WO2022259549A1

WO2022259549A1 - Tip cover and endoscope device

Info

Publication number: WO2022259549A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/022396
Authority: WO
Inventors: 高嗣山谷
Original assignee: オリンパスメディカルシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-06-11
Filing date: 2021-06-11
Publication date: 2022-12-15
Also published as: JPWO2022259549A1

Abstract

A tip cover 50 is removably disposed on a tip section 8 of an insertion section 5 of an endoscope 2. The tip cover 50 includes an erecting base 51, a shaft member 70 that supports the erecting base 51 in a rotatable manner, and a restricting member 57 that, in a state of being fitted to a tip constituting section 15 of the tip section 8 and at a predetermined fitting position with respect to the tip constituting section 15, maintains the distance with respect to the shaft member 70 in the direction of an insertion axis O of the insertion section 5.

Description

Tip cover and endoscopic device

The present invention relates to a distal end cover and an endoscope device attached to the distal end portion of an insertion section of an endoscope.

Conventionally, in the medical field, endoscopes have been widely used that allow observation of organs from inside the body cavity by inserting an elongated insertion section into the body cavity. In such an endoscope, a treatment instrument inserted through a treatment instrument insertion opening provided in the operation section protrudes from the distal end portion of the insertion section, so that various treatments can be performed in the body cavity. .

Among such endoscopes, there is known one in which a riser is provided at the distal end of the insertion section for deflecting the distal end of the treatment instrument protruding into the body cavity in a desired direction by manipulation on the proximal side. .

By the way, endoscopes need to be washed after use, and in particular, the distal end portion with a riser needs to be thoroughly washed because of its complicated structure. For this reason, some conventional endoscopes are provided with a detachable cover body distal end cap at the distal end portion for easy cleaning.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-102668 discloses a tip cap, which is a tip cover of an endoscope, and discloses a technique that can be easily removed after use of the endoscope.

However, in the case of an endoscope provided with a riser on the distal end cover side, when the endoscope is used, a load is applied to the riser when the treatment instrument is moved forward and backward by raising and lowering it, and the distal end portion is unintentionally damaged. There is a risk that the tip cover will fall off from the tip cover.

Therefore, the present invention is to provide a distal end cover for an endoscope insertion section and an endoscope device that prevent the surgical instrument from falling off from the distal end portion during use.

A distal end cover according to one aspect of the present invention is a distal end cover detachably arranged at a distal end portion of an insertion section of an endoscope, comprising an elevator, a shaft member rotatably supporting the elevator, a regulating member that maintains the distance of the insertion portion from the shaft member in the insertion axial direction at a predetermined mounting position with respect to the distal end structure portion when the insertion portion is mounted on the distal end structure portion of the distal end portion.

An endoscope apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is detachably attached to an insertion section for insertion into a subject, a tip section disposed at the tip of the insertion section, and a tip forming section of the tip section. an elevator provided on the tip cover; a shaft member provided on the tip cover for supporting the rotation of the elevator; a regulating member that maintains the distance in the insertion axis direction of the insertion portion of the shaft member at a predetermined mounting position of the tip cover with respect to the tip structure portion.

An endoscope apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an insertion section for insertion into a subject, a distal end portion constituting a distal end side of the insertion section, and a distal end cover detachably disposed on the distal end section. a riser provided on the tip cover; a shaft member for rotatably supporting the riser with respect to the tip cover; a regulating member having a first engaging portion that engages with the shaft member and a second engaging portion that engages with the engaged portion of the tip forming portion at a predetermined mounting position of the tip cover relative to the ing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a distal end cover for an endoscope insertion section and an endoscope device that prevent the surgical instrument from falling off from the distal end portion during use.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the endoscope apparatus of the present invention; Same as above, side view showing a state in which the distal end cover device is removed from the side-viewing endoscope Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, top view of tip cover body Same as above, a perspective view showing a regulating member Ditto, exploded perspective view showing the tip cover Same as the above, perspective view for explaining a configuration in which the tip cover main body is prevented from falling off from the tip structure portion by the restricting member. Same as above, perspective view showing the state when removing the tip cover from the tip part A perspective view showing a regulating member according to a second modification of the present invention. Same as the above, perspective view for explaining a configuration in which the tip cover main body is prevented from falling off from the tip structure portion by the restricting member. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which the front end cover main body does not fall off from the front end structure portion by means of a restricting member according to a second modification of the present invention; Same as the above, perspective view for explaining the configuration in which the convex portion of the regulating member is fitted into the concave portion of the tip structure portion. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a distal end cover attached to a distal end forming portion of a direct-view endoscope according to a third modification of the present invention; Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the direct-view endoscope. Ditto, exploded perspective view showing the tip cover Same as above, a perspective view showing a regulating member Same as the above, perspective view for explaining a configuration in which the tip cover main body is prevented from falling off from the tip structure portion by the restricting member. A side view showing the configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a fourth modification of the present invention. Same as above, side view showing a state in which the distal end cover device is removed from the side-viewing endoscope Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. A side view showing the configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a fifth modification of the present invention. Same as above, side view showing a state in which the distal end cover device is removed from the side-viewing endoscope Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Ditto, exploded perspective view showing the tip cover Same as above, perspective view showing the state when removing the tip cover from the tip part Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the direct-view endoscope. Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the direct-view endoscope. A side view showing the configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a sixth modification of the present invention. Same as above, side view showing a state in which the distal end cover device is removed from the side-viewing endoscope Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Ditto, exploded perspective view showing the tip cover A side view showing the configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a seventh modification of the present invention. Same as above, side view showing a state in which the distal end cover device is removed from the side-viewing endoscope Ditto, perspective view showing the configuration of the raising table Same as above, perspective view partially showing the state where the elevator is connected to the arm Same as above, a perspective view showing a regulating member Same as above, perspective view showing the distal end cover attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope. Same as above, exploded perspective view showing the distal end cover main body, the ring cover and the arm cover before being attached to the distal end forming part of the side-viewing endoscope.

A medical device, which is a work device according to one aspect of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the drawings based on each embodiment are schematic, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each portion, the ratio of the thickness of each portion, etc. are different from the actual ones. It should be noted that the drawings may include portions with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

In addition, the endoscope, which is a medical device in the description of the configuration below, is an example of a so-called flexible endoscope having a flexible insertion portion for insertion into body cavities such as the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine from the bronchi, urinary organs, and esophagus of the living body. However, it can also be applied to a so-called rigid endoscope having a hard insertion portion used for surgery. In addition, in the following description, the technology can also be applied to industrial endoscopes.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an endoscope apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes an endoscope 2 and a distal end cover device 3 detachably attached to the endoscope 2. there is

The endoscope 2 has an insertion section 5 for insertion into a subject, an operation section 6, and a universal cable 7. The insertion section 5 is an elongated elongated member, and is configured by sequentially connecting a distal end portion 8, a bending portion 9, and a flexible tube portion 10 from the distal end side.

The tip portion 8 has a tip forming portion 15 made of metal such as stainless steel. The tip forming portion 15 has a base portion 16 and an observation projection portion 17 protruding from the tip of the base portion 16 .

The bending portion 9 is configured to be freely bendable in four directions (up, down, left, and right directions) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 5, for example. The flexible tube portion 10 is an elongated flexible tubular member. Here, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are defined for convenience with respect to the insertion portion 5. For example, each direction is based on the direction in which the observation window 32 is provided (upward direction). defined.

The operation part 6 is connected to the proximal end of the flexible tube part 10 . A grasping portion 35 for grasping by an operator or the like is set in the middle of the operating portion 6 . A treatment instrument insertion opening 36 is provided in the operation section 6 on the distal end side of the grip section 35 .

The treatment instrument insertion port 36 is connected to the proximal end side of the treatment instrument channel 27 inside the operation portion 6 . As a result, for example, a treatment instrument 40 as another insertion device inserted into the treatment instrument insertion opening 36 can be freely protruded from the treatment instrument projection opening 25 of the distal end portion 8 (see FIG. 1).

Further, on the proximal end side of the grip portion 35, the operation portion 6 includes, for example, an angle knob 37 for bending the bending portion 9, and an air or water supply from a nozzle 29 provided at the distal end portion 8. An air/water supply button 38 for causing the operation to be performed and a suction button 39 for causing the object to be suctioned in the subject to be suctioned from the treatment instrument projection port 25 are provided.

The universal cable 7 extends from the base end side surface of the operation portion 6 . An endoscope connector 45 connected to a light source device (not shown) is provided at the end of the universal cable 7 . A signal transmission cable 46 extends from the side of the endoscope connector 45 . An electrical connector 47 connected to a video processor (not shown) is provided at the other end of the signal transmission cable 46 .

The tip cover device 3 includes a tip cover 50 detachably attached to the tip portion 8, a riser 51 as an operation member (raising member) provided inside the tip cover 50, and the riser 51 on the hand side. and a wire mechanism portion 52 for operating from.

The tip cover 50 has a tip cover main body 55 as a first cover and a ring cover 56 as a second cover.

The tip cover main body 55 is made of a hard and insulating material such as plastic, and is provided with the raising table 51 . The tip cover main body 55 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a semispherically closed tip, and can be detachably fixed to the outer periphery of the tip portion 8 so as to mainly cover the tip forming portion 15 . there is

The wire mechanism section 52 is configured with a guide sheath 75 and an operation wire 76 as a traction member inserted through the guide sheath 75 .

The proximal end of the guide sheath 75 is connected to a cylinder portion 78 that supports a wire shaft 79 so as to be movable forward and backward. A proximal end of the operation wire 76 is connected to the distal end of the wire shaft 79 . Further, on the base end side of the wire shaft 79, for example, an elevator operating member 79a as a ring-shaped operating member operating portion is continuously provided.

By moving the wire shaft 79 back and forth through the operation of the raising table operation member 79a, the raising table 51 can be freely displaced between the raised position and the inverted position. That is, the endoscope apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the operation wire 76 for operating the elevator 51 is not inserted through the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 2 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a ring-shaped insulating member 20 having insulating properties is provided on the outer periphery of the distal end forming portion 15 of the distal end portion 8 on the proximal end side. An outer skin 21 having a tip fixed to the tip forming portion 15 by a bobbin bonding portion 21a is continuously provided at the end.

The base portion 16 is formed so that its general shape is a shape in which approximately half of a cylinder is notched (that is, approximately semi-cylindrical shape). Thus, the base portion 16 has an arc surface portion 16a and a plane portion 16b on its outer periphery.

In addition, the observation protrusion 17 is formed so that its general shape is a shape in which approximately three-fourths of a cylinder arranged coaxially with the base portion 16 is notched (that is, approximately a quarter cylinder shape). . As a result, the observation protrusion 17 has, on its outer circumference, a circular arc surface portion 17a, a first flat surface portion 17b parallel to the flat surface portion 16b of the base portion 16, and a second flat surface portion 17b perpendicular to the first flat surface portion 17b. and a flat portion 17c.

A treatment instrument projection port 25 is provided on the end surface of the base portion 16 at a position adjacent to the second flat portion 17c of the projection portion 17 for observation. A locking pin 28 protruding in a direction perpendicular to the insertion axis O is provided on the arcuate surface portion 16a of the base portion 16. As shown in FIG.

Furthermore, the base portion 16 is provided with a nozzle 29 for supplying air or water toward the first flat portion 17b formed on the projection portion 17 for observation.

A key groove 31 extending along the insertion axis O is provided on the circular arc surface portion 17a of the projection portion 17 for observation.

Further, an observation window 32 of an imaging unit (not shown) incorporated in the distal end forming portion 15 and an illumination window 33 of an illumination unit (not shown) are provided on the first plane portion 17b of the observation projection portion 17. .

By arranging the observation window 32 and the illumination window 33 on the arcuate surface portion 17a that is the side surface of the distal end forming portion 15 in this way, the endoscope 2 of the present embodiment has an observation field of view in the direction intersecting the insertion axis O. It is a so-called side-viewing or oblique-viewing endoscope.

A tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is provided with an opening 60 for exposing the observation window 32 and the illumination window 33 and leading out the treatment instrument 40 protruding from the treatment instrument projection port 25 .

In addition, a sheath connecting portion 61 as a fixing portion for connecting the distal end of the guide sheath 75 that constitutes the wire mechanism portion 52 projects from one side of the opening portion 60 of the distal end cover main body 55 .

A locking piece 62 is formed on the distal end cover main body 55 on one side of the opening 60 and the sheath connecting portion 61 and on the proximal end side of the distal end cover main body 55 . The locking piece 62 is elastically deformable in the radial direction of the distal end cover main body 55. The locking piece 62 has a locking pin 28 (see FIG. ) is provided with a locking hole 62a as a lockable locking portion.

A key 64 that fits into the key groove 31 is provided inside the tip cover main body 55 . By fitting the key 64 into the key groove 31 , the tip cover body 55 can be positioned at an appropriate position with respect to the tip forming portion 15 .

The ring cover 56 is made of an elastic and insulating material such as silicone rubber, and is formed into a ring-shaped member having a diameter smaller than the outer diameters of the insulating member 20 of the tip portion 8 and the tip cover main body 55 .

The ring cover 56 is elastically deformed in the radially expanding direction to integrally cover the base end region of the tip portion 8 provided with the insulating member 20 and the base end region of the tip cover main body 55. It can be freely placed in any position. The ring cover 56 can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the distal end portion 8 (insulating member 20) and the distal end cover main body 55 over the entire circumference by virtue of its elastic restoring force.

The ring cover 56 of this embodiment is provided with a hole portion 56a and a bridge portion 56b for preventing interference with the sheath connection portion 61.

The raising table 51 is composed of a metal member having a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side. A guide groove 51a is provided on the upper surface of the raising table 51 and is inclined at a predetermined angle of elevation from the base end side to the tip end side. A wire connecting portion 51b for connecting to an operation wire 76 of the wire mechanism portion 52, which will be described later, is provided on the side portion of the front end side of the raising base 51. As shown in FIG.

Further, a shaft insertion hole 51c is provided at the base end portion of the raising table 51, and a shaft portion 70 as a connecting member (shaft member) is inserted through the shaft insertion hole 51c. By supporting the shaft portion 70 on the tip cover main body 55 , the raising base 51 is connected to the tip cover main body 55 so as to be swingable (displaceable).

A case-side bearing hole 71 is provided on one side of the tip cover main body 55 so as to pass through the tip cover main body 55 from inside to outside. Further, the case-side bearing hole 71 after the shaft portion 70 is inserted is sealed with a filler such as an adhesive.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip cover main body 55 is provided with a slit 63a on the other side of the sheath connecting portion 61 and on the base end side of the opening 60. As shown in FIG. With this slit 63a, a fragile portion 63 is set in the tip cover main body 55 so that the tip cover main body 55 can be broken (broken) in the expanding radial direction.

A tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 of the present embodiment is provided with a metal restricting member 57 having a predetermined rigidity, as shown in FIG. The restricting member 57 is set to have higher rigidity than the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 .

In addition, the restricting member 57 connects hook-shaped

locking bodies

58 and 59 which are L-shaped engaging portions extending in opposite (separated) directions at both ends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. It is a flat bar metal fitting of a predetermined length as a connecting part. Note that the regulating member 57 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of any material such as elastically deformable hard resin or carbon as long as it has higher rigidity than the tip cover main body 55 .

The restricting member 57 is provided on one side inner surface of the tip cover main body 55 and is fixed to the tip cover main body 55 by insert molding or adhesive. The regulating member 57 is arranged on one side inner surface of the tip cover main body 55 in which a case-side bearing hole 71 through which a shaft portion 70 that supports the raising table 51 is inserted is formed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the restricting member 57 has a hook-shaped engaging body 58 which is a first engaging portion extending downward from one end of the tip cover main body 55 and extends downward. The abutment surface of a hook-shaped locking body 59, which is a second engaging portion that is arranged to engage with the front of the shaft portion 70 and extends upward from the base end that is the other end, serves as a locking piece. 62 is arranged so as to protrude from the rear portion of the locking hole 62a.

When the tip cover main body 55 is attached to the tip forming part 15, the tip cover 50 is elastically deformed so that the locking piece 62 spreads outward, overcoming the locking pin 28 of the tip forming part 15, and reaching the locking pin 28. engages with the locking hole 62a.

At this time, according to the deformation of the locking piece 62, the locking body 59 on the proximal side of the restricting member 57 provided on the distal end cover main body 55 is also elastically deformed outward. When the locking pin 28, which is the engaged portion of the tip forming portion 15, is engaged with the locking hole 62a of the locking piece 62, the contact surface of the locking body 59 of the regulating member 57 contacts the locking pin. It abuts on the rear of 28 and is caught.

The ring cover 56 is arranged at a position where it integrally covers the proximal end region of the distal end forming portion 15 and the proximal end region of the distal end cover main body 55 , so that the locking piece 62 of the distal end cover main body 55 is is suppressed inward.

When the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is attached to the tip structure portion 15 in this way, as shown in FIG. It is caught, and the locking body 59 on the base end comes into contact with the locking pin 28 of the distal end forming portion 15 and is caught.

Therefore, the tip cover body 55 is prevented from falling off from the tip configuration part 15 by being regulated so as to maintain the distance between the tip configuration part 15 and the tip cover body 55 in the direction along the insertion axis O.

When removing the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 from the tip forming part 15, as shown in FIG. When such a force is applied, the fragile portion 63 is broken so as to be broken, and the locking body 58 of the restricting member 57 is removed from the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 . Then, the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 and the locking hole 62 a of the locking piece 62 are disengaged, and the tip cover body 55 can be removed from the tip forming portion 15 .

In the endoscope apparatus 1 configured as described above, the distal end cover body 55 of the distal end cover 50 attached to the distal end forming portion 15 of the distal end portion 8 of the insertion section 5 is inserted along the insertion axis O of the distal end forming portion 15 . By providing a restricting member 57 that restricts the distance in the direction in which the distal end cover 50 extends, the distal end cover 50 is prevented from falling off from the distal end portion 8 . That is, the endoscope apparatus 1 has a configuration in which the distal end cover 50 is held at a predetermined mounting position with respect to the distal end forming portion 15 by having the restricting member 57 .

In particular, when the distal end cover 50 with the raising table 51 is pushed out from the treatment instrument 40 on the table of the raising table 51 during use, the distal end cover 50 itself moves toward the distal end side in the direction of the insertion axis O due to the component force of the pushing force amount. force acts on That is, the distal end cover 50 receives stress acting on the raising base 51 in the distal direction of the insertion portion 5 by the pushing operation of the treatment instrument 40 . In particular, the thicker the treatment instrument 40, the greater the force that pushes the elevator 51 toward the distal end. Therefore, there is a possibility that the distal end cover 50 may fall off from the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 5 unintentionally during use.

Therefore, in the endoscope apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, in the configuration in which the riser 51 is provided on the side of the distal end cover 50 , the restriction member 57 is provided on the distal end cover 50 so that the treatment instrument 40 can be raised (raised). Even if a large load is applied to the raising base 51 when the treatment instrument 40 is pushed in, the distal end cover 50 may unintentionally fall off from the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 5 when the treatment instrument 40 is pushed in. can be prevented.
(First modification)

As shown in FIG. 10, the regulating member 57 of this modified example has a hole 58a in a locking body 58 on the distal end side, and a concave part 59a cut out from the upper side in a locking body 59 on the proximal end side. formed.

As shown in FIG. 11, the restricting member 57 configured as described above is attached to the tip cover main body 55 by inserting the shaft portion 70 for rotatingly supporting the raising table 51 into the hole portion 58a of the locking body 58 on the tip end side. Disposed by insert molding or gluing.

In a state in which the tip cover body 55 of the tip cover 50 is attached to the tip component 15, the recess 59a formed in the locking body 59 on the proximal side engages with the locking pin 28 of the tip component 15. . That is, the locking body 59 of the regulating member 57 is hooked so that the concave portion 59 a fits into the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 and comes into contact with the locking pin 28 .

Therefore, the distance in the direction along the insertion axis O between the tip forming part 15 and the tip cover main body 55 is restricted, and the tip cover main body 55 is prevented from falling off from the tip forming part 15 .
(Second modification)

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the restricting member 57 of this modified example has a protruding portion 59b formed on a locking member 59 on the proximal end side. Here, a form in which the hole 58a described in the first modified example is formed in the locking body 58 on the distal end side is illustrated, but the L extending downward of the above-described embodiment is shown as an example. It may be a character shape.

Further, the distal end structure portion 15 does not have the locking pin 28, and when the distal end cover main body 55 of the distal end cover 50 is attached to the distal end structure portion 15, the convex portion 59b of the locking body 59 is engaged. A concave portion 28a serving as an engaged portion is formed. That is, the locking body 59 of the regulating member 57 is hooked so that the convex portion 59b fits into the concave portion 28a of the tip forming portion 15 and contacts the wall surface of the concave portion 28a.

Therefore, the distance in the direction along the insertion axis O between the tip forming part 15 and the tip cover main body 55 is restricted, and the tip cover main body 55 is prevented from falling off from the tip forming part 15 .

It should be noted that the locking

bodies

58 and 59 at both ends of the regulating member 57 are not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example. It is sufficient if the distance in the direction along the insertion axis O between the tip forming part 15 and the tip cover main body 55 can be regulated in a state where the main body 55 is attached to the tip forming part 15 .

In addition, when the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is removed from the tip forming portion 15, a finger F such as a thumb applies a force to hold down the tip cover main body 55, thereby preventing the fragile portion 63 from breaking. It is sufficient that the locking body 59 of the regulating member 57 can be easily removed from the locking pin 28 or the recess 28a of the tip forming portion 15 .
(Third modification)

Next, a different configuration of the endoscope apparatus 1 as a third modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 18. FIG. While the above-described embodiment describes a configuration in which the distal end cover device 3 is applied to a so-called side-viewing endoscope 2, in this modified example, the field of view is set in the direction of the insertion axis O. The main difference is that a distal end cover is applied to the so-called direct-view type endoscope 2 . Other configurations similar to those of the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as appropriate, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the tip forming portion 95 of this embodiment has a base portion 96 and an observation projection portion 97 protruding from the tip of the base portion 96 in the insertion axis O direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the base portion 96 is formed so that its general shape is a shape in which approximately one quarter of a cylinder is notched. Thus, the base portion 96 has an arcuate surface portion 96a, a first flat surface portion 96b, and a second flat surface portion 96c that intersects the first flat surface portion 96b.

In addition, the observation protrusion 97 is formed so that its approximate shape is a shape obtained by notching approximately half of a cylinder arranged coaxially with the base portion 96 (that is, approximately semi-cylindrical shape). As a result, the observation projection 97 has an arcuate surface portion 97 a and a flat surface portion 97 b parallel to the second flat surface portion 96 c of the base portion 96 on the outer circumference. The end surface of the base portion 96 is provided with a treatment instrument projection port 25 at a position adjacent to the flat portion 97b of the projection portion 97 for observation.

An observation window 32 , an illumination window 33 , and a nozzle 29 for supplying air or water toward the observation window 32 are provided on the end surface of the observation projection 97 . By arranging the observation window 32 in this manner, the endoscope 2 of the present embodiment is a so-called direct-view endoscope having an observation field of view in the insertion axis O direction.

The distal end cover device 3 having substantially the same configuration as that shown in the first embodiment can be applied to the distal end portion 8 of the endoscope 2 in which the distal end forming portion 95 is thus configured. It is possible. However, the tip cover 50 of this modified example is provided with an opening 98 at the tip instead of the side portion of the tip cover main body 55 . The elevator 51 of the present embodiment is provided with a guide hole 51d instead of the guide groove 51a.

A tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is provided with a metal restricting member 57 having a predetermined rigidity, as shown in FIG. The restricting member 57 here is also set to have higher rigidity than the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 .

The regulating member 57 is formed with

recesses

57a and 57b that are notched from the opposite side portions at both ends, and both ends are made of flat bar metal fittings that serve as hook-shaped locking bodies. The restricting member 57 is not limited to being made of metal as long as it has higher rigidity than the tip cover main body 55, and may be made of any material such as elastically deformable hard resin or carbon.

The restricting member 57 of this modified example is also provided on one side inner surface of the tip cover main body 55 and is fixed to the tip cover main body 55 by insert molding or adhesive. The restricting member 57 is arranged such that the concave portion 57a on the distal end side abuts and hooks the front portion of the shaft portion 70 that supports the raising table 51 in rotation.

As shown in FIG. 18, in the tip cover 50, when the tip cover main body 55 is attached to the tip structure portion 15, the concave portion 57b on the base end side of the regulation member 57 provided in the tip cover main body 55 is engaged with the locking pin. 28 and the abutting surface abuts on the rear side of the locking pin 28 and is hooked.

The locking piece 62 of the tip cover main body 55 is arranged so that the ring cover 56 integrally covers the base end region of the tip structure portion 15 and the base end region of the tip cover main body 55 . is suppressed inward.

In this way, when the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is attached to the tip structure portion 15, it abuts against and is caught by the shaft portion 70 fitted in the recess 57a on the tip side of the regulating member 57. The recessed portion 57b is fitted into the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 and is in a state of contact and hooking.

Therefore, also in the endoscope apparatus 1 of this modified example, the distance between the distal end forming portion 15 of the distal end portion 8 and the distal end cover body 55 of the distal end cover 50 in the direction along the insertion axis O is regulated. , the front end cover main body 55 is prevented from falling off from the front end structure portion 15 .
(Fourth modification)

Next, a different configuration of the endoscope apparatus 1 will be described as a fourth modified example of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22. FIG. It should be noted that this modification mainly differs from the above-described first embodiment in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 . Other configurations similar to those of the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as appropriate, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the distal end cover device 3 of this modified example has a wire mechanism portion 80 fixed to the operation portion 6 of the endoscope 2, and is used to operate the elevator 51 and to operate the endoscope. 2 to be performed integrally.

For this reason, a fixing groove 81 for fixing the wire mechanism part 80 is provided around the operation part 6 of the endoscope 2 of this modified example. Further, the operating portion 6 of the endoscope 2 is provided with an elevator operating knob 82 that can swing coaxially with the angle knob 37 .

The wire mechanism section 80 has a fixing member 85 for fixing the proximal end of the operation wire 76 to the operation section 6 and a slider 86 that is relatively movable with respect to this fixing member 85 .

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the fixing member 85 has a C-shaped clip 87 detachably attached to the fixing groove 81 and a fixing block 88 integrally formed with the C-shaped clip 87. is configured as

A pair of slide holes 88a are provided in the fixed block 88, and the proximal end of the operation wire 76 is fixed to a portion sandwiched between the slide holes 88a. The slider 86 connects a pair of slide bars 89 inserted through the slide holes 88a of the fixed block 88, a slider distal end portion 90 connecting the distal ends of the slide bars 89, and the proximal ends of the slide bars 89. and a slider base end portion 91 .

A proximal end of the guide sheath 75 is connected to the slider distal end portion 90 . Further, the slider distal end portion 90 is provided with an insertion hole for inserting the operation wire 76 fixed to the fixed block 88 into the guide sheath 75 .

Further, a flange portion 90b is provided on the distal end side of the slide bar 89 for restricting the relative movement of the slider 86 to the proximal end side with respect to the fixed block 88.

A connection bar 92 for connecting the slider base end 91 to the elevator operating knob 82 is provided at the slider base end 91 .

Further, a flange portion 91 a is provided on the base end side of the slide bar 89 for restricting the relative movement of the slider 86 to the distal end side with respect to the fixed block 88 .

In such a configuration, when the operator tilts the elevator operation knob 82 toward the distal end side of the operation portion 6, the projection amount of the slider 86 on the distal end side of the fixing member 85 increases. This increases the substantial effective length of the guide sheath 75 between the fixing member 85 and the sheath connecting portion 61 . As a result, the operation wire 76 is pulled with respect to the guide sheath 75, and the raising table 51 is raised.

On the other hand, when the operator tilts the elevator operating knob 82 toward the proximal end side of the operating portion 6, the protrusion amount of the slider 86 on the distal end side of the fixing member 85 decreases. This reduces the effective length of the guide sheath 75 between the fixing member 85 and the sheath connecting portion 61 . As a result, the operation wire 76 is pushed out from the guide sheath 75, and the raising base 51 is laid down.

Also in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 of this modified example, as shown in FIGS. Therefore, when the distal end cover main body 55 of the distal end cover 50 is attached to the distal end forming portion 15, the locking body 58 on the distal end side of the regulating member 57 abuts and is caught by the shaft portion 70, and the locking body on the proximal side is caught. 59 abuts on and is caught by the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 .

As a result, in the endoscope apparatus 1 of this modification, the distance between the distal end structure portion 15 and the distal end cover main body 55 in the direction along the insertion axis O is regulated so that the distance from the distal end structure portion 15 to the distal end cover body 55 is regulated. It is configured to prevent the main body 55 from falling off.
(Fifth Modification)

Next, a different configuration of the endoscope apparatus 1 as a fifth modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 30. FIG. It should be noted that this modification mainly differs from the first embodiment and the second to fourth modifications described above in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 . Other configurations that are the same as those of the first embodiment and the second to fourth modifications described above will be given the same reference numerals as appropriate, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The tip cover device 3 of this modified example includes an elevator controller control section 105a and an elevator tip side configuration section 105b. Before the distal end cover device 3 is attached to the endoscope 2, the elevator controller 105a and the elevator distal end side component 105b are separated.

After attaching the elevator controller 105a and the elevator tip end side constituent part 105b to the endoscope 2, the elevator controller controller 105a and the elevator tip end side constituent part 105b are connected to each other to form an integrated unit. A tip cover device 3 is constructed.

The elevator controller 105a includes an operation knob mounting portion 151, a control portion main body 152, an operation portion mounting portion 153, a locking button 154, a compression spring 155, and a tightening ring 156.

For example, the operation knob mounting portion 151 is configured by bending both ends of a rigid linear member into an L shape. Specific examples of the operation knob mounting portion 151 are an operation rod, a link rod (bar-shaped link portion), and the like. When the elevator controller 105 a is attached to the endoscope 2 , the bent portion on the base end side of the operation knob attachment portion 151 is detachably connected to the elevator controller operation knob 82 .

A connecting member that moves in the direction of the insertion axis in accordance with the operation of the elevator operating knob 82 is composed of an operating knob mounting portion 151 and a control portion main body 152 (which may further include a tightening ring 156). there is

A cylindrical wire fixing portion 153a is attached to the outer peripheral surface side of the control portion main body 152 . In other words, the columnar controller main body 152 is inserted into the cylindrical wire fixing portion 153a.

The wire fixing portion 153a is a fixing member integrally configured with the operation portion mounting portion 153. The operating portion mounting portion 153 has a C-ring shape and is detachably fitted into the fixing groove 81 to be fixed in position with respect to the grip portion 35 of the operating portion 6 . Accordingly, when the operating portion mounting portion 153 is fixed to the grip portion 35, the wire fixing portion 153a is also fixed to the grip portion 35. As shown in FIG.

The elevator tip end side component 105b has a guide sheath 75 through which an operation wire 76 is inserted, and a tip cover 50 having an elevator 51 at its tip is provided. That is, the distal end cover 50 is a distal end cover with a treatment instrument raising base provided with the raising base 51 .

The guide sheath 75 of the elevator distal end side component 105b is introduced into the insertion portion 5 from the distal end portion 8 of the endoscope 2, and the proximal end extends from the guide sheath insertion opening 36a provided in the grip portion 35. be. That is, the operation wire 76 and the guide sheath 75 inserted into the insertion portion 5 are taken out from the guide sheath insertion opening 36 a of the grip portion 35 and guided to the outside of the grip portion 35 .

The operation wire 76 extending from the guide sheath insertion port 36a and the base end portion of the guide sheath 75 have excess length and are attached to the elevator controller 105a. At this time, the guide sheath 75 is fixed to the control portion main body 152 by operating the clamping ring 156, and the operating wire 76 is connected to the wire fixing portion 153a by operating the locking button 154. FIG. In such a configuration, the operator can raise and lower the raising base 51 by tilting the raising base operating knob 82 .

As a result, in the endoscope apparatus 1 of this modification, the distance between the distal end structure portion 15 and the distal end cover main body 55 in the direction along the insertion axis O is regulated so that the distance from the distal end structure portion 15 to the distal end cover body 55 is regulated. It is configured to prevent the main body 55 from falling off.

Furthermore, in this modified example as well, when removing the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 from the tip forming part 15, as shown in FIG. When a force is applied to press down in the direction of arrow P, the fragile portion 63 is broken so that the locking body 59 of the regulating member 57 is removed from the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 . Then, the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 and the locking hole 62 a of the locking piece 62 are disengaged, and the tip cover body 55 can be removed from the tip forming portion 15 .

As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the present invention can also be applied to a so-called direct-view endoscope 2 having a field of view in the direction of the insertion axis O described in the third modification. The tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is provided with the restricting member 57 described in the third modification, and the restricting member 57 regulates the direction along the insertion axis O between the tip forming part 15 and the tip cover main body 55 . can be prevented from dropping off the tip cover body 55 from the tip structure portion 15.
(Sixth modification)

Next, a different configuration of the endoscope apparatus 1 as a sixth modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 31 to 35. FIG. It should be noted that this modification mainly differs from the first embodiment and the second to fifth modifications described above in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 . Other configurations similar to those of the above-described first embodiment and the second to fifth modifications are denoted by the same reference numerals as appropriate, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the tip cover device 3 of this modified example, the raising table control section 110 is arranged at the upper end (base end) of the operation section 6 . In addition, the integrated distal end cover device 3 is configured by attaching the elevator distal end side component 120 to the endoscope 2 and then connecting the elevator distal end side component 120 to the elevator controller 110 . be.

The operation unit 6 is provided with a link mechanism 111 connected to the elevator operation knob 82 . The link mechanism 111 is also connected to the elevator controller 110 .

The elevator tip side component 120 has an operation wire 76, and a tip cover 50 having an elevator 51 at the tip of the operation wire 76 is arranged. That is, the distal end cover 50 is a distal end cover with a treatment instrument raising base provided with the raising base 51 .

The operation wire 76 of the elevator table distal end side component 105 is introduced into the insertion section 5 from the distal end portion 8 of the endoscope 2 and connected to the elevator table control section 110 at the base end portion. That is, the operation wire 76 inserted into the insertion section 5 is inserted into the insertion section 5 and the operation section 6 and connected to the elevator control section 110 .

In such a configuration, when the operator tilts the elevator operation knob 82, the elevator controller 110 is operated by the link mechanism 111, and the elevator 51 can be raised and lowered.

As a result, in the endoscope apparatus 1 of this modification, the distance between the distal end structure portion 15 and the distal end cover main body 55 in the direction along the insertion axis O is regulated so that the distance from the distal end structure portion 15 to the distal end cover body 55 is regulated. It is configured to prevent the main body 55 from falling off.
(Seventh Modification)

Next, a different configuration of the endoscope apparatus 1 as a seventh modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 36 to 43. FIG. It should be noted that this modification mainly differs from the first embodiment and the second to sixth modifications described above in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 . Other configurations similar to those of the above-described first embodiment and second to sixth modifications are given the same reference numerals as appropriate, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, the distal end cover device 3 of this modified example has a configuration in which a distal end cover 50 provided with a riser 51 can be attached to the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope 2. is.

An operation wire 76 for raising and lowering the raising table 51 is arranged inside the insertion portion 5 . By tilting an elevator operation knob 82 provided on the operation portion 6 of the endoscope 2, the operation wire 76 is pulled and loosened by the link mechanism 111, and the elevator 51 is raised and lowered. .

As shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, the raising base 51 provided on the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is integrally formed with a shaft portion 51e as a shaft member projecting to the other side at the base end. The shaft portion 51e is supported by the tip cover main body 55, so that the raising base 51 is connected to the tip cover main body 55 so as to be swingable (displaceable).

A case-side bearing projection 72 is provided inside the tip cover main body 55 , and the shaft portion 51 e is supported by the case-side bearing hole provided in the case-side bearing projection 72 , so that the raising base 51 is positioned at the tip. It is swingably supported with respect to the cover main body 55 . Further, on one side of the raising base 51, a fitting concave portion 51f that can be fitted with a fitting convex portion 115a, which will be described later, is provided coaxially with the shaft portion 51e.

A partition wall 111 is provided on the base portion 16 of the tip forming portion 15 (see FIG. 43). An arm cover 112 is liquid-tightly attached to the outer surface of the partition 111 , and an arm 114 is accommodated in an arm accommodation chamber formed by the partition 111 and the arm cover 112 . A drive shaft 115 is rotatably supported by the partition wall 111 .

One end of the drive shaft 115 protrudes into the arm housing chamber and is fixed to the arm 114 . The distal end of an operation wire 76 inserted into the insertion portion 5 is led out into the arm housing chamber, and the operation wire 76 is rotatably connected to the arm 114 via a wire terminal member 116 .

As a result, the arm 114 can rotate the drive shaft 115 in conjunction with the forward/backward movement of the operation wire 76 .

In addition, the other end of the drive shaft 115 protrudes from the partition wall 111 toward the elevator housing chamber. The other end of the drive shaft 115 projecting from the partition wall 111 is set as a fitting projection 115a having a plurality of fitting surfaces.

When the front end cover main body 55 is attached to the front end portion 8, the shaft portion 51e is also supported by the drive shaft 115 by fitting the fitting projection portion 115a into the fitting recess portion 51f. Thus, the drive shaft 115 can function as a support.

Further, the drive shaft 115 is transmitted to the shaft portion 51e of the raising table 51 along with the forward/backward movement of the operation wire 76, and the raising table 51 swings between the raised position and the inverted position.

Also in the configuration of the tip cover device 3 of this modified example, the restriction member 57 shown in FIG. The restricting member 57 has an extending portion 57c extending in the lateral direction in a substantially circular arc shape on the distal end side.

A locking member 58 is provided at the side end of the extending portion 57c so as to stand up from the extending portion 57c.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 41 to 43, the tip cover main body 55 of the tip cover 50 is provided with the restricting member 57 described in the above embodiment. Therefore, when the distal end cover main body 55 of the distal end cover 50 is attached to the distal end forming portion 15, the locking member 58 on the distal end side of the regulating member 57 contacts and is caught by the shaft portion 51e, and the locking member on the proximal end side is caught. 59 abuts on and is caught by the locking pin 28 of the tip forming portion 15 .

The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the embodiment and each modified example described above is provided with the restricting member 57 inside the distal end cover 50, and the distance between the shaft portion 51e of the raising base 51 and the locking pin 28 in the direction of the insertion axis O is adjusted. is held constant.

As a result, even when the treatment instrument 40 advances and retreats on the elevator 51, the shaft portion 51e of the elevator 51 of the endoscope apparatus 1 is firmly held by the distal end portion 8 of the endoscope 2 by the restricting member 57. To prevent the cover 50 from coming off. Furthermore, by fixing the shaft portion 51 e and the locking pin 28 , it is possible not only to prevent the tip cover 50 from falling off, but also to prevent the lift base 51 from falling off from the tip cover 50 .

The invention described in the above embodiments and modifications is not limited to those embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made at the stage of implementation without departing from the scope of the invention. . Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements.

For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments and modifications, if the stated problem can be solved and the stated effect can be obtained, this constituent element can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

A distal end cover detachably arranged at the distal end of an insertion section of an endoscope,
an elevator;
a shaft member that rotatably supports the elevator;
a regulating member that maintains a distance in the insertion axial direction of the insertion portion from the shaft member at a predetermined mounting position with respect to the distal end structure portion when attached to the distal end structure portion of the distal end portion;
A tip cover comprising:
an insertion section for insertion into a subject;
a distal end portion disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion;
a tip cover detachably attached to the tip forming portion of the tip portion;
an elevator provided on the tip cover;
a shaft member provided on the tip cover for rotationally supporting the elevator;
a regulating member that maintains a distance in the insertion axis direction of the insertion portion of the shaft member at a predetermined attachment position of the tip cover with respect to the tip structure portion in a state where the tip cover is attached to the tip structure portion;
An endoscope device comprising:
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the restricting member is provided on the tip cover.
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the regulating member has higher rigidity than the tip cover.
When the tip cover is attached, the tip structure part engages with a locking hole provided in the tip cover, and the restricting member is caught, thereby reducing the distance from the shaft member in the insertion axial direction. 3. The endoscopic device according to claim 2, further comprising a locking pin held by the .
The regulating member abuts against the locking pin at a predetermined mounting position of the distal end cover with respect to the distal end structure portion, thereby pushing out the treatment instrument in which the raising base is inserted into the insertion portion, thereby inserting the insertion portion. 6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an abutment surface for restricting movement in the direction of receiving stress acting toward the distal end of the portion.
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the restricting member is provided at both ends and has a hook-shaped portion that is hooked on the shaft member or the locking pin.
8. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the hook-shaped portions at both ends of the regulating member are L-shaped locking bodies extending in directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and separating from each other. Device.
The tip cover has a fragile portion that can be broken when removed from the tip structure,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the restricting member is disengaged from the locking pin when the fragile portion is broken.
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the restricting member has a notched concave portion that engages with the locking pin.
an insertion section for insertion into a subject;
a distal end portion constituting the distal end side of the insertion portion;
a tip cover detachably arranged at the tip;
an elevator provided on the tip cover;
a shaft member that rotatably supports the elevator with respect to the tip cover;
A first engaging portion and an engaged portion of the tip structure portion that engage with the shaft member at a predetermined mounting position of the tip cover with respect to the tip structure portion in a state of being attached to the tip structure portion of the tip portion. a regulating member having a second engaging portion that engages with the
An endoscope device comprising:
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the restricting member is a flat bar having a predetermined length and having both ends provided with the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion.