JPS63272319A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the fatigue of a user by facilitating the holding of an endoscope in close vicinity to the breast and to obtain the same operability as is conventional, by providing the grasping direction of a grasping part in a state revolved at a predetermined angle with respect to the rotary surface of an operating lever. CONSTITUTION:Since a grasping part 8 of an electronic endoscope is provided in a revolved state with respect to an operating knob 12 even when allowed to approach the breast part of a user, no load is applied to the left wrist of the user shown by an arrow C and the endoscope can be easily used in examination over a long time. Further, since the relation between the operating direction of an operating knob 12 and the curving direction of a curved part 10 operated so as to be curved by the operating knob 12 is same to the conventional one, the direction curving the curved part 10 upwardly and downwardly is allowed to coincide with the rotary surface of the operating knob 12 operating while the user looks the image projected on a television monitor and only the grasping part 8 is provided in a state revolved at a predetermined angle and, therefore, the grasping part can be operated in the same way as is conventional.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a gripping portion on an operating portion to which an insertion portion is connected, and a user holds the insertion portion while holding the insertion portion. For example, the present invention relates to an endoscope inserted into a body cavity for observation and treatment.

[Prior Art] For example, an electronic endoscope as an endoscope used for medical purposes is composed of an operating section having a gripping section and an insertion section connected to the operating section at its proximal end. Rir. A bending part is connected to the distal end side of the insertion part 1, and is configured to be bent by operating an operating knob provided on the operating part.

Further, a tip component is provided on the tip side of the curved portion, and this tip component includes a COD (solid-state image sensor).
is built-in. The signal line from the CCD passes through the insertion section to reach the operating section, and is further connected to a control section such as a signal processing device via a universal cord provided in the operating section. This control section also includes a TV
A monitor is connected, and the portion facing the tip component is configured to be displayed on the television monitor.

In addition to the operation knob, the operation section is provided with operation buttons for a forceps insertion port, air supply, water supply, etc., and operation buttons for peripheral devices.

When operating such an electronic endoscope, as shown in FIG. Operation knob 1
is often operated. The operation knob may also be operated with the left hand while gripping the grip portion.

In addition, the various operation buttons are configured so that they can be operated with the left hand, improving operability when performing treatment using forceps or the like with the right hand.

However, delicate operations such as the operation knob 1 with the left hand holding the grip part 2 are difficult, and it is necessary to perform other button operations at the same time, which tends to place a large burden on the left hand.
This caused increased fatigue for the user.

For this reason, two-person operation schemes are often used, in which one person operates the electronic endoscope and another person performs the treatment using forceps or the like. For example, in many cases such as colon examinations, the above-mentioned two-person operation method is used, and when operating an electronic endoscope, one user grasps the grip part 2 with his left hand and operates it with his right hand. The reality is that in the majority of cases, the method of operating knob 1 is used.

In the electronic endoscope used in this manner, the grip portion 2 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the surface on which the palm of the left hand rests is parallel to the rotation surface of the operation knob 1. .

Normally, the user often holds the operating unit so that the rotating surface of the operating knob 1 is perpendicular to himself, and if he operates the electronic endoscope for a long time in this state, the arrow A in the figure My bent left wrist was strained and it became painful.
This caused increased fatigue and death. If the operating section is moved away from the user's body in order to prevent strain on the left wrist, the load increases by the amount of extended hand, making it impossible to reduce fatigue.

In order to solve these problems, DE-A-260
There is a structure shown in the specification of No. 0493.

As shown in FIG. 12, this structure is such that the rotating surface of the operating knob 5 is rotated in the direction of arrow B with respect to the operating section 4 having the grip section 3, with the rotational surface of the operating knob 5 being centered on the tip of the rotating shaft 6 of the operating knob 5. It is configured so that it can be used tilted. The endoscope configured in this way can be operated by changing the gripping direction of the gripping portion 3 and the operation knob 5, thereby reducing fatigue of the user. However, in order to incline the rotating surface of the operating knob 5 with respect to the operating section 4 connected to the insertion section (not shown), a curved section provided at the distal end of the insertion section is connected to the direction in which the curved section is bent. There has been a problem in that a deviation occurs in the direction of operation, resulting in the bending being bent in a direction different from the bending direction expected by the user, making it impossible to bend the bending in the desired direction.

Furthermore, there is Japanese Utility Model Application No. 57-76601 in which the insertion section can be rotated at any angle with respect to an operation section (not shown); however, by rotating the operation section and insertion section like this, the grip section cannot Even if the left hand grips the operating part in a direction that is comfortable, the operating knob rotates together with the gripping part, making it difficult for the right hand to operate the operating knob.This solves the above-mentioned problem. It wasn't something. Furthermore, there is a problem that the angle of inclination is limited due to the twisting of the operating wire that bends the bending portion, and the resistance of the wire due to inclination is also reduced.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As mentioned above, general endoscopes are configured to be used by grasping the grip provided on the operating section. It is effective to hold the device close to the user's chest because it does not place any strain on the user. However, such a holding method requires an awkward posture of the wrist of the hand that grips the gripping portion, and this also causes increased fatigue of the user when used for a long time.

This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can be easily held on the chest for a long period of time and does not impair conventional operability. .

Means and operation for solving problem E] This invention has the following features:
In an endoscope in which the operation section is provided with a grip part and an operation knob, the grip direction of the grip part is set relative to the rotating surface of the operation knob.
By providing the endoscope in a state where it is rotated by a predetermined angle, the endoscope can be easily held on the chest, reducing fatigue of the user, and providing the same operability as conventional endoscopes.

[Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10. In the figure, 7 is an operation unit of an electronic endoscope as an endoscope. This operating section 7 is provided with a grip section 8 in a state described later. An insertion section 9 is provided at the distal end of the gripping section 8, and a curved section 10 and a distal end forming section 11 are sequentially provided at the distal end of the insertion section 9.

Further, an operation knob 1 is provided on the operation section 7 on the rear end side of the grip section 8.
2 is provided so that the bending section 10 can be bent. Further, various operation buttons 13, a universal cord 14, etc. are provided on the side wall of the operation section 7 where the operation knob 12 is provided.

The grip portion 8 is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the cross section in the direction perpendicular to the direction from the base end side to the distal end side, that is, the cross section in the direction shown by the line ■-■ in FIG. 2, is a rectangular cross section. It is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, this gripping portion 8 has a gripping surface 15 on which the left palm of the long side of the rectangular cross section rests, which rotates by a predetermined angle clockwise when viewed from the base end side of the operating portion 7. 10, and is inclined at an angle α shown in FIG. 10 with respect to the rotating surface of the operating knob 12. In addition, the above angle α
are provided at an angle that makes it easy for the user to grasp when the user brings the operating unit 7 close to his or her chest.

In addition, grooves 15a are cut in the gripping surface 15 on the longer side in a direction perpendicular to the fingers of the gripping hand to ensure gripping.

Further, a forceps insertion port 16 is provided integrally with the grip portion 8 on the insertion portion 9 side of the grip portion 8 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the electronic endoscope configured in this manner is provided with the grip portion 8 rotated relative to the operation knob 12 even when the electronic endoscope is brought close to the user's chest. For,
No strain is placed on the user's left wrist, which is indicated by arrow C, and the device can be used comfortably even during long-term examinations. Furthermore, since the relationship between the operating direction of the operating knob 12 and the bending direction of the bending portion 10 that is bent by the operating knob 12 is the same as in the conventional case, for example, as shown by the broken line in FIG. The direction in which the portion 10 is curved upward and downward corresponds to the rotation plane of the operation knob 12, which is operated while viewing an image displayed on a television monitor (not shown), and only the grip portion 8 is curved at a predetermined angle. Since it is provided in a rotated state, it can be operated in the same manner as before.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The same components as those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted, and differences will be explained. I will only explain. In the figure, reference numeral 17 denotes a grip portion, and this grip portion 17 is fitted to the outside of the operating portion 7 having a circular cross section so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction.

The gripping portion 17 is formed into a tubular shape whose outer diameter decreases as it approaches the insertion portion 9 side, and an end surface 18 of the gripping portion 17 on the operation knob 12 side is provided with a stepped portion on the operation portion 7. It is configured so as to come into contact with a locking portion 19 formed by this.

In addition, a male threaded portion 2 is provided over a predetermined range on the outer peripheral surface of the operating portion 7 located below the end surface 20 of the nine insertion portions of the grip portion 17.
1 is provided. A tightening member 23 is provided on the male threaded portion 21 and is provided with a female threaded portion 22 that is threaded into the male threaded portion 21 . This tightening member 23 is formed in an annular shape, and a groove 23a for preventing slipping is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion over the entire circumference. The above tightening member 2
The side surface 23b of No. 3 on the operating knob 12 side is formed to abut against the end surface 20 of the gripping section 17 on the insertion section side.

Then, the grip portion 17 is rotated to an angular position that is easy for the user to operate with respect to the operation knob 12, and the tightening member 23
The tightening member 2 is tightened by rotating it in the direction of the tightening member 2.
3 and the locking part 19 so that the grip part 17 is pressed and fixed. In addition, in this case, the grip part 8
A pair of long side surfaces of the rectangular cross-section become a gripping surface 15 on which the palm of the left hand rests, depending on the respective usage conditions.

With this configuration, the user can select the fixed angle of the grip part 17 that is easy to operate, so that the grip part 17 can be easily operated even by users with different physiques or different operating methods. The position can be freely selected. In addition, when operating the operation knob 12 with the left hand that grips the grip portion 17, the rotating surface of the operation knob 12,
The surface of the grip portion 17 that corresponds to the left palm can also be made parallel. In other words, it is also possible to return to the state of the grip portion of the conventional structure.

The third embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
This will be explained with reference to the drawings, but since its basic structure is substantially the same as that of the second embodiment, the same components will be given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted, and only improvements will be explained.

In the figure, reference numeral 17 indicates a gripping portion, and this gripping portion includes: 1.
An operation button 24 is provided on the operation knob 12 side of 17. This operation button 24 is located at Vl-V of the grip portion 17.
It is provided on the gripping surface 25 on the short side of the rectangular cross section of the l-line portion.

By providing the operation button 24 integrally with the grip portion 17 in this manner, the operation button 24 can be easily operated with the fingers gripping the grip portion 8. Furthermore, even if the grip portion 17 is rotated, the operation button 2 for the hand gripping
Since the position of 4 does not change, operability can be improved.

Further, the portion of the gripping portion 17 provided with the operation button 24 may be configured to be able to independently rotate and adjust the portion of the gripping portion 17 relative to the operation portion 7. . By configuring the m-holder 117 and the operation button 24 so that they can be rotated and adjusted independently with respect to the operation section 7, the grip can be optimally adjusted for multiple users with different hand sizes. Holding part 17, operation button 24 and operation knob 1
2 position can be freely selected, improving operability. Further, on the side surface of the operation section 7, there are provided operation switches for a light source, control buttons 24a for peripheral devices such as a video processor, and a storage device. This U control button 24a
may be a remote switch of a photographing device, monitor, etc.

Here, the remote switches include a freeze switch, a release switch, a main switch, a trigger switch such as an optical MS adjustment, and various gain controllers. .

A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. Since its basic structure is similar to each of the above embodiments, the same parts will be described with the same reference numerals. Omitted. In the figure, reference numeral 26 denotes an operating section, and this operating section 26 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, and an operating knob 12 having a parallel rotating surface is provided on a side surface of the operating section 26.

A grip portion 27 is provided on the proximal end side of the operating portion 26.
It is rotatably provided with respect to this operating section 26. The grip portion 27 is provided substantially coaxially with the insertion portion 9, and has a rotating and fixing structure as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

As shown in the figure, a cylindrical rotation shaft 2 is provided on the proximal end surface of the operating section 26 and is approximately coaxial with the insertion section 9.
8 is provided, and a bottomed hole 29 is bored in the side wall of the rotating shaft 28 to a midway point in the radial direction of the axis. This bottomed hole 29 is provided with a steel ball 31 that is biased in the projecting direction by a spring 30.

Furthermore, a grip portion 27 is rotatably fitted onto the rotation shaft 28 . Engagement grooves 33 in which the steel balls 31 engage are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the portion of the gripping portion 27 into which the rotation shaft 28 is fitted.
The grip portion 27 can be rotated about the rotation shaft 28, and the steel ball 3 can be rotated by the bias of the spring 30.
1 is formed so that it can be locked by engaging with the engagement groove 33.

Further, an operation button 24, a forceps insertion port 34, a universal cord 14, etc. are provided on the end side of the gripping portion U, and furthermore, an operation button 24, a forceps insertion port 34, a universal cord 14, etc. Control buttons 35 and the like for the device are provided. Further, the control button 35 may be an operation button for a conduit switching valve, or may be a remote switch for peripheral devices including a light source, a video processor, a storage device, a photographing device, a monitor, etc. This remote switch is a freeze switch, release switch, main switch,
These are trigger switches for light adjustment, etc., and various gain controllers.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the structure for rotating and fixing the grip portion relative to the operating portion shown in the second to fourth embodiments is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, a structure may be used in which the grip part and the operating part are tightly fitted together and the amount of rotational force is increased to rotate and fix the grip part.

Furthermore, the shapes of the gripping part, the operating part, etc. are not limited to those described above. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the gripping portion of the gripping portion is formed to be approximately rectangular, but it may also be formed to be elliptical.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, by providing the grip portion with a predetermined angle of rotation relative to the rotating surface of the operation knob, the user can use the operation portion close to his or her chest. This can prevent strain on the wrist on the side that grips the grip when the grip is held. By reducing the burden on the user during operation, it is possible to provide an endoscope that can reduce fatigue during long-term operation and improve operability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of an endoscope according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a side view, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are a second embodiment of an endoscope according to the present invention. For example, FIG. 3 is a front view of the endoscope, FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the rotating and fixing structure of the grip part to the operating part, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are internal views of the endoscope. A third embodiment of the endoscope, FIG. 5 is a front view, FIG. 6 is a side view, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are a fourth embodiment of the endoscope according to the present invention. 8 is a front view, FIG. 8 is a side view, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-■ in FIG.
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the endoscope according to the present invention is used, FIGS. 11 and 12 are conventional examples, and FIG. FIG. 12 is a side view of the endoscope. 7... Operating section, 8... Grip section, 9... Insertion section, 1
0...Curved portion, 12...Operation knob. Figure 3 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 12

Claims (1)

[Claims] An operating section having a gripping section, an insertion section connected to the operating section, a curved section provided on the distal end side of the insertion section, and an operation knob provided on the operating section for bending the curved section. 1. An endoscope comprising: an endoscope, wherein the gripping portion is provided in a gripping direction rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to a rotational surface of the operation knob.