JP2007130082A - Endoscope, or insertion-assisting device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope or an insertion-assisting device having a simple structure which can safely and quickly inflate/deflate a balloon which is attached to an insertion section of the endoscope or the insertion-assisting implement. <P>SOLUTION: In this insertion-assisting device 70, a second balloon 80 is fitted on the distal end section of a main body tube 73, and a balloon 86 for operation which communicates with the second balloon 80 is fitted on the proximal end section of the main body tube 73. The second balloon 80 is inflated or deflated by inflating or deflating the balloon 86 for operation. In this endoscope 10, a first balloon 60 is fitted on the distal end section of the insertion section 12, and a balloon 66 which communicates with the first balloon 60 is fitted on a hand operation section 14. The first balloon 60 is inflated or deflated by inflating or deflating the balloon 66. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope or an insertion assisting tool, and particularly to an endoscope or an insertion assisting tool used in a double balloon type endoscope apparatus.

  When inserting the insertion part of the endoscope into the deep digestive tract such as the small intestine, simply pushing the insertion part makes it difficult for force to be transmitted to the distal end of the insertion part due to the complicated bending of the intestinal tract. Have difficulty. For example, if excessive bending or bending occurs in the insertion portion, the insertion portion cannot be inserted further deeper. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which an insertion aid is put on the insertion portion of the endoscope and inserted into the body cavity, and the insertion portion is guided by this insertion aid to prevent excessive bending or bending of the insertion portion. Yes.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope apparatus in which a first balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope and a second balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion assisting tool (also referred to as an overtube or a sliding tube). Is described. By inflating the first balloon and the second balloon, the insertion portion and the insertion aid can be fixed in the intestinal tract such as the small intestine. Accordingly, by alternately inserting the insertion portion and the insertion assisting tool while repeatedly expanding and contracting the first balloon and the second balloon, the insertion portion can be inserted into a deep portion of the intestinal tract that is bent in a complicated manner, such as the small intestine. .

  The balloon described above is normally controlled to be inflated and deflated by a balloon control device as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Inside the balloon control device, a pump for supplying or sucking air and a pressure sensor for measuring the internal pressure of the balloon are provided, and the pump is controlled according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor. Thereby, the balloon can be inflated or deflated and maintained at a predetermined pressure.

As another method for inflating and deflating the balloon, there is a method using a syringe as described in Patent Document 2. In this method, the balloon is manually inflated and deflated by the operator operating the syringe.
JP 2002-301019 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-6886

  However, Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is necessary to control the pressure sensor and the pump in a complicated manner in order to prevent excessive air supply and suction to the balloon, and a large-scale safety device is required. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 has a problem that it is difficult to know how much pressure the balloon presses against the intestinal wall.

  Further, the endoscope apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 and 2 require a long time until the balloon is inflated or deflated to a predetermined pressure, and improvement has been demanded. In particular, since the double balloon endoscope apparatus repeatedly performs inflation and deflation of the balloon, there has been a demand for shortening the time required for the inflation and deflation of the balloon.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an endoscope or insertion having a simple structure capable of safely and quickly inflating / deflating a balloon attached to an insertion portion or insertion aid of the endoscope. The purpose is to provide assistive devices.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a tube for assisting insertion of the insertion portion by inserting the insertion portion of the endoscope, and an inflatable / retractable state attached to the distal end portion of the tube. In the insertion assisting tool provided with a distal balloon, an inflatable / contractible operating pressure means communicating with the distal balloon is provided at a proximal end portion of the tube, and the operating pressure means is inflated or contracted. By causing the tip balloon to contract, the tip balloon is deflated or inflated.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tip balloon is deflated or inflated by inflating or deflating the operation pressurizing means, so that the tip balloon can be quickly deflated and inflated. Therefore, the operability can be improved particularly in a double balloon type endoscope apparatus that repeatedly contracts and expands the distal balloon.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since fluid such as air only moves between the operating pressurizing means and the tip balloon, the fluid is not excessively supplied or sucked. Therefore, excessive supply or suction of fluid to the tip balloon can be prevented, and safety can be improved.

  Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, since the internal pressure of the operation pressurizing means is equal to the internal pressure of the tip balloon, the reaction force received from the operation pressurizing means when the operator grasps the operation pressurizing means. Thus, it is possible to recognize the pressure with which the tip balloon presses the body wall. Therefore, the pressure with which the tip balloon presses the body wall can be finely adjusted, and the operability and safety can be further improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a valve member is provided in a communication path that communicates the tip balloon and the operation pressurizing means. According to the invention of claim 2, since the valve member can block between the tip balloon and the operating pressure means, the tip balloon can be held in an inflated or deflated state.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a pressure adjusting balloon that can be inflated and contracted is provided in a communicating path that communicates the tip balloon and the pressure applying means. When the pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure adjusting balloon is inflated.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the pressure adjusting balloon is inflated when the internal pressure of the tip balloon rises and exceeds a predetermined value, the internal pressure of the tip balloon can be prevented from exceeding the predetermined value, and safety can be improved. It can be further increased.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the operation pressing means is a balloon. According to the invention of claim 4, the tip balloon can be inflated and inflated by inflating and deflating the balloon.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing means for operation is a resin bellows member. According to the invention of claim 5, the tip balloon can be expanded and contracted by expanding and contracting the bellows member.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an endoscope according to a sixth aspect of the present invention includes an insertion portion connected to the hand operation portion, and an inflatable / retractable tip balloon attached to the distal end portion of the insertion portion. In this embodiment, the hand operating section is provided with an inflatable / definable operating pressurizing means communicating with the tip balloon, and the tip balloon is contracted or inflated by inflating or contracting the operating pressurizing means. It is characterized by doing.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the tip balloon is deflated or inflated by inflating or deflating the operation pressurizing means, so that the tip balloon can be quickly deflated and inflated. Therefore, the operability can be improved particularly in a double balloon type endoscope apparatus that repeatedly contracts and expands the distal balloon.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since fluid such as air only moves between the operating pressurizing means and the tip balloon, the fluid is not supplied or sucked excessively. Therefore, excessive supply or suction of fluid to the tip balloon can be prevented, and safety can be improved.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 6, since the internal pressure of the operation pressurizing means and the internal pressure of the tip balloon are equal, the reaction force received from the operation pressurizing means when the operator grasps the operation pressurizing means. Thus, it is possible to recognize the pressure with which the tip balloon presses the body wall. Therefore, the pressure with which the tip balloon presses the body wall can be finely adjusted, and the operability and safety can be further improved.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, a valve member is provided in a communication path that communicates the tip balloon and the operating pressurizing means. According to the invention of claim 6, since the valve member can block between the tip balloon and the operating pressurizing means, the tip balloon can be held in an inflated or deflated state.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth or seventh aspect of the present invention, a pressure adjusting balloon that can be inflated and contracted is provided in a communication path that communicates the tip balloon and the pressurizing means for operation. When the pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure adjusting balloon is inflated.

  According to the invention of claim 8, since the pressure adjusting balloon is inflated when the internal pressure of the tip balloon rises and exceeds a predetermined value, the internal pressure of the tip balloon can be prevented from exceeding the predetermined value, and safety can be improved. It can be further increased.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the pressing means for operation is a balloon. According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the tip balloon can be inflated and inflated by inflating and deflating the balloon.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, the pressing means for operation is a resin bellows member. According to the invention of claim 10, the tip balloon can be expanded and contracted by expanding and contracting the bellows member.

  According to the present invention, the operation pressurizing means communicating with the tip balloon is provided, and the tip balloon is deflated and inflated by the inflating and deflating operations of the manipulation pressurizing means. In addition to being quick, it is possible to increase the safety by preventing excessive supply or suction of fluid to the tip balloon.

  Preferred embodiments of an endoscope or an insertion aid according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an endoscope apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope 10 and an insertion assisting tool 70. The endoscope 10 includes a hand operation unit 14 and an insertion unit 12 that is connected to the hand operation unit 14 and is inserted into a body cavity. A universal cable 16 is connected to the hand operation unit 14, and an LG connector 18 is provided at the tip of the universal cable 16. The LG connector 18 is detachably connected to the light source device 20, thereby sending illumination light to an illumination optical system 54 (see FIG. 2) described later. In addition, an electrical connector 24 is connected to the LG connector 18 via a cable 22, and the electrical connector 24 is detachably coupled to the processor 26.

  The hand operating unit 14 is provided with an air / water supply button 28, a suction button 30, a shutter button 32, and a function switching button 34, and a pair of angle knobs 36 and 36. A balloon air supply port 38 is formed at the proximal end portion of the hand operation unit 14 by a tube bent in an L shape. By supplying or sucking fluid such as air to the balloon air supply port 38, the first balloon 60 described later can be inflated or deflated.

  The insertion portion 12 is composed of a flexible portion 40, a bending portion 42, and a distal end portion 44 in order from the hand operation portion 14 side. The bending portion 42 is remotely controlled by rotating the angle knobs 36, 36 of the hand operation portion 14. Bending operation. Thereby, the front-end | tip part 44 can be turned to a desired direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an observation optical system 52, illumination optical systems 54 and 54, an air / water supply nozzle 56, and a forceps port 58 are provided on the distal end surface 45 of the distal end portion 44.

  A CCD (not shown) is disposed behind the observation optical system 52, and a signal cable (not shown) is connected to a substrate that supports the CCD. The signal cable is inserted into the insertion portion 12, the hand operating portion 14, the universal cable 16, and the like of FIG. 1, extends to the electrical connector 24, and is connected to the processor 26. Therefore, the observation image captured by the observation optical system 52 is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD and converted into an electric signal, and this electric signal is output to the processor 26 via the signal cable and converted into a video signal. Is done. Thereby, an observation image is displayed on the monitor 50 connected to the processor 26.

  An exit end of a light guide (not shown) is disposed behind the illumination optical systems 54 and 54 in FIG. The light guide is inserted through the insertion portion 12, the hand operating portion 14, and the universal cable 16 of FIG. 1, and an incident end is disposed in the LG connector 18. Therefore, by connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20, the illumination light emitted from the light source device 20 is transmitted to the illumination optical systems 54 and 54 via the light guide, and irradiated forward from the illumination optical systems 54 and 54. Is done.

  The air / water supply nozzle 56 in FIG. 2 is connected to a valve (not shown) operated by the air / water supply button 28 in FIG. 1, and this valve is also connected to the air / water supply connector provided in the LG connector 18. 48 is communicated. An air / water supply means (not shown) is connected to the air / water connector 48 to supply air and water. Therefore, by operating the air / water supply button 28, air or water can be ejected from the air / water supply nozzle 56 toward the observation optical system 52.

  The forceps port 58 in FIG. 2 communicates with the forceps insertion portion 46 in FIG. Therefore, by inserting a treatment tool such as a forceps from the forceps insertion portion 46, the treatment tool can be led out from the forceps port 58. The forceps port 58 communicates with a valve (not shown) operated by the suction button 30, and this valve is further connected to the suction connector 49 of the LG connector 18. Therefore, by connecting the suction pump 51 to the suction connector 49 and operating the valve with the suction button 30, a lesioned part or the like can be sucked from the forceps port 58.

  A first balloon (corresponding to a tip balloon) 60 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12. The first balloon 60 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends narrowed. After the insertion portion 12 is inserted and the first balloon 60 is disposed at a predetermined position, the first balloon 60 is disposed as shown in FIG. The first balloon 60 is fixed to the insertion portion 12 by fitting rubber fixing rings 62 and 62 into both ends of the 60. As a result, the first balloon 60 is configured to expand into a substantially spherical shape when air is supplied to the inside thereof, and conversely, when the air is sucked from the inside, the first balloon 60 is contracted to stick to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12. . The first balloon is made of a material having a small elastic force such as polyethylene, and is configured not to exceed a certain size when inflated.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12, a vent hole 64 is formed at the mounting position of the first balloon 60. A tube (corresponding to an insertion passage) 63 shown in FIG. 3 is connected to the ventilation hole 64, and this tube 63 is inserted into the insertion part 12 and communicated with the ventilation hole 65 formed in the hand operation part 14. The

  An operation balloon (corresponding to an operation pressurizing means) 66 is attached to the hand operation section 14 at the position of the vent hole 65. The operation balloon 66 is disposed on the tip half of the grasping portion 14A grasped by the operator, and is attached by winding a thread 67. Further, the operation balloon 66 is configured to be inflatable and contractible by an elastic material such as rubber, and is configured to maintain an inflated state in a natural state (that is, in a state where it is not pressed). Furthermore, the material and thickness of the operation balloon 66 are set so that the elastic force of the operation balloon 66 is larger than the elastic force of the first balloon 60, and the first operation balloon 66 is inflated when the operation balloon 66 is in an inflated state. The balloon 60 is completely deflated. When the operation balloon 66 configured as described above is contracted as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the air in the operation balloon 66 moves into the first balloon 60, and the first balloon 60 is inflated. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, by restoring the operation balloon 66 to its original inflated state by its own elastic force, the air in the first balloon 60 moves into the operation balloon 66, and the first balloon 60 Contracts. In the present embodiment, air is moved between the first balloon 60 and the operation balloon 66, but the moving fluid is not limited to air, and inert gas, water, or the like is used. You may make it move. The internal volume of the operation balloon 66 when it is inflated is slightly larger than the internal volume of the first balloon 60 when it is inflated, and all the internal air of the operation balloon 66 has moved into the first balloon 60. Is set in a range where the first balloon 60 does not rupture.

  On the other hand, the insertion assisting tool 70 shown in FIG. 1 includes a cylindrical and rigid gripping portion 72 provided on the proximal end side, and a main body tube 73 attached to the gripping portion 72. The insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the tube 73.

  The main body tube 73 is constituted by coating a hydrophilic coating material (lubricant coating material) on the outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface of a flexible resin tube made of urethane or the like as a base material. For example, polyvinylpyrrolidone is used as the hydrophilic coating material.

  A second balloon (corresponding to a tip balloon) 80 is mounted near the tip of the main body tube 73. The second balloon 80 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends narrowed, and is fixed by winding a thread 82 around both ends while the body tube 73 is inserted. The second balloon 80 is made of a material having a small elastic force such as polyethylene, and is configured not to exceed a certain size when inflated.

  A ventilation hole 84 is formed in the body tube 73 at the mounting position of the second balloon 80, and the ventilation hole 84 communicates with the ventilation hole 85 on the proximal end side through a communication hole (corresponding to a communication path) 83. Is done. As shown in FIG. 7, the communication hole 83 is formed in the thick part of the main body tube 73. The communication hole 83 may be formed by attaching a small diameter tube to the main body tube 73.

  An operation balloon 86 is attached to the body tube 73 shown in FIG. The operation balloon 86 is disposed at the position of the hard base end portion 72 and is attached by winding a thread 87. Similarly to the operation balloon 66 of the endoscope 10, the operation balloon 86 is configured to be inflatable and contractible by an elastic material such as rubber, and keeps an inflated state in a natural state (that is, in a state where it is not pressed). Configured as follows. Furthermore, the material and thickness of the operation balloon 86 are set so that its own elastic force is greater than the elastic force of the second balloon 80, and when the operation balloon 86 is inflated, the second balloon 80 Fully contracts. When the operation balloon 86 configured as described above is contracted as shown in FIG. 6, part of the air in the operation balloon 86 moves into the second balloon 80, and the second balloon 80 is inflated. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation balloon 86 is restored to its original inflated state by its own elastic force, so that the air in the second balloon 80 moves into the operation balloon 86, and the second balloon 80. Contracts. In this embodiment, air is moved between the second balloon 80 and the operation balloon 86, but the moving fluid is not limited to air, and inert gas, water, or the like is used. You may make it move. The internal volume of the operation balloon 86 when it is inflated is slightly larger than the internal volume of the second balloon 80 when it is inflated, and all the internal air of the operation balloon 86 has moved into the second balloon 80. Is set in a range where the second balloon 80 does not rupture.

  An injection port 78 is provided on the proximal end side of the insertion assisting tool 70. The injection port 78 communicates with an opening (not shown) formed on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool 70. Therefore, the lubricant can be supplied into the insertion aid 70 by injecting the lubricant (for example, water) from the injection port 78 with a syringe or the like. Therefore, when the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the insertion assisting tool 70, the friction between the inner peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool 70 and the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12 can be reduced, and the relative relationship between the insertion portion 12 and the insertion assisting tool 70 can be reduced. Movement can be performed smoothly.

  Next, an operation method of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (j). In addition, although FIG. 8A to FIG. 8J are examples of insertion through the gate, it may be inserted orally.

  First, the insertion part 12 is inserted into the intestinal tract (large intestine) 90 from the anus 90A as shown in FIG. 8A with the insertion assisting tool 70 inserted through the insertion part 12 (insertion operation). At this time, the first balloon 60 and the second balloon 80 are deflated.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first balloon 60 is inflated with the distal end of the insertion portion 12 reaching the sigmoid colon 90B, and the distal end of the insertion portion 12 is fixed to the intestinal tract 90 (fixing operation).

  Next, the insertion assisting tool 70 is pushed in to be inserted along the insertion portion 12 (pushing operation). Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, after the distal end portion of the insertion assisting tool 70 is brought to the vicinity of the first balloon 60, air is supplied to the second balloon 80 to be inflated. As a result, the second balloon 80 is fixed to the intestinal tract 90, and the intestinal tract 90 is held by the insertion assisting tool 70 via the second balloon 80.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8 (c), the insertion assisting tool 70 is pulled together to eliminate excessive bending and bending of the intestinal tract 90 (hand feeding operation).

  Next, air is sucked from the first balloon 60 and the first balloon 60 is deflated. Then, as shown in FIG. 8D, the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 90 (for example, up to the bent portion at the upper end of the descending colon 90C) (insertion operation). Then, as described above, after performing a fixing operation for inflating the first balloon 60 and a pushing operation for pushing the insertion assisting tool 70 along the insertion portion 12, the second balloon 80 is inflated to perform a gripping operation and inserted. A hand drag operation by the assisting tool 70 is performed. Thereby, as shown in FIG.8 (e), the excess bending | flexion and bending of the intestinal tract 90 are removed.

  By repeating such a series of operations (insertion operation, fixing operation, push-in operation, gripping operation, and hand-feeding operation), the distal end of the insertion portion 12 can be gradually inserted into the deep portion of the intestinal tract 90, and the insertion The auxiliary tool 70 can remove the excessive bending of the intestinal tract 90.

  For example, FIG. 8F shows a state in which the distal end of the insertion portion 12 is inserted to the end of the transverse colon 90D, and the insertion assisting tool 70 is operated to remove excess bending of the intestinal tract 90. FIG. 8G shows a state in which the distal end of the insertion portion 12 is further inserted and inserted into the ileum 90E of the small intestine, and excessive bending of the intestinal tract 90 is removed. FIG. 8 (h) shows a state in which the distal end of the insertion portion 12 is inserted into a deeper portion of the small intestine, and an excessive deflection of the intestinal tract 90 is removed.

  When such an operation is repeated and the distal end of the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the deep part of the small intestine, the insertion assisting tool 70 forms a loop shape as shown in FIG. Therefore, by inserting the insertion portion 12 as shown in FIG. 8 (j), the insertion portion can be inserted deeper into the intestinal tract 90.

  Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be described.

  In the above-described operation method of the endoscope apparatus, the first balloon 60 and the second balloon 80 are expanded and contracted by operating the operation balloons 66 and 86. For example, when the first balloon 60 is inflated, the surgeon presses and contracts the operation balloon 66 with the ring finger and the little finger of the hand holding the grip portion 14A of the hand operation portion 14. As a result, a part of the air in the operation balloon 66 moves into the first balloon 60, so that the first balloon 60 can be inflated by the contraction amount of the operation balloon 66. Therefore, the first balloon 60 can be rapidly inflated by deflating the operation balloon 66. Further, when the first balloon 60 is inflated, the air in the operation balloon 66 only moves to the first balloon 60, so that air exceeding the volume of the operation balloon 66 does not move to the first balloon 60. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent excessive air from being supplied to the first balloon 60 and the first balloon 60 from bursting.

  When the first balloon 60 is inflated, the surgeon can grasp the pressure that the first balloon 60 receives from the intestinal tract 90. That is, the first balloon 60 and the operation balloon 66 communicate with each other via the tube 63, and the internal pressure of the operation balloon 66 matches the internal pressure of the first balloon 60. The force with which the first balloon 60 presses the intestinal tract 90 can be recognized by the reaction force received. Therefore, the surgeon can adjust the force with which the first balloon 60 presses the intestinal tract 90 by adjusting the force with which the operation balloon 66 is pressed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an excessive burden from being applied to the intestinal tract 90, and the intestinal tract 90 can be safely held by the first balloon 60.

  When the first balloon 60 is deflated, the operator only needs to stop pressing the operation balloon 66. As a result, the operation balloon 66 returns to the original inflated state by its own elastic force, so that the air in the first balloon 66 moves to the operation balloon 66, and the first balloon 66 is contracted by the suction of air. Therefore, the contraction operation of the first balloon 60 can be performed quickly and safely.

  Similarly, when the second balloon 80 is inflated, the operator presses and contracts the operation balloon 86 with a hand holding the proximal end portion 72 of the insertion assisting tool 70. As a result, part of the air in the operation balloon 86 moves into the second balloon 80, so that the second balloon 80 can be inflated by the amount of contraction of the operation balloon 86. Therefore, the second balloon 80 can be rapidly inflated by deflating the operation balloon 86. In addition, when the second balloon 80 is inflated, the air in the operation balloon 86 only moves to the second balloon 80, so that air exceeding the volume of the operation balloon 86 does not move to the second balloon 80. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the second balloon 80 from being burst due to excessive air being supplied to the second balloon 80.

  When the second balloon 80 is inflated, the operator can recognize the pressure that the second balloon 80 receives from the intestinal tract 90. That is, the second balloon 80 and the operation balloon 86 communicate with each other via the communication hole 83, and the internal pressure of the operation balloon 86 matches the internal pressure of the second balloon 80. It is possible to recognize the force with which the second balloon 80 presses the intestinal tract 90 by the reaction force received from. Therefore, the surgeon can finely adjust the force with which the second balloon 80 presses the intestinal tract 90 by adjusting the force with which the operation balloon 86 is pressed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an excessive burden from being applied to the intestinal tract 90, and the intestinal tract 90 can be safely held by the second balloon 80.

  When the second balloon 80 is deflated, the operator only needs to stop pressing the operation balloon 86. As a result, the operation balloon 86 returns to its original inflated state by its own elastic force, so that the air in the second balloon 80 moves to the operation balloon 86, and the second balloon 86 is contracted by the suction of air. Therefore, the contraction operation of the second balloon 80 can be performed quickly and safely.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the expansion and contraction of the first balloon 60 and the second balloon 80 can be performed quickly and safely by performing the expansion / contraction operation of the operation balloons 66 and 86. . Further, according to the present embodiment, the pressure that the first balloon 60 and the second balloon 80 press the intestinal tract 90 can be recognized by the reaction force received from the operation balloons 66 and 86, and the pressure is finely adjusted. can do. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the operation balloons 66 and 86 are provided at positions where the endoscope 10 and the insertion assisting tool 70 are gripped, the operation can be performed with a hand gripping the endoscope 10 and the insertion assisting tool 70. The balloons 66 and 86 can be expanded and contracted.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the insertion assisting tool of another embodiment. In the same figure, members having the same configuration and action as those of the insertion assisting tool 70 in FIG.

  The insertion aid shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a valve 81 at its proximal end 72. The valve 81 mainly includes a cylinder 81A, a piston 81B, and a spring 81C, and is configured so that the piston 81B protrudes from the cylinder 81A by the urging force of the spring 81C and blocks the insertion hole 83 when there is no operation. The piston 81B is pressed against the urging force of the spring 81C, and is inserted into the cylinder 81A, so that the insertion holes 83 communicate with each other through a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piston 81B. . That is, the valve 81 is configured to block the insertion hole 83 when not operated and to communicate with the insertion hole 83 when pressed. The configuration of the valve 81 is not limited to that described above, and it is sufficient that the communication hole 83 can be blocked.

  The insertion aid configured as described above first presses the valve 81 to deflate or inflate the operation balloon 86 when the second balloon 80 is inflated or deflated. Then, after the second balloon 80 is deflated or expanded, the insertion hole 83 is blocked by the valve 81 by stopping the pressing operation of the valve 81. As a result, air cannot move between the second balloon 80 and the operation balloon 86, and the second balloon 80 is held at the size at that time. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the shape of the second balloon 80 can be maintained in a state where the second balloon 80 is contracted or expanded to a predetermined size.

  The embodiment described above is an example of the insertion assisting tool 70, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to the endoscope 10. That is, the first balloon 60 can be held at a desired size by providing a valve in the tube 63 that communicates the first balloon 60 and the operation balloon 66.

  10 and 11 are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration of the insertion assisting tool of another embodiment. In the same figure, members having the same configuration and function as those of the insertion assisting tool 70 in FIGS.

  The insertion assisting tool shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is provided with a pressure adjusting balloon 89. The pressure adjusting balloon 89 is formed in a cylindrical shape by an elastic material, and both end portions thereof are fixed to the main body tube 73 in a state of being externally fitted to the main body tube 73.

  A vent hole 88 is formed in the body tube 73 at the mounting position of the pressure adjusting balloon 89, and the vent hole 88 communicates with the communication hole 83. Therefore, the air in the communication hole 83 is supplied or sucked into the pressure adjusting balloon 89 through the vent hole 84, and the pressure adjusting balloon 89 is inflated or deflated.

  The material and thickness of the pressure adjusting balloon 89 are set so as to be less elastically deformed than the second balloon 80. When the internal pressure of the second balloon 80 exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure adjusting balloon 89 is elastically deformed and expands. Configured as follows.

  In the insertion assisting device configured as described above, by pressing the operation balloon 86 in the state shown in FIG. 10, first, the air in the operation balloon 86 is supplied to the second balloon 80 that is easy to expand, The second balloon 80 is inflated. When the internal pressure of the second balloon 80 exceeds a predetermined value, as shown in FIG. 11, air flows into the pressure adjustment balloon 89 and the pressure adjustment balloon 89 is inflated, and air is sent to the second balloon 80. Qi stops. Therefore, the internal pressure of the second balloon can be prevented from exceeding a predetermined value, and safety can be improved.

  Further, according to the insertion assisting device configured as described above, it is possible to grasp that the internal pressure of the second balloon 80 has reached a predetermined value by visually recognizing the inflated state of the pressure adjusting balloon 89.

  The embodiment described above is an example of the insertion assisting tool 70, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to the endoscope 10. That is, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the first balloon 60 from exceeding a predetermined value by providing a pressure adjusting balloon in the tube 63 that communicates the first balloon 60 and the operation balloon 66.

  12 and 13 are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration of the insertion assisting tool of another embodiment. In this figure, members having the same configuration and function as those of the insertion assisting tool 70 of FIGS. 5 and 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The insertion assisting tool shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is provided with a resin bellows member 92 as an operation pressing means. The bellows member 92 is attached to the position of the vent hole 85 and communicates with the second balloon 80. The bellows member 92 extends in a natural state as shown in FIG. 12, and the second balloon 80 is deflated in the natural state.

  In the insertion assisting device configured as described above, when the operator presses the bellows member 92, the bellows member 92 is reduced as shown in FIG. As a result, the internal volume of the bellows member 92 is reduced, and part of the air in the bellows member 92 moves into the second balloon 80, so that the second balloon 80 can be inflated quickly and safely.

  When the second balloon 80 is deflated, the operator only needs to stop pressing the bellows member 92. Since the bellows member 92 returns to its original stretched state by its own elastic force, the air in the second balloon 80 moves to the bellows member 92, and the second balloon 80 can be deflated quickly and safely.

  The embodiment described above is an example of the insertion assisting tool 70, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to the endoscope 10. That is, a bellows member may be used as an operation pressurizing unit communicating with the first balloon 60.

  Moreover, the pressurizing means for operation is not limited to the balloon or the bellows member, but may be any member that can change its internal volume.

  In all of the above-described embodiments, the operation balloons 66 and 86 are described as being attached to the hand operation portion 14 and the proximal end portion 72, respectively, but the attachment positions of the operation balloons 66 and 86 are limited to this. is not. For example, the operation balloons 66 and 86 may be provided on the foot pedal.

  In the above-described embodiment, the operation balloons 66 and 86 may be covered with a net made of an elastic member such as nickel or titanium so that the operation balloons 66 and 86 do not expand beyond a predetermined size. .

  In the embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to a double-balloon endoscope apparatus in which the first balloon 60 is provided in the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10 and the second balloon 80 is provided in the insertion assisting tool 70. For example, the application of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, an endoscope with a tip balloon may be used alone, or an insertion aid with a tip balloon may be used alone.

System configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus to which the present invention is applied The perspective view which shows the front-end | tip part of the insertion part of an endoscope Sectional drawing which shows the balloon structure of an endoscope typically Sectional drawing which shows the state which deflated the operation balloon of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of an insertion auxiliary tool typically Sectional drawing which shows the state which deflated the operation balloon of FIG. Sectional view of the body tube of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the operating method of the endoscope apparatus of this Embodiment Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the insertion auxiliary tool of other embodiment typically Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the insertion auxiliary tool of other embodiment typically Sectional drawing which shows the state which contracted the balloon for operation of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the insertion auxiliary tool of other embodiment typically Sectional drawing which shows the state which contracted the bellows member of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscope, 12 ... Insertion part, 14 ... Hand operation part, 60 ... 1st balloon, 63 ... Tube, 66 ... Operation balloon, 70 ... Insertion aid, 80 ... 2nd balloon, 83 ... Communication hole, 86 ... Operation balloon

Claims (10)

In an insertion assisting tool comprising a tube that assists insertion of the insertion portion by allowing the insertion portion of the endoscope to pass therethrough, and an inflatable / retractable tip balloon attached to the distal end portion of the tube,
The proximal end portion of the tube is provided with an inflatable and inflatable operating pressurizing means communicating with the distal balloon, and the distal balloon is contracted or inflated by inflating or contracting the operating pressurizing means. An insertion aid characterized by:   2. The insertion assisting tool according to claim 1, wherein a valve member is provided in a communication path that communicates the tip balloon and the operation pressure unit.   A pressure adjusting balloon that can be expanded and contracted is provided in a communicating path that communicates the tip balloon and the operation pressurizing means, and the pressure adjusting balloon expands when the pressure in the communicating path exceeds a predetermined value. The insertion assisting tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The insertion assisting tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation pressing means is a balloon.   The insertion assisting tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing means for operation is a resin bellows member. In an endoscope provided with an insertion portion connected to the hand operation portion and an inflatable / retractable tip balloon attached to the tip portion of the insertion portion,
The hand operating section is provided with an inflatable / definable operating pressurizing means communicating with the tip balloon, and the tip balloon is contracted or inflated by inflating or contracting the operating pressurizing means. Endoscope characterized by.   The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein a valve member is provided in a communication path that communicates the distal balloon and the operation pressure unit.   A pressure adjusting balloon that can be expanded and contracted is provided in a communication path that communicates the tip balloon and the operation pressurizing means, and the pressure adjusting balloon expands when the pressure in the communication path exceeds a predetermined value. The endoscope according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the endoscope is configured as described above.   The endoscope according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the operation pressing means is a balloon.   The endoscope according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the operation pressing means is a resin bellows member.

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