Endoscope having a lubricant

• US 6,923,757 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Gonda, Kazuhiko, Abe, Masanao
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/152,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/130, 600/139, 600/128, 600/153, 600/182, 385/115, 385/117
• US Class Current: 600/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00071 Insertion part of the endoscope body A61B1/0055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/012 characterised by internal passages or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 169/04 Mixtures of base-materials and additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/00 Inorganic compounds or elements as ingredients in lubricant compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/061 Carbides; Hydrides; Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/062 Oxides; Hydroxides; Carbonates or bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/066 Molybdenum sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/105 Silica
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/16 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2201/18 Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2211/06 Perfluorinated compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/02 obtained from monomers containing carbon, hydrogen and halogen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/062 Polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE]
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/04 Siloxanes with specific structure
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/041 containing aliphatic substituents
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/042 containing aromatic substituents
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/043 containing carbon-to-carbon double bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/044 containing silicon-to-hydrogen bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/045 containing silicon-to-hydroxyl bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/046 : containing silicon-oxygen-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/047 : containing alkylene oxide groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/048 : containing carboxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/051 : containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2229/052 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2010/04 : Groups 2 or 12
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/01 : Physico-chemical properties
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/00 : Specified use or application for which the lubricating composition is intended
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/30 : Refrigerators lubricants or compressors lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/32 : Wires, ropes or cables lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/34 : Lubricating-sealants
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/36 : Release agents or mold release agents
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/38 : Conveyors or chain belts
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/40 : Generators or electric motors in oil or gas winning field
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/42 : Flashing oils or marking oils
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/44 : Super vacuum or supercritical use
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/50 : Medical uses

Abstract

An endoscope which has small bending resistance and is hard to be damaged or broken even when it is repeatedly used is disclosed. The endoscope includes a flexible insertion section 2 and an operation section 7 provided on the proximal end of the insertion section 2. The insertion section 2 has a sheath constructed from an outer layer 382 and the like, and elongated members such as an image guide 31 and light guides 32, 32 and the like are housed in lumens in the sheath. Further, each light guide 32 has an optical fiber bundle and a protective sheath 321 for protecting the optical fiber bundle. In the interior space of the protective sheath 321, a lubricant 5 containing a silicone oil and a solid lubricant is provided. The solid lubricant contains at least one of boron nitride, poly tetrafluoroethylene, and molybdenum disulfide. The solid lubricant is preferably formed into powder having an average grain size of 0.1 to 15 μm. By providing the lubricant 5 in the interior space of the lumen, bending resistance of the insertion section is reduced so that damage, breakage, or the like is hard to occur in the elongated members.

Claims

1. An endoscope, comprising:

a plurality of lumens, each lumen having an interior space;

at least one elongated member passing through the interior space of at least one of the lumens; and

a lubricant distributed in the interior space of at least one of the lumens, the lubricant including a silicone oil and a solid lubricant containing polytetrafluoroethylene.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope includes an insertion section having a bendable part, and the solid lubricant is distributed in at least the bendable part.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant is distributed around the elongated member.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the elongated member is an optical fiber bundle, and the silicone oil and the solid lubricant are distributed on at least a part of an outer surface of the optical fiber bundle.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the elongated member is an optical fiber bundle, and the silicone oil and the solid lubricant are distributed on at least a part of an outer surface of respective optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the solid lubricant is a powder.

7. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein an average grain size of the solid lubricant is in the range of 0.1 to 15 μ

m.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the solid lubricant is dispersed in the silicone oil.

9. A The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a kinematic viscosity of the silicone oil at 25°

C. is 10 to 500 cst.

10. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the silicone oil contains modified silicone oils as its main ingredient.