JPS632006Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an air and water supply device for an endoscope that supplies water and air to clean the outer surface of the observation window at the distal end of the endoscope insertion portion.

Generally, when an endoscope is inserted into a body cavity, body fluids, mucus, and other contaminants adhere to the observation window provided at the distal end of the insertion section of the endoscope, which impedes normal observation. Therefore, a nozzle is provided near the observation window, and cleaning water is sprayed onto the observation window through this nozzle to clean it. However, simply spraying cleaning water onto the observation window leaves water droplets on the surface, which impedes normal observation. For this reason, after water is supplied, air is supplied to blow away the water droplets. As described above, nozzles are provided to supply air and water, but when the tip of the endoscope's insertion section is immersed in the stomach, for example, gastric juices may enter through the nozzles and into each duct. Contaminates the inside of the pipeline. For this reason, each pipe must be cleaned, but the inside of the water supply pipe is always filled with water, making it less susceptible to contamination, and since the water flows, it can be cleaned by supplying water. However, the air supply pipe cannot be cleaned simply by supplying air, and in severe cases, it becomes clogged with filth and becomes unusable. Therefore, especially when the contamination is severe, it is necessary to pass the washing water through.

For this reason, there is a system in which a communication pipe is formed between the air supply pipe and the water supply pipe, and an on-off valve is installed in the middle of this communication pipe to allow water to flow toward the air supply pipe. However, by opening this on-off valve, both the air supply pipe and the water supply pipe become the same, and even if one wishes to supply only air and water, it is impossible. In particular, if you open the on-off valve in the middle of an examination, even if you try to supply air after supplying water, if all the water in the pipe does not come out of the nozzle, the air will not be sent into the body cavity and water will not drain very well. I was getting used to it.

In addition, there are some systems in which a jet nozzle for cleaning the observation window and a jet port for cleaning the affected area are provided independently, and water can be selectively supplied from either the jet nozzle or the spout using a water supply switching device, but the switching structure is complicated, etc. There were flaws.

This invention was made with attention to the above circumstances,
The object is to provide a device for switching the air and water supply pipes of an endoscope, which can quickly and easily clean heavily contaminated air supply pipes.

The present invention will be explained below based on embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment, in which an endoscope 1 is comprised of an operating section 2 and an insertion section 3. FIG. The insertion section 3 has a flexible tube 4 and a curved section 5.
and a tip structure part 6, and this tip structure part 6
The distal end surface 7 is provided with an observation window 8, an illumination window 9, a forceps opening 10, and the like. The distal end surface of an image guide fiber 12 faces the inside of this observation window 8 via an objective lens 11, and this image guide fiber 12 passes through the insertion section 3 and the operation section 2 and is connected to the contact formed on the operation section 2. It is connected to the eye part 13. Furthermore, a nozzle A14 and a nozzle B15 are provided near the observation window 8, and the openings of each nozzle face the observation window 8. A conduit A16 is connected to the nozzle A14, and a conduit B17 is connected to the nozzle B15. On the other hand, the operating section 2 includes, in addition to the eyepiece section 13, an operating knob 18 for bending the tip of the insertion section 3, a forceps plug 19 for inserting forceps, etc., and one end of a universal cord 20 connected to a light source device (not shown). is installed. This universal cord 20 has built-in air and water supply conduits, light guide fibers, and the like, which will be described later. Further, a pipe line A16 connected to nozzle A14 and a pipe line B connected to nozzle B15
17 passes through the insertion section 3, and its proximal end is connected to an air/water switching cylinder 21, which has a hollow cylindrical shape and has a bottom at its lower part, which is located on the distal end side of the operating section 2, which is mounted at positions facing each other. As shown in FIG. 3, inside the air/water switching cylinder 21 is a rotatable air/water switching valve 22 which has a cylindrical shape and has a knob at the top.
A retaining member 23 is provided at the upper part of the air/water switching cylinder 21 to prevent the switching plug 22 from coming off, and is screwed onto the upper outer peripheral surface of the switching cylinder 21. This switching plug 22 has horizontal holes divided equally in four directions at the same height from the bottom surface, one of which has a circular hole at the 3 o'clock direction 24 and one at the 6 o'clock direction as shown in FIG. A hole 26 communicating in the direction 25 and a hole 29 communicating in the 9 o'clock direction 27 and the 12 o'clock direction 28 are formed in two directions. Figure 4 shows the air supply water switching valve 22 in Figure 2 in the right direction.
It is rotated 90 degrees. The position of the rotation of the switching plug 22 relative to the switching cylinder 21 is indicated by the scale of the knob and the retaining member 23.

In addition, the air supply water switching cylinder 21 has a conduit A16,
A water supply pipe line 30 and an air supply pipe line 31 are connected in a direction orthogonal to the pipe line B17. The water supply conduit 30 and the air supply conduit 31 are led out to the outside through an air/water supply switching device 32 provided in the operation section 2 that performs an air/water supply switching operation, and the proximal end thereof passes through the universal cord 20. It's getting old. This air supply pipe line 31 is connected to an air supply pump 33, but is once extended through an upper space portion of a water supply tank 35 for cleaning water 34. In addition, water supply pipe 30
The other end is immersed in the washing water 34 in the water supply tank 35. Therefore, when the inside of the water tank 34 receives pressure from the air pump 33 and pressurizes the washing water 34 above a certain level, the washing water 34 can be sent to the water pipe 30.

A cylinder 36 with a bottom is formed in the air/water switching device 32, and a hollow piston 37 is slidably inserted into the cylinder 36. A compression spring 38 wound around the end of the piston 37 is constantly biased in the direction of outward protrusion to restrict the protruding end of the piston 37, and the outer end of the inner part 39 is connected to the locking edge 40 of the cylinder 36.
Waiting in the right position. In this standby state, a certain space 41 is formed at the bottom of the cylinder 36, and this space 41 is connected to the hollow hole 42 of the piston 37.
It communicates with the outside world through. The circumferential surface of the inner insertion portion 39 of this piston 37 and the cylinder 36
A communication space 43 consisting of an annular groove is formed between the communication space 43 and the inner wall of the communication space 43, and a closing peripheral surface 44 is disposed on the inner end side of the communication space 43.

Further, the inflow side tip of the air supply pipe 31 is connected to the bottom wall of the cylinder 36 facing the bottom space 41 inside the cylinder 36, and the outflow side proximal end is connected to the bottom wall of the cylinder 36 facing the bottom space 41 inside the cylinder 36.
1 and is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 36 so as to communicate with the cylinder 36 . In the standby state of the piston 37, both the inflow and outflow sides of the air supply pipe 31 are located in a space 41 with the cylinder 36, but when the piston 37 is pushed in, its closing peripheral surface 44 closes the air supply pipe 31.
is blocked. In addition, the tip of the inflow side of the water supply pipe 30 is connected to the piston 37 when the piston 37 is in a standby state.
The other outflow side is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 36 facing the closing peripheral surface 44 of the piston 37, and is normally closed, and the other outflow side is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 36 facing the communication space 43 of the piston 37, and the tip side is connected to. When the piston 37 is pushed in, the inflow side and the outflow side of the water supply pipe 30 are brought into direct communication via the communication space 43.

Also, a check valve 4 is provided in the middle of the air pipe line 31 that communicates the air/water switching cylinder 21 and the air/water switching device 32 to block the flow toward the air/water switching device 32 side.
5 is inserted.

Next, the operation of the air and water supply device will be explained.

When the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity and the air supply pump 33 is activated, air is supplied to the space 41 in the cylinder 36 of the air/water supply switching device 32 via the air supply line 31 connected to the air supply pump 33. The piston 37
is in the standby state, the hollow hole 4 of the piston 37
2 to the outside of the operating section 2. Therefore, it is not fed into the distal end side of the insertion section 3. Further, since the water supply pipe line 30 is blocked by the closing circumferential surface 44 of the piston 37, water is not supplied.

Therefore, when inflating into the body cavity or supplying air to the observation window 8, the hollow hole 42 on the outer end side of the piston 37 is
When it is blocked with a finger, the release of the air to the outside is blocked, the pressure within the space 41 increases, and the air is sent to the tip side of the air supply pipe 31. This air supply is observed from a nozzle B15 through a conduit B17 through a hole 26 through which the circles of the air supply water switching cylinder 21 and the switching plug 22 in FIG. 2 communicate with the 3 o'clock direction 24 and the 6 o'clock direction 25. Air can be delivered into the window 8 and the body cavity. In addition, when water is conveyed, the hollow hole 42 of the piston 37
When the piston 37 is pushed in while blocking it with a finger, the inner end of the piston 37 closes the air supply pipe 31 with the circumferential surface 4.
4, and the communication space 43 of the piston 37 is opened to the water supply pipe 30. Therefore, the air supplied by the air supply pump 33 increases the pressure in the water supply tank 35 and pressurizes the cleaning water 34, so that the cleaning water 34 is sent from the water supply tank 35 to the water supply pipe 30. This sent cleaning water 34 flows into the communication space 43 between the inner wall of the cylinder 36 and the circumferential surface of the inner insertion part 39 of the piston 37, and also flows into the water supply pipe 30 on the outflow side.
Air supply water switching cylinder 21 and switching valve 2
The 2 circles are the 9 o'clock direction 27 and the 12 o'clock direction 2
Washing water 34 can be sprayed onto the observation window 8 from the opening of the nozzle A14 from the conduit A16 through the hole 29 communicating with the observation window 8. In other words, the air supply water switching valve 22
When the position is as shown in Fig. 2, air and water are supplied as described above, but water is supplied to the nozzle A14.
Because cleaning water is constantly flowing, even if nozzle A14 is clogged with dirt, it can be easily pushed out and cleaned, but if air is sent to nozzle B15, dirt cannot be removed if it is clogged with air pressure alone. Fourth
By rotating the knob of the switching valve 22 by 90 degrees clockwise as shown in the diagram, the circle that was previously communicating with the air supply pipe 31 will be moved to the 3 o'clock direction 24 and the 6 o'clock direction. The position of the hole 26 in the 6 o'clock direction 25 is connected to the water supply pipe line 30, and the position of the hole 26 in the 3 o'clock direction 24 is connected to the pipe line B17. On the other hand, in the air supply pipe 31, the 12 o'clock direction 28 is the pipe A16.
The conduit B17 and nozzle B15, which have been supplied with air until now, are connected in the 9 o'clock direction 27, respectively, and are cleaned by blocking the piston 37 with a finger and pushing it in so that cleaning water flows. .

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which a conduit A16 and a conduit B17 in the insertion section 3 of the endoscope 1 merge at the distal end side and at the distal end surface 7 of the distal end component 6. The nozzle 46 is integrated into one, and the air/water switching cylinder 21, air/water switching valve 22, and other structures are similar to those of the first embodiment.
In this case, especially if the conduit A16 and the conduit B17 become clogged with dirt, the clogging can be prevented by rotating the air/water switching valve 90 degrees clockwise as in the first embodiment.

As explained above, according to the present invention, a switching valve is provided to switch the air supply pipe and water supply pipe of the endoscope, so that the inside of both pipes can be constantly washed.
Even if the nozzle through which air is blown is contaminated with dirt or the like, normal use will not be affected at all by flushing the cleaning water. In addition, the air supply water switching cylinder and switching valve for switching have a simpler structure than conventional ones.
It does not require much space, can only be operated by rotating 90 degrees, and has the advantage of being easily integrated into a conventional operating section.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire endoscope, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram, and FIG. 3 is a switching cylinder shown in FIG. 2. Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of the switching valve shown in Fig. 2 when it is switched to another state, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the switching valve shown in Fig. 2.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of air and water supply. 1... Endoscope, 2... Operation section, 3... Insertion section,
8...Observation window, 14...Nozzle A, 15...Nozzle B, 16...Pipe line A, 17...Pipe line B, 21...
...Air supply water switching cylinder, 22...Air supply water switching valve,
30...Water pipe record, 31...Air pipe line, 32...
Air/water supply switching device, 46...nozzle.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An air/water supply system in which a nozzle is provided facing an observation window provided at the tip of the insertion section of an endoscope, an air/water supply pipeline is connected to the nozzle, and a switching means for switching between air and water supply is provided on the operating section. In the device, an air supply pipe line and a water supply pipe line are provided on the distal end side of the operating part than the switching means, and a switching cylinder is connected to two mutually independent pipe lines connected from the above nozzle, and the air supply pipe line is connected to the switching cylinder. An air and water supply device for an endoscope, characterized in that it is provided with a switching valve having a two-way pipe line for switching to a water pipe line.