaller.

The above-mentioned protective members 24 and 25 are mounted by
This is performed at the time of assembling the operation unit 10 or after the assembling. When assembling, attach the protection member 24 in advance to the light guide 2.
1, the protection member 25 is attached to the image guide 22, and the guides 21 and 22 are assembled in this state. Further, after assembling or at the time of assembling, it may be attached through the opening 20 of the main housing 16 in FIG. That is, one end of each of the protection members 24 and 25 is entangled with the light guide 21 and the image guide 22 of the opening 20, and the protection members 24 and 25 are fed while being rotated, whereby the protection members 24 and 25 can be easily guided. 21,
22 can be attached.

When the light guide 21 is bent and arranged, the spiral portion 24B having a small band width b is used, so that the gap between the spirals can be maintained at a good interval that can be protected. There is. That is, when the spiral protection member 24 is bent, the outer gap becomes large and the protection of the light guide 21 becomes insufficient.
When the band width of is reduced, the outer gap is also reduced and the protection state is improved. With such protection members 24 and 25, no damage is caused by a tool or the like at the time of assembly, and no damage is caused by contact with other parts at the time of use after completion.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the light guide 21 and the image guide 22 are protected has been shown. However, the linear members include signal cables and various tubes arranged in the electronic endoscope, and these are protected. You may protect with a member.

[0016]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the elastic protective member is wound in a spiral shape in accordance with the size of the linear member arranged in the endoscope. Since this protective member is attached to the linear member when or after the linear member is assembled, it is possible to favorably protect the relatively easily scratched linear member by a simple method. . That is, although it is possible to form a thick coating on the linear member only for the operating portion, this coating is not easy and the assembly becomes complicated. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the protective member can be easily attached at the time of assembling or after that, there is an advantage that the structure of the protective member becomes simple.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the linear member is arranged in a bent state, the band width of the spiral of the protective member is made smaller than in the case where the linear member is arranged linearly. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is possible to prevent the gap between the spirals on the outer side of the bent portion from becoming large, and the linear member bent and arranged is well protected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a structure for protecting a linear member in an endoscope (operation section) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a light guide of the embodiment and a protection member thereof.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image guide of the embodiment and a protection member thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Operation part, 11 ... Insert part, 16 ... Main housing, 21 ... Light guide, 22 ... Image guide, 24, 25 ... Protective member.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A protective member having elasticity which is spirally wound is formed in accordance with the size of a linear member arranged in an endoscope, and when the protective member is assembled with the linear member, A structure for protecting an endoscopic linear member, which is attached to the linear member after assembly. 2. The protection member includes a spiral portion having a predetermined band width a for protecting linear members arranged linearly, and the band width a for protecting linear members bent and arranged. And a spiral portion formed with a band width b smaller than that of the first embodiment.