JP3579648B2 - Ultrasound endoscope - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope in which an ultrasonic probe and an objective optical system for optical observation are provided at the tip of an insertion section.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the ultrasonic endoscope, a bending portion that is bent by remote operation from an operation portion is connected to a distal end of the insertion portion flexible tube so that insertion and guidance can be easily performed similarly to a general endoscope.
[0003]
Further, in the ultrasonic endoscope, it is necessary to insert and arrange a signal transmission member for transmitting signals input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe in the insertion portion. A substrate is used.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such an ultrasonic endoscope, a force acting to expand and contract the flexible substrate in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the axis of the insertion portion) acts by bending the curved portion.
[0005]
As a result, a state in which the flexible substrate is wavy by the compressive force and a state in which the flexible substrate is straightened are repeated, and a failure in which the wiring provided on the flexible substrate is disconnected may occur.
[0006]
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic endoscope having excellent durability, in which wiring provided on a flexible substrate is not easily disconnected even when a bending operation of a bending portion is repeated.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention is configured such that a bending portion that is bent by remote operation is connected to a distal end of a flexible tube portion that forms an insertion portion, and that transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal. An ultrasonic probe and an objective optical system for performing optical observation are disposed at a portion closer to the distal end than the bending portion, and a flexible substrate is used as a signal transmission member for transmitting signals input / output to and from the ultrasonic probe in the bending portion. In the ultrasonic endoscope in which is used, a coil spring is arranged along a longitudinal direction of a flexible substrate.
[0008]
The heat-shrinkable tube may be covered and shrunk around the flexible substrate and the coil spring, so that the coil spring may be tightly fixed to the flexible substrate. If the flexible substrate is arranged along the plate surface of the flexible substrate, the flexible substrate is less likely to be damaged in the curved portion.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows an ultrasonic endoscope, in which a distal end of a flexible tube 1 inserted into a body cavity is connected to a bending portion 2 which is bent by remote control, and is connected to the distal end of the bending portion 2. A cylindrical ultrasonic probe 4 is attached to the distal end main body 3.
[0010]
The tip body 3 also includes an objective optical system for optical observation, a solid-state imaging device for capturing an optical observation image, and an emission end of a light guide fiber bundle for illuminating the optical observation range. Built-in.
[0011]
A bending operation knob 6 for bending the bending portion 2 and the like are arranged on the operation portion 5 connected to the base end of the flexible tube portion 1. The bending portion 2 is bendable in four directions, up, down, left, and right, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the bending portion 2 is bent halfway upward.
[0012]
A treatment instrument insertion channel 10 for inserting a treatment instrument is inserted through the entire length of the flexible tube portion 1 and the curved portion 2, and an insertion port 7 for treatment tools into the treatment instrument insertion channel 10 is provided. At the lower end of the operation unit 5, it is disposed so as to project obliquely upward.
[0013]
At the end of the first connection flexible tube 8 connected to the operation unit 5, a video signal connector unit 81 and a light guide connector unit 82 connected to a video processor (not shown) are provided side by side. An ultrasonic signal connector unit 91 connected to an ultrasonic signal processing device (not shown) is provided at the distal end of the connection flexible tube 9.
[0014]
FIG. 3 shows the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and the front is optically observed from an observation window 11 arranged on the distal end surface of the distal end body 3. The ultrasonic probe 4 is surrounded by a balloon 12 that is inflated with degassed water or the like, and can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves radially around an axis to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image.
[0015]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the ultrasonic probe 4. An ultrasonic signal is transmitted / received (electronic scanning) in a range of, for example, 270 ° (135 ° left and right centered on the upward direction) around the axis. Radial scanning is performed in the direction perpendicular to the axis.
[0016]
At the rear end of the ultrasonic probe 4, a flexible substrate provided with wiring for transmitting signals input to and output from the ultrasonic probe 4 is connected. As shown in FIG. A flexible substrate 40 extends rearward from 3. The bending portion 2 is configured to bendable by rotatably connecting a plurality of node rings 22 with rivets or the like (not shown).
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 6 which is a development view of the single unit, the flexible substrate 40 is a single wide substrate near the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe 4 and is located in the curved portion 2 behind it. The part to be enlarged is widened and divided into eight equal parts in parallel.
[0018]
Therefore, in the curved portion 2, the width of the wiring on the flexible substrate 40 can be formed wider than the vicinity of the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe 4, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the wiring and improving the durability against disconnection. Can be improved.
[0019]
The flexible substrate 40 having such a developed shape scans in the vicinity of the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe 4 so as to be suitable for connection with the ultrasonic probe 4 as shown in FIG. 7 showing a VII-VII cross section in FIG. It is formed in the shape of an arc of about 270 °, which is the same as the range, and in the vicinity of the boundary between the curved portion 2 and the tip main body 3, it is formed in the shape of an arc of approximately 360 ° as shown in FIG. ing.
[0020]
Returning to FIG. 5, the flexible substrates 40 divided into eight and arranged in parallel in the curved portion 2 are formed to have different lengths, but even the shortest flexible substrate 40 passes through the curved portion 2. The length is set to reach the inside of the flexible tube portion 1.
[0021]
Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the plurality of signal lines 51 of the signal cable 50 inserted and arranged in the flexible tube portion 1 and the wiring of each flexible substrate 40 are connected in the flexible tube portion 1. I have.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the bending portion 2 (II cross section in FIG. 5). The operating wire 20 is inserted through the wire guide 21 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction, and the bending portion 2 is bent in the direction in which the operating wire 20 pulled from the operating portion 5 is located.
[0023]
In the internal space of the bending portion 2, in addition to the flexible substrate 40 and the treatment tool insertion channel 10, the video signal cable 14 for transmitting an imaging signal of an endoscope observation image and the like, and the illumination light are transmitted. Various internal components such as a light guide fiber bundle 15 and a tube 17 for deaerated water injection / drainage to the balloon 12 are inserted and arranged.
[0024]
The flexible substrates 40 are superposed two by two, covered with a heat-shrinkable tube 41 and integrated, and are divided into four parts as a whole. In each of them, a coil spring is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the flexible substrate 40. 42 are arranged.
[0025]
The coil spring 42 is disposed straight at the central position of the flexible substrate 40 along the plate surface of the flexible substrate 40 on the rear side with respect to the center axis of the bending portion 2 (that is, the surface on the outer surface side of the flexible substrate 40). In this state, the flexible heat-shrinkable tube 41 is covered and shrunk so that they are fixed to each other.
[0026]
The coil spring 42 is formed, for example, by spirally winding a stainless steel wire for a spring having a circular cross section or another spring material with a constant diameter. However, the cross-sectional shape of the element wire is not limited to a circular shape and may be a plate shape or the like.
[0027]
The coil spring 42 is arranged along substantially the entire length of the flexible board 40 as schematically shown in FIG. 5, and when the bending portion 2 is bent and the flexible board 40 is wavy by the compressive force, The coil spring 42 elastically expands and contracts, so that the flexible substrate 40 bends smoothly without an extremely small curve.
[0028]
Each of the coil springs 42 flexes flexibly in any direction, so that even if the curved portion 2 is flexed in any direction, any of the four flexible substrates 40 will undulate with an extremely small radius of curvature. Bend smoothly without. As a result, even if the curved portion 2 is repeatedly bent, the wiring provided on the flexible substrate 40 is not easily broken.
[0029]
Further, since the coil spring 42 is arranged along the outer surface of the flexible substrate 40, when the curved portion 2 is bent and the flexible substrate 40 has a wavy shape, the flexible substrate 40 is connected to adjacent nodes. It is not caught in the gap between the wheels 22 and contributes to preventing the flexible substrate 40 from being damaged.
[0030]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the layout of the flexible substrate 40 in the curved portion 2 may take any layout. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a single flexible substrate 40 and a coil spring 42 may be covered with a heat-shrinkable tube 41, and as shown in FIG. Prior to this, a configuration may be adopted in which the flexible substrate 40 and the coil spring 42 are covered with an elastic thin silicon rubber tube 43 or the like and positioned and fixed.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, by disposing the coil spring along the longitudinal direction of the flexible substrate disposed in the bending portion, when the bending portion is bent and the flexible substrate becomes wavy due to compressive force, the coil Because the spring expands and contracts elastically, and the flexible board bends smoothly without forming an extremely small curve, even if the bending operation of the bending portion is repeated, the wiring applied to the flexible board is hard to be broken, and it is excellent. Durability can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view (II sectional view in FIG. 5) of a curved portion of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall side view of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan sectional view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the insertion section of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention in a state where outer skins are removed.
FIG. 6 is a development view of the flexible substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5 of the flexible substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5 of the flexible substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a side view of the vicinity of a connection portion between the flexible board and the signal cable according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a cross section perpendicular to the plate surface.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a flexible substrate according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a cross section perpendicular to the plate surface.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible tube part 2 Bending part 4 Ultrasonic probe 40 Flexible substrate 41 Heat-shrinkable tube 42 Coil spring 43 Silicon rubber tube

Claims (2)

A bending portion that bends by remote operation is connected to the distal end of the flexible tube portion that forms the insertion portion, and the ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal and the objective optical system for performing optical observation are curved. In the ultrasonic endoscope in which a flexible substrate is used as a signal transmission member for transmitting a signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe in the bending portion, which is disposed at a portion closer to the distal end than the portion,
A coil spring is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the flexible substrate, and the heat-shrinkable tube is shrunk around the flexible substrate and the coil spring, whereby the coil spring is tightly fixed to the flexible substrate. An ultrasonic endoscope, comprising: The coil spring is, the ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that disposed along the plate surface of the flexible substrate as a rear side with respect to the central axis of the curved portion.

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