Curved part of endoscope

• US 6,482,149 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Torii, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAM, JOCELYN D
• Application Number:
  US09/568,697
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 600/139, 600/141, 600/144, 600/146, 600/149, 600/142
• US Class Current: 600/142
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/008 Articulations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

A curve control wire, which is inserted in a curved part of an endoscope, is inserted and guided in guide holes of connecting pins, which are rotatably provided inside a plurality of joint rings. A body of the connecting pin is inserted into a hole formed in the joint ring, and the connecting pin body is provided with a flange for preventing the body from falling into the inside of the joint ring and an annular plate for preventing the body from falling to the outside of the joint ring. By such a structure, the curve control wire can be easily inserted into the guide holes. A protection member is attached to the end of the connecting pin. The outer peripheral face of the protection member is made of a material softer than internal members, which are arranged inside the curved part, such as a light guide, a signal cable, a forceps tube, and an air and water supply tube. Thus, the internal members are prevented from being damaged. The joint rings are connected such that intervals between the bodies of the joint rings become gradually larger from the manual control part side of the curved part to the tip component side of the curved part. Thereby, a view area from an objective optical system arranged in the tip component becomes large.

Claims

1. A curved part of an insertion part of an endoscope, comprising:

a plurality of joint rings which are connected with each other along an axial direction of the insertion part;

a plurality of guide members, each of the plurality of guide members being rotatably attached to an inner periphery of each of the plurality of joint rings, each of the plurality of guide members having a guide hole, each of the plurality of guide members having, on an outer periphery thereof, a first stopper preventing the guide member from falling into an inside of the joint ring and a second stopper preventing the guide member from falling to an outside of the joint ring; and

a curve control wire which curves the curved part, the curve control wire being inserted in the guide holes of the plurality of guide members.

2. The curved part of the insertion part of the endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein a protection member is attached to the guide member so as to protect an internal member provided in the curved part of the endoscope.

3. The curved part of the insertion part of the endoscope as defined in claim 2, wherein the protection member is made of material softer than the internal member.

4. The curved part of the insertion part of the endoscope as defined in claim 1, wherein a protection member is attached to a projection formed at the inner periphery of the joint ring so as to protect an internal member provided in the curved part of the endoscope.

5. The curved part of the insertion part of the endoscope as defined in claim 4, wherein the protection member is made of material softer than the internal member.