Endoscope

• US 6,730,018 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Takase, Seisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M.
• Application Number:
  US09/895,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 600/130, 600/139, 600/143, 600/144, 600/133
• US Class Current: 600/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00078 with stiffening means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/125 using fluid circuits

Abstract

An endoscope has built-in components, which include a spiral tube, a braid, angulation wires, and angulation coils, passed through a sheathing of a flexible tube that is an integral part of a soft insertion member. Conditions are determined so that the sum total of strengths of forces the built-in components exert in correcting their extent of deformation that is caused by sterilization with high-temperature high-pressure steam will be larger than the strength of force the sheathing exerts in correcting its extent of deformation during the high-temperature high-pressure steam sterilization (which includes a high temperature load). Thus, the extent of deformation derived from sterilization with high-temperature high-pressure steam is suppressed.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a soft insertion member that includes a flexible tube, the insertion member having a sheathing layer;

a spiral tube, a braid, angulation wires, angulation coils, a light guide, signal cables, a therapeutic instrument passage channel and an aeration/perfusion tube provided at an inner side of the sheathing layer as built-in components; and

an elongated metallic member provided as another built-in component,

wherein the elongated metallic member suppresses deformation of the insertion member that is derived from a high-temperature load imposed during high-temperature high-pressure steam sterilization.

2. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of thermal deformation at which the elongated metallic member deforms is higher than a temperature of the high-temperature load, and a temperature of thermal deformation at which the sheathing layer deforms is lower than the temperature of the high-temperature load.

3. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the elongated metallic member is made of a super-elastic alloy.

4. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the elongated metallic member is made of a stainless steel.

5. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the sheathing layer is made of a resin.

6. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the high-temperature load is achieved at a temperature that ranges from substantially 115°

C. to substantially 142°

C.

7. An endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising means for changing the flexibility of the flexible tube.