JP2008212501A - Ultrasonic signal connector of ultrasonic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope capable of being washed/sterilized by an automatic washer for an endoscope by attaching a sealing O-ring to a lid body to achieve the water-tight structure, and capable of preventing the O-ring from being easily injured when the lid body is handled and securely retaining the water-tightness when the lid body is attached. <P>SOLUTION: An annular projecting wall 16 is formed at a location surrounding the periphery of all the electric contacts 11 in a casing 15, and an outer peripheral wall 23 is formed in the lid body 20 to be engaged with the inner peripheral wall surface 16a of the projecting wall 16 in the casing 15. The sealing O-ring 30 made of an elastic material is attached to the outer peripheral wall surface 23, and an annular cover 25 is attached to the lid body 20 to cover the outer peripheral area of the O-ring 30 with clearance along the whole circumference. The O-ring 30 is enclosed by the annular cover 25 in the whole circumference while the lid body 20 is not attached to the casing 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope that is detachably connected to an external ultrasonic signal controller.

  In an ultrasonic endoscope, an ultrasonic probe is disposed at the distal end of an insertion portion, and a plurality of electrical contacts for transmitting / receiving an electric signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe are provided in the ultrasonic signal connector.

Since the ultrasonic endoscope is used by being inserted into the patient's body, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the apparatus every time an ultrasonic diagnosis is performed. Therefore, in an ultrasonic signal connector of a conventional ultrasonic endoscope, a lid made of a soft plastic material covering the electrical contact is provided so that the electrical contact is not wetted during cleaning and disinfection (for example, Patent Document 1). ).
JP-A-5-285133

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, since a groove formed on the outer peripheral end of the lid made of a soft plastic material is merely fitted into the edge of the connector, a so-called drip-proof structure is provided. However, it cannot be a watertight structure. For this reason, it has been impossible to perform cleaning and disinfection with an endoscope automatic washer or to check water leakage by an airtight test, and cleaning and disinfection could be performed only by simple manual work.

  Therefore, if a lid provided with an O-ring for sealing is attached to and detached from the ultrasonic signal connector, cleaning and disinfection can be performed with an automatic cleaning device for an endoscope, and a water leak check can be performed by an airtight test. It becomes like this.

  However, such an O-ring is easily damaged when it hits a desk, wall or other device when handling the lid, and even if it is damaged, it is extremely difficult to find it only by visual inspection. .

  In the present invention, the O-ring for sealing is provided on the lid so as to have a watertight structure, so that the endoscope can be cleaned and disinfected with an automatic washer, and the O-ring can be used when handling the lid. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope that is hard to be damaged and can reliably maintain water tightness when a lid is attached.

  In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention transmits and receives electrical signals input to and output from the ultrasonic probe disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope. The ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope is provided with the plurality of electrical contacts exposed on the surface of the housing, and is detachably connected to an external ultrasonic signal controller. When the lid is provided so as to be detachably attached to the housing in a state of covering all of the plurality of electrical contacts when not connected, the housing is positioned so as to surround all the electrical contacts. An annular projecting wall is formed, and the lid is formed with an outer peripheral wall surface that fits around the inner peripheral wall surface of the projecting wall of the housing, and an O-ring mounting groove formed on the entire outer peripheral wall surface. O for sealing made of highly elastic material And an annular cover that covers the outer peripheral region of the O-ring with a gap with respect to the O-ring is provided over the entire circumference. When the cover is surrounded by the annular cover and the lid is attached to the casing, the protruding wall of the casing enters the gap between the O-ring and the annular cover, and the lid is placed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the protruding wall of the casing. The O-ring is closely attached.

  The annular cover may be integrally formed with the member constituting the lid, or may be fixed to the member constituting the lid.

  According to the present invention, when the lid is attached to the casing, the O-ring of the lid is in close contact with the inner peripheral wall surface of the protruding wall of the casing. It can be cleaned and disinfected with an endoscope automatic washer, and when the lid is not attached to the housing, the O-ring is surrounded by an annular cover around the entire circumference. It is hard to be damaged, and the watertightness when the lid is attached can be reliably maintained.

  A plurality of electrical contacts for transmitting and receiving electrical signals input to and output from the ultrasound probe disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion of the ultrasound endoscope are provided exposed on the surface of the housing, and external ultrasound signals This is an ultrasonic signal connector for an ultrasonic endoscope that is detachably connected to the controller, and when it is not connected to the ultrasonic signal controller, it can be detachably attached to the housing so as to cover all of the plurality of electrical contacts. In the case provided with a lid attached to the casing, the casing is formed with an annular protruding wall at a position surrounding all electrical contacts, and the lid is formed with an inner peripheral wall surface of the protruding wall of the casing. An outer peripheral wall surface that fits in the entire periphery is formed, and an O-ring for sealing made of a resilient material is fitted into an O-ring mounting groove formed in the entire periphery of the outer peripheral wall surface, and an outer peripheral region of the O-ring O-ring all around On the other hand, an annular cover that covers the gap is provided, and in a state where the lid is not attached to the casing, the O-ring is surrounded by the annular cover on the entire circumference, and in a state where the lid is attached to the casing, The protruding wall of the casing enters the gap between the O-ring and the annular cover, and the O-ring of the lid closely contacts the inner peripheral wall surface of the protruding wall of the casing.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 shows an ultrasonic endoscope, and an ultrasonic probe 2 is arranged at the tip of a flexible insertion portion 1 to be inserted into a body cavity.

  The operation unit 3 is connected to the proximal end of the insertion unit 1, and the ultrasonic signal connector 10 that is detachably connected to the connector receiver 51 of the ultrasonic signal controller 50 provided outside extends from the operation unit 3. Attached to the tip of the flexible cord 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a connector of an optical observation system connected to a video processor (also a light source device) not shown.

  1 and 2 show the ultrasonic signal connector 10 in a state in which the lid 20 is not attached and the ultrasonic signal connector 10 in a state in which the lid 20 is attached, and the front side of the ultrasonic signal connector 10. A plurality of electrical contacts 11 that can be connected / separated with respect to the electrical contacts of the connector receiver 51 of the ultrasonic signal controller 50 described above are arranged in a state exposed on the surface of the casing 15 (on the lower surface side in the drawing). Is arranged in. Each electrical contact 11 is connected to the ultrasonic probe 2 by a signal line, and an electrical signal inputted to and outputted from the ultrasonic probe 2 can be exchanged with the connector receiver 51.

  A connecting rod 12 is rotatably arranged around the axis at the center position of the front surface of the ultrasonic signal connector 10 in which a plurality of electrical contacts 11 are arranged, and a projection made of, for example, a pin or the like is provided on the side surface of the connecting rod 12. A protruding member 13 is projected.

  This protruding member 13 is for engaging and disengaging with a cam groove of a connector receiver 51 (not shown) so as to maintain a connected state with the connector receiver 51. The protruding member 13 is provided in a protruding manner. An operation lever 14 for rotating the connecting rod 12 around the axis from the other end side to rotate the protruding member 13 is disposed on the back side of the ultrasonic signal connector 10.

  Such an ultrasonic signal connector 10 is surrounded by a watertight seal by a casing 15 except for a portion where the electrical contacts 11 are arranged, and all the front portions of the casing 15 An annular protruding wall 16 is formed at a position surrounding the electrical contact 11.

  The lid 20 is attached to the housing 15 so as to cover all of the plurality of electrical contacts 11 when the ultrasonic signal connector 10 is cleaned and disinfected without being connected to the connector receiver 51. An engaged metal fitting 21 having a cam groove 22 with which the protruding member 13 on the ultrasonic signal connector 10 side is detachably engaged is attached to the bottom surface position of the center portion in the lid body 20.

  The cam groove 22 is formed in an L-shape, for example, and when the protruding member 13 is guided from the vertical part of the cam groove 22 into the horizontal part, the lid 20 is not detached from the ultrasonic signal connector 10. The state where the lid 20 is attached is maintained.

  The lid 20 is formed with an outer peripheral wall surface 23 that fits with the inner peripheral wall surface 16 a of the protruding wall 16 of the housing 15 on the entire periphery, and an O-ring mounting groove 24 formed on the entire outer periphery wall surface 23. Further, a sealing O-ring 30 made of an elastic material is fitted.

  Further, an annular cover 25 that covers the entire outer periphery of the O-ring 30 with a gap enough to allow the protruding wall 16 to be inserted between the O-ring 30 and the cover 20 is integrally formed. ing.

  As a result, in the state where the lid 20 is attached to the housing 15 as shown in FIG. 2, the protruding wall 16 of the housing 15 has an O-ring 30, an annular cover 25, and an enlarged view as shown in FIG. 3. The O-ring 30 of the lid 20 is brought into close contact with the inner peripheral wall surface 16a of the projecting wall 16 of the housing 15, and the O-ring 30 is crushed all around, so that the ultrasonic signal connector 10 is completely Watertight. Therefore, the ultrasonic signal connector 10 can be cleaned and sterilized with an endoscope automatic cleaner, or a water leak check or the like can be reliably performed by an airtight test.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the state where the lid body 20 is not attached to the casing 15, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, the O-ring 30 is surrounded by the annular cover 25 on the entire circumference. When the lid 20 is handled, there is no possibility that the O-ring 30 may collide with a surrounding desk, wall, or other device, so that the O-ring 30 is hardly damaged and the lid 20 is attached to the casing 10. The water tightness at the time can be reliably maintained.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the annular cover 25 is formed as a separate part from the lid 20 and is fixed to the lid 20 with an adhesive or the like. May be.

It is a side view which shows the state where the cover is not attached to the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope of 1st Example of this invention in a partial cross section. It is a side view which shows the state where the cover body was attached to the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope of 1st Example of this invention in a partial cross section. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the state where the cover was attached to the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope of the 1st example of the present invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view in the state where the lid is not attached to the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an external view showing the overall configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the elements on larger scale of the state where the lid is not attached to the ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope of the 2nd example of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part 2 Ultrasonic probe 10 Ultrasonic signal connector 11 Electrical contact 15 Housing | casing 16 Projection wall 16a Inner peripheral wall surface 20 Lid body 23 Outer peripheral wall surface 24 O-ring mounting groove 25 Annular cover 30 O-ring

Claims (3)

A plurality of electrical contacts for transmitting and receiving electrical signals input to and output from the ultrasound probe disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion of the ultrasound endoscope are provided exposed on the surface of the housing, and external ultrasound signals An ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope that is detachably connected to the controller, and the casing is in a state of covering all of the plurality of electrical contacts when not connected to the ultrasonic signal controller. In what is provided with a lid that is detachably attached to the
In the housing, an annular protruding wall is formed at a position surrounding the periphery of all the electrical contacts,
The lid body is formed with an outer peripheral wall surface that fits with the inner peripheral wall surface of the projecting wall of the housing in the entire periphery, and an elastic material in an O-ring mounting groove formed in the entire periphery of the outer peripheral wall surface. An O-ring for sealing made of is fitted, and an annular cover is provided to cover the outer peripheral region of the O-ring with a gap with respect to the O-ring over the entire circumference,
In a state where the lid is not attached to the housing, the O-ring is surrounded by the annular cover on the entire circumference,
In a state where the lid is attached to the casing, the protruding wall of the casing enters the gap between the O-ring and the annular cover, and the lid is placed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the protruding wall of the casing. An ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope, wherein an O-ring of a body is in close contact.   The ultrasonic signal connector of an ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the annular cover is integrally formed with a member constituting the lid.   The ultrasonic signal connector of the ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the annular cover is fixed to a member constituting the lid.

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