Articulated tube structure for use in an endoscope

• US 4,432,349 A
• Filed: 10/05/1981
• Issued: 02/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshiro, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US06/308,602
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/9, 128/82, 138/120, 138/155
• US Class Current: 600/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires

Abstract

An articulated tube structure for use in an endoscope or the like consists of a number of elementary tubes connected in end-to-end relationship. Between the adjacent elementary tubes are provided springs to urge the articulated tube to bend in one direction. The endoscope is provided with a manipulating box to bend the articulated tube in a desired direction. The articulated tube is spring urged in one direction and is manipulated to bend as desired by operation of pull wires extending through the articulated tube and fixed at their end to the head of the endoscope. The springs may be composed of a series of coil springs provided around one pull wire between adjacent elementary tubes. The spring constant of the coil springs may be increased from the manipulating box to the head so as to bend the articulated tube to more extent in the portion closer to the head than the portion remote from the head.

Claims

1. An articulated tube structure for use in an endoscope connected between a head for inspection and a flexible tube which is connected with a manipulating box, said articulated tube structure comprising a number of elementary tubes connected in end-to-end relationship to form an articulated tube, connecting means for connecting the elementary tubes in such a manner that the articulated tube composed thereof is bendable, spring means for urging the articulated tube to bend in one direction, and manipulating means including pull wires extending through the elementary tubes along several sides of the articulated tube for bending the articulated tube in one direction by pulling one of the pull wires on one side of the tube and in another direction by pulling another pull wire on another side thereof, for allowing the articulated tube to bend by the force of said spring means, said spring means comprising a number of coil springs each inserted between adjacent elementary tubes, one coil spring being close to the head and another close to the manipulating box, the spring constant of the coil spring close to the head being larger than that of the coil spring close to the manipulating box.

2. An articulated tube structure for use in an endoscope or the like comprising a number of elementary tubes connected in end-to-end relationship to form an articulated tube, connecting means for connecting the elementary tubes in such a manner that the articulated tube composed thereof is bendable, spring means connected between adjacent elementary tubes on one side of the articulated tube for urging the articulated tube to bend in one direction, and manipulating means including pull wires extending through the elementary tubes along several sides of the articulated tube for bending the articulated tube in one direction by pulling one of the pull wires on one side of the tube and in another direction by pulling another pull wire on another side thereof, for allowing the articulated tube to bend by the force of said spring means, said connecting means comprising connecting pins provided between adjacent elementary tubes for pivotally connecting the same, each connecting pin having an inwardly extending portion provided with a through hole through which one of said pull wires passes, said spring means comprising a series of coil springs respectively provided between adjacent elementary tubes around one of said pull wires.