Aspirator for endoscopic system

• US 4,973,311 A
• Filed: 12/28/1987
• Issued: 11/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Machidaseisakujyo, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Machidaseisakujyo, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Mitsuru, Umeda, Hiroyuki, Nishizawa, Toshinori, Iwakoshi, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTOWSKI, ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US07/138,074
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 604/27, 604/30-35, 604/65, 604/67, 604/93, 604/43, 604/118, 604/119, 604/120, 604/317, 604/319, 604/320, 128/4-11
• US Class Current: 604/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence

Abstract

An aspirator for an endoscopic system has a suction nozzle for aspirating obstacles and disposed at an end of an endoscope, a suction pump, a suction flask for receiving the aspirated obstacles, and a suction conduit for connecting the suction nozzle to the suction pump via the suction flask. The aspirator further comprises an electromagnetic valve disposed in the suction conduit, and an electromagnetic valve controller. The electromagnetic controller controls the electromagnetic valve such that the suction conduit is closed when an aspiration command signal is not supplied from an aspirator button during the operation of the suction pump, and such that the suction conduit is alternately opened and closed when the aspiration command signal is supplied from the aspirator button during the operation of the suction pump. TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Claims

1. An aspirator system for an endoscope, comprising:

an endoscope having an aspirating suction nozzle at its insertion end;

a suction pump;

a suction conduit connecting the suction nozzle to the suction pump;

intermittent aspirating means for alternately opening and closing the suction conduit during operation of the suction pump to carry out intermittent aspiration; and

an aspirator button for supplying an aspiration command signal to the intermittent aspiration means;

the intermittent aspirating means comprising;

(a) a first electromagnetic valve disposed in the suction conduit;

(b) a communicating path connected at one end to the suction conduit between the first electromagnetic valve and the suction pump, the other end of the path being open to atmosphere;

(c) a second electromagnetic valve disposed in the communicating path; and

(d) an electromagnetic valve controller means, for controlling the first electromagnetic valve to close the suction conduit when the aspiration command signal is not supplied from the aspirator button during operation of the suction pump, but controlling the first and second electromagnetic valves to open the suction conduit and alternately open and close the communicating path when the aspiration command signal is supplied by the aspirator during operation of the suction pump.

2. An aspirator system for an endoscope, comprising:

a suction nozzle disposed at the insertion end of the endoscope for aspirating obstacles;

a suction pump;

a suction conduit for connecting the suction nozzle to the suction pump;

intermittent aspirating means for automatically and alternately opening to atmosphere and closing the suction conduit during operation of the suction pump to carry out intermittent aspiration;

and an aspirator button for supplying an aspiration command signal to said intermittent aspirator means the aspirator button being electrically connected to said intermittent aspirating means;

wherein said intermitten aspirating means comprises;

a first electromagnetic valve disposed in the suction conduit;

a communicating path, one end thereof being connected to the suction conduit between the first electromagnetic valve and the suction nozzle, the other end thereof being open to atmosphere;

a second electromagnetic valve disposed in the communicating path; and

an electromagnetic valve controller means for controlling the first electromagnetic valve so as to close the suction conduit when the aspiration command signal is not supplied from the aspirator button during operation of the suction pump, and controlling the first and second electromagnetic valves to alternately open and close the suction conduit and the communicating path in opposite phase with each other when the aspiration command signal is supplied from the aspirator button during operation of the suction pump.