JPS6335222A - Apparatus for bending insert part of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] 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 insertion section bending device for forcibly bending the insertion section of an endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

In general, the structure of the curved part in the insertion part of an endoscope is, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-191303, a plurality of joint rings arranged in the axial direction are rotatably connected to each other. The structure is such that it is forcibly bent by pushing and pulling it with an operating wire. Furthermore, a wire receiver and the like for guiding the operating wire is incorporated in the insertion portion.

However, in this conventional structure, the outer diameter of the insertion portion is large, making it difficult to use it when observing a small-diameter site such as a blood vessel.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-1602, an elastic coating having a curved portion in a specific direction is placed over the curved portion of the endoscope.

Some attempts are made to easily curve the curved portion.

However, since this conventional structure also covers the curved part of the insertion part with an elastic coating, the outer diameter of the insertion part increases, making it practically impossible to perform bending operations, especially in narrow areas such as blood vessels. Ta.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention 3] As described above, in all conventional devices, it is difficult to reduce the diameter of the insertion portion, and it is also difficult to use them in narrow areas.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.

The purpose is to provide a bending device for an endoscope insertion section that can reduce the diameter of the insertion section and that can be easily bent even in a narrow area.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention forms an insertion hole in the bendable insertion portion of an endoscope along the axial direction of the insertion portion, and This insertion hole is a bending device for an endoscope insertion section, in which an elastic member that is bent in a specific direction is inserted and rotatably arranged.

By rotating one elastic member, the insertion portion can be bent in a desired direction by utilizing the bending tendency of the elastic member.

〔Example〕

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. The endoscope of this embodiment is a blood vessel endoscope, and numeral 1 in the figure indicates its insertion portion. This insertion part 1 has a plurality of holes 2. It is composed of a so-called multi-lumen tube formed by...

Then, the hole 2. . . . are used to insert the image guide fiber 3 or light guide fiber (not shown), or to form a forceps channel (not shown).

Further, one hole 2 of this insertion portion X is used to form an insertion hole 5 through which an elastic member 4, which will be described later, is inserted. Further, the curved portion 6 of the insertion portion 1 is bent so as to be curved as shown in FIG. 2 over its range l.

The elastic member 4 is formed of a strip made of piano wire, spring material, or the like, for example. and.

This elastic member 4 is provided with a tendency to rotate as shown in FIG. 3, corresponding to the range of the curved portion 6 of the insertion portion 1. The strength of this twist is set equal to the strength of the twist of the insertion section 1.

Note that a tip 7 is attached to the tip of the elastic member 4. This distal tip 7 is adapted to be locked at the distal end of the insertion hole 5.

When the insertion section 1 of this endoscope is curved, the elastic member 4 is inserted into the insertion hole 5 as shown in FIG. At this time, by reversing the curved directions of the insertion portion 1 and the elastic member 4, their biasing forces are balanced, and as a result, the curved portion 6 of the insertion portion 1 is straightened. Next, when bending the bending section 6 of the insertion section 1, rotate the elastic member 4 with your hand on the endoscope operation section side, and
When rotated in the same direction as the curved direction of the curved part 6,
As the balance is broken and the biasing forces of the curved portions are combined, the curved portion 6 of the insertion portion 1 curves as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1, and the amount of curvature differs depending on the magnitude of the rotational operation amount.

In addition, if a certain degree of curvature is required in advance, the elastic member 4 is attached to and detached from the insertion hole 5-5 of the insertion portion 1 and used by replacing it with an elastic member 4 having a different amount of curving bias. . Further, if the elastic member 4 is inserted into and removed from the insertion hole 5 from the proximal side, the elastic member 4 can be replaced even during use. Further, in this case, the amount of curvature may be adjusted by moving the elastic member 4 in the axial direction of the insertion portion 1 with respect to the insertion hole 5.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, insertion holes 5 into which elastic members 4 are inserted are provided in the insertion portion 1 at upper and lower (or/and left and right) positions, and the elastic members 4 are inserted into and arranged respectively into these holes.

In this case, since the biasing forces of each elastic member 4 can be balanced, the insertion portion 1 does not necessarily have to be bent. Then, simply rotate each elastic member 4.

Can be curved. In this embodiment, the tip of the insertion hole 5.5 is closed, and the elastic member 4.4 can be inserted and removed from the proximal side.

Note that the first elastic member 4 may be used as the insertion hole 5 by using a channel for inserting a treatment instrument of an endoscope. If the treatment instrument insertion channel is also used in this way, the diameter of the insertion section 1 can be reduced accordingly. Alternatively, the image guide fiber or light guide fiber may be covered with a tube and used as an elastic member or as a bendable insertion portion.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform bending operation with a simple configuration without providing two-node rings, operating wires, wire receivers, etc. In addition, the diameter of the insertion portion can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the insertion portion of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the insertion portion of the first embodiment in a curved state, and FIG. 3 is the same. FIG. 3 is a side view of the elastic member of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an insertion portion and an elastic member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Insertion part, 2... Hole, 4... Elastic member, 5...
...Insertion hole. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Jun Tsuboi Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A bendable insertion section of an endoscope, an insertion hole formed in the insertion section along the axial direction of the insertion section, and an insertion hole that is inserted into the insertion hole and arranged to be rotatable in a specific direction. 1. A bending device for an endoscope insertion section, comprising: an elastic member having a bending tendency. (2) The device for bending an endoscope insertion portion according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion of the endoscope is bent in a specific direction. (3) The bending device for an endoscope insertion section according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic member can be inserted into and removed from the insertion hole of the insertion section.