JP2013118886A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope capable of suppressing a minimum necessary protrusion quantity L while disposing a forceps pipe so as to avoid the other contents to prevent an increase in the outer dimension of the endoscope.SOLUTION: The endoscope includes: a casing coupled to a front end of a flexible tube of an insertion portion; a forceps port formed on the casing; a forceps pipe disposed in the casing and having a front end communicating to the forceps port; a forceps tube disposed in the flexible tube of the insertion portion and having a front end connected to the base end of the forceps pipe; and an observation unit disposed in parallel with the forceps pipe inside the casing. The forceps pipe has a substantially cylindrical shape in which a step difference is formed midway, a first cylinder portion on the forceps port side and a second cylinder portion on the forceps tube side are disposed via the step difference so that the outer dimension is equal and the axes of them are substantially in parallel, and the first cylinder portion is positioned eccentrically at a predetermined quantity with respect to the second cylinder portion to the side where it is separated from the observation unit.

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope for observing a body cavity of a patient.

  An endoscope for observing the inside of a body cavity of a patient is known. This type of endoscope includes a forceps channel through which a treatment tool such as a forceps is inserted. A specific configuration of an endoscope including a forceps channel is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  A forceps port for taking in and out the treatment tool is formed in the distal end body of the endoscope described in Patent Document 1. The forceps opening communicates with a forceps tube via a forceps pipe, and this forceps tube is connected to a forceps insertion portion of the hand operation portion. Therefore, the forceps inserted from the forceps insertion portion are guided to the forceps port via the forceps tube and the forceps pipe. The forceps pipe is bent and arranged so as to avoid other built-in objects (such as an image sensor and an objective optical system) in order to suppress the outer diameter of the endoscope.

JP 2002-209829 A

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which a treatment tool is inserted into a forceps channel (forceps pipe and forceps tube) of an endoscope having a conventional configuration exemplified in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 5, a forceps pipe 121 is fixed in the distal end body of the endoscope 101 having a conventional configuration, and the distal end of the forceps tube 122 is externally fitted to the proximal end of the forceps pipe 121. Yes. The forceps pipe 121 is bent and arranged so as to avoid the arrangement space of the imaging unit 123 having the imaging element and the objective optical system. Therefore, the treatment tool 200 is inserted into the forceps pipe 121 while pressing against the inner peripheral surface of the forceps pipe 121 on the side away from the imaging unit 123. In this case, since the imaging unit 123 and the treatment tool 200 are located apart from each other (compared to the case where the treatment tool 200 passes through the center of the forceps pipe 121), the forceps necessary to be within the angle of view of the imaging unit 123. The protrusion amount of the treatment tool 200 with respect to the mouth 124 becomes longer. A problem is pointed out that the longer the protruding amount, the more difficult it is to perform a treatment using the treatment tool 200 in a state where the distal end of the endoscope 101 is close to the lesioned part.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to observe the observation system while arranging the forceps pipe so as to avoid other built-in objects in order to suppress the outer diameter of the endoscope. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope that can suppress the amount of protrusion of the treatment tool with respect to the forceps opening (hereinafter referred to as “the minimum required protrusion amount L”) required until the image is within the visual field.

  An endoscope according to an aspect of the present invention includes a housing unit coupled to a distal end of an insertion portion flexible tube, a forceps port formed in the housing unit, and a distal end that is disposed in the housing unit. A forceps pipe that communicates with the forceps pipe, a forceps tube that is disposed in the insertion portion flexible tube and has a distal end connected to the proximal end of the forceps pipe, and an observation unit that is disposed in line with the forceps pipe in the housing portion. The forceps pipe has a substantially cylindrical shape with a step formed in the middle. The first cylindrical portion on the forceps opening side and the second cylindrical portion on the forceps tube side are substantially equal in outer diameter and the axes thereof are arranged substantially parallel to each other through the step shape. The first cylindrical portion is located eccentrically by a predetermined amount on the side away from the observation unit with respect to the second cylindrical portion.

  Thus, by decentering the first cylindrical portions arranged substantially parallel to each other to the side away from the observation unit with respect to the second cylindrical portion, the forceps pipe as a whole has a shape close to a straight tube. The forceps pipe can be arranged so as to avoid the observation unit in order to reduce the diameter of the endoscope, and the inside of the forceps pipe is made substantially linear in the axial direction without being bent along the inner peripheral surface of the forceps pipe. It can be made to move forward and backward. That is, since there is no pressing against the inner peripheral surface by being bent in the forceps pipe, the treatment instrument can move back and forth closer to the observation unit than the center of the first cylindrical portion or the center of the first cylindrical portion. For this reason, the treatment instrument can be inserted and removed from the forceps opening at a position closer to the observation unit as compared with the endoscope having the conventional configuration exemplified in Patent Document 1. Compared to the endoscope having the conventional configuration, the position of the treatment tool that is taken in and out of the forceps opening is close to the observation unit, so that the minimum required protrusion amount L is shortened. By shortening the shortest required protrusion amount L, it is possible to easily perform treatment using the treatment tool in a state where the distal end of the endoscope is close to the lesioned part, as compared with an endoscope having a conventional configuration.

  The first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion have substantially the same inner diameter, and the hollow region in the first cylindrical portion and the hollow region in the second cylindrical portion that appear on the cut surface orthogonal to the axial direction are axial lines. The diameter of the inscribed circle inscribed in the overlapping area when projected in the direction may be approximately 80% to 95% of the inner diameter.

  The forceps pipe may be arranged such that the axis thereof is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing portion. The observation unit may be arranged such that the optical axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the casing.

  The observation unit may include an objective optical system that captures a subject image and an image sensor that captures the subject image captured by the objective optical system.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an endoscope capable of suppressing the minimum required protrusion amount L while arranging a forceps pipe so as to avoid other built-in objects in order to suppress the outer diameter of the endoscope.

It is a figure showing roughly composition of an endoscope of an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the forceps pipe with which the front-end | tip part of embodiment of this invention was equipped. It is a figure which shows the state which penetrated the treatment tool to the forceps channel of the endoscope of embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which penetrated the treatment tool through the forceps channel of the endoscope of the conventional structure.

  Hereinafter, an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an endoscope 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 1 includes an insertion portion flexible tube 11 that is sheathed by a flexible sheath. The proximal end of the distal end portion 12 is connected to the distal end of the insertion portion flexible tube 11 by a rigid resin casing (hereinafter, referred to as “front end exterior casing 12a”). The bending portion 13 at the connection portion between the insertion portion flexible tube 11 and the distal end portion 12 is configured to be bendable by remote operation from a hand operating portion 14 connected to the proximal end of the insertion portion flexible tube 11. . This bending mechanism is a well-known mechanism incorporated in a general endoscope, and is configured to bend the bending portion 13 by pulling the operation wire in conjunction with the rotation operation of the bending operation knob of the hand operation portion 14. Has been. When the direction of the distal end portion 12 changes according to the bending operation by the rotation operation of the knob, the imaging region by the endoscope 1 moves. A universal cable 15 extends from the hand operation unit 14 and a connector unit 16 is connected to the base end thereof. By connecting the connector unit 16 to a video processor (not shown) with a built-in light source device, the video processor and the endoscope 1 are electrically and optically connected.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the distal end portion 12 of the endoscope 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the imaging unit 12 b is accommodated and held in the distal end exterior casing 12 a of the distal end portion 12. The imaging unit 12b is a unit including an objective optical system that captures a subject image and an imaging element that captures the subject image captured by the objective optical system. The imaging unit 12b is disposed in the distal end exterior casing 12a so that the optical axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the distal end portion 12 (left and right direction in FIG. 2). In this specification, “substantially” is given in consideration of manufacturing errors, assembly errors, and the like.

  The hand operating section 14 is provided with a forceps insertion opening (base end opening of a forceps channel) 14a into which a treatment tool such as forceps is inserted. Inside the insertion portion flexible tube 11, a forceps tube 12c made of a flexible resin (for example, made of PTFE) having a proximal end communicating with the forceps insertion port 14a is disposed. The distal end of the forceps tube 12c communicates with a metal forceps pipe 12d fixed by adhesion or the like in the distal end exterior casing 12a. The forceps tube 12c and the forceps pipe 12d are connected by fitting the distal end of the forceps tube 12c to the proximal end of the forceps pipe 12d. In order to more firmly connect the forceps tube 12c and the forceps pipe 12d, after the distal end of the forceps tube 12c is fitted on the proximal end of the forceps pipe 12d, the outer periphery of the forceps tube 12c (the portion where the forceps pipe 12d is fitted) It is good also as a structure which puts a press ring on and fastens. The distal end of the forceps pipe 12d communicates with a forceps port (tip port of forceps channel) 12e formed in the distal end exterior casing 12a. For example, during the procedure, the treatment tool inserted into the forceps insertion opening 14a is inserted and removed from the forceps opening 12e through the forceps channel (forceps tube 12c and forceps pipe 12d).

  In the endoscope 1, the insertion portion flexible tube 11 is reduced in diameter by arranging the signal cable bundle 12f extending from the imaging unit 12b and the forceps tube 12c as close as possible. In this case, if the forceps pipe 12d has a simple straight tube shape (a shape indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2), there is a problem that the imaging unit 12b and the forceps pipe 12d mechanically interfere with each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the forceps pipe 12d is formed as described below, thereby avoiding mechanical interference between the imaging unit 12b and the forceps pipe 12d while reducing the diameter of the insertion portion flexible tube 11. ing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the forceps pipe 12d. 3A is an external perspective view of the forceps pipe 12d, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the forceps pipe 12d. As shown in FIG. 3, the forceps pipe 12d has a substantially cylindrical shape with a step 12d1 formed in the middle. In the present specification, the distal end side (forceps port 12e side) of the step 12d1 is referred to as “first cylindrical portion 12d2”, and the proximal end side (forceps tube 12c side) of the step 12d1 is referred to as “second cylindrical portion 12d3”. I write. The first cylindrical portion 12d2 and the second cylindrical portion 12d3 have substantially the same outer diameter, and their axes AX1 and AX2 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. Further, the first cylindrical portion 12d2 and the second cylindrical portion 12d3 are located eccentrically by the step height of the step 12d1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the forceps pipe 12d formed in this way is connected to a forceps tube 12c arranged close to the signal cable bundle 12f, and the axis (axis AX1, AX2) direction is the tip. It is incorporated in the front end exterior casing 12a so as to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the portion 12 (left and right direction in FIG. 2). That is, the forceps pipe 12d is incorporated in the distal end exterior casing 12a side by side with the imaging unit 12b so that the axis is substantially parallel to the optical axis of the imaging unit 12b. Further, the forceps pipe 12d is incorporated so that the first cylindrical portion 12d2 is positioned on the side away from the imaging unit 12b with respect to the second cylindrical portion 12d3 so as to avoid the space for arranging the imaging unit 12b. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, both the diameter reduction of the insertion portion flexible tube 11 and the avoidance of mechanical interference between the imaging unit 12b and the forceps pipe 12d are achieved at the same time.

  FIG. 4 shows a state where the treatment tool 200 is inserted into the forceps channel (forceps tube 12 c and forceps pipe 12 d) of the endoscope 1. The forceps pipe 12d has a first cylindrical portion 12d2 and a second cylindrical portion 12d3 arranged substantially parallel to each other, and has a shape close to a substantially straight tube as a whole. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the treatment instrument 200 advances and retreats substantially linearly in the direction of the axis (axis AX1, AX2) in the forceps pipe 12d without being bent along the inner peripheral surface in the forceps pipe 12d. can do.

  That is, in this embodiment, since there is no pressing to the inner peripheral surface by being bent in the forceps pipe 12d, the treatment instrument 200 is imaged more than the center of the first cylindrical portion 12d2 or the center of the first cylindrical portion 12d2. The unit 12b can be moved back and forth. For this reason, the treatment tool 200 can be inserted and removed from the forceps port 12e at a position closer to the imaging unit 12b as compared to the endoscope having the conventional configuration exemplified in Patent Document 1. Compared to the endoscope with the conventional configuration, the position of the treatment tool 200 that is taken in and out of the forceps opening 12e is closer to the imaging unit 12b, and therefore the minimum required protrusion amount L is shortened. By shortening the minimum required protrusion amount L, it is possible to easily perform treatment using the treatment tool 200 with the distal end of the endoscope 1 in proximity to the lesioned portion, as compared with an endoscope having a conventional configuration. .

  Here, the general treatment instrument 200 has an outer diameter of approximately 80% to 95% of the inner diameter D of the first cylindrical portion 12d2 and the second cylindrical portion 12d3. As shown in FIG. 3C, the forceps pipe 12d has the first hollow region r1 and the second hollow so that the treatment instrument 200 having such an outer diameter can advance and retreat in a substantially linear shape within the forceps pipe 12d. The first cylindrical portion 12d2 and the first cylindrical portion 12d2 are arranged so that the diameter of the inscribed circle C inscribed in the overlapping region R when the region r2 is projected in the axial direction is approximately 80% to 95% of the inner diameter D. The amount of eccentricity with respect to the second cylindrical portion 12d3 is determined. Here, the first hollow region r1 is a hollow region in the first cylindrical portion 12d2 that appears on the cut surface when the first cylindrical portion 12d2 is cut in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and the second hollow region r2 is This is a hollow region in the second cylindrical portion 12d3 that appears on the cut surface when the second cylindrical portion 12d3 is cut in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. In FIG. 3C, the eccentricity between the first cylindrical portion 12d2 and the second cylindrical portion 12d3 is increased for the purpose of clearly showing the inscribed circle C.

  The above is the description of the embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment is an electronic scope, but may be a fiberscope in another embodiment. When the present invention is applied to a fiberscope, the forceps pipe is formed in the same shape as the forceps pipe 12d shown in FIG. 3, for example, in order to avoid mechanical interference with the objective optical system arranged at the distal end of the scope.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope 11 Insertion part flexible tube 12 Tip part 12a Tip part exterior housing | casing 12b Imaging unit 12c Forceps tube 12d Forceps pipe 12d1 Step 12d2 First cylindrical part 12d3 Second cylindrical part 12e Forceps port 12f Signal cable bundle 13 Bending part 14 Hand operation part 14a Forceps insertion port 15 Universal cable 16 Connector part

Claims (4)

A housing portion connected to the distal end of the insertion portion flexible tube;
A forceps port formed in the housing;
A forceps pipe disposed in the casing and having a tip communicating with the forceps opening;
A forceps tube disposed in the insertion portion flexible tube and having a distal end connected to a proximal end of the forceps pipe;
An observation unit arranged alongside the forceps pipe in the housing part;
With
The forceps pipe is
Has a substantially cylindrical shape with a step in the middle,
The first cylindrical part on the forceps opening side and the second cylindrical part on the forceps tube side through the step shape are substantially equal in outer diameter, and their axes are arranged substantially in parallel,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the first cylindrical portion is decentered by a predetermined amount on a side away from the observation unit with respect to the second cylindrical portion. The first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion are
Have substantially equal inner diameters,
Inscribed inscribed in the overlapping region when the hollow region in the first cylindrical part and the hollow region in the second cylindrical part appearing on the cut surface perpendicular to the axial direction are projected in the axial direction. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of a circle is approximately 80% to 95% of the inner diameter. The forceps pipe has an axis arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing part,
The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the observation unit has an optical axis arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the casing. The observation unit is
An objective optical system for capturing a subject image;
An image sensor that captures a subject image captured by the objective optical system;
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising:

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