Endoscope cleaning sheath, and endoscope apparatus and endoscope comprising the cleaning sheath

• US 20080188715A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujimoto, Ryuhei
• Granted Patent: US 8,079,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/012 characterised by internal passages or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/125 using fluid circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B

Abstract

An endoscope cleaning sheath includes a tube body and a distal end configuration portion. The tube body includes an endoscope disposition hole in which an insertion portion of an endoscope provided with at least an observation window is inserted and disposed, at least one liquid supply hole configuring a liquid supply channel, and at least one gas supply hole configuring a gas supply channel. The distal end configuration portion is fixed to a distal end portion of the tube body. On an inner surface of a distal end surface portion of the distal end configuration portion is provided a fluid mixing portion and a concave portion configuring an ejection opening that ejects a fluid mixture at an observation window of the endoscope. The fluid mixing portion causes liquid supplied through the liquid supply hole and gas supplied through the gas supply hole to merge to mix the liquid and gas.

Claims

1. An endoscope cleaning sheath, comprising:

a tube body including an endoscope disposition hole into which is inserted and disposed an elongated insertion portion of an endoscope provided with at least an observation window at a distal end surface of the insertion portion, at least one liquid supply hole configuring a liquid supply channel that supplies a liquid such as water, and at least one gas supply hole configuring a gas supply channel that supplies a gas such as air; and

a distal end configuration portion that is a cylindrical body provided in a fixed condition at a distal end portion of the tube body, in a state in which the distal end surface of the tube body and the distal end surface of the insertion portion of the endoscope contact against each other at a contact surface at which a part of the distal end surface of the tube body and a part of the distal end surface of the insertion portion of the endoscope contact against each other, that is an inner surface of a distal end portion including a notch portion that places in an exposure state the observation window provided on the distal end surface of the endoscope that is inserted and disposed in the endoscope disposition hole, the distal end configuration portion having a fluid mixing portion that causes a liquid that is supplied through the liquid supply hole and a gas that is supplied through the gas supply hole to merge to thereby mix a liquid and a gas, and a concave portion configuring an ejection opening that ejects a fluid mixture that is mixed at the fluid mixing portion towards the observation window of the endoscope.

2. The endoscope cleaning sheath according to claim 1,

wherein the tube body is a multi-lumen tube having the endoscope disposition hole, the liquid supply hole and the gas supply hole.

3. The endoscope cleaning sheath according to claim 1,

wherein, in a configuration in which the tube body includes one liquid supply hole and one gas supply hole, the concave portion is a T-shaped groove,

the T-shaped groove including:

a liquid supply groove configuring a fluid channel in which one end that is formed along an inner circumferential surface of the distal end configuration portion is closed, and that supplies a liquid that is supplied through a distal end side opening of the liquid supply hole that is disposed on the end side that is closed to the fluid mixing portion to which the other end leads;

a gas supply groove configuring a fluid channel in which one end that is formed along an inner circumferential surface of the distal end configuration portion is closed, and that supplies a gas that is supplied through a distal end side opening of the gas supply hole that is disposed on the end side that is closed to the fluid mixing portion to which the other end leads; and

a fluid mixture supply groove configuring a fluid channel which is provided in the direction of a central axis of the endoscope disposition hole from a fluid merging portion configuring a fluid mixing portion at which a gas that is supplied through the gas supply groove and a liquid that is supplied through the liquid supply groove merge.

4. The endoscope cleaning sheath according to claim 1,

wherein, in a configuration in which the tube body includes one liquid supply hole and two gas supply holes that sandwich the liquid supply hole, the concave portion is a T-shaped groove, the T-shaped groove including:

a first gas supply groove configuring a fluid channel in which one end that is formed along an outer circumferential surface of the distal end configuration portion is closed, and that supplies a gas that is supplied through a distal end side opening of one of the gas supply holes that is disposed on the end side that is closed to the fluid mixing portion to which the other end leads;

a second gas supply groove configuring a fluid channel in which one end that is formed along an outer circumferential surface of the distal end configuration portion is closed, and that supplies a gas that is supplied through a distal end side opening of the other of the gas supply holes that is disposed on the end side that is closed to the fluid mixing portion to which the other end leads;

a fluid mixture supply groove with respect to which a distal end side opening of the liquid supply hole disposed in an opposing condition, and which configures a fluid channel that is provided in the direction of a central axis of the endoscope disposition hole from a fluid merging portion configuring a fluid mixing portion at which a liquid that is supplied through the liquid supply hole, a gas that is supplied through the first gas supply groove, and a gas that is supplied through the second gas supply groove merge.

5. An endoscope apparatus, comprising:

an endoscope provided with at least an observation window at a distal end portion of an insertion portion;

an endoscope cleaning sheath comprising a tube body having an endoscope disposition hole in which an insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted and disposed, at least one liquid supply hole that supplies a liquid such as water, and at least one gas supply hole that supplies a gas such as air; and

a distal end configuration portion that is a cylindrical body that is provided in a fixed condition at a distal end portion of the tube body, and has a fluid mixing portion that mixes a liquid and a gas by causing a liquid that is supplied through the liquid supply hole and a gas that is supplied through the gas supply hole to merge and a concave portion configuring an ejection opening that ejects a fluid mixture that is mixed at the fluid mixing portion towards an observation window of the endoscope that is inserted and disposed in the endoscope disposition hole at a contact surface at which a distal end surface of the tube body and a distal end surface of the insertion portion of the endoscope contact each other;

a liquid supply apparatus including a liquid supply pump and a liquid supply tank that supplies a liquid to the liquid supply hole through a fluid channel that is connected to a liquid supply portion that is provided in a communicating condition with respect to the liquid supply hole provided to the tube body;

a gas supply apparatus including a gas supply pump that supplies a gas to the gas supply hole through a fluid channel that is connected to a gas supply portion that is provided in a communicating condition with respect to the gas supply hole provided to the tube body; and

a control apparatus that controls at least either supply of a liquid to the liquid supply hole from the liquid supply apparatus or supply of a gas to the gas supply hole from the gas supply apparatus.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control apparatus includes:

a liquid supply changeover switch having an open/close valve that controls a supply of liquid from the liquid supply tank to the liquid supply hole;

a gas supply changeover switch having an open/close valve that controls a supply of gas from the gas supply apparatus to the gas supply hole; and

instruction means that outputs an instruction signal that designates an open/closed state of the open/close valve of the liquid supply changeover switch and an open/closed state of the open/close valve of the gas supply changeover switch.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control apparatus is an ejection state changeover switch that is disposed between the gas supply apparatus and the liquid supply apparatus and the gas supply hole and the liquid supply hole;

and

the ejection state changeover switch regulates the flow rate or pressure of a liquid that is supplied to the liquid supply hole from the liquid supply tank and the flow rate or pressure of a gas that is supplied to the gas supply hole from the gas supply apparatus.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the ejection state changeover switch includes:

an apparatus main unit including penetrating holes at which a distal end portion of a fluid channel that extends from the liquid supply tank and a proximal end portion of a fluid channel that extends from the liquid supply hole, and a distal end portion of a fluid channel that extends from the gas supply pump and a proximal end portion of a fluid channel that extends from the gas supply hole are respectively connected in a facing condition; and

a switch portion including regulation members that are disposed slidably and swingably with respect to the apparatus main unit and that, accompanying a motion movement or a swing movement, changes a communicating state between a proximal end portion of a fluid channel extending from the liquid supply tank and a proximal end portion of a fluid channel extending from the liquid supply hole or a communicating state between a distal end portion of a fluid channel extending from the gas supply pump and a proximal end portion of a fluid channel extending from the gas supply hole.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control apparatus includes:

one pump;

a plurality of regulators to which a distal end portion of a fluid channel extending from the pump is connected, and to which fluid channels that extend from a liquid supply hole and a gas supply hole, respectively, provided to the tube body are connected; and

a control portion that controls the respective output states of the regulators.

10. An endoscope having an observation window at a distal end surface of an insertion portion, including:

a liquid channel configuring channel for a liquid;

a gas channel configuring a channel for a gas;

a fluid mixing portion in which the liquid channel and the gas channel merge at the distal end surface, and which mixes the liquid and the gas that are supplied; and

an ejection portion that ejects a fluid mixture that is mixed at the fluid mixing portion towards the observation window.