JP2000175865A - Active endoscope using magnetic torque - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To permit active bending of an endoscope and reduction of its diameter of by fastening a cylindrical magnetic cylinder made up of a magnetized magnetic body to the tip of a flexible endoscope and connecting by a flexible spacer made of a soft material or the like when a plurality of magnetic cylinders are involved. SOLUTION: A cylindrical magnetic cylinder 2 made up of one or more than one magnetized ferromagnetic body. Is fastened to the tip of the endoscope probe 1b of a flexible endoscope. When a plurality of magnetic cylinders 2 are involved, they are connected onto a flexible material or coil through a flexible spacer 3 made up of an object. In addition, to increase the flexibility and bendability of an endoscope body 1a, the flexible space 3 is inserted into necessary parts such as the joint of the endoscope body 1a and the endoscope probe 1b and connected. Thus, widespread use of equipment is ensured by enabling an endoscope diameter to be reduced by simplifying the structure of the active endoscope and lowering the marketing price by making it easy to manufacture and process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) As medical applications, optical endoscopes, ultrasonic endoscopes, intraperitoneal treatment instruments, catheters for angiography, catheters in the urethra, drug delivery systems, and other complicated internal vessels are used. A technical field that guides you to the road. (2) As an industrial application field, a technical field for guiding an industrial endoscope, a flaw detection probe of an in-pipe inspection system, a pipe inner wall processing instrument, a coating nozzle, a fiberscope, various wiring instruments, and the like into a pipe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a method of activating a flexible endoscope by operating it from the outside and guiding it to a target location is to accommodate a contra-rotating spiral coil in an endoscope barrel. There are a mechanical operation method, a method in which a shape memory alloy coil is embedded in a lens barrel, and an electric operation method. However, the thickness of the entire lens barrel has become large, and it has been extremely difficult to realize an active endoscope having a diameter of several millimeters or less, particularly required for medical use, in terms of manufacturing and processing.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to realize an active bending function and a small diameter of an endoscope described in the "Description of the Related Art", it is an object of the present invention to simplify the structure of the endoscope and facilitate processing and manufacture.

[0004]

As shown in FIG. 6, the principle that a magnetized magnetic substance placed in a magnetic field generates a magnetic torque that tends to rotate in the direction of the line of magnetic force of the magnetic field in accordance with the magnetic moment thereof. Applications: (1) Attach a magnetic cylinder to the end of the endoscope probe. (2) Fit the magnetic ring into the endoscope barrel. (3) Attach a magnetic cylinder to the end of the endoscope probe, and fit a magnetic ring into the endoscope barrel. (4) The magnetic sleeve is embedded in the endoscope barrel. (5) A magnetic piece is attached to the back of the ultrasonic transducer that constitutes the endoscope probe of the ultrasonic endoscope, and is incorporated in the endoscope probe. The human body into which the active endoscope configured as described above is inserted is placed in a strong magnetic field, and the intensity and direction of the magnetic field lines are operated to control the direction of the endoscope probe in the body.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on embodiments with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a cylindrical magnetic cylinder 2 made of one or more magnetized ferromagnetic materials is provided at the tip of an endoscope probe 1b of a flexible endoscope.
Attach and fix. When there are a plurality of magnetic cylinders 2, the magnetic cylinders 2 are connected to each other via a flexible spacer 3 made of a flexible material or a coil-shaped object. In FIG. 2, an endoscope 1
An annular magnetic ring 4 made of one or more magnetized ferromagnetic materials is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the endoscope barrel 1a. In FIG. 3, an endoscope probe 1b of the endoscope 1 is shown.
Attach one or a plurality of cylindrical magnetic cylinders 2 made of a magnetized ferromagnetic material to the tip of the cylinder and fix them. When there are a plurality of magnetic cylinders 2, the magnetic cylinders 2 are connected to each other via a flexible spacer 3 made of a flexible material or a coil-shaped object. Further, an annular magnetic ring 4 made of one or a plurality of magnetized ferromagnetic materials is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the endoscope barrel 1a. In FIG. 4, a magnetic sleeve 5 made of a tubular magnetized ferromagnetic material enclosing an endoscope core 1c is fitted inside an endoscope barrel 1a of the endoscope 1, and the endoscope barrel 1a is inserted into the endoscope barrel 1a. Embedded embedded. In FIG. 5, a rectangular piece-shaped magnetic piece 6 made of a magnetized ferromagnetic material is attached to the back surface of an ultrasonic transducer 1d constituting an endoscope probe 1b of an ultrasonic endoscope. 1b.

In FIGS. 1 to 5, in order to further increase the flexibility of the endoscope barrel 1a and enhance the flexibility, the flexible spacer 3 is connected to the endoscope barrel 1a and the endoscope probe 1b. And between the magnetic rings 4 or between the magnetic sleeves 5 and other necessary parts.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the structure of the conventional active endoscope is simplified, the diameter of the endoscope is reduced, the production and processing are facilitated, the equipment is reduced in price, and the use of the apparatus is promoted. Has the effect of making it easier for doctors and laboratory technicians to grasp the lesion objectively, and industrially facilitates examination and work in complicated small-diameter pipes.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an active endoscope according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the active endoscope according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the active endoscope according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an active endoscope according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view and a sectional view of the active endoscope according to claim 5;

FIG. 6 is a principle explanatory view showing an operation of a ferromagnetic substance in a magnetic field.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a kidney into which an active endoscope has been inserted.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a Endoscope barrel 1b Endoscope probe 1c Endoscope core 1d Ultrasonic transducer 2 Magnetic cylinder 3 Flexible spacer 4 Magnetic ring 5 Magnetic sleeve 6 Magnetic bead

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Yoshikatsu Tanahashi 10-26, Kasumi-cho, Yagiyama, Taishiro-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture (72) Inventor Kazushi Ishiyama 3- 7-5, Uesugi, Aoba-ku, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture Inventor Kenichi Arai 2-28-9 Yamanoji Temple, Izumi-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (72) Inventor Rikio Honda 4-6-7, Ogimachi, Miyagino-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Honda Seiki Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A flexible magnetic endoscope comprising an endoscope barrel (1a) and an endoscope probe (1b), and a cylindrical magnetic cylinder (2) made of a magnetized magnetic material at the tip. One or more are fixed, and in the case of a plurality, the magnetic cylinders (2) are connected to each other by a flexible spacer (3) using a soft material or a coil and fixed to the end of the endoscope probe (1b). Active endoscope. 2. An endoscope barrel (1) of a flexible endoscope comprising an endoscope barrel (1a) and an endoscope probe (1b).
An active endoscope in which one or more annular magnetic rings (4) made of a magnetized magnetic material are fitted in a). 3. An active endoscope wherein the magnetic cylinder according to claim 1 is fixed to a tip of the active endoscope according to claim 2. 4. A flexible endoscope barrel (1) comprising an endoscope barrel (1a) and an endoscope probe (1b).
An active endoscope in which a tubular magnetic sleeve (5) made of a magnetized magnetic material is wrapped around the endoscope core (1c) and is embedded therein. 5. An ultrasonic transducer (1) in an endoscope probe (1b) of a flexible ultrasonic endoscope comprising an endoscope barrel (1a) and an endoscope probe (1b). An active endoscope in which a magnetic piece (6) made of a magnetized magnetic material is fixedly mounted on the back surface of 1d).