Endoscope fluid controller

• US 6,095,971 A
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• 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: Takahashi, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAISE, BRADFORD CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US09/175,315
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 600/118, 600/156, 600/158, 600/159
• US Class Current: 600/159
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements

Abstract

An endoscope fluid controller of the present invention controls the opening/closing and flow rate of a duct. To control the flow rate of a water feed duct, air feed duct, and the like, for example, three pinch valves are disposed in series in a soft duct, and the pushing amount of a pressing portion of the pinch valve is adjusted so that the collapsing amount of soft duct changes. By controlling the opening/closing of the pinch valve by using a control switch disposed in the operation section, the flow rate in the duct can be controlled variably. In this case, three-stage control of flow rate can be carried out. In the case of a suction duct, the pinch valve can be disposed on the atmosphere open duct side. Also, a display section indicating the operation state and flow rate of each of various ducts is provided on a control panel etc. of an electromagnetic valve unit. On the soft duct other than the valve portion, a hard covering member for preventing duct deformation is disposed. Further, separately from the control switch in the operation section, a second control switch having the same function is disposed in an auxiliary peration section on the electromagnetic valve unit side.

Claims

1. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a soft duct disposed as part of a fluid duct in an endoscope;

a regulating valve of a collapse type for changing the collapsing amount of the soft duct; and

control means for variably controlling the flow rate in the duct by performing the control of the regulating valve, wherein a plurality of collapse type regulating valves are disposed in series for the duct, and the flow rate in the duct is variably controlled by selectively opening/closing the plurality of regulating valves.

2. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 1, wherein, the regulating valve is disposed in an atmosphere open duct of a suction duct.

3. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 1, wherein the soft duct is a suction soft duct;

and a duct deformation preventive member for preventing the deformation of duct shape is disposed at a portion of the suction soft duct other than the portion of the regulating valve.

4. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 1, wherein a regulating valve capable of changing the collapsing amount of soft duct arbitrarily is provided as the collapse type regulating valve, and the flow rate in the duct is variably controlled by the control of the collapsing amount of the regulating valve.

5. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a soft duct disposed as part of a fluid duct in an endoscope;

a regulating valve of a collapse type for changing the collapsing amount of the soft duct; and

control means for variably controlling the flow rate in the duct by performing the control of the regulating valve, wherein a regulating valve capable of changing the collapsing amount of the soft duct arbitrarily is provided as the collapse type regulating valve, and the flow rate in the duct is variably controlled by the control of the collapsing amount of the regulating valve.

6. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 5, wherein, the regulating valve is disposed in an atmosphere open duct of a suction duct.

7. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 5, wherein the soft duct is a suction soft duct;

and a duct deformation preventive member for preventing the deformation of duct shape is disposed at a portion of the suction soft duct other than the portion where the regulating valve is located.

8. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a duct control unit having an electromagnetic valve;

control means for opening/closing various ducts disposed in an endoscope by using the electromagnetic valve; and

a display section or a sound generating section which indicates the operation state of each of the various ducts.

9. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 8, wherein a monitor for showing a picture of the interior of body being observed is used as a display section indicating the operation state of each of the various ducts.

10. An endoscope fluid controller according to claim 8, wherein the display section simultaneously indicates the flow rate of each of the various ducts.

11. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a soft duct disposed as part of a fluid duct in an endoscope;

a regulating valve of a collapse type for changing the collapsing amount of the soft duct; and

control means for variably controlling the flow rate in the duct by performing the control of the regulating valve;

wherein a duct deformation preventive member for preventing the deformation of duct shape is disposed at a portion of the soft duct other than the portion where the regulating valve is located;

wherein a hard covering member for preventing the duct deformation, having an inside diameter slightly larger than an outside diameter of the soft duct, is disposed around the soft duct as the duct deformation preventive member.

12. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a soft duct disposed as part of a fluid duct in an endoscope;

a regulating valve of a collapse type for changing the collapsing amount of the soft duct; and

control means for variably controlling the flow rate in the duct by performing the control of the regulating valve;

wherein a duct deformation preventive member for preventing the deformation of duct shape is disposed at a portion of the soft duct other than the portion where the regulating valve is located;

wherein an adhesion spring is disposed as a covering member for preventing the duct deformation.

13. An endoscope fluid controller comprising:

a first control switch disposed in an endoscope operation section;

control means for controlling fluid in various ducts disposed in an endoscope based on the operation of the first control switch; and

a second control switch for controlling a fluid by using the control means, which is disposed on a control equipment side to which the endoscope is connected separately from the first control switch,

wherein a permission switch for making the operation of the second control switch effective is disposed on an endoscope side.