JP4448313B2 - Multifunctional endoscope - Google Patents

Description

  In the present invention, an optical observation member for obtaining a normal optical observation image of a living body and an additional observation member for obtaining observation data other than the normal optical observation image of such a living body are provided at the distal end of the insertion portion. Relates to a multifunctional endoscope.

  Multifunctional endoscopes include ultrasonic endoscopes and confocal endoscopes. In the case of ultrasonic endoscopes, there is an ultrasonic probe for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image at the distal end of the insertion section. In the case of a confocal endoscope, a confocal device for performing microscopic observation of mucosal cells using a laser beam is provided alongside a normal optical observation member.

In such a multi-functional endoscope, an observation data signal cable for transmitting observation data obtained by an additional observation member such as an ultrasonic probe or a confocal device, and illumination for ordinary optical observation The light guide is passed through one common hole at the part extending from the operation part connected to the base end of the insertion part, and is branched at a position adjacent to the outside to be separated from each other. It is divided and placed in a protective tube (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-191603

  In the invention described in Patent Document 1, there is provided a branching portion supporting member to which a base portion of both protective tubes of a signal cable protective tube through which an ultrasonic signal cable is passed and a light guide protective tube through which a light guide is passed is attached. The nut member is pressed and fixed to the operation portion from the outside.

  The branching support member can be made of an electrically insulating plastic or the like, but the nut member must be made of metal, so that the electrically insulating rubber is used from the viewpoint of electrical safety such as leakage current prevention. Is lined on the outer peripheral surface of the nut member, and the nut member, which should have been originally low-cost, has become a special part, resulting in a significant increase in cost.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a multi-functional endoscope capable of reducing the cost of the structure that prevents leakage current, etc. at the branch portion between the signal cable protection tube for observation data transmission and the light guide protection tube for illumination. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the multifunction endoscope of the present invention includes an optical observation member for obtaining a normal optical observation image of a living body illuminated by an illumination light guide and a normal optical observation image of a living body. An additional observation member for obtaining observation data is provided at the tip of the insertion portion, and an observation data signal cable for transmitting the observation data obtained by the additional observation member and a light guide through which an illumination light guide is inserted The cable extends from the operation portion connected to the base end of the insertion portion, is passed through a common hole, and is branched at a position adjacent to the outside, so that the flexible signal cable protective tube and the light guide In a multi-function endoscope that is inserted and arranged separately from a protective tube, a metal nut portion for fixing the electrically insulating branch support member to which the bases of both protective tubes are attached to the operation unit from the outside The surrounding, but surrounded by the protection hood electrically insulating rubber provided on a member for protecting so that near the base of one protective tube does not bend abruptly, of the two protective tubes.

  Note that a metal mounting cylinder that is screwed with a male screw formed on the outer peripheral portion of the nut member may be disposed at the base of the anti-bending member, and rubber may be lined on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder. .

  According to the present invention, the metal nut member for fixing the electrically insulating branch support member to which the base portions of both the signal cable protection tube and the light guide protection tube are attached to the operation portion from the outside is provided. By surrounding the periphery with an electrically insulating rubber provided on the anti-bending member, there is no need to use a rubber-lined special part as a nut member, which effectively reduces the cost of the structure that prevents leakage current, etc. Can be aimed at.

  Both protective pipes are surrounded by a metal nut member for fixing the electrically insulating branch support member to which the bases of both the signal cable protective pipe and the light guide protective pipe are attached to the operation part from the outside. Of these, the vicinity of the base portion of one of the protective tubes is surrounded by an electrically insulating rubber provided on a bend preventing member for protecting it from being bent suddenly.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the ultrasonic endoscope, and an objective optical system or the like (optical observation member) for obtaining a normal optical observation image of a living body at the distal end of the insertion portion 2 connected to the lower end of the operation portion 1. And an ultrasonic scanning unit 4 in which an ultrasonic probe or the like (additional observation member) for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image of a living body is arranged.

  A solid-state image sensor is disposed at the imaging position of the subject by the objective optical system in the optical observation objective unit 3, and an imaging signal is transmitted from the solid-state image sensor. However, the observation image may be transmitted by an image guide fiber bundle.

  As shown in FIG. 3 which is a plan view, a flexible light guide protective tube 11 and an ultrasonic signal cable protective tube 12 extend from the rear surface of the upper half of the operation unit 1, A light guide fiber bundle 6 for illumination for performing normal optical observation is inserted and disposed in the guide protective tube 11, and tomographic image data obtained by an ultrasonic probe is disposed in the ultrasonic signal cable protective tube 12. The ultrasonic signal cable 8 for transmitting etc. is inserted and arranged.

  The light guide fiber bundle 6 and the ultrasonic signal cable 8 are passed through one common passage hole 21a, which will be described later, in a portion extending from the operation portion 1, and in a branching portion 20 provided adjacent to the outside thereof. The light guide protection tube 11 and the ultrasonic signal cable protection tube 12 which are branched and provided independently of each other are separately inserted and arranged. Reference numerals 13 and 14 are anti-bending members for alleviating sudden bending of the vicinity of the base of the light guide protective tube 11 and the vicinity of the base of the ultrasonic signal cable protective tube 12, respectively.

  An ultrasonic signal connector 19 connected to an ultrasonic signal control device (not shown) is connected to the tip of the ultrasonic signal cable protective tube 12, and a light source device (not shown) is connected to the tip of the light guide protective tube 11. A light guide connector 15 connected to the video processor is coupled. Reference numeral 16 denotes a light guide connecting pipe, 17 denotes an imaging signal connector, 18 denotes an air / water feeding base, and a suction base or the like is disposed on the back side of the light guide connector 15.

  FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of the periphery of the branch portion 20, 23 is a branch portion cover for preventing the ultrasonic signal cable 8 from being exposed at the branch portion 20, and 24 is a branch portion cover 23. This is a space cover for covering a space portion necessary for the purpose, and is fastened and fixed by a rubber ring 25. The branch cover 23 and the space cover 24 are made of an electrically insulating plastic material.

  In the branch portion 20, a single cylindrical common support tube 21 protrudes rearward from the operation portion 1, and the internal space of the common support tube 21 includes the light guide fiber bundle 6 and the ultrasonic signal cable. 8 is a common passage hole 21a.

  In the common passage hole 21a of the common support cylinder 21, in addition to the light guide fiber bundle 6 for illumination, the imaging signal cable 7 for the endoscope observation image, the ultrasonic signal cable 8, air supply, water supply, not shown, A suction tube or the like is inserted in a bundle.

  A base end cap 11a of the light guide protection tube 11 is fixed to the protruding end portion of the common support tube 21 by, for example, three small screws 27, and the base end cap 11a is a branching portion support member made of an electrically insulating plastic material. 22 is passed through a hole formed through.

  Then, the metal nut member 28 is screwed into the male screw portion formed on the outer periphery of the base end cap 11a protruding outward from the branch portion support member 22 to press and fix the branch portion support member 22 from the outside. A fixing screw 29 for preventing the screwing of the nut member 28 to the base end cap 11a from being loosened is screwed into the nut member 28 from the side.

  The branching support member 22 has a connection base 12b that is arranged in parallel with the base end cap 11a of the light guide protection tube 11 and to which the base end cap 12a of the ultrasonic signal cable protection tube 12 and the folding stop member 14 are connected. It is fixed.

  Then, the ultrasonic signal cable 8 is led out of the common support tube 21 from the branch hole 21b formed in the side wall of the common support tube 21 and guided into the ultrasonic signal cable protection tube 12, and the light guide fiber bundle 6 and The imaging signal cable 7 passes straight through the common passage hole 21 a of the common support cylinder 21 together with tubes and the like, and is guided into the light guide protective tube 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3, as a whole, the anti-bending member 13 for preventing the light guide protective tube 11 from being bent in the vicinity of the base portion is formed into a tapered cylindrical tube with a resilient and electrically insulating rubber. Is formed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the rubber of the anti-bending member 13 is attached so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the metal mounting cylinder 13a that is screwed with the male screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nut member 28. It is lined integrally with the cylinder 13a. 13b is the rubber lining part.

  As a result, the outer surface of the portion where the nut member 28 is disposed is surrounded by the electrically insulating rubber that forms the bend preventing member 13, and the nut member 28 is leaked without using a rubber-lined special component. A current prevention structure can be taken.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the nut member 28 may be surrounded by the rubber of the folding member 14 on the ultrasonic signal cable protection tube 12 side, and the present invention is not limited to the laser beam. The confocal device for performing microscopic observation of mucosal cells may be applied to a confocal endoscope provided with a normal optical observation member.

It is a plane sectional view of a branching part of an ultrasonic endoscope of an example of the present invention. 1 is a side view of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part 2 Insertion part 3 Optical observation objective part 4 Ultrasonic scanning part 6 Light guide fiber bundle 8 Ultrasonic signal cable 11 Light guide protective tube 11a Base end cap 12 Ultrasonic signal cable protective tube 13 Folding prevention member 13a Mounting cylinder 13b Rubber lining part 20 Branch part 22 Branch part support member 28 Nut member

Claims (1)

An optical observation member for obtaining a normal optical observation image of the living body illuminated by the illumination light guide and an additional observation member for obtaining observation data other than the normal optical observation image of the living body are provided at the distal end of the insertion portion. An operation in which an observation data signal cable for transmitting observation data obtained by the additional observation member and a light guide cable through which the illumination light guide is inserted are connected to the proximal end of the insertion portion Multi-function internal view that is passed through one common hole at the part extending from the part, branched at a position adjacent to the outside, and divided into a flexible signal cable protection tube and a light guide protection tube In the mirror
A metal nut member for fixing the electrically insulating branch support member to which the bases of the two protection tubes are attached to the operation unit from the outside, and the vicinity of the base of one of the protection tubes a break-preventive member for to protect the not bent sharply is provided,
At the base of the anti-bending member, a metal mounting cylinder that is threadedly engaged with a male screw formed on the outer peripheral portion of the nut member is disposed, and the electric insulation is lined integrally with the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder The multifunctional endoscope is characterized in that the periphery of the nut member is surrounded by rubber, and the nut member is prevented from being loosened by a fixing screw screwed into the screw hole of the side wall portion from the side .

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