Endoscope

• US 20020058858A1
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toshio, Ogura, Takeshi, Hamazaki, Masanori, Kaiya, Haruhiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,899,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/273 for the upper alimentary canal, e.g. oesophagoscopes, gastroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes

Abstract

An endoscope has a first bending portion, a second bending portion, and a hand-held unit. The first bending portion is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely. The second bending portion is located at the proximal end of the first bending portion, and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely. The hand-held unit is located at the proximal end of the insertion member, and has a control section that is used to bend the first bending portion and second bending portion. In the endoscope, the control section of the hand-held unit has an angling knob that is used to bend the first bending portion, and a second angling lever that is used to bend the second bending portion.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a first bending portion that is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member;

a second bending portion located at the proximal end of said first bending portion;

a first control member included in a hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said first bending portion; and

a second control member included in the hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said second bending portion.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of said first control member and the axis of rotation of said second control member are extended in different directions.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein:

said first control member is arranged so that when said hand-held unit is held, said first control member will lie within reach of a finger of the hand with which said hand-held unit is held; and

said second control member is arranged so that when said hand-held unit is held, said second control member will lie beyond reach of a finger of the hand with which said hand-held unit is held.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an electric switch subsection used to give predetermined instructions is interposed between said first control member and said second control member.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said first control member is located in the distal part of a control section, and said second control member is located in the proximal part thereof.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein:

said first control member is arranged so that when said hand-held unit is held with the left hand, said first control member will lie within reach of a finger of the left hand with which said hand-held unit is held; and

said second control member is arranged so that when said hand-held unit is held with the left hand, said second control member will lie beyond reach of a finger of the left hand with which said hand-held unit is held, and can be manipulated with a finger of the right hand.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said first control member includes a first Right/Left control member that is used to bend said first bending portion in a Right or Left direction, and a first Up/Down control member that is used to bend said first bending portion in an Up or Down direction.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said second control member includes a second Right/Left control member that is used to bend said second bending portion in a Right or Left direction, and a second Up/Down control member that is used to bend said second bending portion in an Up or Down direction.

9. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation of said first control member and the axis of rotation of said second control member are extended substantially parallel to each other.

10. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation of said first control member and the axis of rotation of said second control member are extended substantially perpendicularly to each other.

11. The endoscope according to claim 4, wherein said electric switch subsection separates said first control member and said second control member from each other.

12. The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein a manipulated portion of said first control member and a manipulated portion of said second control member are faced in the same direction.

13. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein said hand-held unit is borne with the root of the thumb of the left hand and the ring finger and little finger thereof, and said first control member is manipulated with the thumb, index finger, or middle finger of the left hand.

14. The endoscope according to claim 13, wherein when said first bending portion is bent, said first control member is manipulated using the thumb, index finger, or middle finger of the left hand with said hand-held unit borne using the root of the thumb of the left hand and the ring finger and little finger thereof, because said first control member is located at a position that is normally within reach of the thumb, index finger, or middle finger of the left hand.

15. The endoscope according to claim 13, wherein when said second bending portion is bent, said second control member is manipulated with the right hand unused to hold said hand-held unit.

16. The endoscope according to claim 13, wherein when said second bending portion is bent, said second control member is manipulated by stretching the thumb, index finger, or middle finger of the left hand with said hand-held unit borne using the root of the thumb of the left hand and the ring finger and little finger thereof, although said second control member is located at a position that is normally beyond reach of the thumb, index finger, or middle finger of the left hand.

18. The endoscope according to claim 17, wherein the thickness of the portion of said elastic member with which the periphery of said first bending portion is sheathed is different from the thickness of the portion thereof with which the periphery of said second bending portion is sheathed.

19. The endoscope according to claim 17, wherein the thickness of said joint pieces constituting said second bending portion is different from the thickness of said joint pieces constituting said first bending portion.

20. The endoscope according to claim 18, wherein the portion of said elastic member with which the periphery of said first bending portion is sheathed is thicker than the portion thereof with which the periphery of said second bending portion is sheathed.

21. The endoscope according to claim 19, wherein said joint pieces constituting said second bending portion are thicker than said joint pieces constituting said first bending portion.

17. An endoscope comprising:

a first bending portion that is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely;

a second bending portion that is located proximally to said first bending portion and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely;

a first control member included in a hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said first bending portion;

a second control member included in the hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said second bending portion; and

an elastic member with which the peripheries of said first bending portion and said second bending portion are sheathed.

22. An endoscope comprising:

a first bending portion that is the distal portion of an elongated insertion member and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely;

a second bending portion that is located proximally to said first bending portion and has a plurality of joint pieces concatenated so that the joint pieces can rotate freely;

a first control member included in a hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said first bending portion;

a second control member included in the hand-held unit proximal to said insertion member, and used to bend said second bending portion;

an elastic member with which the peripheries of said first bending portion and said second bending portion are sheathed;

a first control wire run through said insertion member and pulled or slackened in order to bend said first bending portion;

a first coil pipe lying through said insertion member and having said first control wire passed through it;

a second control wire run through said insertion member and pulled or slackened in order to bend said second bending portion; and

a second coil pipe lying through said insertion member and having said second control wire passed through it.

23. The endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the diameter of a wire wound to form said second coil pipe is different from the diameter of a wire wound to form said first coil pipe.

24. The endoscope according to claim 23, wherein the diameter of a wire wound to form said second coil pipe is larger than the diameter of a wire wound to form said first coil pipe.