JPH0410811B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is constructed so that built-in objects such as an image guide fiber and a light guide fiber are inserted into an insertion section, and then the insertion section is connected to an operating section for assembly. Regarding the endoscope.

"Prior Art" In general, an endoscope has various built-in objects inserted through its elongated insertion portion. These built-in items are inserted from the distal end of the insertion section to a predetermined location within the endoscope. Additionally, cap pipes and the like are attached to both ends of these built-in components to secure them at predetermined locations.

In this way, since the base pipes and the like are attached to both ends of the built-in objects, the outer diameter of the built-in objects is the largest at the tip of the endoscope where the end portions of all the built-in objects are aligned. Therefore, when assembling the above-mentioned endoscope, first fix all the tips of each built-in object to the distal end component of the insertion section, and insert each built-in object into the flexible tube from the opposite side in order from the longest built-in object. An insertion section was formed by drawing it in and arranging it. In this case, each built-in component such as the image guide fiber and the light guide fiber is individually covered with a covering tube and placed within the insertion section.

In other words, each built-in component such as the image guide fiber and light guide fiber that is inserted into the insertion section of the endoscope is individually covered with a covering tube, so the thickness of each covering tube increases along the axis. The amount of built-in material that can be loaded into the insertion section was determined by whether or not it was possible to retract it into the flexible tube at this point.

[Problems to be Accomplished by the Invention] In the conventional device described above, in order to reduce the diameter of the endoscope insertion portion, it is sufficient to reduce the thickness of the covering tube. However, since this coated tube is required to have a certain degree of strength, there is a limit to how thin it can be made.

Therefore, in order to reduce the diameter of the endoscope insertion section, it is necessary to reduce the number of built-in fibers such as image guide fibers and light guide fibers.
In addition, the diameter of the insertion channel tube, which is another built-in component, has been reduced, and each built-in component itself has had to be made smaller in diameter or its amount reduced. For this reason, the performance as an endoscope was inevitably degraded.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to have a relatively simple structure, but without reducing the diameter or amount of the built-in part itself, the insertion part can be thinned. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope that can be made smaller in diameter and that can ensure performance as an endoscope.

[Means for Achieving the Object and Effects thereof] The present invention provides an endoscope in which a plurality of internal components such as an image guide fiber and a light guide fiber are inserted into an insertion section connected to an operation section. At least two or more of the built-in objects are covered with a single covering tube and introduced into the insertion section and the operation section, and the covering tube is incised inside the operation section side to branch out the plurality of built-in objects. It is arranged at a predetermined position.

Therefore, since it is not necessary to cover each internal component with a covering tube at least within the insertion section, the diameter of the insertion section can be reduced accordingly. Furthermore, since there is less need to make each built-in part itself smaller in diameter or to reduce its quantity, the performance of the endoscope can be ensured as much as possible.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 9.

FIG. 1 shows the entirety of a bronchial endoscope 21, which includes an operating section 22, an insertion section 23 inserted into a body cavity, and a light guide cable 24 connected to the operating section 22. It is made up of.
The insertion section 23 has a curved tube 26 at the tip of the flexible tube 25.
The bending tube 26 can be remotely bent via an operating wire (to be described later) by operating a bending operation mechanism (not shown) in the operating section 22 with an operating lever 28. I'm starting to feel like I'm being forced to do that. Inside this insertion section 23, there are a plurality of built-in items, such as an optical fiber bundle for observation (image guide fiber) 31, an optical fiber bundle for illumination (light guide fiber) 32, a pair of operation wires 33a and 33b, and a wire guide 3.
4a and 34b are inserted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bending pipe 26 has a plurality of joint rings 35 arranged along its axial direction, and can be bent up and down by connecting the joint rings 35 with a shaft body 36. It consists of a core member 37, and the outer periphery of the core member 37 is covered with an outer skin 39 including a cylindrical blade. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the distal end component 27 is a metal tubular member 4 having a window hole 41 formed in its distal wall and a tube wall 42 formed on its rear end.
3, a cylindrical tip frame 44 is fitted into the upper window hole 41, and a cylindrical lens frame 45 is inserted into the tip frame 44. And lens frame 4
An objective lens 46 is fitted into the distal end of the optical fiber bundle 5, and the distal end of the observation optical fiber bundle 31 is fitted into its rear end. Furthermore, the tip frame 44
An illumination optical fiber bundle 32 is provided between the lens frame 45 and the lens frame 45.
The tip is arranged in an annular shape.

By the way, the optical fiber bundle for observation 31 and the optical fiber bundle for illumination 32 are connected to one protective tube 47 in the insertion section 23 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
However, inside the operating section 22, the middle portion of the protective tube 47 is cut open and removed. Then, this incision portion 47a
At , the optical fiber bundles 31 and 32 are branched, and one optical fiber bundle 31 is pulled out.
In other words, in the operating section 22, each optical fiber bundle 3
1 and 32 are separated from each other, and their exposed portions are covered with separate protective tubes 48 and 49. Each optical fiber bundle 31, 32 is guided toward the eyepiece section 22a and the light guide cable 24 side.

As for this method of assembly, both optical fiber bundles 31,
After covering the entire length of the tube 32 with one protective tube 47 and inserting it from the distal end of the insertion section 23, a part of the protective tube 47 is peeled off and incised in the operating section 22 as shown in FIG. 8 for observation. The optical fiber bundle 31 for use is taken out and the exposed sections are separated into separate protective tubes 48, 49 as shown in FIG.
Cover with Of course, in order to branch and take out the optical fiber bundle 31, a cut along the axial direction may be made in the middle of the protective tube 47 to cut it open.

On the other hand, each tip of the pair of operating wires 33a, 33b is fixed to the tube wall portion 42 of the tip component 27, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. That is, a pair of notch grooves 51a and 51b are formed in the upper and lower portions of the tube wall portion 42 and extend through the tube wall portion 42 and are long in the axial direction of the insertion portion 23. 33a, 33b are fitted into the respective notch grooves 51a, 51.
It is fixed inside b by brazing or gluing. Also, fixing material 5 such as wax or adhesive at this time
2 is filled in the notch grooves 51a and 51b and is arranged so that it does not protrude from the inner and outer peripheries of the tube wall portion 42. Further, the wall thickness of the tube wall portion 42 is formed to be approximately equal to the outer diameter of the operating wires 33a, 33b.
3b is attached so as not to protrude from the inner and outer peripheries of the tube wall portion 42. Note that the most advanced node rings 35 of the curved pipe 26 are fitted onto the outer periphery of the pipe wall portion 42 and fixed thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flexible tube 25 is formed by fitting the outer periphery of a metal spiral tube 53 with a synthetic resin outer sheath 54. Then, the spiral tube 53
The distal end of the curved tube 26 is connected to the rearmost node ring 35 of the curved tube 26 via a connecting tube 55 as a tubular member. That is, the distal end portion of the connecting tube 55 is fitted into and fixed to the node ring 35, and the rear end portion of the connecting tube 55 is fitted into and fixed to the distal end of the spiral tube 53.

Then, the wire guides 34a and 34b described above
consists of a tightly wound coil, the tip of which is fixed to the connecting tube 55. That is, in the rear end portion of the connecting tube 55, a pair of notch grooves 56a, 56b are formed at locations corresponding to the distal end portions of the wire guides 34a, 34b that extend through the connecting tube 55 and extend in the axial direction of the insertion portion 23. The tips of the wire guides 34a, 34b are fitted into the cutout grooves 56a, 56b and fixed by brazing or adhesive. Fixing material such as wax or adhesive at this time 5
7 is filled in the notch grooves 56a and 56b. Further, the fixing material 57 is attached so as not to protrude from the outer periphery of the connecting pipe 55. In other words, the flexible tube 25 does not get in the way when the spiral tube 53 is fitted onto the flexible tube 25. In addition, in this embodiment, since the wall thickness of the connecting tube 55 is originally thinner than the diameter of the wire guides 34a, 34b, only a portion of the wire guides 34a, 34b fits into the notch grooves 51a, 51b. The other portion protrudes inward of the connecting pipe 55. However, the amount of protrusion of the wire guides 34a, 34b is reduced by the amount that the wire guides 34a, 34b fit into the notch grooves 51a, 51b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the size of the dead space within the insertion section 23 is reduced.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention covers at least two of a plurality of built-in objects with a single protective tube and introduces it into the insertion section and the operation section, and operates the protective tube. It is made by making an incision inside the body and branching out the plurality of built-in objects and placing them at predetermined positions.

Therefore, since it is not necessary to cover each built-in part with a protective tube at least within the insertion section, the diameter of the insertion section can be reduced accordingly. Furthermore, since there is less need to make each built-in part itself smaller in diameter or to reduce its quantity, the performance of the endoscope can be ensured as much as possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an endoscope showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing the distal end of the insertion section, and Fig. 3 is a section along the line - in Fig. 2. A sectional view, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tip component,
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the connecting portion between the flexible tube and the curved portion, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the connecting tube, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views of the optical fiber bundle. 21... Endoscope, 22... Operation section, 23... Insertion section, 25... Flexible tube, 26... Curved tube, 27...
... Tip component, 31, 32 ... Optical fiber bundle, 4
7...Protective tube, 47a...Incision part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an endoscope in which multiple built-in objects such as image guide fibers and light guide fibers are inserted into the insertion section connected to the operation section, at least two of the above built-in objects are inserted into a single insertion section. The single protective tube is covered with a protective tube and introduced into the insertion section and the operating section, and the single protective tube is incised at a position on the operating section side after the insertion section to branch out the plurality of built-in objects, and each of the built-in objects is separated. An endoscope characterized in that at least one of the fibers is separately covered with a protective tube and guided to a predetermined position.