JPS6349501B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus with an improved means for supplying gas from a gas supply source to an endoscope body.

Generally, in endoscopy, it is necessary to maintain a certain distance between the observation window at the tip of the insertion tube and the body cavity wall. Gas from a gas source is introduced into the body cavity through the tube to inflate the test site.

By the way, in such air supply, the appropriate pressure air supply rate (air supply amount) differs depending on the examination site. For example, the stomach originally has a large capacity and the stomach wall is thick and strong, so even if the pressure inside the body cavity is slightly high, it will not be damaged, and if too much air is supplied, belching will occur and the air will be expelled. Therefore, in order to speed up the test, it is better to have a relatively high air supply speed. On the other hand, the large intestine has a narrow lumen and a thin intestinal wall, and diverticula, which are particularly common in the large intestine, have very thin body cavity walls and are prone to rupture due to excessive air supply. Furthermore, if too much air is supplied, the insertion rate to the ileocecal region will decrease, so it is safer to lower the air supply rate.

On the other hand, it is better to change the air supply rate depending on the skill level of the operator. That is, since beginners often tend to inflate too much, it is safer to lower the air inflow rate and perform observations during endoscopy.

In order to ensure the safety of this type of endoscopy,
It is conceivable to make the output of the air supply pump as the gas supply source variable such as high, medium, and low so that the output can be set as appropriate. However, simply making it possible to manually set the output of the air pump not only makes the operation troublesome but also causes various problems. That is, if you forget to change the setting of the air supply pump when performing a colon examination after a stomach examination using a high output, there is a risk that the large intestine will rupture due to excessive air supply. Also,
Even in the same colon examination, care must be taken when a novice performs the examination after an expert has performed the examination at medium or high output power. In other words, even if the output of the air pump can be set manually,
There is a risk of causing an accident due to incorrect settings.

This invention was made based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to focus on the fact that the type of endoscope body used differs depending on the examination site or other conditions, and to supply gas according to the type. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device in which the output of gas from a source is automatically set to prevent accidents caused by excessive air supply.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and numeral 1 in the figure is an endoscope main body. The endoscope main body 1 includes an operating section 2, an insertion section 3 connected to the operating section 2, and a universal cord 4, and a connector 5 is provided at the end of the universal cord 4. The insertion section 3 is provided with an illumination optical system and an observation optical system 6 (not shown), so that the inside of the body cavity can be observed through the observation optical system 6 with an eyepiece section 7 provided on the operation section 2. It's summery. Further, the operating section 2 is provided with an operating switch 8 that is turned on only while being pressed, and this operating switch 8 is connected to a first terminal 9 provided on the end surface of the connector 5 with a first lead wire 10. There is. Furthermore, the endoscope body 1 includes a first air supply tube 1 as a ventilation conduit.
1 is inserted, and one end of this first air supply tube 11 is open to the distal end surface of the insertion portion 3, and the other end is open to the end surface of the connector 5. Further, the connector 5 is provided with a resistor 13 which is connected to the second terminal 12 exposed on the end face and is a means to be detected. This resistor 13 is provided with a resistance value that differs depending on the type of endoscope body 1. For example, a colon endoscope has a resistance of 1KΩ, a gastric endoscope has a resistance of 10KΩ, and a bronchial endoscope has a resistance of 100KΩ. There is.

The universal cord 4 is connected to an air supply unit 14 via a connector 5. The air supply unit 14 includes a third terminal 14a that is electrically connected to the first terminal 9 when the connector 5 is connected to the air supply unit 14, and a fourth terminal 14a that is electrically connected to the second terminal 12. Terminals 15 are provided, and a second air tube 16 is provided that is fluid-dynamically connected to the first air tube 11, and this second air tube is connected to an air pump 17. ing.

The third terminal 14a is connected to the control circuit 19 via the second lead wire 18, and the fourth terminal 15a is connected to the control circuit 19 via the second lead wire 18.
is connected to the control circuit 19 via the detection circuit 20. In addition, the air supply pump 17 is connected to the control circuit 1
9, and the control circuit 19 further includes self-illuminated first to third selection buttons 2 for switching the output of the air pump 17 to three levels: high, medium, and low.
1, 22, and 23 are connected. And the first
By selectively operating the to third selection buttons 21, 22, 23, the control circuit 19 selects the air supply pump 1.
7 with, for example, 30W, 20W or 10W. That is, switching control of the air pump 17 is performed by increasing and decreasing the voltage using a transformer (not shown) provided in the control circuit 19. Furthermore, when the resistor 13 built in the connector 5 is connected to the detection circuit 20,
The detection circuit 20 reads this resistance value, determines the type of the endoscope body 1, and transmits the information to the control circuit 19. Then, the control circuit 19 uses the information to set the output of the air pump 17 to a predetermined value. Although not shown in the figure, the air supply unit 14 is turned on with all power supplies turned on.
There is a main switch to turn it off.

Next, the operation of the endoscope device having the above configuration will be explained. First, connect the connector 5 to the air supply unit 14.
When connected to the main switch (not shown),
By connecting the resistor 13 to the detection circuit 20, the control circuit 19 is controlled by the signal from the detection circuit 20.
sets the output of the air pump 17 to a value corresponding to the resistance value of the resistor 13, and presses the three selection buttons 2.
1 corresponding to the above setting value among 1, 22, 23
Light one. For example, if the endoscope main body 1 is for the large intestine, the output of the air pump 17 is set to a low level depending on the resistance value of the resistor 13, and if it is for the stomach, the output of the air pump 17 is set to a low level, and if the endoscope unit 1 is for the stomach, the output is set to a medium level, and the insertion section 3 is particularly thin. Accordingly, if the first air supply tube 11 is thin and the air supply rate becomes low, the first air supply tube 11 is set to a high position. Next, the operator presses the operating switch 8 provided on the operating section 2.
When the operation switch 8 is pressed, the air supply pump 17 is controlled by the control circuit 19 to turn on the resistor 1.
It is driven at a set value corresponding to the resistance value of No. 3 to supply air into the body cavity. That is, the type of the endoscope body 1 is read by the detection circuit 20 based on the resistance value of the resistor 13 provided in the connector 5, so that air is supplied suitable for the type of the endoscope body 1. Since the output of the air pump 19 is automatically set in this way, endoscopic examination can be performed safely and quickly.

Furthermore, the operator can use the selection buttons 21, 22, and 23 to drive the air pump 17 with an output different from the initially set value. For example, when the operator is not skilled in endoscopy,
In order to perform a stomach examination, by pressing the low selection button 23, the output which has been set at a medium level by the resistor 13 of the endoscope main body 1 can be switched to a low level.

Furthermore, if the resistor 13 provided in the endoscope main body 1 is not of this type but has a resistance value that differs depending on the site of use, inspection can be performed safely. For example, because the same type of endoscope body 1 may be used to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract and the stomach, it is important to memorize the typical areas of use for each endoscope body 1 of the same type. If you use a resistor 13 that produces a low output in the esophagus when examining tubes, and use a resistor 13 that produces a medium or high output when examining the stomach, the examination will be easier. It can increase safety and speed.

Next, a second embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the type of endoscope main body 1 and the means for detecting the site of use. In other words, this detection means includes first and second detection switches 24 and 25 provided in the air supply unit 14 and connected to the detection circuit 20, and protrudes into the air supply unit 14 provided protruding from the end face of the connector 5. Depending on the protrusion position of this protrusion 26, either the first detection switch 24 or the second detection switch 25 is closed, and this closing signal causes the air supply pump 17 to be set to a low or middle position, for example. It is designed to be driven by the output of In addition, if the connector 5 does not have a protrusion, the first and second
Since neither of the detection switches 24 and 25 is closed, the air supply pump 17 is driven at a high output at this time. Furthermore, two protrusions 26 are provided on the connector 5 to detect the first and second detection switches 24,
25 at the same time, the air pump 17 can be driven at another output, for example at a higher output than the highest. That is, according to this embodiment, the output of the air pump 17 can be automatically changed by determining the type of the endoscope body 1 or the four parts to be used.

Further, the detection means according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the protrusion length of the protrusion into the air supply unit may be changed and this may be detected. Alternatively, the reflectance may be changed and this may be detected by a photo sensor.

Furthermore, the output control of the air pump is not limited to the voltage control mentioned in the above embodiment, but may also be other electrical control such as so-called phase angle control, and furthermore, a variable throttle valve or relief valve may be installed in the middle of the air supply pipe. A controller may also be provided to control these pneumatic devices. Alternatively, a plurality of air pumps may be provided and these may be selectively driven.

In addition, if an inert gas cylinder such as carbon dioxide is installed instead of an air pump, and the gas pressure is controlled by a variable throttle valve, there is a risk of explosion when using an electric scalpel inside a body cavity. can be prevented.

As described above, in the present invention, a detection means for detecting this type is provided in the endoscope body, and the gas supply output is automatically controlled by a signal from the detection means. Therefore, the gas supply output can be set at an appropriate speed depending on the inspection site, so that endoscopy can be performed safely and quickly. For example, when a colon examination is performed after a stomach examination, or when a novice performs the examination after an expert, it is troublesome to manually change the gas supply output settings, and there is a risk of over-inflation due to forgetting to change the settings. Endoscopy can be performed without inviting the patient.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 1...Endoscope main body, 11, 16...Air supply tube, 13...Resistor, 17...Air supply pump, 19...
...Control circuit, 20...Detection circuit, 24, 25...
Detection switch, 26...protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an endoscope device in which gas from a gas supply source is guided to a ventilation conduit provided in an endoscope body, there is a device provided in the endoscope body that detects the type of the endoscope body. An endoscope apparatus comprising: a detection means; and a control means for receiving a signal from the detection means and controlling a gas supply output.