JPS6015527Y2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] The present invention relates to an endoscope with an improved structure of its tip component.

The insertion section of an endoscope used when performing transendoscopic high-frequency ablation treatment must be electrically insulated to prevent burns due to leakage of high-frequency current.

However, because the core material and main body of the insertion tube require structural strength, they are made of electrically conductive metal, and for this reason, the outer surfaces of the flexible tube and curved portion are coated with an electrically insulating outer sheath. An electrically insulating tip cover is attached to the tip component by adhesive.

However, after long-term use and repeated disinfection, the adhesive deteriorates due to corrosion, etc., and the tip cover is likely to peel off from the adhesive surface and fall off.

For this reason, conventionally, as shown in Fig. 1 or 2, screws 1 and 2 are used to prevent the distal end cover 4 from falling into the body cavity by fastening and fixing the distal end cover 4 to the distal end main body 3. There is.

However, this method requires the tips of the retaining screws 1 and 2 to protrude from the outer surface of the tip main body 3;
It is necessary to tighten only a in FIG. 1 and b in FIG. 2.

Therefore, the thickness of the tip cover 4 must be greater than the thickness required for electrical insulation, and the tip portion becomes larger accordingly, which is a major drawback as an endoscope.

In addition, in order to omit the screw for preventing the distal end cover from being removed, which electrically insulates the distal end component, the present applicant filed the Utility Model Application No. 55-4
This patent has already been filed as No. 2119, which uses an air/water supply nozzle to prevent the tip cover from coming off.

Therefore, it is necessary to bend the tip of the air/water nozzle more than necessary to form a nozzle return shape, and when using a wide-angle optical system, the air/water nozzle may obstruct the field of view, and the air/water nozzle may obstruct the field of view. There is a disadvantage that it cannot be applied to an endoscope without a water supply nozzle.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to heat-shrink and fix a tip cover made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin material to a tip body having a locking part; The purpose of the present invention is to provide a highly safe endoscope in which the tip cover does not fall off even if a retaining screw and an air/water supply nozzle are omitted.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

Reference numeral 11 in FIG. 3 is the insertion section of the endoscope, and this insertion section 11
is connected to the operating section 12.

The insertion section 11 is formed by connecting a tip structure section 15 to the tip of a flexible tube section 13 via a curved section 14. It is possible to select.

Further, the operation section 12 is provided with an air/water supply side 16, a suction button 17, a forceps insertion port 18, and an eyepiece section 19.

The outer surfaces of the flexible tube section 13 and the curved section 14 of the insertion section 11 are covered with an outer skin 20 made of an electrically insulating elastic material.

Further, the distal end component 15 is provided with an observation window 23, a forceps port 24, and an illumination window (not shown) on the distal end surface portion 22 of the distal end main body 21.

The observation window 23 is made of a cover glass 25, and an objective lens 26 is provided inside the cover glass 25. The objective lens 26 has an image guide 2 made of an optical fiber bundle.
7 are optically connected.

Note that the image guide 27 is guided to the eyepiece section 19 of the operation section 12.

The forceps port 24 is a forceps channel 24a inside the insertion section 11.
and is connected to the forceps insertion port 18 of the operating section 12.

Furthermore, a locking portion 28 consisting of a groove is provided on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the tip main body 21 of the tip forming portion 15.

This locking portion 28 has a maximum outer diameter A of the tip body 21.
It has a smaller outer diameter B.

On the other hand, a tip cover 29 is fitted onto the tip main body 21.

That is, the tip cover 29 is molded into a cylindrical shape from a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin material, and is expanded by air pressure or the like just before it solidifies during molding, so that its inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tip body 21. It has been solidified.

Furthermore, the observation window 2 is provided on the front end surface of the tip cover 29.
3. A hole 30.31 is formed opposite the forceps port 24, and a retaining protrusion 32 is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the rear end opening, facing the locking part 28 of the tip body 21. There is.

The distal end cover 29 shaped in this manner is fitted from the front end side of the distal end main body 21, and after the engaging protrusion 32 is opposed to the locking portion 28, the distal end cover 29 is heated with a dryer or the like. As a result, the engagement protrusion 32 is contracted and brought into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tip main body 21, and the engagement protrusion 32 is locked with the locking portion 28.

Moreover, at this time, an adhesive (not shown) is applied to the bonding surface between the tip main body 21 and the tip cover 29 in advance.

) can be applied to make it even more firmly fixed.

In the above embodiment, the locking portion 28 is provided around the entire circumference of the tip main body 21 of the tip component 15, and the tip cover 29 is
However, a locking portion may be provided on a part of the circumference of the tip main body 21, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 7 may also be used.

That is, the front end side of the tip body 33 of the tip structure part 15 is provided with a locking part 3'4 consisting of a tapered surface with a maximum outer diameter A1 and the rear end side is a minimum outer diameter B, and this tip body 33 is heat-shrinkable. A cylindrical tip cover 35 made of synthetic resin material is fitted,
This tip cover 35 is tightly fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 33 by heating and shrinking it with a dryer or the like.

In this case, although the distal end surface is not electrically insulated, the distal corner is electrically insulated, and there is no practical problem even if high-frequency ablation treatment is performed while observing through the observation window 23.

With this configuration, there is no need to provide a retaining protrusion on the tip cover 35, and the tip cover 35 can be formed from a simple cylindrical tube, and can be provided at a low cost.

As explained above, in the present invention, a tip cover for electrically insulating the tip body is made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin material, and this tip cover is heat-shrinked to form a locking portion of the tip body. Since the tip cover is engaged and fixed, the tip cover can be securely fixed without having to be fixed with retaining screws or air/ice blowing nozzles as in conventional methods, and there is no risk of the tip cover falling off, making it safe. be.

Furthermore, by omitting the retaining screw, the thickness of the tip cover can be minimized, and the outer diameter and length of the tip component can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are longitudinal sectional side views of the distal end component showing different conventional examples, FIG. 3 is a side view of the entire endoscope showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the distal end cover, respectively. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side view of the tip cover before contraction; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal side view of the tip cover before contraction, showing another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 is the same. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal side view showing the state after the tip cover is shrunk. 15...Tip component, 21, 33...Tip main body, 28°34...Locking part, 29°35...Tip cuff.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an endoscope in which the distal end surface and outer peripheral surface of the distal end body of the distal end component or the outer circumferential surface are covered with a distal cover made of an electrically insulating material, the maximum of the distal end body is placed on the outer periphery of the distal end body on the proximal side of the distal end surface of the distal end body. Provide a locking part with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter,
An endoscope further comprising: a distal end cover made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin material fixed to the distal end main body by heating and shrinking the distal end cover.