Cover-type endoscope apparatus

• US 5,695,450 A
• Filed: 03/29/1993
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akira, Tamada, Osamu, Yabe, Hisao, Iida, Yoshihiro, Itoh, Hideo, Yamazaki, Minoru, Tashiro, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): FLANAGAN, BEVERLY MEINDL
• Application Number:
  US08/038,657
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6, 128/7, 128/844, 600/121, 600/123, 600/153, 600/156, 600/154, 600/155, 600/203, 600/187
• US Class Current: 600/123
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part

Abstract

A cover-type endoscope apparatus comprises a cover and a covering endoscope used by being inserted into the cover. At least one hand-side tube line of tube lines forming a plurality of channels provided in the cover has a thickness larger than a thickness of an inserting-side tube line.

Claims

1. A cover-type endoscope apparatus comprising:

a cover including a plurality of channels, wherein each said channel includes a flexible inserting-side tube line contained in an insert section of said cover and a flexible hand-side tube line located external to said inserting-side, said flexible inserting-side tube lines included in said channels being independent of one another;

a covering endoscope in which an insert section is joined to an operation section and said operation section is joined to a universal cord, at least said operation section being covered with said cover; and

a coupling means mounted directly to said operation section, including a plurality of coupling joint tubes, each of which is insertable into one of said inserting-side tube lines and one of said hand-side tube lines,

wherein for at least one of said channels an inner diameter of said hand-side tube line is greater than an inner diameter of said corresponding inserting-side tube line, and

wherein at least one of said coupling joint tubes has an inner diameter which is greater at a connection to said hand-side tube line than at a connection to said insertion-side tube line.

2. A cover-type endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means includes a means for preventing said coupled tube lines from coming off.

3. A cover-type endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inserting-side tube line is formed of a multi-lumen tube.

4. A cover-type endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cover is provided with an endoscope operation section fixing mouth portion at one end thereof for fixing the operation section of said covering endoscope, and said coupling means is mounted to said endoscope operation section fixing mouth portion.

5. A cover-type endoscope apparatus comprising:

a covering endoscope in which an insert section is joined to an operation section and said operation section is joined to a universal cord;

a cover including a plurality of channels covering at least said operation section, wherein each said channel includes a flexible inserting-side tube line contained in an insert section of said cover and a flexible hand-side tube line located external to said inserting-side, one end of said cover being provided with an operation section fixing mouth portion for fixing said operation section of said covering endoscope; and

a coupling means mounted directly to said operation section fixing mouth portion, including a plurality of coupling joint tubes, each of which is insertable into one of said inserting-side tube lines and one of said hand-side tube lines,

wherein for at least one of said channels an inner diameter of said hand-side tube line is greater than an inner diameter of said corresponding inserting-side tube line, and

wherein at least one of said coupling joint tubes has an inner diameter which is greater at a connection to said hand-side tube line than at a connection to said insertion-side tube line.

6. A cover-type endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said coupling means includes a means for preventing said coupled tube lines from coming off.

7. A cover-type endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein flexible inserting-side tube lines are independent of one another.

8. A cover-type endoscope apparatus comprising:

a cover including a plurality of channels covering at least said operation section, wherein each said channel includes a flexible inserting-side tube line formed of a multi-lumen tube contained in an insert section of said cover and a flexible hand-side tube line located external to said inserting-side, said flexible inserting-side tube lines included in said channels being independent of one another;

a covering endoscope in which an insert section is joined to an operation section and said operation section is joined to a universal cord, at least said operation section being covered with said cover; and

a coupling means mounted directly to a fixing mouth portion of said operation section, including a plurality of coupling joint tubes, each of which is insertable into one of said inserting-side tube lines and one of said hand-side tube lines,

wherein for at least one of said channels an inner diameter of said hand-side tube line is greater than an inner diameter of said corresponding inserting-side tube line, and

wherein at least one of said coupling joint tubes has an inner diameter which is greater at a connection to said hand-side tube line than at a connection to said insertion-side tube line.