Treatment accessory for endoscope

• US 5,957,900 A
• Filed: 07/09/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ouchi, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US08/890,359
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 604/264, 604/280, 604/283, 604/21, 604/52, 604/53, 604/104-107, 600/104
• US Class Current: 604/264
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22012 in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2212 having a closed distal end, e.g. a loop
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/06 Solids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0074 Dynamic characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. openable, closable, expandable or deformable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool

Abstract

An accessory of an endoscope includes a tube. At least the distal end portion of the tube is formed to have a predetermined resilience, and a plurality of slits extending in the axial direction of the tube are formed at the distal end portion of the tube. A mechanism is provided to bias the distal end of the tube towards the proximal end thereof so that the band portions between the plurality of slits radially expand to define a plurality of openings. The mechanism can forcibly strain the band portions and forcibly and radially expand the band portions.

Claims

1. An accessory for an endoscope, comprising a tube, said tube being provided with a distal end portion, said distal end portion having a plurality of openings, said tube having a flexible portion at least at said distal end portion thereof, a plurality of slits extending along the axis of said tube and formed on said flexible portion to define bendable band sections, a mechanism applying a force in a direction where said flexible portion is compressed along the axis of said tube, said mechanism including a wire, a distal end of said wire being connected to the distal end portion of said tube, said plurality of openings being formed as said bendable band sections expand radially due to the force applied by said mechanism, and a clearance between the wire and the inner surface of the tube allowing fluid to flow through said clearance and said plurality of openings.

2. The accessory according to claim 1, further provided with a connector portion provided at a proximal end of said tube, an external device being connected with said connector portion.

3. The accessory according to claim 2, wherein said connector portion includes a mouth piece coupled to said tube, said mouth piece receiving a connecting portion of said external device.

4. The accessory according to claim 3, wherein said mouth piece is provided coaxially with said tube.

5. The accessory according to claim 3, wherein an axis of said mouth piece is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said tube.

6. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a proximal end of said wire is secured to a second tube which is connected to said tube.

7. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein said second tube is fixed with respect to said tube, said bendable band sections being radially expanded.

8. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein said second tube is movable with respect to said tube along the axial direction of said tube, the amount of radial expansion of said bendable band sections being determined in accordance with a position of said second tube.

9. The accessory according to claim 8, wherein a manipulation member is connected to said second tube, said wire being moved along the axis of said tube as said manipulation member is operated.

10. The accessory according to claim 8, wherein said mechanism is further provided with a stopping structure for arresting said second tube at at least one predetermined position along the axis of said tube.

11. The accessory according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined position is a position where said bendable band sections expand.

12. The accessory according to claim 10, wherein said at least one predetermined position includes at least a first and a second stopping position, the amount of radial expansion of said bendable band sections when said second tube is located at said first position being greater than that when said second tube is located at said second position.

13. The accessory according to claim 12, wherein when said tube is used for injecting fluid, said second tube is positioned at said first position.

14. The accessory according to claim 12, wherein when said tube is used for dispersing pigment solution, said second tube is located at said second position.

15. The accessory according to claim 12, wherein when said tube is used for aspiration, said second tube is located at said second position.

16. The accessory according to claim 12, wherein when said tube is used as a collecting instrument, an object can be caught when said second tube is located at said first position, and wherein an object can be grasped when said second tube is located at said second position.

17. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein a distal end portion of said wire is hard to bend.

18. The accessory according to claim 17, wherein said wire is provided with a sheath at said distal end portion, said distal end portion being hard to bend due to said sheath.

19. The accessory according to claim 17, wherein said distal end portion of said wire is rigid.

20. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein an end piece is provided at the distal end portion of said tube to which a distal end of said wire is connected.

21. The accessory according to claim 20, wherein said end piece extends in the axial direction of said tube, starting from the distal end portion of said tube.

22. The accessory according to claim 20, wherein a proximal end surface of said end piece is on the proximal end side of said tube with respect to a center of said bendable band sections when said bendable band sections are expanded radially.

23. The accessory according to claim 22, wherein said proximal end surface is formed as a conical surface.

24. The accessory according to claim 23, wherein an apical angle of said conical surface is substantially 90 degrees.

25. The accessory according to claim 23, wherein an apical angel of said conical surface is less than 90 degrees.

26. The accessory according to claim 22, wherein said proximal end surface of said end piece is a plane surface which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of said tube.

27. The accessory according to claim 20, wherein a portion of said wire adjacent to said end piece is rigid.

28. The accessory according to claim 6, wherein said wire is movable along an axis thereof.

29. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein a maximum width of each of said plurality of openings is less than or equal to an inner diameter of said tube.