OVERTUBE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM SUITABLE FOR TREATMENT SUCH AS SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION

• US 20090275798A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: NAITO, Kimihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,187,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments

Abstract

An overtube includes: an endoscope insertion portion passing hole through which an insertion portion of an endoscope is passed; and at least one manipulator passing hole through which a manipulator insertion portion of a manipulator apparatus is passed. The manipulator insertion portion includes a driving portion which has at least one first joint and one second joint rotating clockwise and counterclockwise. The endoscope insertion portion passing hole includes an endoscope protrusion amount determination portion which determines a length of a protrusion of the endoscope; and an observation optical system observation direction determination portion which determines an observation direction of the endoscope. The manipulator passing hole includes a manipulator protrusion amount determination portion which determines positions of the first joint of the manipulator within the observation optical system; and a joint driving direction determination portion which determines rotating directions of shafts of joints within the observation direction.

Claims

1. An overtube comprising:

an endoscope insertion portion passing hole, through which an endoscope insertion portion of an endoscope including an observation optical system in a distal end portion of the endoscope insertion portion is passed, having an endoscope protrusion amount determination portion which determines a length of a distal end portion of the endoscope insertion portion protruding from a distal end surface of the overtube, and an observation optical system observation direction determination portion which determines vertical and lateral observation directions of the observation optical system portion, and

at least one manipulator passing hole, through which a manipulator insertion portion of a manipulator apparatus is passed, the manipulator apparatus including a driving portion with a plurality of joint pieces connected on a distal end side of the manipulator insertion portion, adjacent joint pieces among the plurality of joint pieces being connected by connecting shafts, and configured as a first joint rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around a first shaft and a second joint rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around a second shaft perpendicular to the first shaft, at least one first joint and at least one second joint being provided in order from the distal end side, having a manipulator protrusion amount determination portion which determines a protrusion amount from the distal end surface of the overtube so that the first joint of the driving portion provided in the manipulator insertion portion is placed within an observation range of the observation optical system, and a joint driving direction determination portion which determines the first shaft of the first joint and the second shaft of the second joint of the driving portion provided in the manipulator insertion portion in an observation direction of the observation optical system.

2. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein at least one manipulator passing hole has an axis parallel to one axis forming a central axis of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole, and is located outside a phantom line parallel to the one axis tangent to an outer peripheral line of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole.

3. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal transfer direction of a solid-state image pickup device included in the observation optical system of the endoscope corresponds to a lateral observation direction of the observation optical system, a vertical transfer direction corresponds to a vertical observation direction of the observation optical system, and

the observation optical system observation direction determination portion of the overtube directs the first shaft in parallel with the vertical transfer direction, and directs the second shaft in parallel with the horizontal transfer direction.

4. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope protrusion amount determination portion of the overtube includes:

an abutment surface provided on a side of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole; and

an abutment portion provided on the endoscope insertion portion.

5. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein the observation optical system observation direction determination portion of the overtube also serves as a rotation prevention mechanism for preventing axial rotation of the endoscope insertion portion in the endoscope insertion portion passing hole.

6. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator protrusion amount determination portion of the overtube includes:

an abutment surface provided on a side of the manipulator passing hole; and

an abutment portion provided on the manipulator insertion portion.

7. The overtube according to claim 1, wherein the joint driving direction determination portion of the overtube also serves as a rotation prevention mechanism for preventing axial rotation of the manipulator insertion portion in the manipulator passing hole.

8. The overtube according to claim 2, wherein the overtube is a multi-lumen tube at least including a through hole that constitutes the endoscope insertion portion passing hole and two through holes that constitute the manipulator passing hole.

9. The overtube according to claim 8, wherein the overtube includes:

a first tube body including the endoscope insertion portion passing hole; and

two second tube bodies including the manipulator passing holes.

10. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope;

a manipulator apparatus; and

an overtube,

wherein the endoscope includes an observation optical system in a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion portion,

the manipulator apparatus includes a driving portion with a plurality of joint pieces connected on a distal end side of a manipulator insertion portion,

adjacent joint pieces among the plurality of joint pieces are connected by connecting shafts, and configured as a first joint rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around a first shaft and a second joint rotating clockwise and counterclockwise around a second shaft perpendicular to the first shaft, at least one first joint and at least one second joint are provided in order from the distal end side,

the overtube includes an endoscope insertion portion passing hole through which the endoscope insertion portion of the endoscope is passed, and at least one manipulator passing hole through which the manipulator insertion portion of the manipulator apparatus is passed,

the endoscope insertion portion passing hole includes an endoscope protrusion amount determination portion and an observation optical system observation direction determination portion, the manipulator passing hole includes a manipulator protrusion amount determination portion and a joint driving direction determination portion,

the endoscope protrusion amount determination portion determines a length of a distal end portion of the endoscope insertion portion protruding from a distal end surface of the overtube,

the observation optical system observation direction determination portion determines vertical and lateral observation directions of the observation optical system included in the endoscope insertion portion,

the manipulator protrusion amount determination portion determines a protrusion amount from the distal end surface of the overtube so that the first joint of the driving portion provided in the manipulator insertion portion is placed within an observation range of the observation optical system, and

the joint driving direction determination portion determines the first shaft of the first joint and the second shaft of the second joint of the driving portion provided in the manipulator insertion portion in an observation direction of the observation optical system.

11. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein at least one manipulator passing hole provided in the overtube has an axis parallel to one axis forming a central axis of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole, and is located outside a phantom line parallel to the one axis tangent to an outer peripheral line of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole.

12. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein a horizontal transfer direction of a solid-state image pickup device included in the observation optical system of the endoscope corresponds to a lateral observation direction of the observation optical system, a vertical transfer direction corresponds to a vertical observation direction of the observation optical system,

the first shaft is directed in parallel with the vertical transfer direction by the observation optical system observation direction determination portion, and the second shaft is directed in parallel with the horizontal transfer direction by the observation optical system observation direction determination portion.

13. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the endoscope protrusion amount determination portion includes:

an abutment surface provided on a side of the endoscope insertion portion passing hole; and

an abutment portion provided on the endoscope insertion portion.

14. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the observation optical system observation direction determination portion also serves as a rotation prevention mechanism for preventing axial rotation of the endoscope insertion portion in the endoscope insertion portion passing hole.

15. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the manipulator protrusion amount determination portion includes:

an abutment surface provided on a side of the manipulator passing hole; and

an abutment portion provided on the manipulator insertion portion.

16. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the joint driving direction determination portion also serves as a rotation prevention mechanism for preventing axial rotation of the manipulator insertion portion in the manipulator passing hole.

17. The endoscope system according to claim 11, wherein the overtube is a multi-lumen tube at least including a through hole that constitutes the endoscope insertion portion passing hole and two through holes that constitute the manipulator passing hole.

18. The endoscope system according to claim 17, wherein the overtube includes:

a first tube body including the endoscope insertion portion passing hole; and

two second tube bodies including the manipulator passing holes.