JP7487665B2 - Pedal-operated liquid supply device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pedal-operated liquid supply device for an endoscope.

Conventionally, a liquid supply device for an endoscope that supplies liquid to the tip of the endoscope is known.

For example, the liquid supply device described in Patent Document 1 includes a pump motor as a power source and a foot pedal for operating the pump motor. In an endoscope liquid passage pump, it is said that by operating the pump motor with the foot pedal, the operator of the endoscope (or an assistant) can control the amount of liquid passing through.

Patent No. 4095374

However, conventional liquid supply devices for endoscopes have the following problems. Specifically, in the case of a liquid supply device such as that described in Patent Document 1, the power source is operated by the operator's operation, but a time lag tends to occur between the operation and the supply of liquid, making it difficult for the operator to supply liquid at the timing desired.

In addition, in the case of a liquid supply device such as that described in Patent Document 1, although a switch for changing the amount of liquid passing through is provided, it is difficult to fine-tune the amount of liquid supplied from the tip of the endoscope.

An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a pedal-type liquid supply device for an endoscope that allows the operator of the endoscope to easily fine-tune the flow of liquid at the desired timing and amount.

A pedal-type liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a pedal-type liquid supply device that supplies liquid to a channel provided in an endoscope. The pedal-type liquid supply device includes a pressing mechanism that presses a liquid container that contains liquid, a pedal mechanism that operates in conjunction with the pressing mechanism to supply the liquid contained in the liquid container to the channel via a liquid passage tube, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the operation of the pedal mechanism to the pressing mechanism. The pressing mechanism has a pressing part that presses the liquid container while moving it. The pressing part moves a predetermined distance in conjunction with the operation of the pedal mechanism.

The above configuration makes it possible to provide a pedal-type liquid supply device that allows the endoscope operator to easily fine-tune the flow of liquid at the desired timing and amount.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a pedal-type liquid supplying device 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pedal mechanism 200 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3(a) is a partially cutaway side view of the pedal mechanism 200 according to the embodiment, FIG. 3(b) is a front view of the pedal mechanism 200, and FIG. 3(c) is an enlarged view of a main portion showing the connection portion between the pedal mechanism 200 and an inner cable 310. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a state in which a syringe 600 is placed in the pressing mechanism 100 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state before the syringe 600 is placed in the pressing mechanism 100. FIG. 5A is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which a syringe 600 is disposed in a pressing mechanism 100 according to an embodiment, FIG. 5B is a plan view, and FIG. 5C is a front view. 6A is a partially cutaway side view of a pressing mechanism 100 according to an embodiment, FIG. 6B is a plan view of the pressing mechanism 100, and FIG. 6C is a front view of the pressing mechanism 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a distal end surface of the insertion section 410 of the lacrimal endoscope 400 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a liquid container 600A is held by a pressing mechanism 100A according to a modified example of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or similar symbols are used for the same functions and configurations, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(1) Overall Schematic Configuration of Pedal-Type Liquid Supply Device FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a pedal-type liquid supply device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pedal type liquid supplying device 10 of this embodiment is a pedal type liquid supplying device 10 that supplies liquid to a channel 411 provided in an endoscope 400. The pedal type liquid supplying device 10 includes a pressing mechanism 100 that presses a syringe 600 that contains liquid, a pedal mechanism 200 that operates in conjunction with the pressing mechanism 100 to supply the liquid contained in the syringe 600 to the channel 411 via a liquid passage tube 500, and a double cable 300 that transmits the operation of the pedal mechanism 200 to the pressing mechanism 100.

(2) Configuration of the Pedal Mechanism Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pedal mechanism 200 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3(a) is a partially cutaway side view of the pedal mechanism 200, and Fig. 3(b) is a front view thereof. Fig. 3(c) is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a connection portion between the pedal mechanism 200 and the transmission mechanism.

As shown in Figures 2 to 3(b), the pedal mechanism 200 has a so-called organ-type pedal structure. The pedal mechanism 200 includes a base 210 and a pedal 220 connected to the base 210.

One end of the pedal 220 is pivotally supported on the base 210 by a support shaft 212. In other words, the other end of the pedal 220 is free to swing.

A connector 230 is disposed on the surface of the other end of the pedal 220, which transmits the displacement of the pedal 220 (the amount of depression of the pedal 220) to the pressing part 110 via a double cable 300. The side of the connector 230 is covered with a cover 234.

A frame is connected to the longitudinal end of the base 210. The frame 211 is a box-shaped member connected to the longitudinal side of the base 210 on which the pedal 220 oscillates.

The configuration of the coupling 230 will be specifically described with reference to Figures 2 and 3(c). The coupling 230 includes a support part 231 fixed to the pedal 220, a rotation shaft 232 supported by the support part 231, the axial direction of which is parallel to the surface of the pedal 220 and perpendicular to the pedal longitudinal direction, and an attachment part 233 supported by the rotation shaft 232 and capable of swinging freely.

(3) Configuration of the Pressing Mechanism Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the syringe 600 is disposed in the pressing mechanism 100, and Fig. 4(b) is a perspective view showing a state before the syringe 600 is disposed. Fig. 5(a) is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which the syringe 600 is disposed in the pressing mechanism 100, Fig. 5(b) is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 5(c) is a front view thereof. Fig. 6(a) is a partially cutaway side view showing a state before the syringe 600 is disposed in the pressing mechanism 100, Fig. 6(b) is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 6(c) is a front view thereof.

As shown in Figures 4(a) to 6(c), the pressing mechanism 100 includes a pressing unit 110 that presses the syringe 600, a base 120 that supports the pressing unit 110, and a liquid container holding unit 130 that is fixed on the base 120 and holds the syringe 600. The pressing unit 110 is provided on the base 120 and is slidable toward the liquid container holding unit 130. In the pressing mechanism 100, the pressing unit 110 that presses the syringe 600 while sliding it moves a predetermined distance in conjunction with the operation of the pedal mechanism 200.

A rail 121 is provided on the base 120, positioned on one side of the base 120 in the longitudinal direction and extending in the longitudinal direction of the base 120.

The pressing unit 110 includes a base portion 111 slidably fitted onto the rail 121, an engagement portion 112 that engages with the syringe 600, and a plate-like member 113 that connects the base portion 111 and the engagement portion 112. The plate-like member 113 holds the engagement portion 112 on the base portion 111 so that the engagement portion 112 is slidable along the rail 121. The base portion 111 and the plate-like member 113 are made of metal. The engagement portion 112 is made of hard resin. Note that the pressing unit 110 may be one in which the engagement portion 112 is directly connected to the base portion 111, omitting the plate-like member 113.

The plate-like member 113 is formed by bending a flat metal plate. The plate-like member 113 has a portion parallel to the surface of the base 120 that connects to the pedestal portion 111, and a portion perpendicular to the surface of the base 120 that connects to the engagement portion 112 and to the longitudinal direction.

A through hole 114 is formed in the pressing portion 110, penetrating along the direction in which the rail 121 extends.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), in this embodiment, the through hole 114 is formed in the plate-like member 113 of the pressing portion 110. However, the through hole 114 may be formed so as to penetrate both the engagement portion 112 and the plate-like member 113 at the same time. Also, when the engagement portion 112 is directly connected to the base portion 111, the through hole 114 is formed in the engagement portion 112.

The engagement portion 112 is provided with an engagement recess 115 that engages with the syringe so that the axial direction of the syringe 600 does not shift relative to the direction in which the rail 121 extends, which is the pressing direction by the pressing portion 110 during pressing.

As shown in Figures 4(b), 5(a) and 5(b), the liquid container holding section 130 has a holding section 131 in which the syringe 600 can be set. When the syringe 600 is set in the liquid container holding section 130, the holding section 131 holds the syringe 600. The holding section 131 has an open top so that the syringe 600 can be set, and is formed in a shape capable of holding the bottom and both side surfaces of the syringe 600.

As shown in Fig. 6(a), the liquid container holding portion 130 has a through hole 132 that penetrates in the direction in which the rail 121 extends. The liquid container holding portion 130 also has an engagement recess 133 that engages with the flange 611 of the syringe 600 on the surface facing the pressing portion 110 so that the syringe 600 does not rotate when a pressing operation is being performed on the syringe 600. In this embodiment, the liquid container holding portion 130 is made of hard resin.

As shown in the partially broken side view of Figure 6 (a), a retaining hole 134 that is coaxial with the through hole 132 is formed at one end of the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130. The retaining hole 134 terminates within the liquid container holding portion 130. The inner diameter of the retaining hole 134 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130.

The retaining hole 134 can accommodate an O-ring 135 and a knob 136 that screws into the liquid container holding portion 130 between the end of the retaining hole 134 and the surface of the liquid container holding portion 130.

Specifically, the O-ring 135, which is an elastic member, is disposed at the terminal end side of the retaining hole 134 within the liquid container retaining portion 130. The knob 136 has an insertion hole formed therein that is coaxial with the through hole 132 of the liquid container retaining portion 130 when the knob 136 is screwed into the liquid container retaining portion 130.

The pressing mechanism 100 further includes a support section 140 that supports the double cable 300 and the syringe 600. The support section 140 is disposed on the base section 120. Specifically, the support section 140 is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the base section 120 near the end of the liquid container holding section 130 on the opposite side to the side on which the pressing section 110 is disposed. The support section 140 is made of a hard resin. In this embodiment, the support section 140 and the liquid container holding section 130 are formed of the same material.

As shown in Fig. 4(b), the support section 140 has a holding section 141 in which the syringe 600 can be set. The support section 140 has a through hole 142 through which the double cable 300 passes. The holding section 141, like the holding section 131 of the liquid container holding section 130, has an open top surface so that the syringe 600 can be set therein, and as shown in Figs. 4(a) and 5(a) to 5(c), in addition to holding the bottom and both sides of the syringe 600, is formed in a shape that prevents it from floating up to the top surface.

(4) Configuration of the Transmission Mechanism In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism is a double cable 300 made up of an inner cable 310 and an outer cable 320 .

As shown in Figures 2 and 3(c), the inner cable 310 has a metallic base end 311 having a diameter larger than that of the cable portion of the inner cable 310.

The base end 311 of the inner cable 310 is attached to the mounting portion 233 of the connector 230 arranged on the pedal and connected to the pedal 220.

As shown in Figures 4(a), 6(a) and 6(b), the tip portion 312 of the inner cable 310 is connected to the pressing portion 110 via the liquid container holding portion 130. Specifically, the tip portion 312 of the inner cable 310 is inserted into the pressing mechanism 100 from the support portion 140 side through the through hole 142 of the support portion 140 and the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130. Furthermore, the tip of the inner cable 310 is inserted into the through hole 114 formed in the plate-like member 113 of the pressing portion 110.

A clamp 330 having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 114 is connected to the tip portion 312 of the inner cable 310 inserted into the through hole 114 of the pressing portion 110. The inner cable 310 is prevented from slipping out of the through hole 114 by the clamp 330 and is rotatable within the through hole 114.

According to this configuration, when the displacement of the pedal 220 (the amount of depression of the pedal) is transmitted via the inner cable 310, the clamp 330 is pulled towards the liquid container holding part 130. At this time, the clamp 330 engages with the opposite side of the pressing part 110 to the liquid container holding part 130, moving the pressing part 110 towards the liquid container holding part 130. In other words, the pressing part 110 moves towards the liquid container holding part 130 in conjunction with the amount of depression of the pedal 220.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the inner cable 310 is constructed by twisting the wires, an inner cap 340 is attached to the tip portion 312 of the inner cable 310 to prevent the wire from fraying.

The inner cable 310 is provided with sliding resistance by the O-ring 135 in the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130. Specifically, by adjusting the amount by which the knob 136 is screwed into the liquid container holding portion 130, the O-ring 135 is crushed by the knob 136 and the end of the holding hole 134, causing it to elastically deform and adhere closely to the inner cable 310. Therefore, by manipulating the knob 136 to manipulate the amount of engagement with the holding hole 134, the sliding resistance of the O-ring 135 against the inner cable 310 can be adjusted.

The base end 321 of the outer cable 320 of the double cable 300 is connected to the surface facing the base portion 210 of the frame 211, as shown in Figures 2, 3(a) and 3(b). The tip portion 322 of the outer cable 320 is engaged with the liquid container holding portion 130 without being inserted into the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130, as shown in Figure 6(a). In other words, the tip portion 322 of the outer cable 320 is engaged with the liquid container holding portion 130 but is not fixed thereto. Therefore, even if the cable is twisted, the twisting can be eliminated.

(5) Configuration of the Liquid Passage Path In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4(a) to 5(c), the liquid container that contains the liquid to be supplied to the channel 411 arranged in the endoscope 400 is a syringe 600. The syringe 600 includes a cylinder portion 610 and a plunger portion 620 that slidably fits into the cylinder portion 610. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the cylinder portion 610 is 22 mm. A liquid injection port 612 is provided on the tip side of the cylinder portion 610, through which the contained liquid passes and to which the liquid passage tube 500 can be attached.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 7, the endoscope 400 is a lacrimal endoscope. Note that Figure 7 is a diagram showing the tip surface of the insertion section 410 of the lacrimal endoscope 400.

The lacrimal endoscope 400 comprises an insertion section 410 that is inserted into the lacrimal duct, a base section 420 to which the base end of the insertion section 410 is attached, a unicode section 430 including an optical fiber bundle 412 that extends to the tip of the insertion section 410, and a Luer port 440 for ventilation and/or water passage, which is a connection port for supplying liquid from a supply source to a ventilation/water passage channel 411 that extends to the tip of the insertion section 410.

The insertion part 410 is a rigid insertion part 410 with an exterior made of a metal such as stainless steel. The insertion part 410 includes an optical fiber bundle 412 including an image guide fiber that transmits a captured image to an imaging system (not shown) and a light guide fiber that conducts light from a light source (not shown) to illuminate the subject, and a channel 411 that supplies the liquid contained in the syringe 600.

The base 420 is the part that is held by the operator and includes a metal housing such as stainless steel to which the base end of the insertion portion 410 is attached.

The material of the insert portion 410 and the base portion 420 may be hard plastic, metal, or a composite material thereof.

The unicode portion 430 has one end connected to an imaging system, light source, etc., and the other end connected via the base 420 to an optical fiber bundle 412 extending to the tip of the insertion portion 410.

The Luer port 440 for ventilation and water passage is a connection part for supplying liquid such as saline solution contained in the syringe 600 to the liquid passage path within the lacrimal endoscope 400.

As shown in Fig. 7, a channel 411 for ventilation and/or water flow, an optical fiber bundle 412, and an objective lens 413 that serves as an observation window during imaging are arranged on the distal end surface of the insertion section 410. The opening of the channel 411 for ventilation and/or water flow has a cross-sectional area equivalent to a circle with a diameter of 0.3 mm.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the syringe 600 and the lacrimal endoscope 400 are connected by a liquid passage tube 500. Specifically, one end of the liquid passage tube 500 is connected to the liquid injection port 612 of the syringe 600, and the other end is connected to the air/water passage luer port 440 of the lacrimal endoscope 400 that communicates with the channel 411, and is included in the liquid passage path through which the liquid contained in the syringe 600 passes. The inner diameter of the liquid passage tube 500 is preferably 1 mm to 5 mm in order to maintain an appropriate amount of liquid passage. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the liquid passage tube 500 is 3 mm. The liquid passage tube 500 may be selected from those that have appropriate flexibility and can withstand the internal pressure of the liquid in a pressed state.

In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the fluid passage from the syringe 600 to the tip of the channel 411 decreases in the order of the first inner diameter of the syringe 600, the second inner diameter of the fluid passage tube 500, and the third inner diameter of the channel 411.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the cross-sectional shape of channel 411 is not circular. When the cross-section is not circular, for example, the third inner diameter in this embodiment may be defined by the diameter of a circle having an area equivalent to the cross-sectional area of channel 411.

(6) Usage Procedure In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 4(a), and 5(a) to 5(c), the syringe 600 is connected to the liquid-passing tube 500 while containing liquid, and is set in the pressing mechanism 100. When the syringe 600 is set in the pressing mechanism 100, the cylinder portion 610 is held by the liquid container holding portion 130, and the plunger portion 620 is engaged with the pressing portion 110. In addition, the tip of the cylinder portion 610 is supported by the support portion 140.

When the syringe 600 is set in the pressing mechanism 100, the other end of the pedal 220 where the connector 230 is located is supported in a state raised from the base 210. When the operator presses the pedal 220, the plunger 620 is pressed toward the support 140 by the pressing unit 110. This increases the pressure of the liquid contained in the cylinder 610, and the liquid is supplied to the endoscope 400 via the liquid passage tube 500.

(7) Actions and Effects The pedal type liquid supplying device 10 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the pressing part 110 moves a predetermined distance in conjunction with the operation of the pedal 220 in the pedal mechanism 200. In the pedal type liquid supplying device 10, the pressing part 110 moves in conjunction with the operation of the pedal 220, so that liquid can be passed without a reaction delay, and the amount of liquid can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of depression. In other words, with the pedal type liquid supplying device 10, the operator of the endoscope 400 can easily fine-tune the passage of liquid at the timing and amount of liquid desired by himself/herself.

The pedal structure of the pedal mechanism 200 of this embodiment is a so-called organ-type pedal structure in which one end of the pedal 220 is pivotally supported on the base 210 and the other end is connected to the base end 311 of the inner cable 310. In this pedal structure, the support shaft 212 of the pedal 220 and the fulcrum of the operator's stepping operation (e.g., the heel when operating the pedal 220 with the foot) are close to each other, so that the pedal 220 and the operator's operating part (e.g., the sole of the foot when operating the pedal 220 with the foot) draw the same trajectory in response to the operator's stepping operation, making it easier to adjust the subtle pressure on the pedal 220. Therefore, the operator of the endoscope 400 can easily fine-tune the flow of liquid at the timing and amount he or she desires.

In this embodiment, in the pedal mechanism 200, the pedal 220 and the inner cable 310 are connected via a connector 230, the side connected to the pedal 220 and the side connected to the inner cable 310 being able to swing freely relative to each other. Therefore, even if the relative angle between the inner cable 310 and the pedal 220 changes significantly when the pedal is depressed, the load generated when the cable deforms is not concentrated on the base end 311 of the inner cable 310, and deterioration of the inner cable 310 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the inner cable 310 of the double cable 300 connects the pedal 220 of the pedal mechanism 200 to the pressing unit 110. In other words, the amount of depression of the pedal 220 is directly transmitted to the pressing unit 110 by the inner cable 310. This allows the operator of the endoscope to easily fine-tune the amount of fluid passing at the timing and amount desired, without going through a complex configuration.

This pedal-type liquid supply device 10 is particularly suitable for endoscopes, such as the lacrimal endoscope 400, which are inserted into narrow tubes such as the lacrimal duct and have an outer diameter similar to that of the insertion portion 410.

Specifically, when the lacrimal endoscope 400 passes liquid through a narrow tube, such as a lacrimal duct, that has an outer diameter similar to that of the insertion section 410, the supplied liquid easily expands the tube, which was closed before the liquid was passed through. In other words, when the lacrimal endoscope 400 is inserted into a narrow tube, it is particularly useful for the operator to fine-tune the liquid passing operation to the desired timing and amount of liquid, as this improves the accuracy of observation or makes it easier to insert the endoscope.

In this embodiment, the inner cable 310 is connected to the pressing unit 110 by the clamp 330, so that the inner cable 310 can rotate within the through hole 114 of the pressing unit 110. Therefore, even if the inner cable 310 is a cable formed by twisting multiple wires, the cable is not directly fixed to the pressing unit 110. Therefore, even if the cable is twisted due to a change in the positional relationship between the pedal mechanism 200, the double cable 300, and the pressing mechanism 100, etc., the twisting of the cable can be eliminated, and fraying of the wires can be prevented.

In this embodiment, a retaining hole 134 is formed at one end of the through hole 132 of the liquid container holding portion 130 through which the inner cable 310 passes, which is coaxial with the through hole 132, and an O-ring 135 and a knob 136 are arranged in the retaining hole 134, so that a sliding resistance can be applied to the inner cable 310 and the pressing portion 110 can be prevented from sliding due to the weight of the pedal 220 itself.

In this embodiment, the cylinder portion 610 of the syringe 600 is statically held in the liquid container holding portion 130. Therefore, when using a syringe 600 with graduations on the cylinder portion 610, it is easy to perform the liquid passing operation while checking the amount of liquid passing.

(8) Other Embodiments The contents of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements are possible.

In this embodiment, a syringe 600 is used as a liquid container for containing a liquid such as physiological saline solution to be supplied to the tip of the endoscope 400. However, the liquid container is not limited to this. For example, in the modified example shown in FIG. 8, the liquid container is a plastic bag 600A made mainly of polyethylene or polypropylene in which physiological saline solution or the like is sealed. The material from which the bag 600A is formed is not limited to the above-mentioned materials as long as it is a material generally suitable for medical infusion bags and the like.

In the pressing mechanism 100A of Figure 8, the pressing portion 110A has a recess capable of holding a recessed bag 600A from the liquid container holding portion 130A side and the top surface, and the liquid container holding portion 130A has a protrusion capable of engaging with the bag 600A placed in the recess.

The pressing portion 110A presses the bag 600A while sliding relative to the liquid container holding portion 130A, and is capable of supplying liquid to the channel of the endoscope 400. In addition, in the pressing mechanism 100A, the support portion 140A does not hold the bag 600A, so the pressing mechanism 100A is structured to hold only the double cable 300, which does not have a structure corresponding to the holding portion 141 of the embodiment. Otherwise, the structure of the pressing mechanism 100A is similar to that of the pressing mechanism 100 of the embodiment.

In the first modified example, the pressing portion 110A accommodates the bag 600A and engages with the liquid container holding portion 130A. However, as long as the pressing portion 110A and the liquid container holding portion 130A are configured to be able to press the bag 600A, the liquid container holding portion 130A may be configured to accommodate the bag 600A.

In addition, in this embodiment, a double cable 300 is used as the transmission mechanism, and the base end 311 of the inner cable 310 is connected to the pedal 220, and the tip portion 312 is connected to the pressing unit 110. However, the transmission mechanism is not limited to a configuration in which each end of a continuous cable such as the inner cable 310 is directly connected to the pedal 220 and the pressing unit 110.

For example, the transmission mechanism may detect the amount of pressure applied to the pedal using an electrical signal and control the amount of fluid passing through.

In addition, the transmission mechanism may be configured to be connected to the pressing mechanism 100 via a multiplying mechanism, thereby multiplying the pressing portion 110 to increase the liquid pressure in the liquid container.

In addition, the transmission mechanism may be configured to be connected to the pressing mechanism 100 via a stroke amplification mechanism including a cam or the like, so as to slide the pressing portion 110 so that the stroke length is longer than the displacement of the wire due to operation of the pedal mechanism 200.

In this embodiment, an engagement recess 133 that engages with the flange 611 of the syringe 600 is provided on the surface of the liquid container holding portion 130 facing the pressing portion 110. However, the configuration of the surface of the liquid container holding portion 130 facing the pressing portion 110 is not limited to this.

For example, the engagement recess 133 may not be provided on the surface of the liquid container holding portion 130 facing the pressing portion 110. In this case, the flange 611 of the syringe 600 directly abuts against the surface of the liquid container holding portion 130 facing the pressing portion 110. With this configuration, the rotation of the syringe 600 held in the liquid container holding portion 130 is not restricted by the engagement between the flange 611 and the engagement recess 133 as in the embodiment, so that even if the liquid passage tube 500 is twisted during operation of the endoscope 400, the twisting can be eliminated by rotating the syringe 600.

As described above, the embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the description and drawings forming part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting this invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

The entire contents of Patent Application No. 2018-246699 (filing date: December 28, 2018) are incorporated herein by reference.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Pedal-type liquid supply device 100, 100A Pressing mechanism 110, 110A Pressing portion 111 Base portion 112 Engagement portion 113 Plate-shaped member 114 Through hole 115 Engagement recess 120 Base portion 121 Rail 130, 130A Liquid container holding portion 131 Holding portion 132 Through hole 133 Engagement recess 134 Holding hole 135 O-ring (elastic member)
136 Knob 140, 140A Support portion 141 Holding portion 142 Through hole 200 Pedal mechanism 210 Base portion 211 Frame 212 Support shaft 220 Pedal 230 Connector 231 Support portion 232 Rotating shaft 233 Mounting portion 234 Cover 300 Double cable (transmission mechanism)
310 Inner cable 311 Base end 312 Distal end portion 320 Outer cable 321 Base end 322 Distal end portion 330 Clamp 340 Inner cap 400 Endoscope (lacrimal endoscope)
410 Insertion section 411 Channel 412 Optical fiber bundle 413 Objective lens 420 Base section 430 Unicode section 440 Luer port for ventilation and/or water passage 500 Liquid passage tube 600 Syringe (liquid container)
600A Bag (liquid container)
610 Cylinder portion 611 Flange portion 612 Liquid inlet 620 Plunger portion

Claims (6)

A pedal-operated liquid supply device that supplies liquid to a channel provided in an endoscope,
a pressing mechanism that presses a liquid container that contains the liquid;
a pedal mechanism that is linked with the pressing mechanism and supplies the liquid contained in the liquid container to the channel via a liquid passage tube;
a transmission mechanism that transmits the operation of the pedal mechanism to the pressing mechanism,
the pressing mechanism has a pressing part that presses the liquid container while moving,
The pressing portion moves a predetermined distance in response to the operation of the pedal mechanism ,
The pedal mechanism is an organ-type pedal structure having a base and a pedal,
One end of the pedal is pivotally supported on the base portion so as to be freely swingable.
The other end of the pedal is connected to a base end of the transmission mechanism,
The transmission mechanism is a double cable consisting of an inner cable and an outer cable,
A connector is disposed on the surface of the other end of the pedal,
The connector includes:
A support portion fixed to the pedal;
a rotation axis supported by the support portion, the axis direction of the rotation axis being parallel to the surface of the pedal and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pedal;
a mounting portion pivotally supported on the rotating shaft,
A pedal-operated liquid supplying device , wherein a base end of the inner cable is attached to the attachment portion and connected to the pedal . The pressing mechanism includes:
A base and
a liquid container holder fixed on the base and holding the liquid container;
Further equipped with
the pressing portion is provided on the base portion and is slidable toward the liquid container holding portion,
a base end of the outer cable is connected to a frame that is connected to an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the base portion on which the other end of the pedal is disposed,
a tip portion of the outer cable is engaged with the liquid container holding portion,
2. The pedal-type liquid supply device according to claim 1 , wherein a tip portion of the inner cable is connected to the pressing portion via the liquid container holding portion. A first through hole is formed in the pressing portion,
a clamp is connected to a tip portion of the inner cable that is inserted from the liquid container holding portion side of the pressing portion into the first through hole,
The clamp has an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the first through hole,
The pedal-type liquid supply device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the end of the clamp on the pressing portion side engages with the pressing portion, so that the inner cable is connected to the pressing portion in a rotatable manner within the first through hole. A second through hole is formed in the liquid container holding portion,
The inner cable is inserted into a second through hole of the liquid container holding portion,
a holding hole is formed at one end of the second through hole, the holding hole being coaxial with the second through hole and terminating inside the liquid container holding portion;
a ring-shaped elastic member and a knob that can be screwed into the liquid container holding portion and has a hole through which the inner cable can be inserted are disposed in the holding hole;
4. The pedal-type liquid supply device according to claim 2 , wherein when the knob is screwed into the liquid container holding portion, the elastic member is elastically deformed within the holding hole to come into close contact with the inner cable. the liquid container is a syringe;
The syringe and the channel are connected by the liquid passage tube,
A pedal-type liquid supply device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the inner diameters of the liquid passages through which the liquid passes are smaller in the order of a first inner diameter of the syringe, a second inner diameter of the liquid passage tube, and a third inner diameter of the channel. The syringe includes a cylinder portion and a plunger portion slidably fitted into the cylinder portion,
the liquid container holding portion holds the cylinder portion,
6. The pedal-operated liquid supply device according to claim 5 , wherein the pressing portion engages with the plunger portion and presses the plunger portion to fit into the cylinder portion.

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