WO2009087880A1

WO2009087880A1 - Separation type endoscope

Info

Publication number: WO2009087880A1
Application number: PCT/JP2008/073111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kazuhiko Kubota; Hideya Kitagawa
Original assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
Priority date: 2008-01-07
Filing date: 2008-12-18
Publication date: 2009-07-16
Also published as: JP2009160224A

Abstract

A separation type endoscope (10) has a tubular separation section (12) and a base (14) that can be separated from each other. The tubular separation section (12) has at least one tube placed in the separation section. The base (14) has an insertion section (22) inserted in the tubular separation section and an operation section (24) provided at the base end of the insertion section. The insertion section of the base has a curved tube (32) having curved blocks (42) with the neutral axes of rotation of the curved blocks being substantially aligned with the center axis of the insertion section. The curved blocks has groove sections (50, 52, 54; 51; 50b, 52b, 54b; 50c, 52c, 54c; 50d, 52d; 50e, 52e, 54e) for receiving the tube placed in the separation section.

Description

Remote endoscope

The present invention relates to a separation type endoscope that is used by covering a base portion having an insertion portion on a reuse side with a cylindrical separation portion on a disposable side.

The separation-type endoscope is developed for the purpose of reducing the cleaning and sterilization work in the endoscope and improving the use efficiency of the endoscope. The separation type endoscope has a part that requires careful cleaning after the treatment of the endoscope as a disposable separation part, and a part that does not require careful cleaning as a reusable base part. The structure is separable (detachable).

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-89473 discloses a separation type endoscope. In the separation type endoscope, tubes such as a suction tube are disposed in a cylindrical separation portion. And the insertion part which has a bending tube is arrange | positioned by the base. When the separation portion and the base portion are combined, the tubes of the separation portion are disposed outside the bending tube, and these tubes run along substantially the entire length outside the insertion portion.

In the bending portion including the bending tube of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-89473, the tubes are arranged to be offset from the outside of the bending tube. And a deviation occurs in the central axis of the bending tube. Therefore, when the bending portion is bent, the bending amount and the curvature radius of the bending portion may change depending on the bending direction of the bending portion. For this reason, depending on the direction of the insertion portion of the endoscope in the circumferential direction, the operability may be affected when the bending portion is bent. In addition, when the bending portion is bent, if the bending amount or the radius of curvature is asymmetric depending on the bending direction, it becomes difficult to control the bending amount by the bending operation of the operation unit, which may affect operability. . That is, in the separation type endoscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-89473, there is a concern that the bending shape when the bending tube of the bending portion bends becomes non-uniform.

An object of the present invention is to provide a separation type endoscope in which the bending amount of the bending portion can be made substantially constant at any position.

A separation type endoscope according to the present invention includes a cylindrical separation portion in which at least one tube is disposed, an insertion portion to be inserted into the cylindrical separation portion, and a proximal end portion of the insertion portion. It has a structure which can attach and detach the base which has the provided operation part. And the said insertion part of the said base is provided with the bending pipe | tube which was arranged in the state which has the some curved piece and the neutral axis of each rotation of the said bending piece substantially corresponded with the center axis | shaft of the said insertion part. The curved piece includes a groove portion that accommodates the tube disposed in the separation portion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing a separation type endoscope according to the first and second embodiments. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where the separation part and the base part of the separation type endoscope according to the first and second embodiments are being combined or being separated. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a schematic perspective view showing a distal end imaging unit and an imaging cable of the observation optical system of the separation type endoscope according to the first and second embodiments. FIG. 4B is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the distal-end imaging unit of the observation optical system of the separation type endoscope according to the first and second embodiments. FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a distal end hard portion, a curved tube outer skin, a flexible portion, a connection base, and tubes of the separation portion of the separation type endoscope according to the first and second embodiments. is there. FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a bending portion of an insertion portion of a separation type endoscope according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6B is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6C is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6D is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6E is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6F is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6G is a modification of the schematic cross-sectional view of the bending portion of the insertion portion of the separation type endoscope according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an endoscope 10 according to this embodiment is a separation-type endoscope that can be separated into a plurality of parts such as a disposable part and a reuse part. The separation endoscope 10 is configured in a state in which a separation part 12 as a disposable part and a base part 14 as a reuse part used together with the separation part 12 and attached to the separation part 12 are combined.

The base 14 includes a long and flexible inserted portion 22, an operation portion 24 disposed on the proximal side of the inserted portion 22, and a universal cord 26 extending from the side portion of the operation portion 24. It has. A connector 28 detachably connected to a control unit (not shown) is disposed at the extended end of the universal cord 26. In addition, each apparatus for air supply, water supply, and suction is connected to the control unit. The air supply, water supply, and suction devices are controlled by a control unit.

The operation unit 24 also serves as a gripping unit when the separate endoscope 10 is used, and is a knob (not shown) that is operated to bend a bending tube (bending portion) 32 described later of the insertion portion 22. Is arranged. As shown in FIG. 2, an air / water supply tube 104 (air supply tube 104a, water supply tube 104b), which will be described later, disposed on the separation unit 12 side, and a suction tube 106 are connected to the separation unit 12 and the base unit 14. When the combined separated endoscope 10 is used, it is disposed along the outside of the operation unit 24 and is disposed along the outside of the universal cord 26.

The inserted portion 22 includes a bending tube (bending portion) 32, an observation optical system 34, and an operation wire 36 that connects the bending tube 32 and the operation unit 24.
The bending tube 32 includes a plurality of bending pieces 42 that are aligned adjacent to each other in the axial direction and that are rotatably connected to each other. Each curved piece 42 shown in FIG. 3 is formed in, for example, a solid and thin cylindrical shape (disk) in the axial direction. Each bending piece 42 is attached to the base portion 14 side, a main body 44 made of a solid portion, joints (top connection portions) 46 provided at four positions so as to be connected to the adjacent bending pieces 42. An annular perforation (imaging cable arrangement part) 48 in which the imaging cable 74 is arranged, and a groove part (to be described later) attached to the separation unit 12 side in which an air supply tube 104a, a water supply tube 104b and a suction tube 106 are arranged. An air supply tube groove 50, a water supply tube groove 52, and a suction tube groove 54).

Here, assuming that the outer periphery of the bending piece 42 is circular, an appropriate position with respect to the central axis of the bending piece 42 is defined as 0 degree. The joint 46 is formed at a position on one side and the other side distal to the central axis of the bending piece 42 and at a position facing the central axis of the bending piece 42. Note that if the joint 46 is formed on one side of the bending piece 42 at positions of 0 degrees and 180 degrees with respect to the central axis, the other side is formed at positions of 90 degrees and 270 degrees. The bending pieces 42 are connected to each other by inserting pins or the like into holes (not shown) of the joints 46 of the adjacent bending pieces 42 arranged in a predetermined direction. In this way, the plurality of bending pieces 42 are aligned and connected to form the bending tube 32 having one central axis. For this reason, the bending tube 32 can be bent substantially symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the bending tube 32.

The

groove portions

50, 52, and 54 of the curved piece 42 are not annular, that is, have an opening formed on the outer peripheral side, are not closed, and are attached to the separation portion 12 side. When the water supply tube 104b and the suction tube 106 are brought into contact with and separated from the central axis of the bending piece 42 through the opening on the outer peripheral side, the water supply tube 104b and the suction tube 106 can be disposed and separated from the

grooves

50, 52, and 54.

For this reason, for example, after using the endoscope 10 (after using the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106), the inserted portion cover portion 92 of the separation portion 12 and the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 are moved. After the separation, when the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106 on the separation unit 12 side are separated from the curved tube 32, the end portions (base end portions) of the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106 are separated. ) Are connected to the respective devices for air supply, water supply, and suction, and the

tubes

104 a, 104 b, and 106 are bent into the curved tube 32 while the other end (tip) is fixed to the tip hard portion 102. Can be disengaged from. Therefore, the ends of the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106, in other words, any of the ends of the

tubes

104a, 104b, 106 are prevented from touching the bending tube 32.

Further, the

groove portions

50, 52, and 54 of the curved piece 42 have, for example, a depth larger than the outer diameter size according to the outer diameter of each of the

tubes

104a, 104b, and 106, and The inner peripheral surface is formed into a curved surface such as a smooth circle by matching the radius of the bottom surface of the

grooves

50, 52, and 54 with the radius of each of the

tubes

104a, 104b, and 106.
Further, the

groove portions

50 and 52 of the bending piece 42 are formed substantially symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the bending piece 42. Further, the cross-sectional area of the perforation 48 and the groove portion 54 is closer than the cross-sectional areas of the

other grooves

50 and 52 and the wire insertion holes 62, 64, 66 and 68, etc. On the other hand, it is formed substantially symmetrical. For this reason, it is possible to reduce a difference in force required when the bending tube 32 is bent, particularly in a state where the

tubes

104a and 104b are disposed on the bending piece 42. Therefore, when the bending tube 32 is bent, the

tubes

104a and 104b can be bent with respect to the substantially symmetrical axis with the same force, and the bending tube 32 is bent substantially symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the bending tube 32. Can be made.

Furthermore, each of the bending pieces 42 is formed with four (two pairs) of wire insertion holes 62, 64, 66, and 68 through which the operation wires 36 are inserted. The wire insertion holes 62, 64, 66 and 68 are formed inside the joints 46 and at positions adjacent to the joints 46. However, these wire insertion holes 62, 64, 66, and 68 are not necessarily formed at positions of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees with respect to the central axis of the bending piece 42 where the joint 46 is located. Absent. For example, the position of the wire insertion hole 62 is allowed to deviate from a range of about 5 degrees to 10 degrees with respect to a position of 0 degrees. Further, the position of the wire insertion hole 64 is preferably at a position of 180 degrees opposite to the 0 degree position of the wire insertion hole 62, but similarly, a deviation in the range of about 5 degrees to 10 degrees is allowable. Is done. Further, the same range deviation with respect to the wire insertion holes 66 and 68 at the opposing positions such as 90 degrees and 270 degrees is also allowed. In this embodiment, the wire insertion hole 68 is at a position of 270 degrees.
Such displacement of the wire insertion holes 62, 64, 66, and 68 is allowed, for example, with respect to the adjacent bending pieces 42 using the joints 46 where the bending pieces 42 are positioned at 0 degrees and 180 degrees. Even when the positions of the wire insertion holes 62 and 64 are deviated from the positions of 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the influence on the joint 46 at the positions of 90 degrees and 270 degrees is so small that it can be ignored. Because.

The distal end of the operation wire 36 is fixed to the bending piece 42 on the most distal end side of the bending tube 32. The proximal end of the operation wire 36 extends further to the proximal end side through the bending piece 42 on the most proximal side of the bending tube 32 and is connected to a knob (not shown) of the operation unit 24. Further, among the bending pieces 42, a coil sheath (a tubular body in which a metal wire is tightly wound) in which each of the operation wires 36 is inserted between the bending piece 42 closest to the operation portion 24 and the operation portion 24. 36a is arranged. Only a part of the coil sheath 36a is shown in FIG.

4A and 4B, the observation optical system 34 includes an imaging unit 72 and an imaging cable 74 extended from the imaging unit 72. The imaging unit 72 includes a bottomed cylindrical main body 82, a small light source 84 such as an LED, an objective optical system 86, and an imaging element 88 such as a CCD or CMOS.

At the tip of the main body 82, for example, light sources 84 are arranged at four locations. An objective optical system 86 is disposed inside the main body 82, and an image sensor 88 is disposed on the optical axis of the objective optical system 86. An imaging cable 74 extends from the imaging element 88 so as to penetrate the bottom of the main body 82. Therefore, the subject is illuminated with light emitted from the small light source 84, and the illuminated light is incident on the objective optical system 86 to form an image. Then, the image is picked up by the image pickup device 88, subjected to photoelectric conversion, and the information is transmitted to the control device (not shown) through the image pickup cable 74.

An annular convex portion 82a is formed on the base end portion of the main body 82 of the imaging unit 72 so as to be inserted from the distal end side with respect to the most distal bending piece 42 of the bending tube 32 and fixed by fitting. ing. For this reason, the imaging unit 72 is prevented from moving in the axial direction at the distal end of the bending tube 32. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the main body 82 is fixed to the main body 82 of the imaging unit 72 so as to be detachable (removable) in a state in which the orientation of the imaging unit 72 is defined with respect to the distal end hard portion 102 described later. A protrusion 82b is formed on the surface. The protrusion 82b is positioned by fitting into a recess formed in the hard tip portion 102. For this reason, the imaging unit 72 is prevented from rotating with respect to the distal end hard portion 102 during observation of the subject. That is, the observation image is prevented from rotating freely even when the imaging cable 74 is affected by bending of the bending tube 32 or the flexible portion 110 described later during observation of the subject. .

The imaging cable 74 extended from the distal end imaging unit 72 is extended from the proximal end of the bending tube 32 through the perforation 48 (see FIG. 3) of each bending piece 42. The extended end of the imaging cable 74 is fixed to the connector 28 through the operation unit 24 and the universal cord 26. For this reason, since the imaging cable 74 can be accommodated inside the outermost periphery of the bending piece 42, the central axis of the bending tube 32 and the central axis of the bending portion 152 in which the separation portion 12 and the base portion 14 are combined. Can be substantially matched. Therefore, when the bending portion 152 combining the separation portion 12 and the base portion 14 is bent, the bending amount can be made substantially constant at any position.

As shown in FIG. 1, the separation unit 12 includes an inserted portion cover portion 92, an operation portion cover portion 94, and a universal cord cover portion 96. The inserted portion cover portion 92 covers the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 inserted into the cover portion 92, the operation portion cover portion 94 covers the operation portion 24, and the universal code cover portion 96 The universal cord 26 is covered. Here, the operation portion cover portion 94 and the universal cord cover portion 96 are thin and soft, for example, a polymer material such as a fluorine-based resin material. It is formed in a sheet shape so as to cover the cord 26. In addition, it is also preferable that the operation part cover part 94 and the universal code cover part 96 are integrally formed, for example.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the inserted portion cover portion 92 on the separation portion 12 side includes a distal end hard portion 102, an air / water supply tube 104, a suction tube 106, and a curved tube outer skin. 108, a flexible portion (hard skin) 110, and a connection base 112.

The distal end hard portion 102 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by, for example, a hard resin material or stainless steel material. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the distal end hard portion 102 has

openings

122 and 124 in which the air / water supply tube 104 (see FIG. 5), the suction tube 106 and the observation optical system 34 described above are disposed. , 126 are formed. An observation window 128 arranged at a position where the objective optical system 86 of the imaging unit 72 of the observation optical system 34 faces is fixed to one of the

openings

122, 124, and 126. The observation window 128 also serves as an illumination window from which illumination light is emitted from the light source 84 of the imaging unit 72 of the observation optical system 34. Further, the distal ends of the air / water feeding tube 104 and the suction tube 106 are fixed to the remaining

openings

124 and 126, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 5, the air / water supply tube 104 is fixed as one tube to the opening 124 of the distal end hard portion 102, but at the base end side, the air supply tube 104 a and the water supply tube 104 b It is branched to.

The suction tube 106 is also used as a treatment instrument insertion channel. 1 and 2, the suction tube 106 is formed with a side branch 106a, and has a forceps plug (not shown) at its end.

The bending tube outer skin 108 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by a resin material such as a rubber material having substantially the same length as the bending tube 32 of the base portion 14. The distal end portion of the bending tube outer skin 108 is fixed to the proximal end side of the distal end hard portion 102, and the proximal end portion is fixed to the distal end side of the cylindrical connection base 112.

The flexible portion 110 is formed to have a length substantially equal to or shorter than the length between the bending tube 32 and the operation portion 24 so that the operation wire 36 and the imaging cable 74 are disposed therein. The flexible portion 110 includes a flex (spiral tube) 132, a blade 134 disposed outside the flex 132, and a resin tube 136 made of a resin material disposed outside the blade 134. Yes. And this flexible part 110 is formed in the substantially cylindrical shape.

The distal end portion of the flexible portion 110 is fixed to the proximal end side of the cylindrical connection base 112. On the other hand, a connecting portion 138 is provided at the base end portion of the flexible portion 110 so as to be detachably connected to the operation portion 24 of the base portion 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection portion 138 can be fixed to the distal end side of the operation portion 24 by various means such as screwing and engagement. The connection portion 138 extends the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106 disposed inside the flexible portion 110 from the connection portion 138 to the outside of the operation portion 24, and Appropriate means for sealing the inside of the separation type endoscope 10 when the separation unit 12 is connected is provided.

Next, the operation of the endoscope 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
When the separation endoscope 10 is used, the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 is combined with the inserted portion cover portion 92 of the separating portion 12. That is, the distal end of the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 is inserted in a state of facing the distal end surface of the distal end hard portion 102 through the flexible portion 110 of the inserted portion cover portion 92 and the bending tube outer skin 108. For this reason, the imaging unit 72 of the observation optical system 34 of the insertion portion 22 of the base portion 14 is disposed at a predetermined position of the distal end hard portion 102 of the insertion portion cover portion 92. Specifically, the objective optical system 86 of the imaging unit 72 provided at the distal end portion of the bending tube 32 of the insertion portion 22 of the base portion 14 is disposed in a state of facing the observation window 128 of the distal end hard portion 102.

Thus, when the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 is inserted into the inserted portion cover portion 92, the bending tube 32 of the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14 follows the imaging portion 72 of the observation optical system 34. Then, it is inserted into the inserted portion cover portion 92. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the air supply tube 104 a in the inserted portion cover portion 92 is disposed in the air supply tube groove 50 of each bending piece 42 of the bending tube 32, and the water supply tube 104 b is arranged in each bending piece 42. The suction tube 106 is disposed in the suction tube groove 54 of each bending piece 42.

And the front end side of the operation part 24 of the base 14 and the connection part 138 of the to-be-inserted part cover part 92 of the isolation | separation part 12 are fixed so that attachment or detachment is possible. At this time, the operation unit 24 and the flexible unit 110 are fixed so as not to move in either the axial direction or the circumferential direction. Further, the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106 are exposed from the rear end side of the connection portion 138 along the outside of the operation portion 24 and the outside of the universal cord 26.
In this way, the insertion portion 150 of the separation-type endoscope 10 that is actually inserted into the lumen is assembled. At this time, the assembled insertion portion 150 includes a bending portion 152 having the bending tube 32 of the base portion 14 and the bending tube outer skin 108 of the separation portion 12.

Then, the operation portion cover portion 94 and the universal cord cover portion 96 are put on the operation portion 24 and the universal cord 26, respectively. Further, the end of the air supply tube 104a is disposed in the air supply device of the control unit, the end of the water supply tube 104b is disposed in the water supply device, and the end of the suction tube 106 is disposed in the suction device.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, only the cylindrical bent tube outer skin 108 is disposed outside the bent tube 32. For this reason, the virtual central axis (neutral axis) of the bending of the bending tube 32 and the portion where the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed on the bending tube 32 (the bending portion 152 of the insertion portion 150 of the separation-type endoscope 10). The virtual center axis is substantially coincident (including coincidence). When the bending tube 32 is bent in a desired direction by operating the operation unit 24 of the separation-type endoscope 10 in this state, the insertion of the endoscope 10 in which the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed on the bending tube 32 is inserted. The bending amount of the bending portion 152 of the portion 150 is bent by the same bending amount and the same curvature radius in any of the four (two pairs) directions. Therefore, there is no difference in the bending performance depending on the circumferential direction of the portion where the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed on the bending tube 32, and the state where the bending operability is good is maintained.

That is, there is no difference in the bending performance of the bending portion 152 of the insertion portion 150 when the insertion portion 150 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into a narrow portion such as a body cavity and the operation portion 24 is operated. Even if it is rotated around the axis, the same bending property is always maintained in the bending portion 152, so that the same operability can be maintained.

In addition, after using the separation-type endoscope 10, the insertion portion cover portion 92 from the insertion portion 22 of the base portion 14, the operation portion 24 of the base portion 14 to the operation portion cover portion 94, and the universal cord 26 of the base portion 14 to the universal cord The cover portions 96 are removed and discarded.

When removing the inserted portion cover portion 92 of the separating portion 12 from the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14, the engagement between the operation portion 24 of the base portion 14 and the connecting portion 138 of the inserted portion cover portion 92 is released. In this state, the inserted portion cover portion 92 and the base portion 14 are separated. At this time, the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b, and the suction tube 106 are removed in a direction away from the central axis of the bending tube 32 of the base portion 14 while pulling out the base portion 14 from the inserted portion cover portion 92. Specifically, the air supply tube 104 a is detached from the opening of the air supply tube groove 50 of each curved piece 42, the water supply tube 104 b is detached from the opening of the water supply tube groove 52, and the opening of the suction tube groove 54 is removed. The suction tube 106 is removed.

At this time, the distal ends of the air / water supply tube 104 and the suction tube 106 are fixed to the distal end hard portion 102 of the inserted portion cover portion 92, and the proximal ends of the air supply tube 104a, the water supply tube 104b and the suction tube 106 are supplied with air. It is connected to each device for water supply and suction. The

tubes

104a, 104b, and 106 are disposed along the outside of the operation unit 24 and the universal cord 26. Here, there is a possibility that liquid, gas, or the like that has passed through the inside of each tube 104 (104a, 104b), 106 may adhere to the inserted portion 22, the operation portion 24, and the universal cord 26 of the base portion 14. 104 (104a, 104b) and 106 are in contact with the end portions (the front end and the base end). However, the distal end and the proximal end of each tube 104 (104a, 104b), 106 are fixed or connected when the base portion 14 and the separation portion 12 are separated from each other, so that contact with the base portion 14 is prevented. Has been. Therefore, when the inserted portion cover portion 92 of the separating portion 12 is removed from the inserted portion 22 of the base portion 14, the ends of the tubes 104 (104a, 104b) and 106 are inserted into the inserted portion 22, the operating portion 24, and the universal cord. Since it is prevented from touching 26, the necessity of cleaning the base portion 14 can be suppressed as much as possible.

The operation unit cover unit 94 and the universal cord cover unit 96 are connected to the operation unit cover unit 94 and the universal cord after the tubes 104 (104a, 104b) and 106 are removed from the air supply, water supply, and suction devices. It is preferable to remove the

tubes

104 a, 104 b, and 106 disposed inside the cover portion 96. As a result, the ends of the tubes 104 (104a, 104b) and 106 are prevented from touching the operation unit 24 and the universal cord 26.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the following can be said.
In a state where the base portion 14 is connected to the inserted portion cover portion 92, the central axis of the bending tube 32 and the central axis of the portion where the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed on the bending tube 32 are substantially matched (including coincidence). it can. Therefore, when the bending tube 32 is bent by operating the operation unit 24, the central axis of the bending tube 32 and the insertion portion 150 of the separation type endoscope 10 in which the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed on the bending tube 32. In a state where the central axis of the curved portion 152 is substantially coincident, the curved portion 152 can be curved so as to have an even amount of curvature and a radius of curvature in the opposing pair of directions. Therefore, even when the insertion portion 150 of the endoscope 10 is rotated about its axis, the curvature of the bending portion 152 does not vary depending on the direction in the circumferential direction. If it does so, the same operativity can be acquired about the curvature of the bending part 152 of the insertion part 150 of the endoscope 10 irrespective of the curved direction.

The distal ends of various tubes such as the air / water supply tubes 104 (104a, 104b) and the suction tube 106 are arranged in the inserted portion cover portion 92, and the base ends are connected to the air supply, water supply, and suction devices. In this state, the inserted portion cover portion 92 and the base portion 14 can be separated. As described above, when the base portion 14 is removed from the insertion portion cover portion 92, the end portions of the

tubes

104 a, 104 b, and 106 disposed on the insertion portion cover portion 92 are brought into contact with the operation portion 24 and the universal cord 26. Therefore, the cleaning of the base portion 14 can be simplified as much as possible.

In this embodiment, the light source 84 is described as being disposed in the observation optical system 34. However, it is also preferable that an illumination optical system (not shown) is provided separately from the observation optical system 34. is there.

In this embodiment, the base portion 14 has been described as being reused. However, it is naturally preferable that the base portion 14 itself is a disposable portion.

Further, it is also preferable that the flexible portion 110 of the inserted portion cover portion 92 is formed as a hard pipe using, for example, a stainless steel pipe material. In this case, it is also preferable that the hard pipe and the connection base 112 are formed as an integral member.

In this embodiment, the observation optical system 34 is described as having the imaging unit 72 and the imaging cable 74. However, an objective lens unit is used instead of the imaging unit 72, and an image guide bundle is used instead of the imaging cable 74. It is also suitable. Further, it is also preferable that an illumination optical system having an illumination lens and a light guide bundle is provided separately from the observation optical system 34 instead of the light source 84. In this case, the light guide bundle of the illumination optical system is arranged in a different annular hole shape (opening) different from the opening formed as the perforation 48 of each bending piece 42 in a state of being arranged in parallel with the observation optical system 34. It is preferred that

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6G. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The same members as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
In this embodiment, a modified example of the shape of the curved piece 42 is illustrated. 6A to 6G show an example in which the bending tube outer skin 108 is disposed outside the bending piece 42.

The curved piece 42 shown in FIG. 6A has one air / water supply tube in which an air supply tube groove 50 and a water supply tube groove 52 (see FIG. 3) in which the air supply tube 104a and the water supply tube 104b are arranged are formed together. This is an example having a groove 51. In FIG. 6A, the

tubes

104a and 104b are disposed adjacent to each other in the radial direction of the substantially circular curved piece 42. For example, one

tube

104a and 104b are disposed adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. It is also preferable that an air / water supply tube groove (not shown) is formed.

The bending piece 42 shown in FIG. 6B has an example in which the outside of the bending piece 42 is opened, but the amount of opening is smaller than the outer diameter of each

tube

104a, 104b, 106. It is. Each

tube

104a, 104b, 106 is made of a flexible material such as a silicone material. For this reason, if each

tube

104a, 104b, 106 is elastically deformed when each

tube

104a, 104b, 106 is arrange | positioned in the groove |

channel

50b, 52b, 54b of the curved piece 42, each

tube

104a, 104b, 106 will be made. Each

groove

50b, 52b, 54b can be disposed. Further, since the bending tube 32 is formed, when the inserted portion cover portion 92 is disposed on the base portion 14, only the

tubes

104a, 104b, and 106 are formed in the

grooves

50b, 52b, and 54b of the bending tube 32 first. It can be arranged. As described above, when the base portion 14 is disposed in the inserted portion cover portion 92, the

tubes

104 a, 104 b, 106 are prevented from dropping from the

grooves

50 b, 52 b, 54 b of the bending piece 42. Can be arranged. That is, the

tubes

104a, 104b, and 106 disposed in the

grooves

50b, 52b, and 54b of the bending tube 32 of the base portion 14 are difficult to drop out of the

grooves

50b, 52b, and 54b, so that the separation portion 12 and the base portion 14 can be easily combined. Can be done. On the other hand, when removing the

tubes

104a, 104b, 106 from the

grooves

50b, 52b, 54b of the bending piece 42, it is only necessary to elastically deform the

tubes

104a, 104b, 106, so that they can be easily removed.

The curved piece 42 shown in FIG. 6C is an

example having grooves

50c, 52c, 54c in which the outside of the curved piece 42 is opened and the central axis side is formed in a rectangular shape.

The curved piece 42 shown in FIG. 6D is an

example having grooves

50d and 52d formed in a convex shape in a direction away from the central axis side of the curved piece 42.

The curved piece 42 shown in FIG. 6E is an

example having grooves

50e, 52e, and 54e from which excess meat has been removed in order to reduce the weight. For example, the portion where the imaging cable 74 is disposed (imaging cable placement portion) is also formed as a groove portion 48e, not the perforation 48 (see FIGS. 3 and 6A to D).

FIG. 6F is an example in which a plurality of protrusions 56 are formed in the

grooves

50, 52, and 54 with respect to the curved piece 42 described in the first embodiment. These protrusions 56 reduce the contact area between the

tubes

104a, 104b, 106 and the curved surfaces of the

grooves

50, 52, 54 and reduce the frictional force, so that the sliding between the

tubes

104a, 104b, 106 and the curved surface is improved. can do. For this reason, when bending the bending tube 32, it can carry out more smoothly.

FIG. 6G shows an example in which the main body 44 of the bending piece 42 is formed hollow. With such a structure, the bending piece 42 can be reduced in weight, and the bending tube 32 can be reduced in weight. Accordingly, the weight of the base 14 of the endoscope 10 can be reduced. That is, the weight of the endoscope 10 can be reduced.

Note that the modifications shown in FIGS. 6A to 6G are not shown and described, but it is also preferable to use them in appropriate combinations.

Although several embodiments have been specifically described so far with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all the embodiments performed without departing from the scope of the invention are described. Including implementation.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a separation type endoscope in which the bending amount of the bending portion can be made substantially constant at any position.

Claims

A cylindrical separator (12) having at least one tube disposed on the inside;
A base portion (14) having an inserted portion (22) to be inserted into the cylindrical separation portion and an operation portion (24) provided at a base end portion of the inserted portion;
The insertion portion of the base has a plurality of bending pieces (42), and each of the bending pieces is aligned in a state in which a neutral axis of rotation of each of the bending pieces is substantially coincident with a central axis of the insertion portion. 32)
The curved piece is a groove (50, 52, 54; 51; 50b, 52b, 54b; 50c, 52c, 54c; 50d, 52d; 50e, 52e, 54e) that accommodates the tube disposed in the separating portion. A separation-type endoscope (10) comprising:
The insertion part (22) of the base part (14) includes an imaging part (72) for imaging the subject through the separation part (12), and an observation cable having a cable (74) extended from the imaging part. An optical system (34),
The curved frame (42) includes a cable arrangement portion (48) in which the cable of the observation optical system is arranged,
2. The separation type endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the cable extends from a proximal end side of the bending tube through the cable placement portion of the bending piece. (10).
The top connection part (46) which connects the said curved pieces is arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the outer peripheral part of the said curved piece (42) at substantially equal intervals, The Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The separate type endoscope (10).
In the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the bending piece (42), operation wire insertion holes (62, 64, 66, 68) in which the operation wires (36) are arranged are arranged at substantially equal intervals. The separation type endoscope (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The grooves (50, 52, 54; 51; 50b, 52b, 54b; 50c, 52c, 54c; 50d, 52d; 50e, 52e, 54e) of the curved piece (42) pass through the center of the curved piece. The separation-type endoscope (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the separation-type endoscope (10) is arranged on an axis of symmetry.
The opening of the groove (50b, 52b, 54b) is formed narrower than the outermost diameter of the tube (104a, 104b, 106) inserted through the groove. The separation type endoscope (10) according to any one of the above.
The groove (50, 52, 54; 51; 50b, 52b, 54b; 50c, 52c, 54c; 50d, 52d; 50e, 52e, 54e) has an outer periphery of any of the tubes (104a, 104b, 106). The separation type endoscope (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a projection (56) is provided for contacting with the endoscope.