JPH11332823A - Bending device for insertion tube for inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the controllability and the productivity by a method wherein first protruding parts are located at both end parts of an optical diameter of a cylindrical body, and second protruding part are located at both end parts of the other diameter which is approx. orthogonal to the optical diameter, and respective cylindrical bodies are connected with a wire under a state wherein respective protruding parts are in contact with each other with adjacent other cylindrical bodies. SOLUTION: A cylindrical body 3 is equipped with two first protruding part 33, 33 which protrude in the direction of the central axis C on one of the end faces, and are confronted with each other across the central axis C, and second protruding parts 34, 34 which protrude in the same manner on the other end face, and are confronted with each other. The two protruding parts 33 are located at both end parts of an optical diameter on one of the end faces of the cylindrical body 3, and the two second protruding parts 34 are located at both end parts of the other diameter on the other end face. Then, a plurality of cylindrical bodies 3 are arranged on the same central axis C, and in four through holes 4 of respective cylindrical bodies 3, a wire 4 is individually passed, and the cylindrical bodies 3 are connected with respective wires 4 alone under a state wherein the tip ends of the first protruding parts 33, 33 of one cylindrical body 3 are in contact with the tip ends of the second protruding parts 34, 34 of the adjacent other cylindrical body 3 for every cylindrical body 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bending device for a test insertion tube, and more particularly, to a test insertion tube for observing a narrow space, such as the inside of a human body or a water pipe, which cannot be directly inserted by a human. The present invention relates to a bending device provided in a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An insertion tube for inspection is used for observing the inside of a narrow space (a gap or a pipe or the like) where a human body cannot enter, or for observing the state of each organ or blood vessel inside the human body without making an incision. It will be a useful instrument in the future to be used. In general, the insertion tube for inspection is provided with an observation means at a distal end thereof, and an operation mechanism at a rear end thereof, so that the distal end can be bent in an arbitrary direction via the operation mechanism. Has become.

As a conventional technique, an observation device is provided at the tip,
A flexible tube having another degree of freedom including a bending mechanism for bending the observation device in a predetermined direction (Japanese Patent Application No. 5-253171, 2531)
No. 72).

[0004] In these, a bending mechanism includes a plurality of joint bodies and bending urging means for urging a bending operation to each joint body, and the bending urging means is mounted on a wire stretched between the joint bodies. And a heater for heating the shape memory alloy. That is, with this configuration, the heated memory shape alloy contracts to its original length, and at this time, the bending motion between the joints is urged by using the tension.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has bending urging means between each joint,
The configuration in which the bending urging means heats the memory shape alloy causes the overall apparatus to be complicated and the number of parts to be increased, resulting in inconvenience that productivity is reduced and production costs are increased.

Further, since it is very difficult to control the amount of bending by heating, there is also a disadvantage that it is difficult to freely manipulate the tip in a predetermined direction.

Further, since each joint is rotatably connected by a fixing pin, the manufacturing process of such a portion becomes complicated, and the productivity is further reduced.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a bending device for an insertion tube for inspection which improves the disadvantages of the prior art and has high operability and productivity.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bending apparatus for bending a distal end portion of an inspection insertion tube for inserting into an inspection object and inspecting the interior, wherein the bending device has the same center. A plurality of ring-shaped cylinders arranged along the axis,
And four wires for urging the cylinder to bend.

Each of the cylinders protrudes in the direction of the central axis on one end face of the cylinder and is opposed to each other with the central axis interposed therebetween. Two second projections projecting in the axial direction and facing each other with the central axis interposed therebetween, and four wire holding parts provided for each projection and through which each wire is inserted along the central axis direction. Have.

Further, two first projections are located at both ends of an arbitrary diameter of the cylindrical body, and two second projections are located at both ends of another diameter substantially orthogonal to the above-mentioned arbitrary diameter. It is configured such that each cylindrical body is connected by a wire in a state where the respective cylindrical bodies are in contact with the adjacent other cylindrical bodies and the respective protruding portions.

In the case of such a configuration, the respective cylinders are connected by a wire with one end face and the other end face facing each other. At this time, two cylinders adjacent to each other
The state in which the tip of each first projection of one cylinder and the tip of each second projection of the other cylinder are in contact with each other is maintained by the wire.

For this reason, taking one cylinder as an example, the first projection of the cylinder contacts the second projection of one of the adjacent cylinders. One of the adjacent cylinders is freely rotatable with the tip as a fulcrum (about an arbitrary diameter formed by connecting the two first projections). Similarly, since the second protrusion of the cylindrical body comes into contact with the first protrusion of the other adjacent cylindrical body, the tip of these protrusions is used as a fulcrum (by connecting the second protrusions to each other). The other adjacent cylinder (with the axis perpendicular to the given arbitrary diameter as an axis) freely rotates.

[0014] Thus, it is possible to freely perform two degrees of freedom bending operation between one adjacent cylinder and the other cylinder. In addition, since such a bending operation can be freely performed between the respective cylinders, the distal end portion can be freely bent in an arbitrary direction.

Further, the bending operation of the bending portion is performed by applying a tension to the wire by the operating mechanism. That is, when a greater tension is applied to a certain wire than to the remaining wire, the interval between portions other than the protruding portions between the adjacent cylinders is reduced. Therefore, the distal end of the insertion tube for inspection can be bent in the direction of the wire. Similarly, the tip can be bent in each direction by applying tension to another wire. It is also possible to bend the tip in the direction between them by simultaneously applying tension to two adjacent wires.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect, each of the first protrusions is formed by two planes in which one end surface of the cylindrical body is slightly inclined from a plane perpendicular to the center axis. Are formed by symmetrically cutting each other across an arbitrary diameter along each of the two projections, and the other end of the cylindrical body is arbitrarily formed along two planes slightly inclined from a plane perpendicular to the center axis at the other end face. Is formed by cutting symmetrically with respect to each other across a diameter substantially perpendicular to the diameter.

In such a configuration, the cylindrical bodies adjacent to each other are
It can be inclined until the opposing inclined surfaces formed by the resection come into contact with each other. Other operations are performed in the same manner as in claim 1.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first or second aspect is provided.
In addition to the configuration of the invention described above, a configuration is adopted in which the wire holding portion is formed by a through hole that penetrates the tube wall of the cylindrical body from the tip end of each projection along the central axis direction.

With this configuration, each wire allows the adjacent cylindrical bodies to abut on the mutually protruding projections facing each other at the distal end position, and maintain that state. Then, in this state, the same operation as in claim 1 or 2 is performed.

According to the invention described in claim 4, claim 1 or 2
In addition to having the same configuration as the described invention, each wire holding portion is formed of a small cylindrical body smaller than the cylindrical body, and these small cylindrical bodies are centered near the respective protrusions on the inner surface of the cylindrical body. It has a configuration to equip it along the direction. In such a configuration, the same operation as in claim 1 or 2 is performed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, each wire holding portion is formed of a small cylindrical body smaller than the cylindrical body, and each of the first protrusions is formed of a cylindrical body. It consists of two small cylinders protruding from one end face in the direction of the central axis at both ends of an arbitrary diameter on the inner wall surface of the body,
Each of the second protrusions is provided at both ends of a diameter substantially perpendicular to an arbitrary diameter of the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body, and other than the two small cylindrical bodies provided so as to protrude from the other end face in the central axis direction. The configuration is such that it consists of two small cylinders projecting from each other.

In such a configuration, between each of the adjacent cylinders,
The small cylinders are connected by a wire while the protruding portions of the small cylinders are in contact with each other. Then, at the time of bending, each cylinder rotates around the tip of each small cylinder as a fulcrum. Other operations are performed in the same manner as in claim 1.

The present invention seeks to achieve the above-described objects by the above-described configurations.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment shows a test insertion tube 10 used as a so-called catheter for testing a living organ inside a human body. The test insertion tube 10 has a front end inserted into a test object, and a rear end connected to a test information processing device (not shown). FIG. 1 shows a state where the inspection insertion tube 10 is inserted into a blood vessel B of a human body.

The inspection insertion tube 10 has an overall length of about 1 [m] and an outer diameter of about 1 [mm].
A sleeve 12 provided at its tip for holding the inspection means;
And a bending device 2 that bends the distal end in an arbitrary direction to turn the sleeve 12 in a predetermined direction. The bending device 2 includes a plurality of ring-shaped cylinders 3 arranged along the same central axis, four wires 4 for urging the respective cylinders 3 to bend, and a tension applied to each of the wires 4. Operating mechanism 5 that gives
And

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the bending device 2 taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the test insertion tube 10, and FIG.
2 shows a distal end portion of the inspection insertion tube 10 as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the sleeve 12
It is a cylinder having substantially the same diameter as the cylinder 3 and holds the tip of the image fiber 11 as an inspection means. The image fiber 11 as an inspection means is disposed inside the sleeve 12 or each cylindrical body 3. This image fiber 11 is formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers,
A state image of the insertion destination of the inspection insertion tube 10 is incident on the distal end surface, and the image is transmitted to the inspection information processing apparatus described above.

Further, around the image fiber 11,
A light guide 13 composed of an optical fiber for transmitting irradiation light for irradiating the distal end side of the test insertion tube 10, a liquid discharge tube 14 for supplying a liquid such as saline or a predetermined chemical to the distal end side, A plurality of liquid discharge tubes 15 for sucking liquid from the distal end are provided. The rear ends of the light guide 13, the liquid discharge tube 14, and the liquid discharge tube 15 are connected to the above-described inspection information processing apparatus.

On the other hand, the inspection information processing apparatus includes a light source of the light guide 13, a supply unit for supplying liquid or the like supplied to the liquid discharge tube 14, a pump for activating a suction operation via the liquid discharge tube 15, and the like. I have. The function of the liquid discharge tube 14 is, for example, as described above, a blood vessel B
When the insertion tube 10 for inspection is inserted into the inside, when the view of the image fiber 11 is obstructed by the blood flow, physiological saline is injected to secure the view in front of the distal end portion or to wash the affected part. ， Disinfection and supply of chemicals. The function of the liquid discharge tube 15 is to collect when the amount of physiological saline injected is excessive or to collect blood or the like as a sample.

The inspection information processing apparatus may be provided with a laser light source instead of the light source for irradiating the light guide 13. In such a case, laser light can be emitted from the distal end surface of the light guide 13, and for example,
Treatment and treatment of the human body become possible.

The entire surface (excluding both end surfaces) of the test insertion tube 10 is covered with a flexible covering tube 16. Image fiber 11, light guide 13,
Liquid discharge tube 14 and liquid discharge tube 15
Are uniformly deformable, and extend from the distal end to the rear end of the test insertion tube 10 as described above. These parts are covered only by the covering tube 16 except for a part inserted into the sleeve 12 and each of the cylindrical bodies 3. For this reason, when the insertion tube for inspection 10 is inserted into the object to be inspected, the sleeve 12 and each cylindrical body 3
The other parts are easily deformed by the external force and do not hinder the insertion.

At the distal end of the insertion tube 10 for inspection, the distal end surface of the image fiber 11 is
2 is held by the sleeve 12 at a position retracted from the distal end surface. Then, on the tip end surface of the sleeve 12, FIG.
In the figure, the objective lens, not shown, is provided with the light guide 13,
The liquid discharge tube 14 and the liquid discharge tube 15 are provided so as not to hinder their functions (for example, so as to be surrounded by them). The objective lens is held by the sleeve 12 with a distance at which an external light beam incident on the distal end surface of the image fiber 11 from the distal end of the inspection insertion tube 10 forms an image.

Next, the cylinder 3 will be described with reference to FIG. The cylindrical body 3 has a cylindrical shape whose length in the direction of the central axis C is short (the length in the direction of the central axis C is set to be at least shorter than the outer shape of the cylindrical body 3, and is desirably one-third of the outer diameter. (Having a length of one-half to one-half is good). The cylindrical body 3 is formed of metal, and its outer diameter is set to about 0.8 [mm]. The outer diameter can be changed according to the use of the inspection insertion tube 10.
Further, since each cylinder 3 has a structure that does not touch the human body covered by the covering tube, the material does not need to be particularly limited to metal, and other materials (for example, strength, manufacturing cost, etc.) (Polymer material).

More specifically, the cylinder 3 is
The two first protrusions 33, 3 projecting in the direction of the central axis C on one end face 31 of the
3 and two second projections 34, 34 protruding in the direction of the central axis C on the other end surface 32 of the cylindrical body 3 and facing each other with the central axis C interposed therebetween.

The two first projections 33 are located on one end face 31 of the cylinder 3 at both ends of an arbitrary diameter D1, and the two second projections 34 are On the other end face 31, it is located at both ends of another diameter D2. This diameter D2 points in a direction orthogonal to the diameter D1. Strictly, the diameter D1 and the diameter D2 are orthogonal to each other when viewed from the direction of the central axis C (see FIG. 4B).

As shown in FIG. 4 (C), one end face 31 'of the cylindrical body 3' formed by a plane whose both end faces are perpendicular to the central axis C is formed at an angle ± from the end face 31 '. Two first protrusions 33, 33 are formed by cutting symmetrically with each other across the diameter D1 along two planes α, β inclined by θ. That is, one end face 31 is formed by such cutting.
Has a shape protruding in the central axis direction C along the diameter D, and the protruding areas around both ends of the diameter D are defined as first protrusions 33, 33, respectively.

At this time, the two planes α and β intersect with a straight line including the diameter D1, and the absolute value of the inclination angle θ is set according to the design specification. Desirably, about 15 [゜] is more preferable.

Similarly, the other end face 32 'of the cylindrical body 3' whose both end faces are planes perpendicular to the central axis C is inclined by two angles (not shown) from the end face 32 '.
Are cut symmetrically with respect to each other with the diameter D2 therebetween, thereby forming two second projections 34, 34.

At the tip of each of the projections 33, 33, 34, 34, through holes 35, 35, 36, 36 as wire holding portions penetrating the wall surface of the cylindrical body 3 along the direction of the central axis C. Is provided. The wires 4 described above are individually inserted into the through holes 35, 35, 36, and 36, respectively. At this time, each wire 4 passes through each of the cylindrical bodies 3 through holes 35, 35, 36,
36 can pass freely.

A plurality of cylinders 3 having the above-described structure are arranged on the same central axis (FIG. 5). Twelve cylindrical bodies 3 are used in the test insertion tube 10, but this may be adjusted according to the required bending angle of the distal end of the test insertion tube 10. When setting a large bending angle, the cylinder 3
Set a large number of individuals.

The wires 4 are individually inserted into the four through holes 4 of each cylindrical body 3 respectively. At this time, any cylinder 3
Also, the tips of the first projections 33, 33 are connected only by the wires 4 in a state where the tips of the second projections 34, 34 of the other adjacent cylindrical body 3 are in contact with each other.

In the cylindrical body 3 closest to the distal end, one end of each wire 4 is connected to through-holes 35, 35, 36, 3.
6 are adhered and fixed. A deformable flexible tube is provided in the space between the image fiber 11 and the coating tube 16 (more precisely, inside the four wires 4) on the rear end side of each connected cylindrical body 3. 17 (see FIG. 1) is inserted. The flexible tube 17 extends to the rear end of the test insertion tube 10. Since the flexible tube 17 is in contact with the rearmost cylindrical body 3, each of the cylindrical bodies 3 is prevented from moving toward the rear end even when the wires 4 are pulled.

The other end of each wire 4 extends between the flexible tube 17 and the coating tube 16 to the operating mechanism 5 provided at the rear end of the insertion tube 10 for inspection. The other ends of the wires 4 are connected to each other for each of the two wires 4 inserted into the through holes facing each other across the central axis C. That is, in FIG. 5, the two through-holes 3 of the cylindrical body 3 drawn on the near side are illustrated.
The two wires 4 inserted through 5, 5 and 35 are connected to each other at the other end, and the two wires 4 inserted into the two through holes 36 and 36 of the same cylindrical body 3 are connected to each other at the other end. ing. The two wires 4 to be connected may be formed from one wire that is folded back at the other end.

On the rear end side of the insertion tube 10 for inspection, the image fiber 11 and the light guide 13 around the image fiber 11 are branched into four wires 4. That is, the image fiber 11 and the like are curved and separated from the space between the wires 4 to the outside, and connected to the inspection information processing apparatus.

On the other hand, each wire 4 is connected to an operation mechanism 5. The operation mechanism 5 is provided for each of the connected wires 4. As shown in FIG.
Is half-wound around a pulley 55 that is a part of the operation mechanism 5 that is rotatably mounted at a portion that is turned back by the connection.

The operating mechanism 5 includes a guide rail 51 fixed parallel to the wire 4, a slider 52 slidable along the guide rail 51, a ball screw 53 disposed parallel to the guide rail 51, A drive motor 54 that rotationally drives the ball screw 53 and the pulley 55 described above are provided.

The slider 52 is connected to the connected wire 4 via a tension spring 56. The slider 52 is engaged with a ball screw 53 via a screw receiver 52a, and reciprocates via the ball screw 53 by forward and reverse rotation of a drive motor 54. One of the connected wires 4 and the other wire 4 are respectively tensioned. The reason that the tension spring 56 is interposed between the slider 52 and the wire 4 is to prevent the operation mechanism 5 from applying an excessive load to each of the cylinders 3 urged to bend via the wire 4. That's why. Further, by providing a sensor for detecting the displacement of the length of the tension spring 56, the tension can be calculated, and the amount of bending of the linked body of the cylinder 3 can be controlled.

In FIG. 6, the other connected wire 4
Although illustration is omitted, the operating mechanism 5 of the wire 4 is further provided near the rear end.

Next, the inspection insertion tube 10 having the above-described configuration.
Will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection insertion tube 10 is inserted into a blood vessel of a human body, and the inside of the tube is observed via an image fiber 11. At this time, when it is necessary to bend the distal end (for example, when observing the distal end directed to a certain diseased part, or when the insertion destination is branched, and it is desired to proceed in one of the directions).
Then, the operation is performed by each operation mechanism 5.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the case of one cylinder 3, two first projections 33 of the cylinder 3
Since one side is in contact with the two second protrusions 34 of the adjacent cylindrical body 3, the leading ends of the protrusions 33, 34 are used as fulcrums (the two first protrusions 33 are connected to each other). One adjacent cylindrical body 3 (with the diameter D1 as an axis) freely rotates. Similarly, the two second protrusions 34 of the cylindrical body 3 are connected to the first protrusions 33 of the adjacent cylindrical body 3 on the other side.
, The other adjacent cylindrical body 3 is freely rotatable (with the diameter D2 formed by connecting the second projections 34 as an axis) with the tips of the projections 33 and 34 as fulcrums.

For this reason, when tension is applied to each wire 4 from each operation mechanism 5, the most distal cylinder 3 is drawn in the tension direction, and the tension is applied to all cylinders 3. The distance between the regions through which the drawn wires 4 pass is reduced. Therefore, the distal end of the test insertion tube 10 is bent in the direction of the tensioned wire. FIG. 7 shows a bent state of each cylindrical body 3 when tension is applied to the wire 4 on the near side in the drawing and the wire 4 above. As described above, by simultaneously applying tension to the two adjacent wires 4, the distal end of the test insertion tube 10 can be bent in any of two degrees of freedom.

Since the wire 4 is bent by the application of the tension, the amount of bending can be easily controlled. Furthermore, because of the structure connecting a plurality of cylinders 3,
The movable bending range can be freely set by adjusting the number of connected individuals of the cylinder 3.

Conventionally, each joint is rotatably connected, and a biasing means for bending operation is provided for each joint.
However, in the present embodiment, the structure is such that each cylinder 3 is connected only by the wire 4 using the wire 4 for urging the cylinder 3 to bend without using a connection mechanism such as pinning. Assembly can be performed by inserting the wire 4 into the wire holding portion of the cylindrical body 3. For this reason, compared with the conventional art, the number of processing steps of the connection structure can be reduced, the number of parts of the connection structure can be reduced, the productivity can be dramatically improved, and the production cost can be reduced. is there.
Due to this high productivity and reduced production cost, for example,
For example, when inserted into a human body for inspection, it can suitably cope with an insertion tube for inspection which is required to be disposable for sanitary reasons.

Further, as described above, since the projections 33 and 34 are formed by cutting both ends of the cylindrical body 3 along two inclined planes, the projections 33 and 3 are formed.
4 can be easily formed, and the productivity can be further improved. At this time, the movable bending range can be freely set by changing the setting of the inclination angle of the two planes.

An example of another cylinder 3A that functions in the same manner as the cylinder 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8A is a plan view of the cylindrical body 3A, and FIG.
-Shows a sectional view along the X-ray. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of each cylindrical body. About this cylindrical body 3A,
The same parts as those of the above-described cylinder 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. In the cylindrical body 3A, as shown in FIG. 8, the wall thickness is formed thinner than the cylindrical body 3 described above, and the through-holes 35, 35, 36, 3 as wire holding portions are formed.
6, small cylinders 35A and 35 smaller than the cylinder 3A.
A, 36A, 36A. Each projection 33, 3
4 has the same structure as the cylindrical body 3.

Each of the small cylinders 35A is mounted near the first projection 33 on the inner surface of the cylinder 3A in a direction along the central axis C1 by brazing, bonding, laser welding, or the like. Similarly, each small cylinder 36A is connected to the cylinder 3
A is provided in the vicinity of each of the second protrusions 34 on the inner surface of A in a direction along the central axis C1 of the cylindrical body 3A. Each cylinder 3
The inner diameter of 5A, 36A is set to a size that allows the wire 4 to freely pass through, similarly to the through holes 35, 36.

With this structure, the cylindrical body 3A functions almost in the same manner as the above-described cylindrical body 3 and can achieve the same effects. In the cylindrical body 33A, as shown in FIG. 10, the space between the small cylindrical bodies 35A and 36A adjacent to each other is provided by disposing the light guide 13, the liquid discharge tube 14, and the liquid discharge tube 15 described above. By setting the region, the diameter of the inspection insertion tube 10 can be reduced. In this case, the space for disposing the flexible tube 17 described above is eliminated, but the wire 4 is inserted into the rear of the rearmost cylindrical body 3A so as to be deformable and have substantially the same diameter as the small cylindrical bodies 35A and 36A. What is necessary is just to arrange | position the small tube which has an insertion hole corresponding to the position of each small cylinder 35A, 35A, 36A, 36A.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, another example of the cylinder 3B which functions in the same manner as the cylinder 3 will be described. FIG.
1 (A) is a plan view of the cylindrical body 3B, and FIG.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view along the line YY in FIG. Also,
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of each cylindrical body. In the cylindrical body 3B, the same portions as those of the above-described cylindrical body 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the cylindrical body 3B has both end surfaces 31B and 32B formed of a plane perpendicular to the central axis C2. Then, on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 3B, small cylindrical bodies 35B, 35B, 36B, smaller than the cylindrical body 3B.
Equipped with 36B. Each of these small cylinders 35B, 35
B, 36B, and 36B function as wire holding portions, and are provided by brazing, bonding, laser welding, or the like in a direction along the central axis C2 of the cylindrical body 3B. The two small cylinders 35B, 35B are provided at both ends of an arbitrary diameter D1 of the cylinder 3B, and the other two small cylinders 36B, 36B are
It is provided at both ends of a diameter D2 orthogonal to the diameter D1. The inner diameter of each of the cylindrical bodies 35B and 36B is set to a size that allows the wire 4 to freely pass therethrough, similarly to the through holes 35 and 36.

In the cylindrical body 3B, each small cylindrical body 35
B is fixedly equipped with a portion protruding from one end face 31B, and each protruding portion is a first protruding portion 33B. Similarly, each small cylinder 36B is connected to the other end surface 3B.
It is fixedly equipped in a state protruding slightly from 2B, and each protruding portion is a second protruding portion 34B.

Then, each small cylinder 35 of the plurality of cylinders 3B
B, 35B, 36B, and 36B, each wire 4 is inserted and connected. At this time, each of the first protrusions 33B of one of the cylinders 3B and each of the second protrusions 34B of the other of the cylinders 3B are respectively different from the adjacent other cylinders 3B. Connect so that they abut.

With this structure, the cylindrical body 3B functions almost in the same manner as the above-described cylindrical body 3 and can achieve the same effects. In addition, this cylindrical body 3B is made of adjacent small cylindrical bodies 35B, 36B in the same manner as the cylindrical body 3A described above.
By making the space between B the area where the light guide 13, the liquid discharge tube 14, and the liquid discharge tube 15 are disposed, the diameter of the inspection insertion tube 10 can be reduced (see FIG. 10). ).

Further, the cylindrical body 3B is formed of a cylindrical member whose both end surfaces are easy to form, and the cutting process or the cutting process is not required, so that higher productivity can be realized. It is.

As described above, each of the above-mentioned cylinders 3, 3A, 3
B shows a through hole 35 along the center axis of the wire holding portion,
36 or small cylinders 35A, 36A along the direction of the central axis,
Because of the structure including 35B, 36B, each cylindrical body 3, 3A,
Any of the 3Bs can be formed into a squeezed shape along the central axis. For this reason, the cylindrical bodies 3, 3A, 3B
Can be manufactured only by machining operations such as cutting and drilling along the direction of the central axis C, and there is no need to perform machining from a lateral direction in a separate step, so that productivity can be further improved.

Each of the above-mentioned cylinders 3, 3A, 3B is
In any case, since the entire cylindrical body 3 can be formed into a squeezed shape along the central axis C, a finer cylindrical body can be formed with high productivity by applying a photo-etching technique or a dry etching technique used in a semiconductor manufacturing process. It is also possible to secure large quantities and manufacture in large quantities.

[0065]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a first projection is provided at both ends of an arbitrary diameter on one end face of a cylindrical body, and another projection substantially perpendicular to the diameter is provided on the other end face. The second protrusions are provided at both ends of the diameter, and the first protrusions and the second protrusions of a plurality of cylinders arranged continuously are connected in a state of being in contact with each other. The respective cylinders can be rotated relative to each other about the diameter connecting the ends of the portions. Therefore, by equipping the insertion tube for inspection with the bending device of the present invention, it is possible to bend the distal end portion of the insertion tube for inspection in any of two directions of freedom.

In addition, since the wire is bent by urging the tension of the wire, the amount of bending can be easily controlled. Furthermore, since the structure connects a plurality of cylinders, the movable bending range can be freely set by adjusting the number of connected cylinders.

Conventionally, each joint is rotatably connected or a biasing means is provided for each joint. However, the present invention provides a wire for biasing the cylindrical body to bend. Since each cylinder is connected only by the wire using the wire, it is possible to perform the assembly by inserting the wire into the wire holding portion of the cylinder. For this reason, compared with the conventional art, the number of processing steps of the connection structure can be reduced, the number of parts of the connection structure can be reduced, the productivity can be dramatically improved, and the production cost can be reduced. is there. Due to this high productivity, it is possible to suitably cope with an insertion tube for inspection, which is required to be disposable for sanitary reasons, for example, when inserting into a human body for inspection.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since each projection is formed by cutting both ends of the cylindrical body along two inclined planes, the work of forming the projection is facilitated, and furthermore, It is possible to improve productivity. At this time, the movable bending range can be freely set by changing the setting of the inclination angle of the two planes.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the wire holding portion of the cylindrical body is formed by the through hole along the central axis, the entire cylindrical body can be formed into a squeezed shape along the central axis. Therefore, the cylindrical body can be manufactured only by machining operations such as cutting and drilling along the central axis direction, and there is no need to machine in a separate process from the lateral direction, so that productivity can be further improved. Becomes

Further, since the entire cylindrical body can be formed into a squeezed shape along the central axis, a finer cylindrical body can be produced at a high production rate by applying a photo-etching technique or a dry etching technique used in a semiconductor manufacturing process. It is also possible to manufacture in large quantities while ensuring the properties.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the wire holding portion is a small cylindrical body, the same effect as that of the third aspect of the invention can be obtained, and the thickness of the wall surface of the cylindrical body can be set smaller. It is possible to reduce the diameter of the bending device itself.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the same effects as those of the fourth aspect of the present invention are obtained, and the wire holding portion is formed as a small cylinder, and the projecting portions are formed as the respective projecting portions. Both ends are made of a smooth cylindrical member,
Cutting and cutting steps are not required, and higher productivity can be realized.

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an unprecedented excellent bending device for an insertion tube for inspection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a use mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the test insertion tube disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the inspection insertion tube disclosed in FIG. 1 as viewed from a distal end side.

4 (A) is a perspective view, FIG. 4 (B) is a plan view, and FIG. 4 (C) is a view showing a cylinder of the bending device of the insertion tube for inspection disclosed in FIG. It is a front view.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a connected state of the cylinders disclosed in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing an operation mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a bent state of the connected body of the cylindrical body shown in FIG. 5;

8 (A) is a plan view, and FIG. 8 (B) is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 8 (A).

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a connected state of the cylinders disclosed in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view when the cylindrical body disclosed in FIG. 8 is applied to an insertion tube for inspection.

11A and 11B show another example of a cylindrical body, FIG. 11A is a plan view, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a connected state of the cylinders disclosed in FIG. 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Bending device 3 Cylindrical body 4 Wire 10 Inspection tube 31, 31B One end face 31 ', 32' Vertical plane 32, 32B The other end face 33, 33B First projection 34, 34B Second projection 35, 36 Through-hole (wire holding part) 35A, 36A, 35B, 36B Small cylinder (wire holding part) C, C1, C2 Center axis D1 Any diameter D2 Diameter orthogonal to any diameter α, β Inclined plane

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bending device which is inserted into an object to be inspected and bends a distal end portion of an insertion tube for inspection for inspecting the inside, wherein a plurality of ring-shaped cylinders are arranged along the same central axis. A body and four wires for urging the respective cylinders to bend, wherein each of the cylinders protrudes on one end face of the cylinder in the direction of the central axis, and sandwiches the central axis. Two first projections facing each other; two second projections projecting in the central axis direction on the other end surface of the cylindrical body and facing each other with the central axis interposed therebetween; And four wire holding portions, each of which is inserted along the central axis direction, wherein the two first protrusions are provided at both ends of an arbitrary diameter of the cylindrical body. And the two second protrusions are of another diameter substantially orthogonal to the arbitrary diameter. A bending device for an insertion tube for inspection, wherein each of the cylindrical bodies is connected to the other cylindrical body by the wire in a state where each of the cylindrical bodies is in contact with each of the adjacent cylindrical bodies. 2. Each of the first protrusions is cut symmetrically with respect to one end face of the cylindrical body along two planes slightly inclined from a plane perpendicular to the central axis with the arbitrary diameter interposed therebetween. The second protrusions are formed by sandwiching a diameter substantially perpendicular to the arbitrary diameter along two planes that are slightly inclined from the plane perpendicular to the center axis at the other end face of the cylindrical body. 2. The bending device for a test insertion tube according to claim 1, wherein the bending device is formed by symmetrical cutting. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the wire holding portions is formed by a through hole that penetrates a tube wall of the cylindrical body along a direction of the central axis from a tip portion of each of the protrusions.
Or the bending device of the insertion tube for inspection according to 2. 4. Each of the wire holding portions is formed of a small cylindrical body smaller than the cylindrical body, and these small cylindrical bodies are arranged in the direction along the central axis near the respective projections on the inner side surface of the cylindrical body. The inspection insertion tube according to claim 1, wherein the insertion tube is provided for the inspection. 5. Each of the wire holding portions is formed of a small cylindrical body smaller than the cylindrical body, and each of the first protrusions is provided on both ends of the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body at the arbitrary diameter. The two small protrusions are provided so as to protrude from the one end face in the direction of the central axis, and each of the second protrusions is substantially perpendicular to the arbitrary diameter of the inner wall surface of the cylinder. The projections of the two small cylinders other than the two small cylinders are provided at both ends of the diameter of the small cylinder and project from the other end face in the direction of the central axis. Item 2. A bending device for an inspection insertion tube according to Item 1.