JPH09135834A - Ultrasonic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the ingress of bubbles into a balloon during examination. SOLUTION: This endoscope has a deaerated water feed pipeline 67 for sending deaerated water from an operation part to a balloon 20 and a deaerated water suction pipeline 64 joining the deaerated water feed pipeline 67 near the outlet 21 thereof. Also, the operation part is provided with a deaerated water feed operation valve 44 for operation to feed deaerated water to the balloon 20 via the deaerated water feed pipeline 67, as well as a deaerated water suction operation valve 45 for operation to draw deaerated water from the deaerated water feed pipeline 67 via the deaerated water suction pipeline 64.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope in which an inflatable and deflatable balloon surrounding an ultrasonic probe arranged at the tip of an insertion portion is inflated with degassed water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ultrasonic waves have a very low propagation rate in the air. Therefore, in ultrasonic endoscopes, degassed water that has undergone gas removal processing is an ultrasonic probe provided at the tip of the insertion portion. It is necessary to fill the gap between the sample and the subject.

Therefore, generally in an ultrasonic endoscope,
The ultrasonic probe provided at the tip of the insertion portion is surrounded by a balloon that can be expanded and contracted, and the balloon is inflated with deaerated water.

For this purpose, conventionally, a degassed water feed pipe line having an outlet opening inside the balloon and a degassing water suction pipe line having an inlet opening inside the balloon are provided at the tip of the insertion portion, and the operation unit is provided with the degassing water suction pipe line. The balloon is inflated and deflated by operating the arranged operation valve.

When the deaerated water supply capacity for inflating the balloon is insufficient, a syringe is connected to the deaerated water injection port arranged in the operating portion to connect the deaerated water supply conduit from the middle. Degassed water can be injected.

[0006]

During the examination of the ultrasonic endoscope, the balloon needs to be inflated and deflated repeatedly, and deaeration water injection and drainage are repeated.

However, when water is injected by repeatedly attaching and detaching the syringe to and from the degassed water inlet, air bubbles are mixed from the degassed water inlet into the degassed water feed pipe and are sent into the balloon. Get lost.

Further, by repeatedly injecting deaerated water into the balloon by operating the operation valve, even when the deaerated water in the water supply tank is exhausted, the water supply pipeline can be used when the deaerated water is refilled in the water supply tank. Air is mixed in and it is sent into the balloon.

Before the ultrasonic endoscope is inserted into the body cavity, if the bubbles are mixed in the deaerated water in the balloon, the tip of the insertion part is directed downward, and the bubbles are guided to the drainage port for suction removal. be able to. However, once the examination is started and air bubbles are mixed in the balloon with the insertion part inserted in the body cavity,
It was difficult to eject it, and the quality of the ultrasonic tomographic image had deteriorated.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic endoscope capable of preventing air bubbles from entering the balloon during an examination.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention encloses an ultrasonic probe with a balloon capable of expanding and contracting at the tip of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity. In the ultrasonic endoscope in which the operation portion is connected to the proximal end of the insertion portion, the deaeration water feed pipe line for feeding deaeration water into the balloon from the operation portion side, and the deaeration An operation of supplying deaerated water into the balloon through the deaerated water supply pipeline by providing a deaerated water suction pipeline that joins the deaerated water supply pipeline near the outlet of the aerated water supply pipeline. And a degassed water suction operation valve for performing an operation of sucking degassed water from the degassed water feed pipeline through the degassed water suction pipeline. It is characterized in that it is provided in the operation unit.

A degassed water inlet for injecting degassed water from the middle of the degassed water feed pipe line may be provided in the operation section. Further, a water supply pipe having an outlet opening at the tip of the insertion part and a suction pipe line having an opening at the tip of the insertion part are provided side by side, and a water supply operation valve for performing water supply operation through the water supply pipe. The suction operation valve for performing the suction operation via the suction pipe line may serve as both the degassed water operation valve and the degassed water suction operation valve.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope, which includes a flexible insertion portion 4 which is inserted into a body cavity of a patient.
The tip body 1 is connected to the tip of 0. Further, a bending portion 30 that is bendable by remote control is formed on the distal end side of the insertion portion 40.

An operation portion 41 is connected to the base end side of the insertion portion 40. The operation portion 41 includes a bending operation knob 42 for remotely controlling the bending amount of the bending portion 30, a treatment instrument insertion opening 43 for inserting a treatment instrument into a forceps channel, and an air supply / water supply nozzle of the distal end main body 1 for supplying air. An air / water supply operation valve 44 for performing an operation of ejecting water and a suction operation valve 45 for performing a suction operation via a forceps channel or the like are provided.

The deaeration / water supply operation valve 44 also performs the deaeration / water supply operation for inflating the balloon 20 surrounding the ultrasonic probe 3 arranged on the tip end main body 1.
Reference numeral 46 is a degassed water supply control unit for adjusting the flow rate of the degassed water sent into the balloon 20. Reference numeral 47 is a suction conduit switching lever for switching the suction conduit.

An eyepiece portion 48 having an eyepiece lens built therein is projected from the operation portion 41, and the base end portion of the image guide fiber bundle is arranged at the observation position. Therefore, the optical image of the surface of the subject obtained at the tip body 1 can be observed through the eyepiece 48.

Reference numeral 50 is a light guide connector for connecting the incident end of the light guide fiber bundle for illumination to the light source device, 51 is an air / water supply socket, 52 is a vent mouth ring, 53 is a suction nipple, and 54 is a functional ground. It is a terminal. Reference numeral 55 is a connector for connecting a signal line connected to the ultrasonic probe 3 described later to the ultrasonic processing device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the tip body 1. The tip body 1 is provided with an ultrasonic probe 3 for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image of the subject on the tip side of an objective block 1a in which an objective optical system for obtaining an optical image of the subject surface is built. The ultrasonic scanning unit block 1b is connected and configured.

Observation window 4, illumination window 5, air / water nozzle 6,
The suction port 7 and the suction port 8 are arranged on an inclined surface that is formed obliquely forward on the upper surface side of the objective block 1a. The air supply nozzle 6, the water supply nozzle 7, and the suction port 8 are opened on the outer surface as shown in FIG. 1, and the air supply tube 11, the water supply tube 12, and the forceps channel inserted and arranged in the insertion portion 40 are provided. The tip of 63 is connected.

The ultrasonic scanning unit block 1b is provided with an ultrasonic probe 3 formed in a convex shape, and the side of the tip body 1 is fan-shaped in a plane including the central axis of the tip body 1. To scan. Although an electronic scanning type ultrasonic probe is used as the ultrasonic probe 3 in this embodiment, a mechanical scanning type ultrasonic probe may be used.

Ultrasonic scanning block 1b of the tip body 1
An inflatable and deflatable balloon 20 is detachably attached by a rubber band or the like so as to completely surround the ultrasonic probe 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a degassed water supply / drain port 21 for supplying / discharging degassed water to / from the balloon 20 is formed in the tip portion main body 1.

FIG. 5 shows the state of the piping in the operation section 41, and FIG. 1 shows the state of the piping of the ultrasonic endoscope as a whole. An external light source device 91 is attached to the air / water supply operation valve 44.
An air supply tube 65 to which pressurized air is sent from an air supply pump 92 incorporated in the water supply tube, and a water supply tube 66 to which deaerated water is sent from the water supply tank 93 by utilizing the pressure of the pressurized air. Are connected from the light guide connector 50 side.

Further, the air / water feeding operation valve 44 includes an air / water feeding tube 11 and a water feeding tube 12 which communicate with air / water feeding nozzles 6 and 7 of the tip portion main body 1, and a deaerated / water feeding tube which reaches a deaerated / water feeding / draining port 21. 67 is connected from the insertion portion 40 side. A degassed water feed control unit 46 is connected in the middle of the degassed water feed pipe 67.

To the suction operation valve 45, a suction tube 61 connected to an external suction pump (not shown) and a suction tube 62 reaching the suction tube path switching lever 47 are connected.

The suction line switching lever 47 is provided with
A forceps channel 63 reaching the suction port 8 of the tip body 1,
Near the outlet of the degassed water feed pipe 67, the base end of the degassed water suction pipe 64 that joins the degassed water feed pipe 67 is connected.

By switching the suction conduit switching lever 47, the forceps channel 63 or the degassed water suction pipe 64 is switched to perform suction when the suction operation valve 45 is operated.

As shown in FIG. 4, degassed water suction pipe 64
The confluence portion A between the degassed water feed pipe 67 and the degassed water feed pipe 67 is arranged at a position extending from the rear end of the tip body 1 to the tip of the curved portion 30, and is near the degassed water supply / drain port 21.

6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show the air / water supply operation valve 4
4 is shown, FIG. 6 is an air supply state to the air supply / water supply nozzle 6, FIG. 7 is a water supply state to the air supply / water supply nozzle 6, and FIG. 8 is a balloon 20 through the degassed water supply / drain port 21. Shows the state of degassed water supply.

A cylinder 441 fixed in the operating portion 41
The air supply tube 65, the water supply tube 66, the air supply tube 11, the water supply tube 12, and the deaerated water supply pipe 6 described above.
7 is connected and the bottom is closed by a lid 442.

The piston 443, which is inserted into the cylinder 441 so as to be movable back and forth in the axial direction, has a vent hole 44 at the center axis position.
4 is penetratingly formed, and an operation button 445 is attached to the head thereof. A leak hole 446 is formed in the center of the operation button 445 to allow the vent hole 444 to communicate with the atmosphere.

On the outermost surface of the piston 443, an air supply groove 447 that directly communicates with the ventilation hole 444 is formed at the innermost portion, and an annular shape having a V-shaped cross-section that opens outward is formed therein. An elastic rubber check valve 448 is fitted therein. A water supply groove 449 and a balloon water supply groove 450 are sequentially formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 443.

At the positions of both ends of the grooves 447, 449 and 450, O for sealing is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 443.
A ring is attached. However, in order to prevent the resistance against the forward / backward movement of the piston 443 from becoming too large due to the large number of O-rings, the inner part 441a of the cylinder 441, which does not need to be sealed by the O-ring, has a slightly larger inner diameter. There is. Thereby, the return spring 452,
The force of 453 can reliably return the piston 443 to the home position shown in FIG.

The return springs 452 and 453 act in two steps, and the first return spring is operated from the state in which the operation button 445 is not pushed as shown in FIG. 6 to the state in FIG. 7 where the operation button 445 is pushed halfway. Only 452 acts on the piston 443.

Then, from the state shown in FIG. 7 to the state shown in FIG. 8 in which the operation button 445 is pushed further in, the return force of the second return spring 453 is applied to the piston 443 by the first return spring 452. Is added.

The biasing force when the force of the second return spring 453 shown in FIG. 7 begins to be applied is, for example, 800 to 900 g for the first return spring 452 and 400 g for the second return spring 453. Therefore, the operator can correctly stop the piston 443 in the state of FIG. 7 where the force of the second return spring 453 is suddenly applied by the feeling of the fingertip.

With such a structure, the air / water supply operation valve 44 has an air supply tube 65 in a standby state in which nothing is operated.
The air sent from the air supply tube 65 is discharged to the atmosphere through the leak hole 446, and as shown in FIG. 6, in the air supply state in which the leak hole 446 is closed with a fingertip, the air sent from the air supply tube 65 is not blocked. Open the valve 448 to open the air delivery tube 11
Then, the air is supplied from the air / water supply nozzle 6.

By pushing the operation button 445 as it is,
In the state shown in FIG. 7 in which the piston 443 is stopped at the intermediate position, the degassed water sent from the water supply tube 66 is sent out to the water supply tube 12, and the water is supplied from the air supply / water supply nozzle 6.

In the state shown in FIG. 8 in which the operation button 445 is further pushed to push the piston 443 to the deepest position of the cylinder 441, the water supply tube 6
The deaerated water sent from 6 is sent out to the deaerated water feed pipe 67, the deaerated water is injected into the balloon 20, and the balloon 20 is inflated.

FIG. 9 shows a portion of the degassed water supply control section 46, in which a female screw is screwed on the inner peripheral surface of the portion of the connection mouthpiece 461 which is provided outside the operation section 41 and which is close to the mouth. On the outer peripheral surface of the connection mouthpiece 461, a rubber cover cylinder 462 is lined.

A connection seat 463 is connected to the inside end of the central axis position of the connection mouthpiece 461 in the operation portion 41, and the connection seat 463 is inserted and connected in the middle of the degassed water feed pipe 67. Has been done. The connection seat 463 is provided with a port 464 that communicates with the degassed water feed pipe 67 that is connected to both sides and that communicates with the inside of the connection mouthpiece 461.

A flow rate adjusting valve 465 as shown in FIG. 10 is detachably attached to the connection mouthpiece 461. In the flow rate adjusting valve 465, an intermediate male screw portion 465a is screwed with a female screw of the connection mouthpiece 461, and a valve portion 456b at the tip is inserted into the port 464.

The valve portion 465b of the flow rate adjusting valve 465 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 0 and FIG. 11, a cutout is formed in a half-moon-shaped cross section, and it can be stopped in an arbitrary rotation direction in the pipeline of the degassed water feed pipe 67.

Accordingly, the flow passage cross-sectional area of the degassed water feed pipe 67 is arbitrarily adjusted, and the flow rate of the degassed water fed into the balloon 20 when the air feeding / water feeding operation valve 44 is fully pushed. Can be controlled freely. On the hand side of the flow rate adjusting valve 465, a pan lid-shaped knob portion 465c is projected.

Degassed water feed control unit 4 configured as described above
6 rotates the knob portion 465c of the flow rate adjusting valve 465, thereby rotating the valve portion 465b at the tip thereof to change the flow passage cross-sectional area of the degassed water feed pipe 67, and the air feeding / water feeding operation valve 4
It is possible to freely control the flow rate of the deaerated water fed into the balloon 20 when the push-in operation is fully performed.

Therefore, for example, when the flow rate of deaerated water that is pressurized by the air supply pump 92 of the light source device 91 and is sent to the deaerated water supply pipe 67 is too large and the balloon 20 inflates too quickly, The flow rate may be lowered to an appropriate level by operating the flow rate adjusting valve 465.

On the contrary, the pressure of the air supply pump 92 of the light source device 91 is too low for proper water supply into the balloon 20,
When the balloon 20 is inflated too slowly, as shown in FIG.
65 is removed, and the connection adapter 46 is connected to the connection base 461.
7 is screwed and connected.

Then, by connecting a manual water supply tool (a syringe filled with degassed water) 468 to the connection adapter 467 and manually injecting high-pressure degassed water, the degassed water is released from the port 464. The balloon 20 can be inflated at an appropriate speed by being fed into the air / water feed pipe 67.

In the apparatus of the embodiment configured as described above, bubbles may be mixed into the degassed water supply control section 46 by the attachment / detachment of the syringe 468 during the examination in which the distal end body 1 is inside the body cavity of the patient. If there is any, first, a small amount of degassed water is injected from the syringe 468 attached to the degassed water feed control unit 46 to send bubbles into the degassed water feed pipe 67.

Then, the suction pipe line switching lever 47 is switched to the deaerated water suction pipe 64 side, and the suction operation valve 45
The deaerated water suction operation and the deaerated water feeding operation by the air / water feeding operation valve 44 are simultaneously performed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the deaerated water sent from the air / water supply operation valve 44 to the deaerated water supply pipe 67 passes from the confluence A through the deaerated water suction pipe 64, and the suction operation valve. It is sucked to the 45 side.

As a result, the bubbles mixed in the degassed water in the degassed water feed pipe 67 are sucked and removed to the suction pump side. Then, the operations of the suction operation valve 45 and the air supply / water feed operation valve 44 are stopped. When the deaerated water is injected from the syringe 468 attached to the deaerated water supply control unit 46, the deaerated water injected from the deaerated water supply pipe 67 into the balloon 20 as shown in FIG. The balloon 20 can be inflated without inclusion of air bubbles.

If there is a possibility that air bubbles may be mixed in the water supply tube 66 due to the operation of refilling the deaerated water in the water supply tank 93, the suction pipe line switching lever 4 is also used.
7 is switched to the degassed water suction pipe 64 side.

When the deaerated water suction operation by the suction operation valve 45 and the deaerated water feeding operation by the air / water feeding operation valve 44 are simultaneously performed, as shown in FIG.
Degassed water sent from the degassed water feed pipe 67 to the degassed water feed pipe 67 is sucked from the merging portion A to the suction manipulation valve 45 side through the degassed water suction pipe 64.

As a result, the air bubbles mixed in the water supply tube 66 can be sucked and removed. Therefore, if the operation of the suction operation valve 45 is stopped and the degassing water feeding operation by the air feeding / water feeding operating valve 44 is performed, As shown in FIG. 14, the degassed water injected from the degassed water feed pipe 67 into the balloon 20 allows the balloon 20 to be inflated without inclusion of bubbles.

[0055]

According to the present invention, the degassed water suction pipe line that joins the degassed water pipe line near the outlet of the degassed water pipe line for sending degassed water into the balloon from the operating portion side. By installing the degassed water feed operation valve and the degassed water suction operation valve in the operation part, if there is a possibility that air bubbles may have entered the degassed water pipeline during the inspection, degas By simultaneously operating the water feed operation valve and the degassed water suction operation valve, the air bubbles mixed in the degassed water can be sucked and removed, and the air bubbles can be prevented from entering the balloon during the inspection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall piping diagram of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the distal end of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view of a conduit joining portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a piping diagram in the operation unit of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the air / water supply operation valve according to the embodiment of the present invention in an air supply state.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a water supply state of the air / water supply operation valve according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the air / water supply operation valve according to the embodiment of the present invention in a degassed water supply state.

FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of the degassed water feed control unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a flow rate adjusting valve according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a valve portion of the flow rate adjusting valve according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a syringe is connected to the flow rate adjusting valve according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a piping diagram showing a state in which bubbles mixed in a pipe are removed by suction according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a piping diagram of a state in which deaerated water is injected into the balloon according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 tip body 3 ultrasonic probe 20 balloon 21 degassed water supply / drainage port 40 insertion part 41 operation part 44 air supply / water supply operation valve 45 suction operation valve 46 degassed water supply control part 61 suction tube 62 suction pipe 64 degassed water suction Pipe 65 Air supply tube 66 Water supply tube 67 Degassed water feed pipe 93 Water supply tank

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic endoscope in which an ultrasonic probe is placed around a distal end of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity, surrounded by an inflatable balloon, and an operation portion is connected to a proximal end of the insertion portion. In, a degassed water feed conduit for sending degassed water from the operation section side into the balloon, and degassing that joins the degassed water feed conduit near the outlet of the degassed water feed conduit. A water suction pipeline is provided, and a degassed water feed operation valve for performing an operation of sending degassed water into the balloon through the degassed water feed pipeline, and the degassed water suction pipeline An ultrasonic endoscope, wherein a degassed water suction operation valve for performing an operation of sucking degassed water from the degassed water feed pipe line is provided in the operation section. 2. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a degassed water inlet for injecting degassed water from the middle of the degassed water feed pipe line is provided in the operation portion. 3. A water supply pipe line having an outlet opening at the tip of the insertion part and a suction pipe line having an opening opening at the tip of the insertion part are provided side by side for performing a water supply operation through the water supply pipe line. The ultrasonic operation according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water supply operation valve and the suction operation valve for performing a suction operation via the suction pipe line are both the degassed water operation valve and the degassed water suction operation valve. Endoscope.