CN100438817C - endoscopic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an endoscope device, wherein a hydrophilic coating material (80) is coated on the inner circumferential surface of a resin tube (51) as a base material of a sleeve (50), and the coating thickness is gradually increased from the base end side to the top end (58). Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope apparatus which can improve the insertion performance of an insertion aid into a living body and can maintain a lubricating coating applied to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion aid for a long period of time, thereby withstanding long-term use.

Description

endoscopic device

technical field

The present invention relates to an endoscope device, and more particularly, to an endoscope device including an endoscope with a balloon attached to the tip of an insertion portion and an insertion aid for guiding the insertion portion of the endoscope into a body cavity.

Background technique

When inserting the insertion part of the endoscope into the deep alimentary canal such as the small intestine, if the insertion part is simply pushed in, it will be difficult to transmit the force to the tip of the insertion part due to the complicated curvature of the intestine, making it difficult to insert into the deep part. Therefore, an endoscope device has been proposed, in which an insertion aid called a cannula or a sliding tube is attached to the insertion part of the endoscope and inserted into a body cavity, and the insertion part is guided by the insertion aid, thereby preventing the insertion part from unnecessary bending or flexure (for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, among conventional endoscope devices, there is known a double-balloon type endoscope in which a first balloon is provided at the distal end of the endoscope insertion portion and a second balloon is provided at the distal end of the insertion assisting device. devices (for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

Using a double-balloon endoscopic device, insert the insertion part and the insertion auxiliary device into the intestinal tract for a predetermined length, inflate the first and second balloons and fix the first and second balloons on the intestinal wall In this state, the operation of shrinking the curved intestinal tract into a straight line is sometimes performed by simultaneously pulling back the insertion part and the insertion aid. Then, by repeating the insertion operation of the insertion part, the insertion operation of the insertion assisting device, and the above-mentioned pull-back operation in this order, the intestinal tract is drawn closer, and the insertion part is inserted into the target site.

In this operation, the endoscope insertion portion and the insertion assisting instrument move back and forth relative to each other, so friction between them greatly affects operability. Therefore, in the past, a lubricating coating material such as a hydrophilic coating is uniformly applied to the inner peripheral surface of the insertion auxiliary device to reduce the friction between the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion auxiliary device. The frictional resistance improves the insertability of the insertion part of the endoscope relative to the insertion aid. In addition, a lubricating coating material such as a hydrophilic coating is uniformly applied to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid to reduce the frictional resistance between the insertion aid and the intestinal wall, and to improve the insertability of the insertion aid to the intestinal wall .

However, in the above-mentioned conventional endoscope apparatus, the insertion aid is made of uniform hardness from the base end to the tip end, so when the insertion aid is inserted into a curved intestinal tract (living body), there is difficulty in pushing the insertion force. It is transmitted to the tip of the assisting device, and the insertability of the insertion assisting device is poor. In addition, the inner peripheral surface of the distal end of the insertion assisting instrument receives a large frictional resistance caused by the insertion part of the endoscope due to the insertion and extraction action of the insertion part of the endoscope, so the disadvantage is that the hydrophilic coating material on the inner peripheral surface of the distal end Early full wear.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-248794;

Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-340462.

Patent Document 3: JP-A-2002-301019.

Contents of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lubricating coating material that can improve the insertion property of an insertion aid into a living body and can be applied to an insertion aid and an endoscope insertion portion. An endoscope device that can be used for a long period of time by keeping it for a long time.

In order to achieve the above objects, an endoscope device according to the present invention includes an endoscope and an insertion assisting device inserted through the insertion part of the endoscope from the base end thereof, wherein the endoscope insertion part has a The surface and/or the inner peripheral surface of the above-mentioned insertion aid is coated with a lubricating coating material, and the above-mentioned lubricating coating material makes the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part of the above-mentioned endoscope and/or the thickness of the tip end side of the above-mentioned insertion aid than the base The thickness of the end side is thicker.

According to one of the present inventions, for the lubricating coating material coated on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part of the endoscope and/or the inner peripheral surface of the insertion aid, since the outer peripheral surface of the insertion part of the endoscope and/or the insertion aid Since the thickness of the distal end side of the auxiliary device is thicker than that of the proximal end portion, the lubricating coating material can be retained for a long time to withstand long-term use.

In the endoscope device according to one aspect of the present invention, the second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the thicker portion coated with the lubricating coating material is the entirety of the insertion assisting instrument from the tip end to the base end of the insertion assisting instrument. About 1/3 to about half of the length. Compared with the base end of the insertion aid, the distal end thereof rubs against the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope to be inserted, thereby causing severe wear. Therefore, the lubricating coating material is overlapped and applied to the tip portion and its vicinity more than other portions. If the lubricating coating material is applied overlappingly over the entire range, the lubricating coating material will thicken up to the useless part, so it will thicken from the tip part, which is particularly easy to bend when inserted, to 1/3 or roughly half. This is because the curved portion especially rubs against the tip end of the insertion portion of the endoscope.

In the endoscope device according to one aspect of the present invention, the third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the coating thickness of the lubricating coating material gradually becomes thinner from the distal end to the proximal end of the insertion aid. In this way, even if a lubricating coating material is applied, the same effect as that of the second invention can be obtained.

In one aspect of the present invention, the fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the part where the coating thickness of the above-mentioned lubricating coating material is relatively thick is the tip part of the insertion part of the endoscope, which is during the insertion operation of the insertion part of the endoscope. Or the part of the length that is inserted and extracted relative to the top end of the above-mentioned insertion aid during the extraction operation. The insertion portion of this length is a portion that slides into the inner peripheral corner of the opening formed at the distal end of the insertion aid, and is a portion that receives force in the peeling direction from the perspective of the lubricating coating material. Therefore, by making the thickness of the lubricating coating material applied to at least the above-mentioned length portion thicker than other portions, the object of the present invention, which is to maintain the lubricating coating material for a long time and withstand long-term use, can be achieved.

The endoscope device of the present invention of fifth aspect includes an endoscope and an insertion auxiliary device inserted through the insertion part of the endoscope from the base end thereof, and is characterized in that the insertion auxiliary device is made of a hard member on the inside and a soft material on the outside. Member configuration, the thickness of the tip side of the inner hard member is thinner than the thickness of the base end side, and the thickness of the tip side of the outer soft member is thicker than the thickness of the base end side, by making the inner hard member and the outer side The soft members are combined so that the wall thickness of the insertion aid is constant over the entire length, and the inner hard member is coated with a lubricating coating material. The lubricating coating material makes the thickness of the tip side of the insertion aid It is thicker than the thickness of the base end side.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the insertion aid is composed of two types of members: the inner side is made of a hard member and the outer side is made of a soft member. In addition, the thickness of the distal end side of the inner hard member is thinner than the thickness of the base end side, while the outer soft member fits in reverse, thereby making the wall thickness of the insertion aid constant throughout the entire length. This improves the flexibility of the tip portion. In this way, the reaction force when the distal end portion is bent is reduced, so that the frictional resistance against the bent living body is reduced, and the insertion ability of the insertion assisting device into the living body is improved. In addition, since the thickness of the lubricating coating material applied to the inner hard member is thicker on the distal end side than on the base end side, the lubricating coating material can be retained for a long time to withstand long-term use. Furthermore, by arranging the hard member inside, the distal end of the endoscope insertion portion sinks into the inner surface of the insertion auxiliary device, which is less common than when the inner surface is made of a soft member, so that the penetration property is further improved.

The endoscope device of the sixth aspect of the present invention includes an insertion assisting device in which the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted from the base end thereof and a balloon is attached to the tip end thereof, and the balloon is inflated to make close contact with the body cavity. A lubricating coating material is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid, and the coefficient of friction of the outer peripheral surface of the applied insertion aid is set to 5 to 30% with respect to the coefficient of friction of the balloon.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by applying a lubricating coating material on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid, the frictional resistance against the wall of the body cavity is reduced, and at the same time, an appropriate frictional resistance is specified relative to the balloon which ensures a large frictional resistance. That is, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid coated with the lubricious coating material is set to be 5 to 30% of the frictional resistance of the balloon. If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, it is too smooth for the operator's hand who operates the insertion assisting device, which may cause erroneous operation. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability to the body cavity wall surface deteriorates. Therefore, in the present invention, in which the above-mentioned frictional resistance is set to 5 to 30%, the insertion and extraction of the insertion assisting device into the body cavity can be performed satisfactorily.

The endoscope device of the seventh aspect of the present invention includes an endoscope with a balloon attached to the distal end of the insertion portion, and the balloon is in close contact with the body cavity by inflation, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion of the endoscope is A lubricating coating material is applied, and the coefficient of friction of the outer peripheral surface of the coated insertion portion is set to 5 to 30% with respect to the coefficient of friction of the balloon.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by coating the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion with a lubricating coating material, the frictional resistance against the wall surface of the body cavity is reduced, and at the same time, it is stipulated that the balloon having a relatively large frictional resistance has an appropriate frictional resistance. . That is, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion coated with the lubricating coating material is specified to be 5 to 30% of the frictional resistance of the balloon. If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, the hand of the operator who operates the insertion assisting device is too smooth, which may cause erroneous operation. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability to the wall surface of the body cavity is deteriorated. Therefore, in the present invention, in which the above-mentioned frictional resistance is set to 5 to 30%, the insertion and extraction of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the body cavity can be performed satisfactorily.

In order to achieve the above object, the eighth endoscope device of the present invention includes an endoscope with a first balloon attached to the distal end of the insertion portion, and an endoscope that covers the insertion portion and guides the insertion of the insertion portion while attaching it to the distal end. The insertion assisting device of the second balloon is characterized in that the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting device is coated with a lubricating coating material, and the coated The coefficient of friction of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid is set to 5 to 30% with respect to the coefficient of friction of the second balloon.

The eighth aspect of the present invention is directed to an endoscope device including an endoscope having a first balloon mounted on a distal end and an insertion assisting device having a second balloon mounted on a distal end. In this endoscopic device, the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting instrument coated with a lubricating coating material is the same as that of the second balloon not coated with the lubricating coating material. The coefficient of friction is set at 5-30%.

Since the endoscope device having the first balloon and the second balloon is pushed into the body cavity many times, it is important to reduce the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool that contacts the wall surface of the body cavity. On the other hand, when the second balloon is inflated and comes into close contact with the wall surface of the body cavity, it is important to secure friction with the wall surface of the body cavity and obtain sufficient holding force.

Against such a background, by applying a lubricating coating material on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid, the frictional resistance against the wall surface of the body cavity is reduced, and at the same time, an appropriate frictional resistance is prescribed for the second balloon which ensures a relatively large frictional resistance. resistance. That is, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting device coated with the lubricious coating material is set to be 5 to 30% of the frictional resistance of the second balloon. If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, it is too smooth for the operator's hand who operates the insertion assisting device, which may cause erroneous operation. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability to the body cavity wall surface deteriorates. Therefore, in the present invention, in which the above-mentioned frictional resistance is set to 5 to 30%, the insertion and extraction of the insertion assisting device into the body cavity can be performed satisfactorily.

In the eighth aspect of the present invention, the ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a lubricating coating material is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion of the above-mentioned endoscope, and the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the applied insertion portion is compared to the above-mentioned The coefficient of friction of the first balloon is set to 5 to 30%.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, by coating the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion with a lubricating coating material, the frictional resistance against the wall of the body cavity is reduced, and at the same time, an appropriate frictional resistance is specified for the balloon which ensures relatively large frictional resistance. That is, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion coated with the lubricating coating material is specified to be 5 to 30% of the frictional resistance of the balloon. If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, it is too smooth for the operator's hand who operates the insertion assisting device, which may cause erroneous operation. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability to the body cavity wall surface deteriorates. Therefore, in the present invention, in which the above-mentioned frictional resistance is set to 5 to 30%, the insertion and extraction of the insertion portion of the endoscope into the body cavity can be performed satisfactorily.

According to the endoscope device of the present invention, for the lubricating coating material coated on the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part and/or the inner peripheral surface of the insertion auxiliary instrument, since the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part and/or the inner peripheral surface of the insertion aid are made Or, since the thickness of the distal end side of the insertion aid is thicker than that of the base end side, the lubricating coating material can be retained for a long time and can withstand long-term use.

In addition, regarding the insertion assisting device, the inner side is composed of two types of members: a hard member and an outer side are made of a soft member. The material member fits with it in turn so that the wall thickness of the insertion aid is constant over the entire length, and the flexibility of the tip portion in the insertion direction is improved, so the reaction force of the tip portion in the insertion direction is reduced when it is bent. Therefore, the frictional resistance against the curved living body is reduced, and the insertability of the insertion assisting device into the living body is improved.

Furthermore, according to the endoscope device of the present invention including the first balloon and the second balloon, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the insertion aid coated with the lubricating coating material is compared with the frictional resistance of the second balloon. Since the regulation is 5 to 30%, the insertion and removal of the insertion assisting device into the body cavity can be performed satisfactorily.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a distal end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a distal end portion of an insertion portion equipped with a first balloon.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a sleeve.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing a method of operating the endoscope device of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a first example of a sleeve showing the thicknesses of a substrate and a hydrophilic coating material.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second example of the sleeve showing the thickness of the substrate and the hydrophilic coating material.

Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example in which the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material of the insertion part is gradually increased from the proximal end to the distal end.

9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example in which the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material of the insertion portion is increased only at the tip portion.

In the figure: 10-endoscope, 12-insertion part, 14-hand-held operation part, 26-balloon air supply port, 28-air supply suction port, 30-first balloon, 36-top end, 50-cannula , 51-tube main body (resin tube), 52-grip, 54-balloon gas outlet, 60-second balloon, 80-hydrophilic coating material, 100-balloon control device, 102-device body , 104-manual switch, 110, 120-pipe.

Detailed ways

Preferred embodiments of the endoscope device of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a double-balloon endoscope device according to the present invention. The double-balloon endoscope device shown in this figure is composed of an endoscope 10 , a cannula (insertion aid) 50 , and a balloon control device 100 .

The endoscope 10 includes a hand-held operation unit 14 and an insertion unit 12 connected to the hand-held operation unit 14 . A universal lead 15 is connected to the handheld operation unit 14 , and a connector (not shown) for connecting a processor or a light source device (not shown) is provided at the tip of the universal lead 15 .

On the handheld operation part 14, an air and water supply button 16, a suction button 18, and a shutter button 20 operated by the operator are arranged side by side, and a pair of corner knobs 22, 22 and a forceps insertion part 24 are respectively provided at predetermined positions. Furthermore, a balloon air supply port 26 for sending air to the first balloon 30 or sucking air from the balloon 30 is also provided on the handheld operation part 14 .

The insertion part 12 is composed of a soft part 32 , a curved part 34 , and a tip part 36 . The bending part 34 is formed by connecting a plurality of joint rings in a bendable manner, and a long-distance bending operation can be performed by turning the pair of corner knobs 22 and 22 provided on the hand-held operation part 14 . Thereby, the distal end surface 37 of the distal end portion 36 can be directed in a desired direction.

As shown in FIG. 2 , an objective optical system 38 , a pair of illuminating mirrors 40 , 40 , an air and water supply nozzle 42 , and a forceps mouth 44 are provided at predetermined positions on the distal end surface 37 of the distal end portion 36 . In addition, an air supply and suction port 28 as shown in FIGS. The air delivery port 26 of the balloon communicates. Therefore, gas can be blown out from the air supply and suction port 28 of the distal end portion 36 by supplying gas to the balloon gas supply port 26 , and gas can be sucked from the air supply and suction port 28 by sucking gas from the balloon gas supply port 26 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a first balloon 30 made of an elastic body such as rubber is attached to a distal end portion 36 of the insertion portion 12 , which is detachable. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first balloon 30 is formed by an inflatable part 30c in the center and sleeve parts 30a, 30b at both ends thereof, and is attached to the distal end part 36 so that the air supply and suction port 28 is located inside the inflatable part 30c. side. The sleeve parts 30a and 30b have a diameter smaller than that of the tip part 36, and after they are brought into close contact with the tip part 36 by their elastic force, they are fixed by winding a thread not shown in the figure. In addition, not limited to the winding and fixing using wires, the fitting parts 30a, 30b may be fixed to the distal end part 36 by fitting a fixing ring on the fitting parts 30a, 30b.

The first balloon 30 attached to the distal end portion 36 inflates the inflatable portion 30c into a substantially spherical shape by blowing air from the air supply suction port 28 shown in FIG. 2 . On the other hand, the inflatable portion 30 c is shrunk by suction of air from the air supply suction port 28 to closely adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion 36 .

The ferrule 50 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a pipe main body 51 and a grip portion 52 . The pipe main body 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 4 , and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 12 . The insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the tube main body 51 from the proximal opening portion 52A of the grip portion 52 shown in FIG. 1 .

On the other hand, the tube main body 51 uses a flexible resin tube made of urethane or the like as a base material, and the outer peripheral surface of the base material is coated with a hydrophilic coating material (lubricating coating material) to a uniform thickness, At the same time, the inner peripheral surface is coated with a hydrophilic coating material to a predetermined thickness. Here, the hydrophilic coating material coated on the inner peripheral surface will be described later. Examples of hydrophilic coating materials include polyvinylpyrrolidone, acrylic resins, and silicone resins.

A balloon air delivery port 54 is provided on the proximal end side of the tube main body 51 . An air supply tube 56 with an inner diameter of about 1 mm is connected to the air supply port 54 of the balloon.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the tip 58 of the pipe main body 51 is formed into a thin head shape. In addition, a second balloon 60 made of elastic body such as rubber is mounted on the proximal end side of the distal end 58 of the tube main body 51 . The second balloon 60 is attached in a state where the tube main body 51 penetrates, and is composed of a central inflatable portion 60c and fitting portions 60a, 60b at both ends thereof. The sleeve portion 60 a on the distal end side is folded back inside the expansion portion 60 c, and the folded sleeve portion 60 a is fixed to the tube main body 51 by being wound with the X-ray contrast wire 62 . The sheathing portion 60 b on the proximal end side is arranged outside the second balloon 60 , and is fixed to the tube main body 51 by being wound with a wire 64 .

The inflation portion 60c is substantially spherical in a natural state (neither inflated nor contracted), and has a size larger than that of the first balloon 30 in a natural state (neither inflated nor contracted). Therefore, when air is supplied to the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 at the same pressure, the outer diameter of the inflated portion 60 c of the second balloon 60 is larger than the outer diameter of the inflated portion 30 c of the first balloon 30 . For example, when the outer diameter of the first balloon 30 is φ25 mm, the outer diameter of the second balloon 60 is φ50 mm.

The above-mentioned tube 56 is opened inside the expansion part 60c, and the air supply suction port 57 is formed. Therefore, when air is supplied from the air supply port 54 of the balloon, the air is blown out from the air supply suction port 57 to inflate the inflatable portion 60c. In addition, when air is sucked from the balloon air supply port 54, air is sucked from the air supply suction port 57, and the second balloon 60 contracts. However, reference numeral 66 in FIG. 1 is an injection port for injecting lubricating liquid such as water into the pipe main body 51 .

On the other hand, the balloon control device 100 is a device that supplies and sucks fluid such as gas to the first balloon 30 and supplies and sucks fluid such as gas to the second balloon 60 . The balloon control device 100 is composed of a device main body 102 including a pump, a sequencer, etc. not shown, and a manual switch 104 for remote control.

A power switch SW1 , a stop switch SW2 , a manometer 106 for the first balloon 30 , and a manometer 108 for the second balloon 60 are provided on the front panel of the device main body 102 . Also, a tube 110 for supplying and sucking gas to the first balloon 30 and a tube 120 for supplying and sucking gas to the second balloon 60 are attached to the front panel of the device main body 102 . The middle sections of the tubes 110, 120 are respectively provided with liquid storage tanks 130, 140, which are used to store fluid from the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 when the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 are damaged. flow of bodily fluids.

On the other hand, the manual switch 104 is provided with the same stop switch SW3 as the stop switch SW2 on the side of the device main body 102, the ON/OFF switch SW4 for supporting the pressurization/depressurization of the first balloon 30, and the switch SW4 for holding the first balloon 30. The pause switch SW5 for the pressure of the first balloon 30 , the ON/OFF switch SW6 for pressurizing/depressurizing the second balloon 60 , and the pause switch SW7 for maintaining the pressure of the second balloon 60 . The manual switch 104 is electrically connected to the device main body 102 via a cable 150 .

The balloon control device 100 configured as above supplies gas to the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 to inflate them, and controls the gas pressure to keep the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 inflated. In addition, the gas is suctioned from the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 to deflate them, and the gas pressure is controlled to maintain the contracted state of the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 .

Next, the operation method of the double-balloon endoscope device will be described based on FIGS. 5( a ) to ( h ).

First, as shown in FIG. 5( a ), the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the intestinal tract (for example, the descending portion of the duodenum) 70 in a state where the insertion portion 12 is covered with the sleeve 50 . At this time, the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 are contracted.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5( b ), with the distal end 58 of the cannula 50 inserted into the curved portion of the intestinal tract 70 , gas is supplied to the second balloon 60 to inflate it. As a result, the second balloon 60 is locked in the intestinal tract 70 , and the tip 58 of the cannula 50 is fixed in the intestinal tract 70 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5( c ), only the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 70 . Then, as shown in FIG. 5( d ), gas is supplied to the first balloon 30 to inflate it. Thus, the first balloon 30 is fixed in the intestinal tract 70 . At this time, the size of the first balloon 30 when inflated is smaller than that of the second balloon 60, so the burden on the intestinal tract 70 is small, and damage to the intestinal tract 70 can be prevented.

Next, gas is sucked from the second balloon 60 to deflate the second balloon 60 , and then, as shown in FIG. 5( e ), the cannula 50 is pushed in and inserted along the insertion portion 12 . Then, after pushing the tip 58 of the cannula 50 to the vicinity of the first balloon 30, as shown in FIG. 5(f), gas is supplied to the second balloon 60 to inflate it. Thus, the second balloon 60 is fixed in the intestinal tract 70 . That is, the intestinal tract 70 is grasped by the second balloon 60 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(g), the sleeve 50 is pulled back. As a result, the intestinal tract 70 shrinks substantially straight, and unnecessary bending or bending of the cannula 50 disappears. Moreover, when the sheath 50 is pulled back, both the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 are locked in the intestinal tract 70 , but the frictional resistance of the first balloon 30 is smaller than that of the second balloon 60 . Therefore, even if the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 move relatively apart, the first balloon 30 with low frictional resistance will slide relative to the intestinal tract 70, so the intestinal tract 70 will not be affected by the friction between the two balloons 30,60. Damaged by pulling.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5( h ), gas is sucked from the first balloon 30 to deflate the first balloon 30 . Then, the top end portion 36 of the insertion portion 12 is inserted as deep as possible into the intestinal tract 70 . That is, the insertion operation shown in Fig. 5(c) is performed again. Thereby, the distal end portion 36 of the insertion portion 12 can be inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 70 . When the insertion part 12 is further inserted into the deep part, after the fixing operation shown in Figure 5(d), the pushing operation shown in Figure 5(e) is carried out, and then the operation shown in Figure 5(f) is repeated in order. The holding operation shown in FIG. 5(g), the pulling operation shown in FIG. 5(g), and the insertion operation shown in FIG. 5(h) are sufficient. Thus, the insertion portion 12 can be further inserted into the deep part of the intestinal tract 70 .

In a double-balloon endoscope device equipped with such a sleeve 50, the sleeve according to the embodiment can be improved by improving the penetrability into the curved intestinal tract (living body) 70 and maintaining the hydrophilic coating material for a long time. The tube 50 has a longer life.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6 , in a resin tube (here, for convenience, the same reference numeral 51 as that of the tube body) 51 as a base material of the sleeve 50 , regarding the hydrophilic coating applied on the inner peripheral surface, The coating material 80 is applied such that the thickness gradually increases from the base end to the tip 58 . In this way, the hydrophilic coating 80 including the tip 58 and its vicinity can be maintained for a long time and withstand long-term use.

As shown in FIG. 6, the length of the portion where the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 is changed relative to the entire length of the resin tube 51 is about 1/3 to about 1/2 from the tip 58 to the base end. The distal end portion of the sleeve 50 rubs more strongly against the distal end portion 36 of the inserted endoscope insertion portion 12 than the proximal end portion thereof, and is more severely worn. Therefore, the lubricating coating material 80 is applied more overlappingly to the tip portion and its vicinity than to other portions. When the lubricating coating material 80 is overlapped on the entire sleeve pipe 50, the hydrophilic coating material 80 is thickened up to the useless part, so it is easy to bend from the top end to the body cavity when inserted into the body cavity. /3 or even about half of the part becomes thicker. This is because the bent portion especially rubs against the tip end portion 36 of the endoscope insertion portion 12 . The method of changing the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 can be realized only by drying the resin tube 51 with the tip 58 of the resin tube 51 down after coating the hydrophilic coating material 80 on the resin tube 51 . That is, this is because in the drying process of the hydrophilic coating material 80, the hydrophilic coating material 80 drapes due to its own weight while drying, and thus the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 becomes more and more towards the tip 58. thick. In addition, even if the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material gradually becomes thicker from the proximal end to the distal end 58, the same effect can be obtained.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the sleeve 50 of FIG. 6 . The resin tube 51 of the ferrule 50 shown in FIG. 7 is composed of two types of members: a hard member 51A on the inside and a soft member 51B on the outside. In addition, the thickness of the distal end 58 side of the hard member 51A is thinner than the thickness of the base end side, while the soft member 51B is opposite to this, and the wall thickness of the sleeve 50 is made to be in the entire length range by fitting the outer peripheral surface of the hard member 51A. The inside is fixed, and the flexibility of the tip 58 side of the sleeve 50 is improved.

In this way, since the reaction force at the tip portion 58 and its vicinity is reduced, the frictional resistance against the bent living body is reduced, and the insertability of the cannula 50 into the living body is improved. In addition, as for the hydrophilic coating material 80 coated on the inner peripheral surface of the hard member 51A, the thickness on the tip 58 side is thicker than that on the proximal side as in FIG. 6 , so the hydrophilic coating can be maintained for a long time. Material 81 to withstand long-term use. Furthermore, by arranging the hard member 51A inside, the distal end portion 36 of the endoscope insertion portion 12 sinks into the inner surface of the sleeve 50, which is less common than when the inner surface is a soft member, so the endoscope insertion portion 12 is further improved. penetration.

However, in the embodiment, the cannula 50 is exemplified as an insertion aid, but it is not limited thereto, and a slide tube inserted through the anus may also be used.

Fig. 8 shows that the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part 12 is coated with a hydrophilic coating material 80 and the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 increases from the proximal end of the insertion part 12 (with the hand-held operation of Fig. 1 ). Partial cross-sectional view of an example in which the thickness gradually increases toward the distal end portion (the end portion to which the first balloon 30 is attached) 13 .

In this way, with regard to the hydrophilic coating material 80 applied to the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion 12, the thickness on the insertion direction distal end portion 13 side of the endoscope insertion portion 12 is greater than that on the insertion direction proximal end portion side. The thickness is thick, and the hydrophilic coating material 80 can be maintained for a long time to withstand long-term use. By combining the endoscope insertion part 12 coated with the hydrophilic coating material 80 and the sleeve tube 50 coated with the hydrophilic coating material 80 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lubricity of both can be further extended. service life of the coating material 80 .

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example in which the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 of the endoscope insertion portion 12 is increased only at the tip portion. In this figure, the portion where the coating thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 is relatively thick is the distal end portion of the endoscope insertion portion 12 in the insertion direction, and is a portion 12A of the length L that is inserted into and withdrawn from the distal end 58 of the cannula 50 . In the insertion portion 12, the portion 12A of the length L is a portion that slides on the inner peripheral corner portion 59A of the opening portion 59 formed at the tip 58 of the sleeve 50, and is peeled off from the lubricating coating material 80. The part of the force in the direction. Thereby, by at least making the thickness of the hydrophilic coating material 80 coated on the portion 12A of the length L thicker than other parts, the purpose of the present invention can be achieved, namely keeping the hydrophilic coating material 80 for a long time and being able to withstand long-term use.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, a lubricating coating material 80 is also applied to the outer peripheral surface of the bushing 50, and the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface of the coated bushing 50 is lower than that of the non-applied lubricating coating material. The coefficient of friction of the surface of the second balloon 60 is set to 5 to 30%. In the embodiment, the lubricating coating material 80 of the sleeve 50 is polyvinylpyrrolidone (frictional resistance μ: 0.08), and the second balloon 60 is natural rubber (frictional resistance μ: 0.5), so the setting is 16%.

However, since the double-balloon endoscope device having the first balloon 30 and the second balloon 60 is pushed into the body cavity many times, it is necessary to reduce the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the cannula 50 that is in contact with the wall surface of the body cavity. important. On the other hand, when the second balloon 60 is inflated and brought into close contact with the wall surface of the body cavity, it is important to secure friction with the wall surface of the body cavity and obtain sufficient holding force.

In such a background, by applying a lubricating coating material on the outer peripheral surface of the cannula 50, while reducing the frictional resistance against the wall surface of the body cavity, it is prescribed that the second balloon 60 has an appropriate function to ensure a relatively large frictional resistance. frictional resistance. That is, the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 50 to which the lubricating coating material is applied is set to be 5 to 30% of the frictional resistance of the second balloon 60 . If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, the cannula 50 is too slippery for the operator's hand who operates the cannula 50 , which may cause mishandling. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability to the body cavity wall surface deteriorates. Therefore, by setting the above-mentioned frictional resistance to 5 to 30%, the cannula 50 can be inserted and withdrawn into the body cavity satisfactorily. Furthermore, by setting it at 12 to 16%, it is possible to perform more favorable insertion and extraction of the cannula 50 into the body cavity.

Although the description is repeated, as shown in FIG. Further, (1) high slidability with respect to the inner wall of the body cavity, (2) moderate flexibility, and (3) moderate strength toughness are required.

As the base material of the sleeve 50, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, vinyl chloride, and synthetic rubber can be cited. Although polytetrafluoroethylene has the requirements (1) and (3), it does not satisfy the requirements ( 2). In addition, although polyurethane and vinyl chloride meet the necessary conditions (2) and (3), they do not meet the necessary conditions (1), and although synthetic rubber meets the necessary conditions (2), they do not meet the necessary conditions (1), (3). Therefore, regarding the requirement (1), it is considered that it can be eliminated by applying a lubricating coating material on its outer peripheral surface, and polyurethane and vinyl chloride satisfying the requirements (2) and (3) are selected as the casing 50. Substrate.

On the other hand, the prerequisites required for a lubricating coating material include (A) obtaining sufficient slidability and (B) good compatibility with the base material.

Examples of the lubricating coating material include polyvinylpyrrolidone. Polyvinylpyrrolidone has a particularly good effect on the requirement (A), and has good compatibility with polyurethane on the requirement (B), but it does not have as good compatibility with polyurethane as on vinyl chloride .

Based on the above results, polyurethane coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone can be used for the sleeve 50 of the embodiment.

In addition, the hydrophilic coating material 80 is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part 12, and the friction coefficient of the outer peripheral surface is set to be 5 to 5 with respect to the friction coefficient of the first balloon 30 which ensures a large frictional resistance. 30%. If the frictional resistance is 5% or less, the cannula 50 is too slippery for the hand of the operator who operates the cannula 50, which may cause mishandling. In addition, when the frictional resistance is 30% or more, the insertability of the endoscope insertion portion 12 to the wall surface of the body cavity deteriorates. Therefore, by setting the above-mentioned frictional resistance to 5 to 30%, it is possible to make the insertion and extraction of the endoscope insertion portion 12 into the body cavity favorably performed. Furthermore, by setting it at 12 to 16%, it is possible to perform more favorable insertion and extraction of the endoscope insertion portion 12 into the body cavity.

Here, the endoscope device of the embodiment is described as a double-balloon endoscope device, and for a single body of the cannula 50 having a balloon, and for a single body of the endoscope insertion part 12 having a balloon, For the above reasons, it is preferable to regulate the frictional resistance of the outer peripheral surface to be 5 to 30% of that of the balloon.

Claims (5)

1. An endoscope device comprising an endoscope and an insertion assisting instrument through which an insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted through a base end thereof, wherein: A lubricious coating material is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part and/or the inner peripheral surface of the insertion aid, and the lubricious coating material makes the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion part And/or the thickness of the distal end side of the insertion aid is thicker than that of the base end side. 2. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein: The thicker part of the coating thickness of the lubricating coating material is in the range of 1/3 to half of the entire length of the insertion aid from the distal end to the proximal end of the insertion aid. 3. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein: The coating thickness of the lubricating coating material gradually becomes thinner from the outer peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion and/or the distal end portion of the insertion aid toward the base end portion. 4. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein: The thicker part of the coating thickness of the lubricating coating material is the tip portion of the insertion part of the endoscope, which is relatively thick to the insertion aid during insertion operation or extraction operation of the insertion part of the endoscope. The length of insertion and withdrawal of the tip of the instrument. 5. An endoscope device comprising an endoscope and an insertion assisting device through which an insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted through a base end thereof, wherein: The insertion aid is composed of a hard member on the inside and a soft member on the outside, The thickness of the tip side of the inner hard member is thinner than the thickness of the base end side, and the thickness of the tip side of the outer soft member is thicker than the thickness of the base end side. The components are combined, and the wall thickness of the insertion aid is constant throughout the length, A lubricating coating material is applied to the inner hard member so that the thickness of the distal end side of the insertion aid is thicker than the thickness of the proximal end side of the insertion aid.

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