JPS63241Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscope with an improved connection structure between a flexible tube inserted into a body cavity and an operating device.

Generally, an endoscope has a distal end 1 as shown in Fig. 1.
and a curved portion 2 for directing the tip portion 1 in a desired direction.
a flexible insertion tube A having a flexible tube A; an operating device B including a bending operation knob 3 for controlling the bending of the curved portion 2;
It consists of an eyepiece part C equipped with an eyepiece lens 6, and a light guide cable part D that connects a light source device (not shown) and an operating device B. As shown in FIG. 3, a spiral tube 1 for protecting built-in optical fiber bundles 5 and 7 from external pressure.
1 is further covered with a mesh tube 12 for preventing twisting and elongation of the flexible tube A, and further covered with a jacket tube 13 made of waterproof and flexible polyurethane resin or the like. During endoscopy, the flexible tube A is inserted into the patient's body cavity, and an image of the area to be examined in the body cavity is captured by the objective lens 4 provided at the distal end 1 using the optical fiber built into the flexible tube A. It is transmitted to the eyepiece C by the bundle 5 and observed through the eyepiece 6 of the eyepiece C.

At the connection part between the flexible tube A and the operating device B, when the flexible tube A is bent at a sharp angle at the corner of the operating device B, the optical fiber bundle in the flexible tube A is formed by the bending. 5,
A break stopper 8 is provided to prevent parts 7 and the like from being damaged. The break stopper 8 consists of a protective tube 8b made of an elastic material such as rubber and a metal fitting 8a for attaching the break stopper 8 to the operating device, and the protective tube 8b has a thick wall at the base where it contacts the operating device B and is difficult to bend. ,
The further away from the operating device B, the thinner the wall becomes and the easier it becomes to bend. As a result, the bending of the flexible tube A is more strongly restricted as it approaches the corner of the operating device B, and the restriction is gradually weakened toward the tip of the protective tube 8b, allowing the flexible tube A to exhibit its original flexibility. do.

The connection between the flexible tube A and the operating device B is as shown in FIG.
The operating device B is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion 19 protruding from the main body 9 of the operating device B, a screw 9c is carved into the outer peripheral wall of the mounting portion 19, and a conical tapered surface 9a is formed on the inner peripheral wall of the mounting portion 19. shall be. The tightening ring 1 is loosely fitted into the flexible tube A, with the tapered surface 9a of the operating device B abutting the tapered slope of the end portion 22 of the flexible tube A.
The tapered surface 9a and the end portion 22 are crimped by the threaded engagement of the screw 9c formed on the outer circumferential wall of the attachment portion 19. After the flexible tube A and the operating device B are connected, the bend stopper 8 is fixed to the main body 9 via the metal fitting 8a, and the tightening ring 10 is covered by the metal fitting 8a.

When inspecting a body cavity using an endoscope having the above configuration, if it becomes necessary to observe a deeper part of the body cavity than the intended site during diagnosis, the endoscope may be inserted into the body cavity up to the base of the bending stopper 8 for observation. Often. Due to such use, secretions such as saliva and mucus in gastroscopes and feces, etc. in colonoscopes may enter the gap I between the bending stopper 8 and the flexible tube A, and the endoscope may not be able to see through the endoscope after the examination. Even if the mirror is cleaned, it is difficult to clean the above-mentioned gap I, and it is difficult to completely remove adhering secretions, feces, etc. Therefore, pathogenic bacteria that have entered the above-mentioned gap I of the endoscope used for patients with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis patients, Australian antigen-positive patients, and syphilis patients remain without being removed by post-test cleaning.
There is a risk that other patients undergoing body cavity examinations using the same endoscope, or the examiner or assistant who handles the endoscope, may become infected, and the endoscope may spread pathogens. Ta. The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and improves the connection structure between the flexible tube A and the operating device B, and improves the connection structure between the flexible tube A and the bending stopper 8. Gap I
The present invention provides an endoscope that prevents secretions, feces, etc. from entering the body.

Hereinafter, according to the preferred embodiment shown in the attached drawings,
The present invention will be explained in detail.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, first, the jacket tube 13 of the flexible tube A is made of polyurethane resin or the like;
It is integrated with the break stopper 8. Methods for integrating the jacket tube 13 and the bend stopper 8 include integral molding, welding with a solvent or heating, and bonding with an adhesive. Next, a connecting fitting 14 is provided on the flexible tube A as a connecting portion. The connecting fitting 14 has a flange 14a approximately at the center of the connecting fitting 14 in FIG. 3, and has a protruding portion 14b extending to the right and a threaded portion 14c extending to the left. Connection fitting 14
The protrusion 14b is connected to the mesh pipe 12 and the jacket tube 1.
3 and fix the connecting fitting 14 and the flexible tube A. At this time, the end surface 8c of the root portion of the bending stopper 8 is brought into a state in which it protrudes toward the operating device B side by the same level or slightly as the end surface of the flange 14a on the operating device B side.

The connection between the connecting fitting 14 and the device main body 9 is achieved by inserting the screw portion 14c into the hole 9b of the operating device main body 9,
This is done by screwing together the taper nut 15 and the threaded portion 14c, and tightening the operation device main body 9 and the cover 16 covering the main body 9 using the flange 14a and the taper nut 15. Main body 9
The surface in contact with the taper nut 15 is a tapered surface 9 corresponding to the taper nut 15.
It is formed as a taper nut 15.
By widening the contact area between the connecting fitting 14 and the tapered surface 9a, the frictional force becomes stronger, and the tapered nut 15 exerts a wedge effect between the threaded portion 14c of the connecting fitting 14 and the tapered surface 9a. This is because the nut 15 becomes difficult to loosen.

When tightening the main body 9 of the operating device B and the cover 16 covering the main body 9 using the flange 14a and the taper nut 15, the base end surface 8c of the break stop 8 integrated with the jacket tube 13 is attached to the cover 16 of the device. The end surface 8c and the cover 1 are pressed into close contact with each other.
6 is made watertight, but the end face 8c and the cover 1 are further made watertight.
If the joint part with 6 is filled with a sealant or the like, the joint part will be more completely waterproof. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the connection between the flexible tube A and the operating device B is made using a caulking hole 15a provided in the taper nut 15 within the main body 9 of the operating device B, which is not directly connected to the bending stopper 8. This can be done by tightening the taper nut 15, so even if the jacket tube 13 and the bend stopper 8 are integrated, there will be no problem when disassembling and reassembling for repairs or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bending stopper 8
Although the flexible tube A and the jacket tube 13 are integrated as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the connecting portion between the flexible tube A and the operating device B is different from the embodiment shown in FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the connection between the flexible tube A and the operating device B is achieved by providing a truncated conical end 22 with a tapered slope at the end of the flexible tube A as a connecting portion. The device B is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion 19 protruding from the main body 9 of the operating device B, a screw is carved into the outer peripheral wall of the mounting portion 19, and the inner peripheral wall of the mounting portion 19 is formed into a conical tapered surface 9a. Main body 9 of operating device B
The tapered surface 9a of the flexible tube A abuts against the tapered slope of the end portion 22 of the flexible tube A, and the tightening ring 10 is loosely fitted to the flexible tube A, and the screw 9 is carved in the outer peripheral wall of the attachment portion 19.
The mounting portion 19 and the end portion 22 are crimped together by screwing with c.

After connecting the flexible tube A and the main body 9, the outer tube 17a and the inner tube 17b fit into each other without any gaps,
The outer cylinder 17a is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the stepped part 19b of the mounting part 19, which has a thickness approximately equivalent to the thickness of the inner cylinder 17b, and the main body 9
When connecting the flexible tube A, the inner tube 17b is connected to the outer tube 17.
a, and turn the tightening ring 10 using the caulking hole 10a. After fixing, the inner cylinder 17b is pulled out from the outer cylinder 17a, the end of the inner cylinder 17b is pressed against the end surface 8c of the stopper 8, and the left end surface of the outer cylinder 17a is pressed against the cover 16, and the state is The inner tube 17b and the outer tube 17a are fixed to the main body 9 by the fixing screw 18a. Outer circumference of inner cylinder 17b and attachment part 19
Grooves are provided in the stepped portions 19b, and waterproof O-rings 20 are inserted into the respective grooves to make the spaces between the inner cylinder 17b and the outer cylinder 17a and between the main body 9 and the outer cylinder 17a watertight. In the endoscope according to this embodiment, the flexible tube A
The positions of the flexible tube A and the operating device B can be adjusted in order to adjust the direction of curvature of the flexible tube A and the operating direction of the operating device B.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a V-groove 19a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical end 22 of the flexible tube A,
A screw hole 18c is bored in the main body 9, and a fixing screw 18b is screwed into the screw hole 18c. When the end portion 22 is completely inserted into the main body 9, the center line of the V-groove 19a is slightly shifted to the left in FIG. 5 with respect to the center line of the screw hole 18c. Therefore, the tip of the fixing screw 18b comes into contact with the slope of the V-groove 19a, and the fixing screw 18
As part b is screwed in, a force to the left in the figure generated by the slope of the V-groove 19a pulls the flexible tube A to the left in FIG. 8c
and the device main body 9 are pressed into close contact. The present invention can also be implemented by appropriately drilling a conical hole instead of the V-groove in this embodiment. Also, fixing screw 1
If the screw hole 18c is closed with a sealant or the like after screwing of the screw hole 8b is completed, there is no possibility that secretions or the like will enter through the screw hole 18c. This embodiment is characterized in that the structure of the connecting portion is simple and connection can be made quickly and easily.

According to the endoscope according to the present invention, the jacket tube 1
3 and the break stop 8 are integrated, so there is no gap between the jacket tube 13 and the break stop 8, and the end surface 8c of the break stop 8 and the operating device B are pressed into close contact with each other. The connection between it and the operating device B is waterproof. Therefore, even if the flexible tube A is inserted into the body cavity up to the base of the bending stopper 8, the secretions attached to the flexible tube A will not enter the gaps that are difficult to clean, so the secretions, etc. can be easily removed. It can be washed and removed. Therefore, there is no risk that pathogenic bacteria may remain in the endoscope without being removed by cleaning after the test and infect other patients. Also, during cleaning, the cleaning liquid may be
It will not get inside the device and corrode the inside of the device.

In addition, since the connecting portion of the flexible tube portion A extends further toward the operating device B than the end surface 8c of the bending stopper 8,
The bending stopper 8 does not get in the way when connecting the flexible tube A and the operating device B.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an overview diagram showing the configuration of a general endoscope.
FIG. 2 is a partially longitudinal side view showing the connection structure between the flexible tube of a conventional endoscope and the operating device B, and FIG. 3 is the connection between the flexible tube and the operating device B according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially vertical side view showing the structure, FIG. 4 is a vertical side view showing the connection structure between the flexible tube and the operating device B in an embodiment of the present invention different from FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is FIG. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a connection structure between a flexible tube and an operating device B according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is different from FIG. 4; DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Tip part, 2...Curved part, 8...Break stopper, 8c...End face, 9...Operation device main body, 10...
...Tightening ring, 13...Sheath tube, 14...
...Connection fitting, 15...Taper nut, 16...
Cover, 17a... Outer cylinder, 17b... Inner cylinder, 18
a, b...Fixing screw, 19...Mounting part, 19a...
...V groove, 19b... step part, 22... end part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) At the connection point between a flexible insertion tube A having a distal end portion 1 and a curved portion 2 and inserted into a body cavity and an operating device B that bends the curved portion 2 , insertion flexible tube A
An endoscope characterized in that the jacket tube 13 and the bending stop 8 are integrated, and the end face 8c of the bending stop 8 and the end of the operating device B are brought into close contact with each other under pressure, thereby making the connection part watertight. (2) Screw the screw provided on the connecting fitting 14 of the flexible insertion tube A with the taper nut 15 inside the operating device B, and tighten the screw to tighten the end surface 8c of the stopper 8.
The endoscope according to claim (1) of the utility model registration, wherein the end portion of the operating device B is brought into close pressure contact with the end portion of the operating device B. (3) Connect the ends of the connecting device B to the inner cylinder 17b and the outer cylinder 17a.
When the flexible tube A and the operating device B are connected, the inner tube 17b is housed in the outer tube 17a, and after the connection, the inner tube 17b and the end surface 8c of the bend stopper 8 are connected, and the outer tube 17a and the operating device B are connected. The endoscope according to claim (1) of the utility model registration claim, in which the endoscopes are pressed into close contact with each other. (4) The flexible tube A is inserted by a fixed screw 18b that is screwed into the screw hole 18c of the operating device B and comes into contact with the slope of the V-groove 19a provided at the end 22 of the flexible tube A.
The end surface 8c of the bending stopper 8 is
The endoscope according to claim (1) of the utility model registration claim, in which the operating device B and the operating device B are brought into close contact with each other under pressure.