Control switch device for an endoscope duct

• US 5,938,589 A
• Filed: 07/06/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wako, Fumihide, Akiba, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HATTON, IRA R
• Application Number:
  US09/110,216
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 600/104, 600/152, 600/156, 600/158, 600/159, 200/1 B, 200/5 A, 200/5 B
• US Class Current: 600/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00068 Valve switch arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/20 Driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/64 wherein the switch has more than two electrically distinguishable positions, e.g. multi-position push-button switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/014 Application surgical instrument

Abstract

The present invention provides a control switch device in which in an endoscope using an electrical control switch to carry out duct control, the conventional operation sense is left, and the flow rate in a duct can be regulated securely. An air/water feed switch portion disposed in an endoscope control section is configured so that a push button, first piston body, and second piston body are moved vertically by using a spring member in an upper and lower support cylinders. The second piston body is operated with an operation stroke which is longer than the stroke of the first piston body, and both of these piston bodies turn on/off an air feed switch and a water feed switch. Also, a suction switch using a pressure-sensitive sensor is used, and this suction switch is turned on/off by the piston body. At this time, in the suction switch, the operation pressure of the push button is detected, and suction of flow rate according to the operation pressure is effected. Also, a plurality of piston bodies capable of being moved vertically with an operation stroke may be provided, and the corresponding switches may be pushed sequentially by these plural piston bodies to variably control the flow rate.

Claims

1. A control switch device for an endoscope duct, comprising:

a plurality of switches for giving an operation control signal to an opening/closing valve control section for opening/closing a duct;

a first piston body, which is disposed in a support cylinder so as to be movable vertically, for turning on/off one of said plural switches by the operation of a first-stage stroke; and

a second piston body, which is disposed in a support cylinder so as to be movable vertically, for turning on/off another one of said plural switches by the operation of a second-stage stroke which is longer than the stroke of said first piston body after said first piston body has stopped.

2. A control switch device for an endoscope duct according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion center of said switch is located at a position shifted from the center of said piston body, and a stop auxiliary member for stabilizing the stopping state of said piston body is disposed at the same height as the pushed-down position of the movable portion.

3. A control switch device for an endoscope duct, comprising:

a piston body disposed so as to be moved vertically by a predetermined operation stroke in a support cylinder by the push of a push button; and

an operation state detecting switch which is turned on/off by said piston body and outputs a control signal corresponding to a manipulated variable of said push button at the on-time;

said control switch device being configured so that the control signal from said operation state detecting switch is supplied to an opening/closing valve control section for the endoscope duct to control the flow rate in the duct.

4. A control switch device for an endoscope duct according to claim 3, wherein a pressure-sensitive sensor is provided as said operation state detecting switch to control the flow rate by the pushing force of the operation.

5. A control switch device for an endoscope duct according to claim 3, wherein as said operation state detecting switch, there are provided a plurality of piston bodies arranged so as to be movable vertically with a different operation stroke in said support cylinder and a plurality of switches turned on/off sequentially by said plural piston bodies, so that the flow rate is controlled by the amount of said operation stroke.