Endoscope apparatus

• US 20030028096A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwa, Hiroshi, Onoda, Fumiyuki, Uchimura, Sumihiro, Taniguchi, Akira, Sato, Michio, Aizawa, Chieko
• Granted Patent: US 6,745,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00128 mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00137 End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having a treatment tool passage channel in at least an insertion portion, an adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, which can be detachably attached to a treatment tool insertion opening which is at one end of the treatment tool passage channel, an insertion shape detection probe provided with a plurality of shape detection elements which are to be passed and arranged in the treatment tool passage channel via the adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, an insertion shape detection unit for detecting magnetic field emitted from the shape detection elements of the insertion shape detection probe, an insertion shape detection device which drives the insertion shape detection probe and outputs video signals for visualizing the insertion shape from the signals corresponding to the magnetic field detected by the insertion shape detection unit, and a display device for displaying the insertion shape of the insertion portion based on the video signals output from the insertion shape detection device.

Claims

1. An insertion shape detection probe comprises:

an elongated core wire to which a plurality of shape detection elements with signal lines extending therefrom are fixed at prescribed intervals;

a plurality of inner sheaths provided on the proximal end sides of the shape detection elements fixed to the core wire and having said core wire and said signal lines passed therethrough;

linking and fixing means for covering and integrally linking said shape detection elements and inner sheaths adjacent to the shape detection elements; and

an outer sheath having inserted therein said plurality of shape detection elements and said plurality of inner sheaths integrated with said core wire.

2. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein said linking and fixing means is a thermally shrinkable tube or an adhesive layer provided on the shape detection elements and the end portions of inner sheaths adjacent to the shape detection elements.

3. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein the signal lines passing through said inner sheaths are wound on the core wire for a prescribed number of turns in a prescribed loosened state.

4. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein said shape detection element comprises:

a core member having an axial through hole;

a winding wire which is wound on the core member; and

a donut-shaped substrate provided on one end surface and having the winding wire electrically connected thereto and also having said signal line electrically connected thereto.

5. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein said core wire is composed of three shape memory alloy wires arranged parallel to each other.

6. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 5, wherein each shape memory alloy wire constituting said core wire linearly contacts the inner peripheral surface of said axial through hole.

7. The insertion shape detection prove according to claim 1,

having a grope of curved section shape detection elements which is located at a curved section of a flexible tube having the curved section and a grope of flexible tube portion shape detection elements which is located at a further proximal end side than said curved section,

the spacing between said shape detection elements differs between the group of curved section detection elements arranged in the curved section and the group of flexible tube portion shape detection elements arranged in the flexible tube portion of the insertion portion located at a further proximal end side than said curved section.

8. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein when the signal line extending from one shape detection element is extended to a furthermore proximal end side than the shape detection element located at a further proximal end side than said one shape detection element, the signal line is led to the proximal end side while being arranged on the outer peripheral surface of said shape detection element.

9. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 8, wherein the signal line arranged on the outer peripheral surface of said shape detection element is covered with said thermally shrinkable tube or adhesive layer.

10. The insertion shape detection prove according to claim 9,

having a grope of curved section shape detection elements which is located at a curved section of a flexible tube having the curved section and a grope of flexible tube portion shape detection elements which is located at a further proximal end side than said curved section,

signal lines arranged on the outer peripheral surface of shape detection elements of the grope of curved section shape detection elements are covered with said thermally shrinkable tube, whereas the signal lines arranged on the outer peripheral surface of shape detection elements of the group of flexible tube portion shape detection elements are covered by said adhesive layer provided.

11. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 3, wherein the looseness amount of said signal lines is set so that the looseness between the shape detection elements of said group of curved section shape detection elements is large and the looseness between the shape detection elements of said group of flexible tube portion shape detection elements is small.

12. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of slit grooves are formed on the end surfaces of said inner sheaths so as to set a gentle inclination angle of the signal lines inserted into the inner sheath and signal lines led out from the inner sheaths with respect to the axial direction and also to disperse uniformly the signal lines led out from the inner sheaths and arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the shape detection elements.

13. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter and outer diameter dimensions of said inner sheaths vary depending on the number of signal lines inserted therein.

14. The insertion shape detection probe according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter dimension of said outer sheaths changes in a stepwise manner.

15. An insertion portion detection probe comprises:

an elongated core wire;

a plurality of shape detection elements that have an axial through hole through which the core wire is passed and are adhesively fixed to said core wire at prescribed intervals;

signal lines connected to those shape detection elements and extended to the proximal end side along said core wire;

an inner sheath covering the signal lines extending along said core wire and having at least one end surface facing the end surface of said shape detection elements; and

an outer sheath covering the inner sheath and said plurality of shape detection elements.

16. An adaptor for endoscope forceps opening comprises:

an adaptor linking member that can be detachably attached to the endoscope forceps opening communicated with the treatment tool passage channel through which the treatment tool is to be passed;

a treatment tool integration member which is in tight contact with and fixed to part of the treatment tool protruding from said endoscope forceps opening; and

a treatment tool position changing member for changing stepwise, together with the treatment tool integration member, the insertion position of the treatment tool in a state in which said treatment tool integration member is in tight contact therewith.

19. The adaptor for endoscope forceps opening according to claim 16, wherein said treatment tool position changing member is provided rotatably on said adaptor linking member.

17. An adaptor for endoscope forceps opening comprises:

a tubular adaptor linking member having a mounting portion that can be detachably attached to an endoscope plug provided in the endoscope forceps opening through which the treatment tool is to be passed;

a treatment tool integration member having a tubular shape and elastic properties and arranged in a prescribed position of the adaptor linking member;

a pressing member arranged so that it is free to advance and retreat with respect to said adaptor linking member and used to apply a pressure with a prescribed force to said treatment tool integration member for elastic deformation thereof, thereby causing the treatment tool integration member to be brought in intimate contact with and fixed to part of said treatment tool; and

a treatment tool position changing member which has a tubular shape, comprises a mounting portion that can be detachably attached to said forceps plug and a notched portion communicated with the axial through hole, and is arranged so that it can be detachably attached to the distal end side of said adaptor linking member.

18. An adaptor for endoscope forceps opening comprises:

an adaptor linking member which can be detachably attached to a forceps socket constituting the endoscope forceps opening through which the treatment tool is to be passed and is composed of a first socket fixing member arranged on the outer peripheral side of the forceps socket and a second socket fixing member in which a positioning pin is provided in a protruding condition from a prescribed position on the outer peripheral surface which is integrally fixed to the first socket fixing member in a state where the second socket fixing member is abutted against the distal end side of said forceps socket;

a treatment tool position changing member which is arranged so as to be free to advance and retreat with respect to said adaptor linking member and has formed therein a motion-control groove that can move along said positioning pin and can be retained by the positioning pin;

a treatment tool integration member having a tubular shape and elastic properties and arranged in a prescribed position of the treatment tool position changing member; and

a pressing member arranged so as to be free to advance and retreat with respect to said tool position changing member and used to apply a pressure with a prescribed force to said treatment tool integration member for elastic deformation thereof, thereby causing the treatment tool integration member to be brought in intimate contact with and fixed to part of said treatment tool.