JP5481335B2 - Ultrasound endoscope and its assembly method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope in which a plurality of flexible boards are connected to an extended end of a signal cable that transmits an ultrasonic signal, and an assembling method thereof.

  In general, an ultrasonic endoscope has a flexible insertion portion extending forward from an operation portion, an ultrasonic probe for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image of an observation site provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, and an operation. A video connector provided at an end portion of the universal tube extending rearward from the portion, and an ultrasonic signal connector provided at an end portion of the branch cable extending from the video connector. The first signal cable extending rearward from the ultrasonic probe extends to the internal space of the video connector through the insertion portion, the operation portion, and the internal tube of the universal tube, and the extended end of the first signal cable ( A plurality of flexible boards having a connector function are provided at the rear end). A relay board integrated with the FPC connector is fixed in the video connector, and one end of the second signal cable disposed in the branch cable is connected to the relay board, and the other end of the second signal cable is connected to the video board. Extends to the ultrasonic signal connector. When the flexible board provided on the first signal cable is connected to the FPC connector, the ultrasonic probe and the ultrasonic signal connector are electrically connected, so the ultrasonic signal connector (second signal cable) is connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus. For example, the ultrasonic image generated by the ultrasonic observation apparatus can be displayed on the ultrasonic observation image monitor. Such an ultrasonic endoscope is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  When assembling an ultrasonic endoscope, in order to connect the flexible board to the FPC connector, it is necessary to insert the signal cable and flexible board from the front into the insertion section, the operation section, and the internal pipe of the universal tube and pull out backward. There is. However, the internal conduit is narrow, and when the flexible substrate is inserted into the internal conduit, the flexible substrates collide with each other in the internal conduit, so this drawing operation is not easy.

  Therefore, the inventor of the present application winds each flexible substrate while curving each flexible board around the outer surface of a long and slender guide rod that can be freely inserted into and removed from the inner conduit before inserting the signal cable through the inner conduit. After forming the rod-shaped integral object collectively wrapped in, the rod-shaped integral object is pulled out from the front end side to the rear end side of the internal conduit, and then the guide rod and the covering tube are removed from the flexible substrate, Is proposed to be connected to the FPC connector (Patent Document 2). According to this assembling method, a plurality of flexible boards can be easily inserted through the internal conduit.

JP-A-7-193351 JP 2010-017204 A

  Since the plurality of flexible boards are connected in a state of being sandwiched between insertion grooves formed in the contacts of the FPC connector, a certain thickness or more is required in order to contact the contacts with certainty. However, as each flexible board becomes thicker, the pattern on the flexible board cracks when it is passed through the insertion tube flexible tube in a curved state and later returned to its original state, and in the worst case it is disconnected. There is a risk that.

  On the other hand, if a known slider inserted between the contact insertion groove and the flexible substrate is used, the contact pressure between the thin flexible substrate and the contact can be increased. However, since the slider generally has a certain thickness (thickness several times that of the flexible substrate), it is difficult to finely adjust the contact pressure between the contact insertion groove and the flexible substrate with the slider alone.

  The present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope and an assembling method thereof capable of reliably bringing a plurality of flexible boards into contact with an FPC connector and allowing the plurality of flexible boards to be easily inserted into an insertion portion flexible tube. For the purpose.

  In the present invention, if an insulating sheet for adjusting the thickness is sandwiched between the slider of the FPC connector and the flexible substrate, even if the flexible substrate is thin, the conductor pattern of the flexible substrate is pushed to the contact portion of the FPC connector by the insulating sheet. The contact between the flexible board and the FPC connector is ensured, and if each flexible board is thin, the conductor pattern on the flexible board follows even if the flexible board is bent to be inserted into the internal conduit. It was completed by paying attention to the fact that it does not cause disconnection because it bends flexibly.

  That is, the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe that inputs and outputs an ultrasonic signal provided at the distal end of the insertion portion, and a first signal that extends from the ultrasonic probe and transmits the ultrasonic signal to an ultrasonic observation apparatus. A cable, a thin flexible substrate having a conductive pattern on the surface and connected to the extending end of the first signal cable, and having a flat plate shape in a free state; and one end connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus The FPC connector provided on the relay board to which the other end of the two-signal cable is connected, the first signal cable and the flexible board in the curved state are inserted, and the first signal is placed on the relay board side located outside itself. A cable and an internal conduit for guiding the flexible board, wherein the FPC connector is electrically connected to the relay board, and the flexible board can be inserted and removed, and the conducting wire. A contact having a contact portion formed on the inner surface of the insertion groove so as to be conductive with the turn, and positioned on the opposite side of the contact portion with the flexible substrate interposed therebetween and in contact with the inner surface of the insertion groove and the flexible substrate In an ultrasonic endoscope comprising a slider that can be inserted into and removed from the insertion groove, insulation for thickness adjustment formed between the flexible substrate and the slider and separate from the slider and thinner than the slider. It is characterized by interposing a body sheet.

  It is preferable that a guide groove for defining a relative position between the FPC connector and the plurality of flexible boards is formed in the insulator sheet. According to this aspect, since a relative position of each flexible substrate with respect to the FPC connector is determined when a plurality of flexible substrates are installed in the guide groove of the insulating sheet, the connection between the flexible substrate and the FPC connector is easy.

  It is practical that the plurality of flexible boards are attached so as to be shifted from each other in the extending direction of the ultrasonic cable so that the flexible boards can be easily inserted into the internal conduit.

  Further, according to the aspect of the assembling method, the present invention provides an ultrasonic probe provided at the distal end portion of the insertion portion, which inputs and outputs an ultrasonic signal, and extends from the ultrasonic probe, and the ultrasonic signal is ultrasonically observed. A first signal cable to be transmitted to the apparatus; a thin flexible substrate connected to the extending end of the first signal cable and having a conductive pattern on the surface and having a flat shape in a free state; The FPC connector provided on the relay board to which the other end of the second signal cable connected to the sound wave observation device is connected, the first signal cable and the flexible board in the curved state are inserted, and the relay located outside itself An internal conduit for guiding the first signal cable and the flexible board on the board side, the FPC connector being electrically connected to the relay board, and the flexible board being detachable A contact having a contact portion formed on the inner surface of the insertion groove so as to be conductive to the insertion groove and the conductive wire pattern; and an inner surface of the insertion groove and the flexible substrate located on the opposite side of the contact portion across the flexible substrate A method of assembling an ultrasonic endoscope comprising a slider that can be inserted into and removed from the insertion groove while being in contact with the inner tube, wherein the flexible tube is bent to be smaller than the inner diameter of the inner tube. A step of passing through the path and pulling out to the relay substrate side, returning the pulled out flexible substrate to the original flat plate shape, and providing an insulating sheet for adjusting the thickness on the surface opposite to the conductive pattern surface of the flexible substrate And the integrated insulating sheet and the flexible substrate are sandwiched between the contact portion of the contact and the slider, and the contact portion of the contact Contacting the conductor pattern of Kishiburu substrate, it is characterized by having a step of electrically connected the flexible substrate and the relay substrate by the contact.

  In the insulator sheet, guide grooves for defining the connection positions of the plurality of flexible boards are formed, and the plurality of flexible boards are respectively installed in the guide grooves and connected to the plurality of FPC connectors. preferable. According to this aspect, since the relative position (connection position) of the flexible substrate with respect to the FPC connector is easily determined, the connection work between the plurality of flexible substrates and the FPC connector is simplified.

  In the present invention, a slider and a thickness adjusting insulator sheet that is thinner and more flexible than the slider are interposed between the flexible substrate and the insertion groove of the contact. The contact pressure between the contact part of the contact and the flexible board (conductor pattern) is roughly adjusted by the slider, and the contact pressure between the contact part of the contact and the flexible board (conductor pattern), which was difficult to adjust only by the slider using the insulator sheet, Adjustments are being made. Therefore, even if the flexible substrate is thin, the conductor pattern of the flexible substrate and the contact portion of the FPC connector can be reliably contacted, and even if the flexible substrate is bent by thinning the flexible substrate, the conductor pattern of the flexible substrate Can be easily inserted into the internal conduit without being damaged, and an assembling method thereof. In addition, if adjustment is performed using only the insulator sheet, a large number of insulator sheets are required to fill the gap between the contact insertion groove and the flexible substrate. The insulator sheet is used in combination with a thick slider. Therefore, the number of required insulating sheets can be reduced.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of an ultrasonic endoscope to which the present invention is applied. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the front-end | tip structure of the insertion part of the same ultrasonic endoscope. It is a perspective view of the signal cable connected to the ultrasonic probe. It is a top view which shows a flexible substrate alone. It is a side view which shows a partially broken internal structure of a video connector. It is a top view which shows the connection aspect of a flexible substrate and an FPC connector when an insulator sheet is interposed. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection aspect of a flexible substrate and an FPC connector when an insulator sheet is interposed. It is a side view which shows the connection aspect of the flexible substrate which abbreviate | omits and shows the slider when an insulating sheet is interposed, and an FPC connector. It is a top view which shows an insulator sheet alone. It is a perspective view which shows the state which curved the flexible substrate along the outer surface of a guide bar. It is a perspective view which shows the state which covered the flexible substrate curved along the outer surface of the guide bar with the covering tube.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an ultrasonic endoscope to which the present invention is applied. The ultrasonic endoscope according to the present embodiment is a bronchoscope for observing the inside of a trachea or a lung, and is a thin member having a diameter of about 7 mm inserted into a patient's body, and has a flexible insertion portion 1. An operation unit 2 connected to the base of the insertion unit 1, a video connector 4 provided at the tip of a flexible universal tube 3 extending from the operation unit 2, and a video connector 4 extending from the video connector 4. And an ultrasonic signal connector 6 provided at the tip of the branch cable 5 having flexibility.

  The insertion portion 1 includes, in order from the front (in the order of insertion into the patient's body), the distal end portion 10 (FIG. 2) including the ultrasound scanning unit block 110 and the optical observation unit block 120, and the operation provided on the operation unit 2. It has a bending portion 11 that is bent by a remote operation by a lever 21 and a flexible tube 12 having flexibility. The outer periphery of the bending portion 11 is covered with a covering rubber 13, and the outer periphery of the flexible tube 12 is covered with an outer skin made of a flexible synthetic resin material.

  The operation unit 2 includes an operation member 21 such as an operation lever 21 for bending the bending portion 11 and an operation member such as a suction button 22 for performing a suction operation using the channel outlet opening 132 of the distal end portion 10, and a treatment instrument insertion protrusion 23. Is provided. The treatment instrument insertion protrusion 23 communicates with the end portion on the entrance side of the forceps channel inserted through the inside of the operation portion 2 and the insertion portion 1.

  In the internal conduits of the insertion unit 1, the operation unit 2, and the universal tube 3, a light guide fiber that transmits illumination light to the distal end portion 10 and electronic data of an optical image obtained by the optical observation unit block 120 of the distal end portion 10 are stored. A signal cable (not shown) for transmission and a first signal cable 112 (FIG. 3) for transmitting an ultrasonic signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 of the distal end portion 10 are provided. The video connector 4 can be connected to a video processor (not shown), and the ultrasonic signal connector 6 can be connected to an ultrasonic observation apparatus (not shown). The video processor to which the ultrasonic endoscope is connected via the video connector 4 has a built-in or connected light source device for supplying illumination light.

  FIG. 2 shows the distal end portion 10 of the insertion portion 1 in an enlarged manner. The distal end portion 10 includes an ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 including an ultrasonic probe 111 that obtains an ultrasonic tomographic image of an observation site, and an optical device that is connected to the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 in a state where the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 cannot rotate relative to the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 An observation unit block 120 and a metal block 130 embedded and fixed in the optical observation unit block 120 are provided. The optical observation unit block 120 has an inclined surface 120A inclined with respect to its axis on the front end surface side connected to the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110, and an observation window for obtaining an optical image of the observation site on the inclined surface 120A. (Objective lens) 121 and illumination window (illumination lens) 122 are provided. A solid-state image pickup device such as a CCD is disposed behind the observation window 121, and an optical image transmitted through the observation window 121 is converted into an electronic image by the solid-state image pickup device and video by the signal cable connected to the solid-state image pickup device. The data is transmitted to the processor and displayed on a monitor (not shown) connected to the video processor. The illumination window 122 is connected to the front end of the light guide fiber disposed in the insertion portion 1, the operation portion 2, the universal tube 3, and the video connector 4, and light emitted from the light source device in the video processor. Is irradiated from the illumination window 122 to the outside through the light guide fiber. The metal block 130 is fixed so as to face the inclined surface 120 </ b> A, and is provided with a channel outlet opening 132 connected to the operation unit 2 and a front end portion of a forceps channel provided inside the insertion unit 1.

  FIG. 3 shows a first signal cable 112 (a bundle of signal wires 114 bundled with a covering tube 115) that transmits an ultrasonic signal between the ultrasonic probe 111 and the ultrasonic observation apparatus. The first signal cable 112 extends from the rear of the ultrasonic probe 111, and a plurality (six in the illustrated embodiment) of flexible boards 113 having a connector function are extended to the extension end of the first signal cable 112. They are attached with their positions shifted in the outgoing direction. The flexible substrate 113 has a thin plate shape, and in a free state, has a flat plate shape as shown in FIGS. The first signal cable 112 is inserted into a cylindrical protruding portion that protrudes behind the ultrasonic scanning unit block 110 and is formed so as to penetrate the optical observation unit block 120 integrally with the cylindrical protruding portion. It is inserted into the connecting through-hole and extends to the rear of the optical observation block 120. The length of the first signal cable 112 is, for example, about 2 to 2.5 m, and the length of the portion projecting rearward from the covering tube 115 of the signal line bundle 114 to which the plurality of flexible boards 113 are attached (the first signal cable). The length from the extended end of 112 to the flexible substrate 113 is, for example, about 5 to 15 cm.

  FIG. 4 shows the flexible substrate 113 as a single unit. Each flexible substrate 113 is formed with a conductive pattern 113a for electrical connection with an FPC connector provided on the relay substrate in the video connector 4 only on one of the front and back surfaces. Since this flexible substrate 113 is very thin, about 0.15 mm, it is easy to bend, and even if it is bent, the conductor pattern 113a is not damaged.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the video connector 4 with a part broken away. In the video connector 4, a pair of relay boards 40 that are parallel to each other are provided, and each relay board has a second signal cable 116 (separate from the first signal cable 112) provided in the branch cable 5. One end is connected, and the other end of the second signal cable 116 is a circuit board provided in the ultrasonic signal connector 6 (not shown. When the ultrasonic signal connector 6 is connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus, the ultrasonic observation apparatus And a board that is electrically connected to). Further, three FPC connectors 41 are provided on one surface of each relay board 40 (the surface opposite to the opposite surface).

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the FPC connector 41 includes an insulator 42 made of an insulating material that is a hollow member having an opening on an end surface, and a metal that is electrically connected to a relay board 40 that is arranged inside the insulator 42. And a slider 44 made of an insulating material that can be inserted and removed by linear movement with respect to the insulator 42 and the contact 43. As shown in the drawing, the contact 43 has a base portion 43a fixed to the insulator 42, and a fixed piece 43b and an elastically deformable piece 43c extending in parallel from the base portion 43a. A contact portion 43d protrudes from the tip of the elastic deformation piece 43c, and an insertion groove 43e is formed between the fixed piece 43b and the elastic deformation piece 43c.

  In the ultrasonic endoscope having the above-described configuration, the plurality of flexible boards 113 of the first signal cable 112, together with the slider 44 shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and the insulator sheet 45 shown in FIG. It is inserted into the insertion groove 43e, and is electrically connected to the relay substrate 40 when the conductor pattern 113a and the contact portion 43d of the contact 43 are in contact with each other. 6 to 8 are a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a side view showing a connection mode between the flexible board 113 sandwiching the insulator sheet 45 and the FPC connector 41, and FIG. 9 is a plane showing the insulator sheet 45 alone. FIG.

  In the assembly process of the ultrasonic endoscope, the first signal cable 112 connected to the ultrasonic probe 111 is extended from the rear of the distal end portion 10, and further, the bending portion 11, the flexible tube 12, the operation portion 2, and Then, the flexible tube 113 is inserted into the internal conduit of the universal tube 3 and pulled out from the rear end of the universal tube 3 toward the internal conduit of the video connector 4, and then each flexible board 113 is connected to each FPC connector 41. However, a plurality of flexible boards 113 whose positions in the extending direction are different from each other are inserted into the internal pipe lines of the bending portion 11, the flexible tube 12, the operation portion 2, and the universal tube 3 while maintaining the natural shape (flat plate shape). It is difficult to pull it out to the video connector 4 side.

  Therefore, in the assembly process of the present embodiment, the first signal cable 112 is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 before being inserted through the bending portion 11, the flexible tube 12, the operation portion 2, and the internal tube path of the universal tube 3. As described above, a rigid elongated guide rod 200 that can be loosely inserted into and removed from the curved pipe 11, the flexible pipe 12, the operation section 2, and the internal pipe of the universal tube 3 is prepared. In a state where the guide rod 200 is bent along the outer surface of the tube, the guide rod 200 is wrapped in a very thin covered tube 201 together.

  The length of the guide rod 200 may be a little longer than the signal wire bundle 114 protruding rearward from the covering tube 115 so as not to overlap the covering tube 115 of the first signal cable 112. The tip of the guide bar 200 is rounded into a hemisphere, and a threading groove 202 is formed in the vicinity thereof. Further, the coated tube 201 has a natural inner diameter size slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the flexible substrate 113 in a state along the outer surface of the guide rod 200, and has a wall thickness of, for example, about 0.02 to 0.05 mm. Use a tube that has sex. As a result, the flexible substrate 113 is lightly fastened to the outer surface of the guide rod 200 by the covering tube 201, and the outer diameter of the covering tube 201 is smaller than the narrowest inner diameter portion of the internal conduit. . The region near the tip of the coated tube 201 may be temporarily fixed to the guide rod 200 with an adhesive or the like so that the coated tube 201 does not easily move with respect to the guide rod 200. Alternatively, the covering tube 201 may be formed in a bag shape with the tip side closed, and the bag-like portion may be covered with the tip 200 a of the guide rod 200.

  When the plurality of flexible boards 113 and the guide rods 200 are collectively wrapped by the covering tube 201, the guide rods 200 are drawn into the internal conduit of the flexible tube 12 from the distal end side of the bending portion 11, and the operation unit 2 is further operated. And, it passes through the internal conduit of the universal tube 3 and is drawn out to the internal space side of the video connector 4. At this time, the thread material of the guide rod 200 is inserted into the bending pipe 11, the flexible pipe 12, the operation section 2, and the internal pipe of the universal tube 3 in advance and both ends thereof are pulled out to the outside of the internal pipe. The guide rod 200 may be connected to the threading groove 202 and pulled to the curved pipe 11, the flexible tube 12, the operation unit 2, and the internal tube 3 of the universal tube 3 using the yarn material.

  When the guide rod 200 is pulled out to the inner space side of the video connector 4, the covering tube 201 and the guide rod 200 are detached from the plurality of flexible boards 113, and the plurality of flexible boards 113 are returned to the original state (flat plate shape shown in FIG. 3). . Since each flexible substrate 113 is as thin as about 0.15 mm, it can be bent, and even if the bent state along the outer surface of the guide bar 200 is returned to the original flat plate shape, the conductive pattern 113a on the flexible substrate 113 is disconnected. There is no fear.

  Subsequently, the plurality of flexible boards 113, the insulating sheet 45, and the slider 44 that have been returned to the original state are inserted into the insertion grooves 43 e of the contacts 43.

  The insulator sheet 45 is a raising member for adjusting the thickness of the flexible substrate 113 and is thinner than the slider 44 and has flexibility (flexibility). The insulator sheet 45 is made of, for example, a resin material, and has guide grooves 45a that define the relative position (connection position) of the flexible substrate 113 with respect to the FPC connector 41, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. In the illustrated embodiment, one insulating sheet 45 is interposed between the three flexible boards 113 and the FPC connector 41. However, even if the insulating sheet 45 is provided for each flexible board 113, The flexible substrate 113 may be provided in common (integrated).

  Each flexible substrate 113 is set in accordance with the guide groove 45a of the insulator sheet 45 so that the surface opposite to the surface on which the conductive wire pattern 113a is formed contacts the insulator sheet 45. At this stage, the relative position of the flexible substrate 113 with respect to the FPC connector 41 is determined. Subsequently, the insulating sheet 45 and the plurality of flexible boards 113 integrated as described above are inserted into the insertion grooves 43e of the contacts 43, and then the slider 44 is inserted into the insertion grooves 43e of the contacts 43. Then, the contact portion 43 d of the contact 43 comes into contact with the conductor pattern 113 a of the flexible substrate 113, and each flexible substrate 113 and the relay substrate 40 are electrically connected via each FPC connector 41.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the contact pressure between the contact portion 43 d of the contact 43 and the flexible substrate 113 (conductive wire pattern 113 a) is roughly adjusted by the slider 44, and the insulator sheet 45, which is separate from the slider 44, is provided. By inserting into the insertion groove 43e, fine adjustment of the contact pressure between the conductor pattern 113a and the contact portion 43d, which cannot be handled by the slider 44, is possible, so that reliable conduction can be achieved even if the flexible substrate 113 is thinned.

  Furthermore, since the flexible substrate 113 can be made thinner, disconnection of the conductive pattern 113a due to the bending of the flexible substrate 113 can be prevented.

  If the thickness adjustment (contact pressure adjustment) is performed only by the insulator sheet 45, a large number of insulator sheets 45 are required to fill the gap between the insertion groove 43e of the contact 43 and the flexible substrate 113. In this embodiment, since the insulator sheet 45 is used in combination with the slider 44 which is a thick member, only one insulator sheet 45 is sufficient.

  The guide groove 45a formed in the insulating sheet 45 can be omitted. However, when the guide groove 45a is formed as in the present embodiment, a plurality of flexible boards 113 whose positions are different from each other in the extending direction are connected to the FPC connector. Positioning with respect to 41 can be easily performed, and a plurality of flexible boards 113 and FPC connectors 41 can be connected simultaneously, so that assembly work is facilitated and productivity is improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part 2 Operation part 3 Universal tube 4 Video connector 5 Branch cable 6 Ultrasonic signal connector 10 Tip part 40 Relay board 41 FPC connector 43 Contact 43a Base part 43b Fixing piece 43c Elastic deformation piece 43d Contact part 43e Insertion groove 44 Slider 45 Insulation Body sheet 110 Ultrasonic scanning unit block 111 Ultrasonic probe 112 Signal cable 113 Flexible substrate 113a Conductive line pattern 114 Signal bundle 120 Optical observation unit block 130 Metal block 200 Guide bar 201 Covered tube 202 Yarn hanging groove

Claims (5)

An ultrasonic probe for inputting / outputting an ultrasonic signal provided at the distal end of the insertion portion;
A first signal cable extending from the ultrasonic probe and transmitting the ultrasonic signal to an ultrasonic observation device;
A thin plate-like flexible substrate connected to the extending end of the first signal cable, having a conductive wire pattern on the surface, and forming a flat plate shape in a free state;
An FPC connector provided on a relay substrate to which one end of the second signal cable connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus is connected;
An internal conduit for guiding the first signal cable and the flexible board to the relay board side positioned outside the first signal cable and the flexible board in a curved state;
The FPC connector is
An insertion groove that is electrically connected to the relay substrate and that can be inserted into and removed from the flexible substrate, and a contact having a contact portion that is formed on the inner surface of the insertion groove so as to be conductive with the conductor pattern;
A slider that is located on the opposite side of the contact portion across the flexible substrate, and that can be inserted into and removed from the insertion groove while being in contact with the inner surface of the insertion groove and the flexible substrate;
In an ultrasonic endoscope comprising:
An ultrasonic endoscope characterized in that an insulating sheet for thickness adjustment, which is formed separately from the slider and is thinner than the slider, is interposed between the flexible substrate and the slider. 2. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a guide groove for defining a relative position between the FPC connector and the plurality of flexible boards is formed in the insulator sheet. 3. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexible boards are attached while being shifted in position in the extending direction of the first signal cable. 4. An ultrasonic probe for inputting / outputting an ultrasonic signal provided at the distal end of the insertion portion;
A first signal cable extending from the ultrasonic probe and transmitting the ultrasonic signal to an ultrasonic observation device;
A thin plate-like flexible substrate connected to the extending end of the first signal cable, having a conductive wire pattern on the surface, and forming a flat plate shape in a free state;
An FPC connector provided on a relay substrate to which one end of the second signal cable connected to the ultrasonic observation apparatus is connected;
An internal conduit for guiding the first signal cable and the flexible board to the relay board side positioned outside the first signal cable and the flexible board in a curved state;
The FPC connector is
A contact that is electrically connected to the relay substrate and has a contact portion formed on the inner surface of the insertion groove so that the flexible substrate can be inserted into and removed from and the conductive pattern;
Assembling an ultrasonic endoscope comprising a slider that is located on the opposite side of the contact portion with the flexible substrate in between and that is in contact with the inner surface of the insertion groove and the flexible substrate and is detachable from the insertion groove. A method,
Inserting the flexible substrate into the inner conduit in a curved state smaller than the inner diameter of the inner conduit, and drawing it out to the relay substrate;
Returning the drawn flexible substrate to the original flat plate shape, and applying an insulator sheet for adjusting the thickness to the surface opposite to the conductive pattern surface of the flexible substrate;
The integrated insulating sheet and the flexible substrate are sandwiched between the contact portion of the contact and the slider so that the contact portion of the contact and the conductive wire pattern of the flexible substrate are brought into contact with each other. A step of conductively connecting the relay board;
A method for assembling an ultrasonic endoscope, comprising: 5. The method for assembling an ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 4, wherein a guide groove for defining a relative position between the FPC connector and the flexible board is formed in the insulator sheet, and the flexible board is placed in the guide groove. A method of assembling an ultrasonic endoscope that is sandwiched between a contact portion of the contact and the slider in the installed state.