WO2019225082A1

WO2019225082A1 - Endoscope

Info

Publication number: WO2019225082A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/006312
Authority: WO
Inventors: 安久井　伸章
Original assignee: オリンパス株式会社
Priority date: 2018-05-25
Filing date: 2019-02-20
Publication date: 2019-11-28
Also published as: JP2021168711A

Abstract

An endoscope 1 has: an insertion part 2 that is a tube body; an operation part 3 that is connected to the insertion part 2 and that has provided thereto a connector part 22 for supplying or sucking in a liquid R; an optical unit 10 that is provided to the leading end of the insertion part 2 and that has provided thereto an observation part 15 and an illumination part 16; a first transmission member 11 that is connected to the observation part 15; and a second transmission member 12 that is connected to the illumination part 16. The entirety of an internal space A of the tube body 2 constitutes a flow channel of the liquid R, and the first transmission member 11 and the second transmission member 12 are arranged in the flow channel.

Description

Endoscope

The present invention relates to an endoscope having a tube-like insertion portion for feeding or draining liquid to a subject.

As is well known, endoscopes are widely used for observation and treatment of living bodies (inside body cavities), inspections and repairs in industrial plant facilities, and the like. Some of such endoscopes have a thin insertion portion so that the insertion portion can be inserted into a thin lumen.

For example, a ureteroscope used for pulverizing and collecting urinary calculus is known as an endoscope having such a small-diameter insertion portion. This ureteroscope is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-187554.

By the way, the endoscope as a ureteroscope used for the treatment of urinary calculus is finely pulverized by using a thin laser probe, and the calculus is naturally discharged from the ureter by liquid feeding, or liquid feeding Later, a procedure of sucking and draining is performed.

However, even if a conventional endoscope uses a small-diameter laser probe, it is necessary to secure a liquid feeding amount for securing a visual field, and there is a limit to reducing the inner diameter of the liquid feeding conduit. There was a problem. Therefore, the conventional endoscope has a problem that the outer diameter of the insertion portion cannot be reduced, and there is a limit to reducing the diameter of the insertion portion.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an endoscope having a smaller diameter insertion portion that can secure the amount of fluid to be fed and discharged for a predetermined procedure. It is an object.

An endoscope according to an aspect of the present invention is provided at an insertion portion of a tube body, an operation portion connected to the insertion portion and provided with a connector portion for supplying or sucking a liquid, and a distal end of the insertion portion, An optical unit provided with an observation unit and an illumination unit; a first transmission member connected to the observation unit; and a second transmission member connected to the illumination unit; The entire space constitutes the liquid flow path, and the first transmission member and the second transmission member are disposed in the flow path.

Plan view showing the configuration of the endoscope of the present embodiment The perspective view which shows the structure of the front-end | tip part part of an insertion part similarly The perspective view showing the configuration of the bending tube The perspective view which shows the structure of an optical unit similarly Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the front-end | tip part part of an insertion part similarly FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the insertion portion taken along line VI-VI in FIG. Sectional drawing showing the configuration of the operation unit The perspective view which shows the structure of the front-end | tip part part of the insertion part of a modification same as the above The perspective view which shows the structure of the optical unit of a modification same as the above Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the operation part of a modification

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used in the following description, the scales are different for each component in order to make each component recognizable on the drawing, and the present invention is shown in these drawings. It is not limited only to the quantity of the described component, the shape of the component, the ratio of the size of the component, and the relative positional relationship of each component. Moreover, in the following description, the up-down direction seen toward the paper surface of a figure may be described as the upper part and the lower part of a component.
1 is a plan view showing a configuration of an endoscope according to one aspect, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a distal end portion of an insertion portion, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a bending tube, and FIG. 4 is an optical unit. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the insertion portion along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is the configuration of the operation portion. It is sectional drawing shown.

First, the endoscope of the present embodiment will be described below. In addition, the endoscope here illustrates the ureteroscope used for the treatment etc. of a urinary calculus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment has an insertion portion 2 and an operation portion 3.
The insertion portion 2 is formed from a resin tube body, and has a bending portion 4 at a distal end portion and a serpentine portion 5 connected to the bending portion 4.

In addition, the insertion part 2 is good also as a torque tube of the three-layer structure which forms the curved part 4 from a flexible tube body, and the serpentine tube part 5 is formed from a spiral tube, a braid | blade which is a metal net tube, a resin sheath.

Furthermore, the serpentine tube portion 5 may be formed of a metal tube such as stainless steel or a hard resin, and may be a so-called rigid endoscope insertion portion 2.

In the bending portion 4, a bending tube 6 formed of a super elastic tube is disposed. In this bending tube 6, one end of each of the two

operation wires

7 and 8 is connected here.

The insertion unit 2 is provided with an optical unit 10 at the inner periphery of the tip. An image guide 11 and a light guide 12 which will be described later are extended from the optical unit 10.

The operation unit 3 is provided with a bending operation lever 21 that rotates a bending operation mechanism such as a sprocket and a pulley (not shown) to which the other ends of the two

operation wires

7 and 8 are connected. That is, by the turning operation of the bending operation lever 21, the two

operation wires

7 and 8 are pulled and loosened, and the bending portion 4 is bent in two directions.

Here, the bending portion 4 is illustrated as being configured to bend in two directions, up and down, but may be configured to bend in four directions, up, down, left and right, with four

operation wires

7 and 8.

In addition, the operation unit 3 is provided with a fluid connector unit 22 having a base on which a tube (not shown) for supplying or sucking a liquid such as physiological saline can be attached and detached.

The image guide 11 and the light guide 12 extending from the optical unit 10 are inserted into the insertion portion 2. The image guide 11 and the light guide 12 are accommodated in a cable 9 extending from the operation unit 3.

The image guide 11 and the light guide 12 are arranged up to an endoscope connector (not shown) provided at the end of the cable 9. This endoscope connector is connected to a light source device, a video processor, or the like, which is an external device.

Note that the operation unit 3 may be configured to have an eyepiece, and the image guide 11 may be connected to the eyepiece.

The bending tube 6 provided in the bending portion 4 is a member mainly composed of a cylindrical superelastic alloy pipe. Examples of the superelastic alloy material constituting the bending tube 6 include Ni—Ti (nickel titanium), titanium alloy, beta titanium, pure titanium, 64 titanium, and A7075 (aluminum alloy). Further, the bending tube 6 may be formed of a resin pipe.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bending tube 6 is formed with a plurality of bending slots 6a whose basic shape is a partially arc-shaped elongated hole extending in the circumferential direction at a predetermined interval, for example, by laser processing or the like. Has been. The plurality of bending slots 6 a are alternately formed at upper and lower positions in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the bending tube 6.

Note that the two

operation wires

7 and 8 connected to the bending tube 6 are inserted into the

coil tubes

7a and 8a, respectively. Moreover, the structure which curves the bending part 4 may be the structure of the bending piece group in which the several bending piece was connected rotatably, and the structure using a multi-lumen tube may be sufficient as it.

As shown in FIG. 4, the optical unit 10 is a block body provided with an observation lens 15 of an observation optical system serving as an observation window and an illumination lens 16 of an illumination optical system serving as an illumination window. The optical unit 10 is connected to an image guide 11 that transmits an observation image that enters the observation lens 15 and a light guide 12 that transmits illumination light emitted from the illumination lens 16.

The observation lens 15 constitutes an observation part provided in the optical unit 10, and the illumination lens 16 constitutes an illumination part provided in the optical unit 10.

The image guide 11 and the light guide 12 are transmission members, and a multi-core optical fiber bundle or a single-core optical fiber is covered with an outer skin that maintains watertightness. The observation lens 15 and the image guide 11 constitute an imaging means, and the illumination lens 16 and the light guide 12 constitute an illumination means.

The optical unit 10 is bonded and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the distal end of the insertion portion 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the image guide 11 and the light guide 12 extending from the optical unit 10 are disposed in the insertion portion 2 in a state of being inserted without being held.

The distal ends of the two

operation wires

7 and 8 are fixed to

wire clamps

17 a and 18 a provided above and below the distal inner circumference of the bending tube 6, and the distal ends of the

coil tubes

7 a and 8 a are within the proximal end of the bending tube 6. It is fixed to

coil clamps

17b and 18b provided above and below the peripheral portion. The two

coil tubes

7a and 8a through which the two

operation wires

7 and 8 are respectively inserted are arranged in the insertion portion 2 without being held.

That is, the image guide 11, the light guide 12, and the two

coil tubes

7a and 8a are not fixed in the space A in the insertion portion 2 as shown in FIG. It is inserted in the insertion part 2 toward.

As shown in FIG. 7, the operation unit 3 has two spaces B and C separated by a wall 25 inside. The space B is an internal space of the operation unit 3 with which the fluid connector unit 22 communicates.

The proximal end portions of the two

coil tubes

7a and 8a are fixed by the wall portion 25 on the space B side on the distal end side. The two

operation wires

7 and 8 inserted through the two

coil tubes

7a and 8a are inserted into the

holes

27 and 29 penetrating the wall portion 25 and extended to the space C on the proximal end side. It is connected to a mechanism (not shown).

The

pipes

23 and 24 inserted into the

holes

27 and 29 are fixed to the two

operation wires

7 and 8 on the space C side by soldering or the like. The

holes

27 and 29 are provided with O-

rings

26 and 28 as seal members.

That is, the two

pipes

23 and 24 are disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat in a state in which the outer peripheral surface is in close contact with the O-

rings

26 and 28 and the watertightness is maintained. Thereby, the watertightness of the space B and the space C is maintained.

Further, the image guide 11 and the light guide 12 are extended from the space B into the space C through the through holes 25 a formed in the wall portion 25. And the water-tightness of the space B and the space C is hold | maintained by filling the adhesive agent 13 etc. in the through-hole 25a.

As described above, the operation unit 3 has two spaces B and C in which watertightness is maintained. That is, the operation unit 3 has a structure in which liquid does not flow from the space B into the space C.

In the endoscope 1 configured as described above, a tube is connected to the fluid connector portion 22, and physiological saline as fluid R is supplied or body fluid, supplied physiological saline and the like are sucked. A flow path when the fluid R flows in or out is a space A inside the insertion portion 2 and a space B inside the operation portion 3.

In particular, in the insertion portion 2, the entire internal space A into which the two

coil tubes

7a and 8a through which the image guide 11, the light guide 12 and the

operation wires

7 and 8 are inserted serves as a flow path for the fluid R, respectively.

That is, the insertion portion 2 is formed of a tube body, and the constituent elements of the two

coil tubes

7a and 8a including the image guide 11, the light guide 12, and the

operation wires

7 and 8 are inserted into the same space A in the tube body. It is the composition arranged.

And, in the space A inside the insertion part 2, all the parts excluding the components that are inserted and disposed serve as a fluid flow path.

Thus, in the endoscope 1, the liquid feeding / suction conduit is not provided in the insertion portion 2, and the space A inside the insertion portion 2 constitutes the liquid feeding / suction conduit. Thereby, the endoscope 1 can also reduce the cost at the time of providing a liquid feeding / suction pipe, and can be set as an inexpensive structure.

Furthermore, even if the endoscope 1 secures a flow rate necessary for supplying a fluid R such as saline after pulverizing the ureteral calculus or sucking the fluid R in the ureter, Since the space A inside the insertion portion 2 serves as a flow path, the insertion portion 2 can be made thinner than the conventional one. As a result, the endoscope 1 can be reduced in diameter by reducing the outer diameter of the insertion portion 2, so that the insertion property into the subject is improved.

(Modification)
8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the modification, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the optical unit of the modification, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the operation unit of the modification. is there.
As shown in FIG. 8, the endoscope 1 here has improved the insertability of the insertion portion 2 into the subject, with the tip portion of the insertion portion 2 cut obliquely such as a bullet shape. It has a configuration.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the optical unit 10 disposed at the distal end portion of the insertion unit 2 is mounted with a lens-integrated image sensor 31 as an observation unit and a light emitting diode (LED) 32 as an illumination unit. Molded Interconnect Device (MID).

The optical unit 10 has a configuration in which an imaging cable 34 connected to the lens-integrated imaging device 31 and an electric cable 35 connected to the LED 32 extend. The imaging cable 34 and the electric cable 35 are transmission members and have a waterproof structure covered with an outer cover.

In addition, the optical unit 10 is formed with a hole 33 that is open at both ends of the distal end and the proximal end, and a distal end portion of a laser probe 41 that crushes stones is inserted and held in the hole 33. . The hole 33 has a small hole diameter so that the laser probe 41 can move forward and backward.

The operation part 3 has a probe insertion part 36 as shown in FIG. The probe insertion part 36 communicates with the space B inside the operation part 3 and is provided with an O-ring 37 that is a seal member that keeps the water tightness of the laser probe 41 when it advances and retreats.

The laser probe 41 is inserted into the space A of the insertion portion 2 and extends out of the operation portion 3 so as to pass through the probe insertion portion 36 from the space B in the operation portion 3. In addition, the laser probe 41 is provided with a ring-shaped stopper member 42 at a midway position in the operation unit 3 so as not to come out of the hole 33 of the optical unit 10.

Note that a stopper member that prevents the laser probe 41 from coming out of the hole 33 of the optical unit 10 may be provided on the tip side of the laser probe 41.

The imaging cable 34 and the electric cable 35 are inserted into the space C through the through hole 25a formed in the wall portion 25 from the space B, similarly to the image guide 11 and the light guide 12 described above. And the water-tightness of the space B and the space C is hold | maintained by filling the adhesive agent 13 etc. in the through-hole 25a.

The endoscope 1 of the present modification configured as described above has a configuration in which the components of the imaging cable 34, the electric cable 35, and the laser probe 41 are inserted into the space A in the insertion portion 2. Similarly to the embodiment, the space A portion in the insertion portion 2 excluding these components serves as a fluid flow path.

Furthermore, the endoscope 1 can be an imaging cable 34, an electric cable 35, and a laser probe 41 that are thinner than the image guide 11 and the light guide 12, and the fluid that flows into the space A of the insertion portion 2 by the difference in outer diameter thereof. It is possible to increase the amount of R to be fed and the amount of drainage, or to reduce the diameter of the insertion portion 2 in accordance with the required flow rate of the fluid R.

Further, the laser probe 41 does not have a distal end portion provided with a treatment portion derived from a treatment instrument channel having a relatively large diameter provided in the insertion portion 2 as in the prior art, and the clearance of the optical unit 10 is small. Since it derives | leads out from the set hole 33, the blurring at the time of a treatment hardly arises and the sniper property toward a calculus improves.

Since the endoscope 1 described in the above embodiments and modifications can be manufactured at a low cost by simplifying the structure, it can be made disposable when it is used. Of course, the endoscope 1 may be reused as long as it can be sufficiently cleaned and disinfected after use.

The invention described in the above embodiments is not limited to those embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Further, each of the above forms includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.
For example, even if some configuration requirements are deleted from all the configuration requirements shown in each form, this configuration requirement is deleted when the stated problem can be solved and the stated effect can be obtained. The structure can be extracted as an invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to secure an amount of fluid for feeding and draining necessary for a predetermined procedure, and to realize an endoscope having a narrower insertion portion.

This application is filed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-1000084, filed in Japan on May 25, 2018, as the basis for claiming priority, and the above disclosure is included in the present specification and claims. Shall be quoted.

Claims

The insertion part of the tube body;
An operation unit connected to the insertion unit and provided with a connector unit for supplying or sucking a liquid;
An optical unit provided at the distal end of the insertion unit, and provided with an observation unit and an illumination unit;
A first transmission member connected to the observation unit;
A second transmission member connected to the illumination unit;
Have
An endoscope characterized in that the entire space inside the tube body constitutes a flow path for the liquid, and the first transmission member and the second transmission member are disposed in the flow path. .
A bending portion provided in the insertion portion;
An operation wire for bending the bending portion;
With
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the operation wire is disposed in the flow path.
A laser probe inserted and held in the optical unit;
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the laser probe is disposed in the flow path.
The observation unit is an observation optical system,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission member is an image fiber.
The observation unit has an image sensor,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission member is an imaging cable.
The illumination unit is an illumination optical system,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the second transmission member is a light guide fiber.
The illumination unit is a light emitting diode,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the second transmission member is an electric cable.
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is a ureteroscope that is inserted into the urethra.