JPS6092727A - Preservation case 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] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention provides an endoscope that uses heat radiated from a refrigerator radiator in combination with a refrigerator so that an endoscope can be stored in a dry state. This invention relates to an endoscope storage cabinet.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems J] In recent years, endoscopes have come to be widely used in the medical and industrial fields.

The above-mentioned endoscopes are divided into rigid endoscopes that have a rigid and substantially straight insertion section, and flexible endoscopes that have a flexible insertion section that can be inserted into a curved path from the oral cavity or lumen. . These endoscopes require sterilization, especially when inserted into a body cavity.

For this reason, in recent years, endoscopes with waterproof functionality have been developed.
Endoscopes can now be easily cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized by immersing them directly in a chemical solution.

However, if this mFt is repeated, the moisture that adheres after immersion may gradually seep into the endoscope, even with waterproof endoscopes, and the internal humidity may increase. . Furthermore, if the humidity around the place where the endoscope is stored is high, the humidity inside the endoscope will increase over time.

When the humidity rises like this, especially soft 1! In endoscopes, the function of the anti-friction agent to smoothen the fit between the fibers that form the image guide and light guide inserted into the flexible insertion section, or between the fibers and the inner periphery of the outer skin tube is reduced. Fiber breakage increases.

Therefore, when storing an endoscope, it is desirable to reduce the surrounding humidity or provide a means to prevent moisture from entering the endoscope. In addition, it is desirable to prevent the objective optical system on the distal end side of the insertion portion from fogging up due to moisture, and also to prevent the humidity inside the endoscope from increasing.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-40404, the present applicant stored a heat insulator that prevents the objective optical system from fogging by inserting an inner pAM insertion part and keeping it warm. We proposed a conventional example installed inside the refrigerator. In this conventional example, the insertion tube must be inserted into a heat insulator, which is a complicated operation, and there is a risk that the distal end of the insertion tube may be hit against the heat insulator during insertion, causing the distal end of the insertion tube to break. There was that.

By the way, the endoscope storage cabinet proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-74763 is designed to dehumidify and dry the endoscope 11 by installing a heater therein and heating the endoscope 11.

On the other hand, when an endoscope is used, is the endoscope used? ll! A refrigerator is also often installed in endoscopic seedling collection facilities where mirror storage is installed. This refrigerator uses a radiator to radiate heat to the outside.

[Objective of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and it combines an endoscope storage and a refrigerator to humidify stored endoscopes by using the heat dissipated to the outside of the refrigerator. It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage for an endoscope that can prevent moisture from entering the endoscope and prevent breakage of the inner fiber.

[Summary of the Invention] To achieve the above object, the endoscope storage according to the present invention combines a storage and a refrigerator, and a radiator of the refrigerator is disposed inside the storage to heat the stored endoscope. It's like that.

[Embodiment J of the invention Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 relate to the first embodiment of the endoscope storage of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view, and FIG. 3 is the same as the first embodiment. It is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a storage for internal t'ua, which is divided by a partition wall 4 into an endoscope storage chamber 2 and a refrigerator/freezer chamber 3, each having a box-like outer shape. The endoscope storage room 2 includes:
The front side has a door 5 that opens and closes on the left side, and the center part of the door 5 is cut out in a large rectangular shape, for example, and is covered with transparent glass 6.
The interior of the room is now observable, and the first
Is it inside the hanger 7 from the outside as shown in the figure? Ji! m 8
It is now possible to tell whether or not it is a bet. The hanger 7 is installed almost horizontally at a position close to the upper side of the endoscope storage chamber 2. The hanger 7 has a cutout groove 9 which is opened at the end close to the door 5 and cut out in the depth direction, and has a cutout groove 9 which is cut out in the depth direction and is located at the rear end of the flexible insertion section 8a of the endoscope 8 or at the operation section. The tapered portion extending to 8b is housed so that the endoscope 8 can be held in a suspended state. Further, this hanger 7 has a second notch groove 10 which is approximately parallel to the notch 9 and similarly has an opening at the end side, and at the back of this second notch groove 10 there is a hole in the depth direction. The light guide cable 8C of the endoscope 8 is inserted into the second notch groove 10 and hangs downward, and the connector part 8 (1
is inserted into and held in the elongated hole 11 from below.

A holding plate 12 that is slightly tilted forward is disposed below the bunker 7, and holds almost the entire area of the flexible insertion portion 8a of the endoscope 8 suspended from the hanger 7, as well as the light guide cable 8G. It is designed to be able to touch and hold. Incidentally, it is preferable to form a vertical recess in the holding portion 1fi12 to accommodate the flexible insertion portion 8a so that the flexible insertion portion 8a does not shift from side to side. Further, a back plate 13 is disposed on the back side of this holding plate 12 with a small gap G, and the gap G between this holding plate 4Fi12 and the back plate 13 is closed. In addition, the endoscope storage chamber 2 has a ventilation section 14 formed in, for example, the lower part of the left side surface and the upper part of the back surface.

On the other hand, refrigerated/chilled i1! The configuration of the V3 is almost the same as a general refrigerator, with a refrigerator compartment 16 with a cooler 15 on the lower side, a freezer compartment 18 with a cooler 15 and a thermostat 17 on the upper side, and a front Doors 19 and 20 are attached to positions corresponding to the respective frontages.The radiator 21 of each cooler 15 in the refrigerator/freezer compartment 3 is attached to a holder disposed in the endoscope storage compartment 2. The piping is installed in the gap G between the plate 12 and the back plate 13, and the heat radiation from the radiator 21 is conducted through this gap G.
This heat can be transmitted via the holding plate 12 to the insertion section 8a of the endoscope 8 and the light guide cable 8C, which are in contact with almost the entire area. Therefore, the holding plate 12 is preferably made of a material with good thermal conductivity, and the back plate 13 is desirably made of a heat insulating material.

Incidentally, the holding plate 12 may have a large number of communication holes so as to improve thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the compressor 22 of each of the coolers 15 is installed in the space on the back side of the back plate 13 below the hanger, which is an unnecessary space in the endoscope storage chamber 2 and in the endoscope storage chamber 2 and the refrigerator/freezer chamber 3. Both can be used effectively.

In such a configuration, by operating the compressor 22 of the cooler 15, for example, liquefied Freon is released into the radiator 21 piped into the gap G between the retaining plate 12 and the back plate 13.
where the heat is dissipated. Therefore, this radiator 21 becomes a heat source, and the holding plate 12 is heated, and the insertion part 8a of the inner gift 1t8 and the light guide cable 8C, which have almost the entire area in contact with this holding plate 21, are heated and dehumidified. dried. On the other hand, in the endoscope storage room 2, the air containing moisture from the endoscope 8 is ventilated with the outside air in the ventilation section 14, thereby suppressing the increase in humidity in the endoscope storage room 2. This accelerates the drying of the endoscope 8. Further, the compressor 22 is controlled on and off by the operation of the thermostat 1 provided in the freezer compartment 18.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this example, i-crystal II was added to the soil having the structure of the first example described above.
I II #G tilt 23 was established.

That is, this warm air 1j (ring 23 is arranged on the bottom surface of the front side of the holding plate 12 of the endoscope storage 2). From motor 2
5. Fan 26. A heater 27 is provided. Further, a second thermostat 28 is disposed in, for example, the large part of the endoscope storage 2, and is configured to turn on and off the heater 27 and motor 25 according to a predetermined set temperature.

In this configuration, in addition to the effect of the first embodiment, air heated by the heater 27 is circulated in the endoscope storage chamber 2 by the fan 26 as needed, and the stored endoscope 118 is
It heats, dehumidifies and dries the air.

In addition, the present invention not only dehumidifies and dries the endoscope 8, but also
By heating the insertion section 8Q, when the insertion section 8Q is inserted into a body cavity, the glass window exposed to the outside of the distal end of the insertion section 8Q can be prevented from fogging up.

In addition, in the present invention, ? J! A means of hanging a mirror.

The configuration of the cold-fi storage is not limited to the embodiment, and may be implemented in various ways. Further, the endoscope storage and the refrigerating/freezing room may not be integrated, but may be separate bodies.

Furthermore, although the embodiments of the present invention can effectively prevent fiber breakage in bendable flexible endoscopes, they can also be used for storing rigid endoscopes. It has a function to prevent moisture from entering, and when inserted into a body cavity,
Effective in preventing fogging of objective lens systems, etc. Furthermore, by preventing the ingress of moisture into flexible and hard endoscopes, it is possible to prevent the interior from rusting, thereby extending the life of the endoscope.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, an endoscope storage and a refrigerator are combined to utilize heat radiation to the outside of the refrigerator to heat the stored endoscope and transfer it into the endoscope. This has the effect of preventing moisture from entering and breaking of the inner fiber.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment of an endoscope storage according to the present invention. 1, FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view, and FIG. 3 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. A-AJ%! A sectional view, FIG. 4 is a sectional view according to a second embodiment. 2... Endoscope storage 3... Refrigeration/freezing room 7...
Hanger 12...Holding plate 13...Back plate 21...Radiator 27...Heater tOht. Dimensions (5N? QJ, i) Procedural amendment (voluntary) 1. Indication of the case 1982 Special W1 Application No. 202176 2. Name of the invention Endoscope storage 3. Person making the amendment Which relationship Patent T1 applicant representative: Satoshi Shimoyama Department 4, agent address: 7-9-12 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Drawings (Figures 1 and 3) 7. Contents of amendments As shown in the attached sheet 1. Description In the 19th line of the 8th page, "Figure 3 is" has been corrected to ``Figure 4 is''.
Please correct the text "Q" to "8a". Above 0 ~ 0 9 Kano 0

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an endoscope storage that holds stored endoscopes, a refrigerator radiator is installed in the storage and the radiator heats the endoscopes held in the storage. A storage for endoscopes, characterized in that it is used as a heat source. (2) The endoscope storage according to claim 1, wherein only a radiator of a refrigerator is disposed as a heat source in the endoscope storage. (3) Inside? J! The storage for endoscopes according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary heater in the storage for mirrors.