JPS63230140A - 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 [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an endoscope with an improved structure for connecting the proximal end of a flexible tube constituting an insertion section to an operating section.

[Prior Art] In recent years, with the increase in diseases of the circulatory system, attempts have been made to apply endoscopes to blood vessels. As is well known, medical instruments inserted into blood vessels, especially into the heart, are microshock etc.
Electrical safety is important to prevent the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation due to c. In particular, for endoscopes, the insertion section reinforced with a metal layer is connected to the metal member of the operation section main body for strength, so electrical safety must be kept in mind.

Therefore, for endoscopes, a technique has been proposed in which an insulating material is used to connect an insertion section and an operating section, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-31411. In this case, a cylindrical insulating material is attached to the main body of the operating section, and the proximal end of the insertion section is attached to the inner circumferential surface of this insulating material.

Incidentally, the connecting portion between the insertion portion and the operating portion is a portion to which excessive force is applied during operation of the endoscope, and therefore requires sufficient strength.

However, the technique of simply attaching it to the insulating material as shown in JP-A-61-31411 is insufficient in terms of strength, and the technique shown in FIG. 4 of JP-A-59-46933 It is desirable to connect such an insertion portion to the operating portion by sandwiching it between tapered surfaces of a metal fastening member.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, it is conceivable to use an insulating phase for the tightening member. However, resins, rubber, etc. commonly used as insulating materials have significantly lower strength and workability than metals, and using insulating materials for fastening members significantly reduces the strength of the connection part. This was undesirable as it led to a decrease in

The present invention was made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope with excellent electrical safety and durability.

[Means and operations for solving the problem] A metal fastening member 11 is provided separately from the metal member 14 of the operation part main body, and the flexible tube 6 of the insertion part 5 is attached to this fastening member 11. By connecting the metal layers constituting the operating section main body and connecting the tightening member 11 and the metal member 14 of the operating section main body via the insulating material 11, leakage current flowing through the operating section main body can be prevented from flowing into the patient's body. It prevents flow and at the same time provides high strength at the connection part.

[Example 7] The present invention will be described below based on a first example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 4 shows the appearance of the endoscope 1, in which reference numeral 2 denotes an operating section including a grip section 3 and an eyepiece section 4, and 5 connects a curved section 7 and a distal end component section 8 to the distal end side of a flexible tube 6. This is the insertion part. The insertion portion 5 has a very small outer diameter (1 mm-3nΦ). Then, the insertion section 5. A universal cord (none of which is shown) with a built-in ride guide is connected to constitute the entire endoscope. In addition, inside the insertion section 5 and the operation section 2, there is an observation window (not shown) provided at the tip of the tip structure section 8.
In addition to inserting an image guide (not shown) that connects the eyepiece section 4 of the operating section 2 and the eyepiece section 4 of the operating section 2, a curved section made of synthetic resin fiber that connects the curved section 7 and the angle lever 9 provided on the grip section 3 is inserted. A wire (not shown) is inserted through the insertion section 5 to guide the distal end of the insertion section 5 to the target site for observation. Note that the aforementioned ride guide is inserted into the insertion portion 5 together with the image guide.

FIG. 1 shows a connection structure between the operating section 2 and the insertion section 5, which is the essential part of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a cylindrical insulating material 12 (for example, made of resin, etc.) is combined with a connection structure in which the proximal end of the operating section 2 and the insertion section 5 are fixed by a tightening member 11. something is shown.

Specifically, the flexible tube 6 of the insertion section 5 has an outer shell in which a mesh tube (both correspond to the metal layer of the insertion section) and a resin outer skin (none of which are shown) are laminated in order on the outer peripheral surface of the spiral tube. structure is used. In other words, as is well known, the flexible tube 6 is a spiral tube or a reticulated tube, and has a structure in which the outermost outer skin is reinforced while ensuring optimum flexibility.

In addition, the base end of the operation section 2 has a connecting cylinder part 14 formed at the base end of the metal frame 13 protruding from the base end of the case 2a of the operation part 2, and a case 2a around the connecting cylinder part 14. The operating section main body structure is formed by screwing and fixing a connecting tube 15 connected to the connecting tube 2a, and is separate from the tightening member 11 described above. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, the frame 13 and the case 2a are fixed with screws 16 screwed into three places: left, right, and lower.

As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating material 12 is fitted into the connecting cylinder portion 14. As shown in FIG. The entire structure is fixed by screws 17 inserted from three places around the connecting cylinder part 14, on the left, right, and above, and an insulating layer is formed at the tip of the connecting cylinder part 14.

Then, the tightening member 11 is connected to this insulating material 12 to connect the base end of the flexible tube 6.

That is, the tightening portion hoist 11 has a tapered tightening seat 1 at the tip.
Metal cap 18 with 8a. A tightening ring 19 having a taper on its inner circumference corresponding to the tapered shape of the tightening seat 18a.
．． Furthermore, it is composed of three metal parts, including a tightening nut 20 that is screwed into the base 18 and presses the tightening ring 19 against the tightening seat 18a. The base end of this base 18 is screwed and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the insulating material 12.

Then, insert the proximal end of the flexible tube 6 into the tightening seat 18 of the fixed cap 18, arrange the tightening ring 19 around it, and screw the tightening nut 20 into the cap 18. Accordingly, the flexible tube 6 is sandwiched between the base 18 and connected to the operating section 2. In other words, the fastening member 11 that provides high connection strength can be used as is to electrically isolate between the connecting tube 14, which is the metal member of the operation section main body, and the spiral tube and mesh tube, which are the metal layer of the insertion section 5. are doing.

On the other hand, 21 is a bending stop connected to the tip end portion of the connecting tube 15, that is, the portion surrounding the tightening part sheath 11. The bending stopper 21 has a tapered shape whose inclination is changed in stages, and effectively protects the very thin insertion portion 5. That is, the insertion portion 5, which has a very small outer diameter, is very easy to break.

However, since the difference in diameter between the operating part 2 and the insertion part 5 is very large, if we try to cover this with a tapered bending stopper with a single inclination angle, the thickness will change suddenly ( The insertion portion 5 is easily broken), and the total length of the breakage stop is abnormally long. Therefore, a plurality of steps are formed to change the angle of the tapered shape. In FIG. 1, a stopper 21 having a double taper shape 21a, 21b is used.

However, in such an endoscope 1, the operating section 2 is
Since the metal part and the metal layer part of the insertion section 5 are insulated, no current will pass between the operation section main body and the insertion section 5.

Therefore, even if leakage current may flow through the main body of the operating unit, it will not flow into the patient's body, allowing it to be used safely in the heart, blood vessels, etc. It provides high durability and durability.

Note that the invention is not limited to the first embodiment, but may be applied to a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

That is, in the second embodiment, the insulating material 12 is fixed.

The structure of the connecting cylinder 15 is different from the first embodiment.

Specifically, to fix the insulating material 12, a ring member 26 having a substantially cross-sectional shape on the proximal end side of the connecting cylinder part 14 and having a threaded part 25 formed on the outer periphery of the small diameter part is used as in the first embodiment. Similarly, the ring member 26 is fixed with screws 17, and the insulating material 12 is screwed into the small diameter portion of the ring member 26. Such a structure is superior in terms of fixing strength.

Further, in the structure of the connecting tube 15, the distal end side of the connecting tube 15 is made of a second insulating material 27, and the periphery of the tightening member 11 is surrounded by the insulating material 27 to insulate the tightening member 11. This increases safety against leakage current.

In the second embodiment, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, even if a leakage current flows in the main body of the operation part, the leakage current is prevented from flowing into the patient's body, and at the same time, the connection between the operation part and the flexible tube is prevented. High strength can be obtained at the joints.

Therefore, it is possible to provide an endoscope with excellent electrical safety and durability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the invention,
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure between the operating section and the insertion section, which are the main parts, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 1. 4 is a side view showing the entire endoscope, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing main parts of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line C-- FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line C--C in FIG. 5. 2... Operating section, 5... Insertion section, 6... Flexible tube, 1
2... Insulating material, 14... Connecting cylinder part (metal member of operating unit main body), 18, 19. 20... Cap, tightening ring, tightening nut (tightening member), 27... The second insulation shrine. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Atsushi Tsuboi Procedural amendment 1939.6.2. ”j1 go

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A metal fastening member separate from the metal member of the operation part main body is provided, a metal layer constituting the flexible tube of the insertion part is connected to this fastening member, and this fastening member and the An endoscope characterized in that a metal member of an operating section main body is connected to the metal member through an insulating material. (2) The tightening member has a second tightening member surrounding the outer peripheral surface.
The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising an insulating material.