Endoscope, distal end cap-equipped endoscope and endoscope cleaning sheath

• US 8,491,467 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Shinichi, Suzuki, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasztejna, Matthew J
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRY III, KEVIN GRANT
• Application Number:
  US12/410,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 600101-183, 239/86, 239/288.5
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements

Abstract

An endoscope including, an insertion section, a distal end section body which constitutes a distal end section of the insertion section and has at least an observation window, a first flow path which is formed to supply a liquid to the distal end section body side and communicates with a first fluid source, a second flow path which is formed to supply a gas to the distal end section body side and communicates with a second fluid source, and a nozzle having a jet outlet which jets a mixture fluid, in which a fluid supplied from the first flow path and a fluid supplied from the second flow path are mixed, toward the observation window, wherein the observation window is disposed, relative to the jet outlet, on a side of one of the first flow path and the second flow path, which has a smaller fluid supply amount.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion section which is configured to be inserted in a body cavity;

a distal end section body comprising a distal end section of the insertion section and has at least an observation window at a flat surface of a distal end surface;

a first flow path positioned and configured to communicate with a first fluid source so as to supply liquid and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the flat surface of the distal end surface;

a second flow path positioned and configured to communicate with a second fluid source so as to supply air and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the flat surface of the distal end surface apart from the opening end of the first flow path; and

a nozzle formed in an arcuate shape along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end surface to form a spatial communication between the first flow path and the second flow path so that the liquid supplied from the first flow path and the air supplied from the second flow path are mixed at an area above the arcuate shaped nozzle to yield a mixture fluid, the nozzle having a jet outlet configured to jet out the mixture fluid, passing across the observation window,

wherein the jet outlet of the nozzle is disposed offset on the arcuate shaped nozzle formed by the first flow path and the second flow path, the offset from a center equally distant from the opening end of the first flow path and the opening end of the second flow path being closer to the opening end of the second flow path, and the jet outlet of the nozzle is formed in a linearly tapered shape such that an outer opening area of the jet outlet toward the observation window is smaller than an opening area at the spatial communication area.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the jet outlet is disposed on a plane which is continuous with, or substantially parallel to, a plane in which the observation window is disposed.

3. A distal end cap-equipped endoscope comprising:

an insertion section which is configured to be inserted in a body cavity;

a distal end section body comprising a distal end section of the insertion section and has at least an observation window at a flat surface of a distal end surface;

a first flow path positioned and configure to communicate with a first fluid source so as to supply liquid and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the flat surface of the distal end surface;

a second flow path positioned and configure to communicate with a second fluid source so as to supply air and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the flat surface of the distal end surface apart from the opening end of the first flow path;

a distal end cap which is detachably attached to the distal end section body, the distal end cap is structured as a nozzle formed in an arcuate shape along an outer peripheral portion of the flat surface of the distal end surface to form a spatial communication between the first flow path and the second flow path so that the liquid supplied from the first flow path and the air supplied from the second flow path are mixed at an area above the arcuate shaped nozzle to yield a mixture fluid, the nozzle having a jet outlet configured to jet out the mixture fluid, passing across the observation window;

wherein the jet outlet of the nozzle is disposed offset on the arcuate shaped nozzle formed by the first flow path and the second flow path, the offset being closer to the opening end of the second flow path than the opening end of the first flow path in a direction orthogonal to a central axis running through a center of the distal end surface of the jet outlet.

4. The distal end cap-equipped endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the jet outlet is disposed on a plane which is continuous with, or substantially parallel to, a plane in which the observation window is disposed.

5. An endoscope cleaning sheath comprising:

a cleaning sheath body which is fitted over an insertion section of an endoscope having at least an observation window at a flat surface of a distal end surface of a distal end section body;

a first flow path positioned and configured to communicate with a first fluid source to supply liquid and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the distal end surface;

a second flow path positioned and configured to communicate with a second fluid source so as to supply air and has an opening end open to a more outer peripheral side than the observation window on the distal end surface apart from the opening end of the first flow path; and

a nozzle which is formed in an arcuate shape along an outer peripheral portion of the distal end surface to form a spatial communication between the first flow path and the second flow path so that the liquid supplied from the first flow path and the air supplied from the second flow path are mixed at an area above the arcuate shaped nozzle to yield a mixture fluid, the nozzle having a jet outlet configured to jet out the a mixture fluid, passing across the observation window,

wherein the jet outlet of the nozzle is disposed offset on the arcuate shaped nozzle formed by the first flow path and the second flow path, the offset being closer to the opening end of the second flow path than the opening end of the first flow path in a direction orthogonal to a central axis running through a center of the distal end surface of the jet outlet.

6. The endoscope cleaning sheath according to claim 5, wherein the jet outlet is disposed on a plane which is continuous with, or substantially parallel to, a plane in which the observation window is disposed.