JPS6280612A - Optical fiber bundle for illumination of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the number of strands and to permit the control of an outside diametral size by bundling the strands by means of a cylindrical bundling member of which the top end is made gradually smaller in the inside diametral size. CONSTITUTION:The respective fiber strands 7 are made dimensionally uniform in the longitudinal direction and are first tentatively bundled. An epoxy resin adhesive agent 9 is coated thereon for about 10mm length to the end side. After the adhesive agent is coated in the above-mentioned manner, the part forming the end of the optical fiber bundle 6 for illumination is shaped to have an approximately circular sectional shape; thereafter a heat shrinkable tube 8 is fitted onto the bundle while the adhesive agent has flexibility. The bundle is heated for about 60min at 100 deg.C or for about 20min at 150 deg.C in this state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an illumination optical fiber bundle for endoscopes, and provides an optical fiber bundle in which the number of strands per unit area on the distal end side is increased by 1%. It is something.

(Prior art) An endoscope is inserted into a body cavity such as a narrow and curved bronchi, so the insertion part into the observation target should have a small diameter in order to ensure smooth insertion and reduce patient pain. Something is desired. Therefore, reducing the outer diameter of the insertion tube
Inevitably, tubes such as air/liquid feeding tubes and illumination optical fiber bundles disposed inside the insertion portion are required to be thin.

To explain the above illumination optical fiber bundle in more detail,
This illumination optical fiber bundle has a distal end disposed within the distal end of the insertion section of the endoscope, and has the function of transmitting and emitting illumination light from the illumination light source introduced from the other end to illuminate the inside of the observation target. Such an illumination optical fiber bundle does not need to have an input end and an output end arranged in a one-to-one correspondence like an optical fiber bundle for an image guide, and it is also desirable to reduce the cost. From this point of view, the only way to bundle a large number of fiber strands is to apply adhesive to the ends of the fibers and harden them.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Therefore, such conventional illumination optical fiber bundles had gaps between each strand, and the number of strands per unit area varied. However, if the irradiation light distribution is uneven, and if the outer diameter is kept within the expected outer diameter of the insertion part of the endoscope, the number of strands is small and the light quantity is insufficient. I can say that.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, in view of the above points, the present invention increases the number of strands compared to the conventional method and allows the outer diameter dimension to be defined to be substantially the same as or smaller than the conventional method. The present invention provides an illumination optical fiber bundle for endoscopes. Such an illumination optical fiber bundle can be obtained by bundling with a cylindrical bundling member having a reduced inner diameter, such as a heat-shrinkable tube.

(Example) Hereinafter, an illumination optical fiber bundle for an endoscope according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the accompanying drawings. 11L and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of the illumination optical fiber bundle for an endoscope according to the present invention, and in FIG.
, shows an endoscope equipped with an insertion section 3 into an observation target region and a connection cord 4 connected to an external light source device 5. The code 6 is
This illumination optical fiber bundle 6 has a tip portion (light emitting end portion) 6& disposed at the tip of the insertion portion 3,
A tail end (light incidence end) 6b is disposed at the free end of the connection cord 4, and is connected to the light source device 5 to transmit illumination light from the light source lamp L thereof to illuminate the inside of the observation target. Such an illumination optical fiber bundle 6 is manufactured as follows.

That is, in FIG. 2, T indicates the fiber wires constituting the illumination optical fiber bundle 6, and these fiber wires 7 have an outer diameter of about 30μ, a length of about 3.000m, and a diameter of about 8.300m. Books are provided. Each of these fiber wires γ is first simply bundled with the same dimensions in the longitudinal direction, and then glued with an epoxy resin adhesive 9 (the epoxy resin adhesive is a room temperature curing type Araldite 103 and 1-Donor HY 956 (trade name) were used to create a formulation that cured in about 60 minutes at 100°C or about 20 minutes at 150°C. ). After applying the adhesive in this manner, the cross-sectional shape of the portion forming the end of the illumination optical fiber bundle 6 is approximately circular, and then the outer periphery is A heat shrink tube 8 is fitted over the tube. The heat-shrinkable tube 8 has an inner surface coated with, for example, a boron nitride mold release agent having good chemical stability, and is heated and shrunk for about 30 seconds after being fitted. Further, in this state, it is heated at 100°C for about 60 minutes or at 150°C for about 20 minutes.

In addition, although it is possible to obtain the illumination optical fiber bundle with the desired high density in the above steps, in order to make the cross-sectional shape of the end portion and the end surface close to a perfect circle for suitability for incorporation into an endoscope, the button is
After the heat shrink tube is shrunk and the epoxy resin adhesive is flexible, the end is formed using a chuck-type molding jig that makes the cross section of the end a perfect circle. It is best to apply slight pressure evenly toward the center in the radial direction. In addition, when the end portion is firmly set in a tubular sleeve made of stainless steel or the like, the inner surface of the heat shrink tube 8 is coated with a mold release agent, so the heat shrink tube 8 can be swollen mechanically or when brought into contact with a xylene solution. When using a heat shrink tube, remove the heat shrink tube by solution treatment and insert it into the tubular sleeve.

In the above embodiment, a heat-shrinkable tube is used as the binding member, but a shape memory alloy that undergoes physical change may also be used instead.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, air bubbles in the adhesive can be degassed to provide binding force from the outer periphery of the end, and the number of fiber strands per unit cross-sectional area can be increased. This has effects such as being able to increase the amount of transmitted illumination light (an increase of about 20 LX has been confirmed in experiments).

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an endoscope that employs an embodiment of the illumination optical fiber bundle for endoscopes according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged sectional view thereof. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Endoscope, 2... Hand operation part, 3... Insertion part, 4... Connection cord, 5... External light source device, 6...
- Illumination optical fiber bundle, 6a...Tip portion, 6b...Tail end portion, 7...Fiber wire, 8...Heat shrink tube.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) The tip is placed at the tip of the insertion part into the observation target part,
In the illumination optical fiber bundle for an endoscope, the other end of which is disposed on the light source side, at least the tip end is chemically or physically bound by a cylindrical binding member whose inner diameter is reduced. An illumination optical fiber bundle for endoscopes. (2) The illumination optical fiber bundle for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical binding member is a heat-shrinkable tube.