Pincerlike instrument for endoscope

• US 6,953,430 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Kidooka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanagan, Beverly M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/797,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 600/104, 600/153, 600/156, 606/32, 606/46, 606/51, 606/52, 606205-210
• US Class Current: 600/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/06 Biopsy forceps , e.g. with cup-shaped jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1445 at the distal end of a shaft, e.g. forceps or scissors at the end of a rigid rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation

Abstract

A pincerlike instrument for an endoscope, comprising a flexible sheath, a pair of limbs, and a water supply channel. The pair of limbs, being provided at the fore-end of the flexible sheath, opens and closes as a pincers by remote operations from the base-end of the flexible sheath. The water supply channel is formed inside the flexible sheath for ejecting water from the fore-end of the flexible sheath by supplying the water from the base-end of the flexible sheath. A water ejection opening for the water supply channel is disposed at the base portion of the pair of limbs between the two limbs with the water ejection opening facing forward.

Claims

1. A pincerlike instrument for an endoscope, comprising:

a flexible sheath;

a pair of limbs provided at the fore-end of said flexible sheath, that open and close as a pincers, by remote operations from the base-end of said flexible sheath;

a water supply channel that is formed inside said flexible sheath for ejecting water from the fore-end of said flexible sheath by supplying said water from said base-end of said flexible sheath; and

a pair of pivots such that one pivot of said pair of pivots is arranged on one side of the axis and another pivot of said pair of pivots is arranged on another side of the axis, at the front-end section of said flexible sheath,

wherein a water ejection opening of said water supply channel is disposed at the base portion of said pair of limbs and between said two limbs, with said water ejection opening facing forward, and

wherein each of said limbs is separately rotatable about a respective pivot of said pair of pivots, and said water supply channel passes between said pair of pivots.

2. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said water ejection opening is positioned to be coaxial with the axis of the front-end section of said flexible sheath.

3. An instrument according to claim 1, wherein said limbs are insulated from each other and function as high-frequency current electrodes.

4. The instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

first and second electric-conductive operating wires each electrically and mechanically connected to a respective limb of the pair of limbs,

wherein the water supply channel is positioned between the first and second electric-conductive operating wires over an entire length of the first and second electric-conductive operating wires.

5. The instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

first and second arm sections each formed integrally with a respective limb of the pair of limbs and extending away from the fore-end beyond the pair of pivots,

wherein the first and second arm sections are connected to a respective electric-conductive operating wire configured to mechanically rotate the pair of limbs about the pair of pivots, respectively.

6. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the water supply channel includes a hard plastic pipe having the water ejection opening and fixedly connected to an intra-sheath portion of the water supply channel at a position inside the flexible sheath, and

wherein the intra-sheath portion of the water supply channel is not exposed to an exterior of the fore-end of the flexible sheath.

7. The instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a non-conductive spacer disposed between the pair of limbs and electrically insulating the pair of limbs from one another,

wherein the pair of pivots respectively penetrate the non-conductance spacer in a generally lateral direction.

8. The instrument according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fore-end member including at least one of hard plastic or ceramic, the fore-end member being fixedly connected to the fore-end of the flexible sheath and including a slit facing forward.