Endoscope

• US 4,765,312 A
• Filed: 07/29/1987
• Issued: 08/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akira, Sasa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/079,140
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 600/153
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00068 Valve switch arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00128 mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements

Abstract

An endoscope includes a connecting assembly for connecting a syringe, for supplying a supplementary fluid to an orifice, formed on a distal end portion of an insertion portion. The connecting assembly comprises a hollow mount member which is formed to extend from a periphery portion of an opening formed on a housing of the operation portion of the endoscope, and a shoulder is formed on the outer peripheral surface. In addition, a block, having a cavity, an inlet, and an outlet for serially connecting the cavity in a fluid supply path extended to the orifice, is received in the housing. A distal end of the mount piece on which the syringe can be mounted is inserted into the cavity of the block via the mount member. A locking member having an arm is mounted on the mount member by causing the arm to be abutted on the inner side of the shoulder. The mount piece is securely retained inside the mount member by threadably fixing a support member to the locking member.

Claims

1. In an endoscope including an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity, the one end portion of which has an observation window and an orifice directed to face said observation window, an operation portion connected to the other end portion of said insertion portion, said operation portion having a housing formed with an opening, a supply path for supplying a fluid to said orifice, extending inside said insertion portion and said operation portion, and connecting means provided on said opening of said housing, for connecting fluid injection means for supplying a supplementary fluid into said fluid-supply path, the improvement in which

said connecting means comprises:

a hollow mount member including shoulder means formed on the outer peripheral surface, and which is formed to extend from a periphery portion of said opening;

a block received in said housing, the block having a cavity facing said opening, and an inlet and outlet for enabling said cavity to be inserted serially in said supply path;

a mount piece which is inserted from the extended end of said mount member, such that its distal end portion is placed in said cavity, and on which a supplementary fluid injection means is detachably mounted;

a seal member for forming a seal between the mount piece and the periphery portion of said cavity;

a locking member having an arm abutting on the side of the shoulder means; and

a support member for supporting said mount piece, which is threadably fixed to said locking member to press said mount member, whereby said shoulder means is clamped between said support member and arm.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said mount piece comprises a stepped hollow cylinder having a diameter increased incrementally from the distal end thereof, a communicating transverse hole formed in the distal end portion of the mount piece, and which includes a sleeve mounted on said distal end portion, so that the mount piece and sleeve together constitute a check valve.

3. The endoscope according to claim 2, which includes a supporting cylinder in which said mount piece and said sleeve are fitted, the supporting cylinder being sealed against the inner surface of said mount member and sealed against the opening surface of said block by said seal member.

4. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said supporting cylinder has a pair of locking pieces opposing each other on the inner end thereof, and said cavity is formed to have a rectangular cross section, so that said locking pieces are engaged with the side wall of said cavity, thereby to permit the block to move axially, relative to the housing, while preventing such movement in a circumferential direction thereof.

5. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said mount piece has a flange extending radially outward on an intermediate portion along the axial direction thereof, so that said flange is clamped between said supporting cylinder and said support member.

6. The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein said mount member has a pair of projections formed on the opposite positions of its outer end portion, said supporting cylinder has a pair of projections formed at positions matching with said projections at the outer end portion of said mount means, and said flange of said mount piece has a plurality of notches in which said projections of said mount means and said supporting cylinder can be respectively fitted.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said housing is made of an insulating material, and includes an insulating cap for covering said locking member, said support member, and said mount piece.

8. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein said housing is made of an insulating material, and includes an insulating cap for covering said locking member, said support member, and said mount piece.