JPS58195538A - Flexible tube for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flexible tube for an endoscope, and particularly to a flexible tube for an endoscope.
It relates to a flexible tube with an adhesive layer bonding between the outer skin and the blade, and a flex within the blade.

In general, flexible endoscopes used in medical treatment, etc., have a main body L that allows various operations to be performed using a hand eaves, and a flexible long endoscope that is inserted into a patient's body cavity, as shown in Figure 1. Body cavity insertion part 2
The operation unit body 1 is provided with an eyepiece 3, a bending operation knob 4, an insertion port 5 for an affected area treatment instrument such as forceps, an air/water supply button 6, a suction button 7, etc. and also
A light guide cord 8 connected to a light source device for illumination is connected thereto. The above body cavity insertion part 2
A bendable long flexible tube 9 is connected to the operation section main body IK, and the tip is connected to the bending operation knob 4 of the operation section main body 1. A curved tube 10 that displaces the component 11 in an arbitrary direction, and this curved tube 1o
It is connected to.

It consists of a distal end component 11 provided with an M fenestration, an observation window, a treatment instrument entrance/exit, an air/water supply port (none of which is shown), and the like. Inside the EJ flexible tube 9 and the curved tube 1o of the body cavity insertion section 2, there are light transmission members such as image guide fibers and light guide fibers, an insertion tube, an air/water supply tube, and a bending operation tube. A number of built-in members are inserted through the operating member such as a wire (none of which is shown), and the distal end of each of these built-in members is defined within the distal end portion 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flexible tube 9 of the flexible endoscope configured as shown in FIG. body) 21
and the tubular blade (wire mesh) 22 fitted around the outer periphery of this flex 21, and the
ll□：□ゎ、っV-）”2□It is made of thermoplastic resin or synthetic rubber that penetrates into the inner surface and is bonded and fixed so as not to peel off by the adhesive layer 23 having rubber elasticity that covers it. It is composed of an outer skin 24.

The flexible tube 9 constructed as described above has the following drawbacks. That is, as shown in the third recess surface, the outer skin 3
The adhesive layer 33 that fixes the blade 32 to the blade 32 completely reaches the inner surface of the blade 32, and may even adhesively fix the outer surface of the flex 34. The flex 34 fixed to the blade 32 cannot freely expand and contract,
The flexibility of the burnable tube 9, which should be uniform over its entire length, may be impaired, or an excessive load may be applied to the bending operation, resulting in buckling of the flexible tube 9 and damage to the inner base.

Furthermore, even if the adhesive layer 34 could be avoided, the adhesive layer 33, which has poor slipperiness compared to metal, would have some disadvantages in that the flexibility would be different in some areas and the amount of operating force would be increased.

- If the permeation of the adhesive layer 11 is suppressed to the extent that the blade 34 does not adhere, it can withstand countless bends during use of the endoscope and prevent the outer skin 31 from peeling off from the blade 32. Adhesive strength is not strong enough to keep it fixed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible tube V for an endoscope that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has an adhesive layer that is free of adhesive even if it penetrates into the inner surface. ! ! The structure is such that it does not affect the flexibility of the tube.

In the flexible tube for an endoscope according to the present invention, at least the outer surface of the flex is coated with a fluororesin coating that is non-adhesive and has a small coefficient of friction against resin.

As a result, the adhesive layer does not adhere to the flex surface, and the bendability and abrasion resistance of the flexible tube are improved compared to conventional flex tubes with metal surfaces.

Embodiments and drawings illustrating the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a flexible tube for an endoscope according to the present invention.

Similar to FIG. 3, an outer skin 41, an inner wire mesh or braid 4
2. It has an adhesive layer 43 that adheres between the outer skin 41 and the blade 42 and penetrates into the inner surface of the blade 42, and a spirally wound flex 44 as the innermost layer.

According to the present invention, a non-adhesive coating 45 is formed on the surface of the flex 44. This prevents adhesion between the adhesive layer 43 that has penetrated to the inner surface of the blade 42 and the flex 44, and enables relative displacement between the blade 42 and the flex 44 when the flexible tube is bent.

Materials for the coating 45 include silicone polyethylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEE), tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), and tetrafluoroethylene.

Ethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer (
Synthetic resins such as PFA), which have non-adhesive surface properties and have a small coefficient of friction against resin, are suitable: 6.7L/:
/)2□Yu. 7, □1. Engineering 87. : Tsutaring,
The coating is formed by a well-known coating method such as dipping or plasma copolymerization.

By forming the non-adhesive covering 1!1145, adhesion between the blade 42 and the flex 44 does not occur.

Furthermore, since the surface has a small coefficient of friction against the resin, there is no tendency to stick to the adhesive layer formed on the inner surface of the blade 42, and the flex 44 can be smoothly expanded and contracted, improving the flexibility of the flexible tube. , buckling, and damage to built-in equipment can also be prevented.

The coating 4-5 may be formed only on the outer surface of the flex 44, or if it is formed on the inner surface of the flex as shown in FIG. The friction between the inner wall members 46 such as tubes, air and water pipes, and wires for bending operation is reduced, and the operating force when bending the endoscope is reduced, and the built-in members 46 are also prevented from being worn out and damaged. Decrease.

The thickness of the bar 45 formed on the surface of the flex 44 to prevent adhesion and reduce friction is preferably in the range of 5 to 20 μm, and if it becomes thicker than this value, it will easily peel off. Registration is 5P
If it is smaller, the coating will wear out prematurely and cannot withstand long-term use (:・.

As mentioned above, it is non-adhesive to the surface of the flex and is resistant to wood! By forming the '4 film 45 with a small W friction coefficient, the blade and flex do not become adhesive cars, and -oJ
The flexibility of the readable tube is improved, preventing abrasion and damage to the buckled internal member of the readable tube f), and improving the operability of the endoscope.

Although the above description of the endoscope was made with respect to a medical endoscope, the flexible tube of an industrial endoscope has a similar structure, and the same effects can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure WI1 is a schematic diagram of a normal endoscope, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the outline of a normal endoscope.
1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the flexible tube of the endoscope, FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the flexible tube of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a part of the flexible tube according to the present invention. It is an enlarged sectional view. 1... Operating section main body 2... Body cavity insertion section 9... Flexible tube 10... Curved tube 21.34.44... Flex 22.32.4: 2... Blade: 1゜23.33.4 Go:...Adhesive layer 24.31,41...Outer skin 45...Non-adhesive coating 46...Built-in member Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 3 Figure IB4 Procedural Amendment (Voluntary) Kazuo Wakasugi, Commissioner of the Patent Office 1, Indication of the case 1977
, Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant I1" Address: 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo"
``1 (Name) (037) Orin (S Optical Industry Co., Ltd. President and Director Shigeru Kitamura Man 4, Agent 6 Number of inventions increased by Supplementary IF 8 Supplementary 10 Contents ゛\1-Customer-\, (1) Amend the scope of claims as shown in the attached sheet. (2) Page 5 of the specification, lines 8 to 8, page 6 of the same specification, tack 12
゜The ``coefficient of friction against resin'' written in line 18 and line 1 of the same line is corrected to ``coefficient of friction against resin.'' (3) The description "Fluorine-based fat coating" on page 5, line 8 of the specification is corrected to "coating of (11g=)". (4) Specification V, page 6, line 7, The description is corrected as follows: "Ethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEj (5) "Plasma co-1 go" on page 6, line 14 of Akira A4F.
The description "1 plasma polymerization" has been corrected. (6) The statement "built-in equipment" in the second line of Chapter 7 of the specification is amended to read "built-in member." (In the 9th line of page 9 of the force description, it is written that ``operating force is reduced.'') ``The operating force is reduced and operability is improved.''
and correct it. 1(8) The statement on page 7, line 13 of the specification is amended as follows. "The thickness of the coating 45 is suitable; if it is thicker than this value, the flexible tube will not only become thicker, but also become so hard that the coating 45 cannot follow the expansion and contraction of the flex 44. It will easily crack or peel off." (9) Specification No. On page 7, lines 19-20, the description "11s material inside the buckling of the flexible tube" is corrected to "buckling of the flexible tube. Built-in member." 9. Attachment - List of MM (1) Attachment 1 Attachment Sheet 2, Claims (1) A flex made by winding a blade and a band-like material consisting of an outer skin, an adhesive layer, and a fibrous material. A flexible tube for an endoscope comprising: a flexible tube for an endoscope, characterized in that the flexible tube is constructed by forming a non-adhesive coating on the surface of the flex made of synthetic resin and having a small coefficient of friction against resin. flexible tube. (2) Claims characterized in that the coating is formed over the entire length of the flex or partially!
The flexible tube for an endoscope according to item 1. (3) The coating may be made of silicone polymer, polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoroglobylene copolymer), or PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer). )
A flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 4, formed by et al.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (11) A flexible tube for an endoscope comprising an outer skin, an adhesive layer, a blade comprising a filamentous material, and a flex formed by winding a band-like material, the surface of the flex A flexible tube for endoscopes having V* characteristics, which is constructed by forming a coating of synthetic resin that is non-adhesive and has a small coefficient of friction against resin. (2) The coating covers the entire length of the flex. The flexible tube for an endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube is formed vertically or partially. (3) The coating is made of silicone polymer, polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), The endoscope according to claim 1 formed of FEP (tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropyrene'#CM combination) or PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer), etc. flexible tube.