Valved plug for endoscopic biopsy channel

• US 20040167379A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akiba, Haruo
• Granted Patent: US 7,226,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/154
• 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 1/018 for receiving instruments

Abstract

A valved plug to be fitted on a mouth piece at an inlet opening of an endoscopic biopsy channel. The plug as a whole is formed of a resilient material, and has, at the opposite ends of a foldable connecting strip or string, a generally tubular main body portion which is provided with a constricted portion in its axial passage, and a valved nesting piece which is adapted to be detachably coupled with the main body portion and provided with a normally closed slit valve axially in an aligned position relative to the constricted passage on the side of the main body portion. The main body portion is provided with an inward interlocking projection of a predetermined thickness at its outer end, for tight interlocking engagement with an interlocking groove which is provided on the side of the nesting piece in such a way as to grip the interlocking projection tightly in a compressed state.

Claims

1. A valved plug to be fitted on a mouth piece at an inlet opening of an instrument entrance passage leading to a biopsy channel of an endoscopic insertion tube, said plug being formed of a resilient material in its entirety and having, at opposite ends of a foldable connecting strip, a generally tubular main body portion internally formed with a constricted passage of a smaller diameter as compared with said inlet opening of said instrument entrance passage at an intermediate portion between outer and inner ends thereof, and a nesting piece adapted to be detachably and tightly coupled with said main body portion and having a normally closed slit valve in axial alignment with said constricted passage in said main body portion to permit insertion of an instrument therethrough, characterized in that:

said main body portion is provided with an interlocking inward projection of a predetermined thickness at an outer end to be coupled with said nesting piece; and

said nesting piece is composed of a circular body portion having a slit cut across a center region thereof, and an annular interlocking flange formed integrally with and on top of said circular body portion around said slit and spread radially outward to hang over circumferential edges of said circular body portion;

said interlocking projection on said main body portion of said plug being adapted to be brought into engagement tightly with an interlocking groove formed between said flange portion and said circular body portion of said nesting piece and gripped in said interlocking groove in a compressed state when said nesting piece is coupled with said main body portion.

2. A valved plug as defined in claim 1, wherein said interlocking projecion is an annular ledge projecting radially inward from an outer end of said main body portion on the outer side of said constricted passage, and said interlocking groove on the side of said nesting piece is an annular groove formed around circumference of said circular body portion in a width smaller than thickness of said interlocking portion and in a diameter larger than inside diameter of said interlocking projection of said main body portion.

3. A valved plug as defined in claim 2, wherein said annular ledge is so dimensioned as to have an inside diameter smaller than diameter of said annular interlocking groove of said nesting piece.

4. A valved plug as defined in claim 2, wherein an annular recess is formed between said interlocking projection and said constricted passage of said main body portion, said annular recess being so dimension as to have an inside diameter smaller than outside diameter of said interlocking groove on the side of said nesting piece.

5. A valved plug as defined in claim 1, wherein said interlocking projection of said main body portion is tightly engaged with said interlocking groove on the side of said nesting piece through tapered or inclined surfaces and retained in an interlocked state more tightly by wedge-like actions of said tapered surfaces when an axial force is exerted thereto from inside of said biopsy channel.

6. A valved plug as defined in claim 1, wherein said circular body portion of said nesting piece is formed in a hemispherical cup-like shape, and said slit is formed across a bottom portion of said hemispherical body portion.

7. A valved plug as defined in claim 1, wherein said main body is internally provided with a hollow cavity under said constricted passage, and said slit is formed radially within a range of said hollow cavity.

8. A valved plug as defined in claim 7, wherein said slit is formed in an area inward of said interlocking projection on the side of said main body portion of said plug.

9. A valved plug as defined 2, wherein a ridge is formed on one of engaging surfaces of said main body portion and nesting piece, said ridge being adapted to be deformed into a flattened shape by compression as said nesting piece is coupled with said main body portion of said plug.