JP4274501B2 - Piping structure of ultrasonic endoscope - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a piping structure of an ultrasonic endoscope having an optical observation function and an ultrasonic tomographic image observation function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, an air supply tube and a water supply tube for sending air and water to be blown onto the surface of an observation window arranged at the tip for optical observation are inserted and arranged in the insertion portion of the endoscope.
[0003]
In an ultrasonic endoscope in which an ultrasonic tomographic image observation function is further added to the endoscope, the balloon placed around the ultrasonic probe provided at the distal end is infused into and out of the balloon. An injection tube and a drainage tube for passing the liquid to be liquid are inserted and disposed throughout the entire length of the insertion portion.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Ultrasound endoscopes have an ultrasonic tomographic image observation function added to the functions of normal endoscopes, so there are more tubes and wires in the insertion section compared to normal endoscopes. Various built-in objects such as optical fibers are inserted and arranged.
[0005]
Therefore, when four types of similar tubes are inserted and arranged as described above, it is very complicated to select and use the correct tubes at the time of assembly, and there is a drawback that requires attention and time for assembly. Moreover, since there are many built-in things including such four tubes, there existed a fault that the insertion part became thick and the pain given to a patient became large.
[0006]
Accordingly, the present invention provides an ultrasonic endoscope piping structure that is easy to assemble, is easy to handle, and that provides an ultrasonic endoscope piping structure that can be formed as thin as possible. .
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the piping structure of the ultrasonic endoscope of the present invention is configured to pass an air supply tube for passing a gas to be blown to the surface of the optical observation window and a liquid to be blown to the surface of the optical observation window. A liquid supply tube, a liquid injection tube for passing a liquid to be sent into the balloon in order to inflate a balloon arranged around the ultrasonic probe, and a liquid drain for passing a liquid discharged from the balloon In the piping structure of an ultrasonic endoscope that is inserted and arranged in an insertion portion, the air supply tube, the liquid supply tube, the liquid injection tube, and the liquid discharge tube are formed of tubes of the same quality and the same size. It is characterized by that.
[0008]
The air supply tube and the liquid supply tube are joined and connected to one pipe line by the first bifurcated connection member, and the liquid injection tube and the drainage tube are connected by the second bifurcated connection member. The first bifurcated connecting member and the second bifurcated connecting member may be formed to have the same shape and the same size.
[0009]
Further, the distal end portion of the bending operation wire for bending the vicinity of the distal end of the insertion portion by remote operation is disposed between at least one of the two tube connection portions of the first and second forked connection members. Also good.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 4 shows an ultrasonic endoscope. An ultrasonic scanning block 2 for obtaining an ultrasonic tomographic image and an optical observation image are obtained at the distal end portion of the insertion portion 1 covered with a flexible tube. The optical observation objective block 3 is connected in series in the axial direction with the ultrasonic scanning block 2 on the front side. A and B are a central axis in the ultrasonic observation direction and a central axis in the optical observation direction.
[0011]
The proximal end of the insertion unit 1 is connected to the operation unit 4, and an eyepiece unit 5 for performing optical observation projects from the upper end of the operation unit 4. A signal cable for transmitting signals input to and output from the ultrasound scanning unit block 2 has one end connected to the ultrasound scanning unit block 2 and the other end connected to the connector 6. Then, it is connected to an external ultrasonic signal controller via the connector 6. A light guide connector 7 is connected to the illumination light source device.
[0012]
A portion on the distal end side of the insertion portion 1 adjacent to the optical observation objective block 3 is a bending portion 8 and is bent at an arbitrary angle in an arbitrary direction by rotating an operation knob 9 disposed on the operation portion 4. be able to.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the distal end portion of the insertion portion 1, and an internal piping structure is shown for the bending portion 8 portion. An ultrasonic probe 21 for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals is arranged on the side surface of the ultrasonic scanning unit block 2 located at the forefront of the insertion unit 1, and an inflatable balloon 22 surrounds the ultrasonic probe 21. The ultrasonic scanning unit block 2 is detachably provided.
[0014]
In the optical observation objective block 3, an observation window 31 and an illumination window 32 are arranged side by side on a slope 30 facing obliquely forward. Then, the optical observation image of the subject imaged by the objective optical system arranged in the observation window 31 is transmitted to the eyepiece unit 5 by the image guide fiber bundle inserted and arranged in the insertion unit 1.
[0015]
Inside the illumination window 32, an emission end face of the light guide fiber bundle inserted and arranged in the insertion portion 1 is arranged. Further, the air / water supply nozzle 33 is disposed so as to slightly protrude from the inclined surface 30 so as to open toward the surface of the observation window 31.
[0016]
A treatment instrument protruding groove 34 is formed in parallel with them. A treatment instrument raising base 35 for arbitrarily changing the protrusion direction of the treatment instrument is disposed in the treatment instrument protrusion groove 34 and is rotated by an operation wire 36 that is remotely advanced and retracted from the operation unit 4. .
[0017]
A first bifurcated connecting member 40 and a second bifurcated connecting member 50 are connected to the rear end of the optical observation objective block 3. The first bifurcated connecting member 40 and the second bifurcated connecting member 50 are both bifurcated connecting members in which pipe materials are connected in an h shape as shown in FIG. It is in the shape of a pipe.
[0018]
And the air supply tube 41 and the water supply tube 42 (or the water injection tube 51 and the drainage tube 52) are connected to the bifurcated end of the bifurcated connection members 40 and 50, and the air supply tube 41 and the water supply tube 42 Are joined and connected to one pipe line by the first bifurcated connecting member 40, and the water injection tube 51 and the drain tube 52 are joined and connected to one pipe line by the second bifurcated connecting member 50.
[0019]
Returning to FIG. 1, the distal end side of the first forked connection member 40 communicates with the air / water supply nozzle 33 via the air / water supply path 43 which is a single pipe. Therefore, air or water can be sprayed from the air / water supply nozzle 33 toward the surface of the observation window 31 by selectively sending air or water to the air supply tube 41 and the water supply tube 42 from the operation unit 4 side. .
[0020]
The distal end portion of the second bifurcated connecting member 50 communicates with an opening 53a located in the balloon 22 through a pouring / draining channel 53 that is a single pipe. Accordingly, for example, deaerated water is injected into the balloon 22 from the operation unit 4 via the water injection tube 51 to inflate the balloon 22, and the balloon 22 is discharged via the drain tube 52 by discharging the deaerated water in the balloon 22. Can be shrunk.
[0021]
In the piping system configured in this manner, the four tubes of the air supply tube 41, the water supply tube (liquid supply tube) 42, the water injection tube (liquid injection tube) 51, and the drainage tube (drainage tube) 52 are exactly the same. A tube having the same thickness as the material (for example, tetrafluoroethylene resin) is used.
[0022]
Therefore, it is not necessary to select which tube is connected to where at the time of assembly, and the four tubes 41, 42, 51, 52 are connected to the four connecting portions of the first bifurcated connecting member 40 and the second bifurcated connecting member 50. Any connection can be made.
[0023]
The first bifurcated connecting member 40 and the second bifurcated connecting member 50 are also formed in the same shape and the same dimensions. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when two sets of units in which two tubes 41, 42 (51, 52) are connected to the bifurcated connection member 40 (50) are made, they are connected to the air / water supply channel 43 and the water injection / drainage. What is necessary is just to connect arbitrarily, without selecting with respect to the path | route 53. FIG.
[0024]
FIG. 3 shows a III-III cross section in FIG. 1, and 37, 38, 39 and 23 are an image guide fiber bundle, a light guide fiber bundle, a treatment instrument insertion channel, and an ultrasonic probe signal cable.
[0025]
Reference numeral 80 denotes four bending operation wires that are advanced and retracted from the operation unit 4 in order to arbitrarily bend the bending portion 8, and the distal end portion of each bending operation wire 80 is an inner peripheral portion of the most advanced bending tube 82. It is stopped by a wire stopper 81 projecting from the wire.
[0026]
The wire stoppers 81 are arranged at approximately 90 ° intervals, and one of the wire stoppers 81 is arranged between the connecting portions of the two tubes 41 and 42 of the first bifurcated connecting member 40. The other wire stopper 81 is disposed between the connecting portions of the two tubes 51 and 52 of the second bifurcated connecting member 50.
[0027]
Therefore, the space in the bending portion 8 can be used without waste, and the outer diameter of the insertion portion 1 can be formed as thin as possible.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the air supply tube, the liquid supply tube, the liquid injection tube, and the liquid discharge tube are formed of the same quality and the same size, it is not necessary to select and assemble the tubes at the time of assembly, so that the handling is easy. In addition, the two bifurcated connecting members having the same shape and the same size can further eliminate the complexity of the assembly.
[0029]
Further, if the distal end portion of the bending operation wire is disposed between the two tube connecting portions of the bifurcated connecting member, the space in the bending portion can be used without waste, and the insertion portion can be formed as thin as possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a distal end portion of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a forked connection piping unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an overall external view of an ultrasonic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part 21 Ultrasonic probe 22 Balloon 31 Observation window 33 Air supply / water supply nozzle 40 First bifurcated connection member 41 Air supply tube 42 Water supply tube (liquid supply tube)
43 Air / water supply channel 50 Second bifurcated connection member 51 Water injection tube (liquid injection tube)
52 Drainage tube (drainage tube)
53 Drainage channel 80 Bending operation wire 81 Wire stopper

Claims (3)

To inflate an air supply tube for passing a gas to be blown to the surface of the optical observation window, a liquid supply tube for passing a liquid to be blown to the surface of the optical observation window, and a balloon arranged around the ultrasonic probe In the piping structure of the ultrasonic endoscope, the liquid injection tube for passing the liquid to be sent into the balloon and the drainage tube for passing the liquid discharged from the balloon are inserted and arranged in the insertion portion.
A piping structure of an ultrasonic endoscope, wherein the air supply tube, the liquid supply tube, the liquid injection tube, and the drainage tube are formed of tubes of the same quality and the same size. The air supply tube and the liquid supply tube are joined and connected to one pipe line by a first bifurcated connection member, and the liquid injection tube and the drainage tube are connected to one pipe by a second bifurcated connection member. 2. The piping structure for an ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the first bifurcated connecting member and the second bifurcated connecting member are joined and connected to a road, and have the same shape and the same dimensions. The distal end portion of a bending operation wire for bending the vicinity of the distal end of the insertion portion by remote operation is disposed between at least one of the two tube connection portions of the first and second forked connection members. 2. The piping structure of the ultrasonic endoscope according to 2.

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