ENDOSCOPE, DISTAL END CAP-EQUIPPED ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE CLEANING SHEATH

• US 20120046524A1
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use

Abstract

An endoscope includes, an insertion section, a distal end section body has an observation window, a liquid feed path which is formed to supply a liquid to the distal end section body side, a gas feed path which is formed to supply a gas to the distal end section body side, and a nozzle having a confluent portion which makes confluent the liquid supplied from the liquid feed path and the gas supplied from the gas feed path, and a jet outlet which jets a gas/liquid mixture fluid, which is mixed in the confluent portion, toward the observation window, wherein the nozzle is configured such that an angle, which is formed between a direction of a flow of the liquid toward the jet outlet and a direction of a flow of the gas toward the jet outlet, is set at an obtuse angle of 90° or more.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion section which is inserted in a body cavity;

a distal end section body which constitutes a distal end section of the insertion section and has at least a circular observation window at a distal end surface;

a liquid feed path which communicates with a liquid feed source to supply liquid and has a plurality of opening ends open to the outer peripheral side of a to-be-washed object on the distal end surface at intervals in a circumferential direction;

a gas feed path which communicates with a gas feed source to supply gas and has a plurality of opening ends open on the distal end surface opposite to the opening ends of the liquid feed path across the observation window; and

a nozzle along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end surface to make a spatial communication between the opening ends of the liquid feed path and the opening ends of the gas feed path, the nozzle having a jet outlet which jets a gas/liquid mixture fluid, which is a mixture of the gas from the gas feed path and the liquid from the liquid feed path mixed at a confluent portion at an intermediate area of the nozzle, toward the observation window,

wherein the nozzle is formed in a shape of an M to connect the opening ends of the liquid feed path with the opening ends of the gas feed path with the jet outlet centered therein, and the liquid from the opening ends of the liquid feed path and the gas from the opening ends of the gas feed path which are supplied to the jet outlet collide at an intermediate area of the nozzle at an obtuse angle of more than 90°

.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the confluent portion is provided on a plane which is continuous with the observation window of the distal end section body.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the confluent portion is provided on a distal end side further than the observation window of the distal end section body.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the confluent portion is formed in a part of a conduit which is curved along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end section body.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the gas from the gas feed path and the liquid from the liquid feed path collide at the obtuse angle in the confluent portion.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has two conduits extending from an outer peripheral portion of the distal end section body toward a central portion of the distal end section body,

one of the two conduits has a communication portion which communicates with the liquid feed path on the outer peripheral portion side of the distal end section body,

the other of the two conduits has a communication portion which communicates with the gas feed path on the outer peripheral portion side of the distal end section body, and

the confluent portion and the jet outlet are provided at the central portion of the distal end section body.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distal end cap which is detachably attached to the distal end section body.

8. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the confluent portion is formed in a part of a conduit which is curved along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end cap.

9. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the gas from the gas feed path and the liquid from the liquid feed path collide at the obtuse angle in the confluent portion.

10. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the confluent portion is provided on a plane which is continuous with the observation window of the distal end section body.

11. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cleaning sheath body which is fitted over an insertion section of an endoscope having at least an observation window at a distal end section body.

12. The endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning sheath body is a multi-lumen tube, and the liquid feed path and the gas feed path are provided along an axial direction of the tube.

13. The endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the confluent portion is formed in a part of a conduit which is curved along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end section body of the endoscope.

14. The endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the gas from the gas feed path and the liquid from the liquid feed path collide at the obtuse angle in the confluent portion.

15. The endoscope according to claim 11, wherein the confluent portion is provided on a plane which is continuous with the observation window of the distal end section body.