U.S. patent application number 16/260380 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-23 for endoscope.
This patent application is currently assigned to OLYMPUS CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is OLYMPUS CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Nobuaki AKUI.
Application Number | 20190150709 16/260380 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54479684 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-23 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190150709 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
AKUI; Nobuaki |
May 23, 2019 |
ENDOSCOPE
Abstract
There is provided an endoscope capable of realizing equal
operability by either a left or right hand without upsizing an
operation portion. For this purpose, an operation portion is formed
in a bilaterally symmetrical shape; a suction button and a bending
lever are disposed at a center in a left and right width direction
of the operation portion facing each other; and respective arm
portions are disposed in a state of being rotated around a central
axis of the bending lever by a predetermined angle relative to up,
down, left and right tilt directions defined for the bending
lever.
Inventors: |
AKUI; Nobuaki; (Tokyo,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
OLYMPUS CORPORATION |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
54479684 |
Appl. No.: |
16/260380 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15201703 |
Jul 5, 2016 |
10231605 |
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16260380 |
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PCT/JP2015/058328 |
Mar 19, 2015 |
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15201703 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 25/0147 20130101;
A61B 1/015 20130101; A61B 1/0052 20130101; A61B 1/0057 20130101;
A61B 1/04 20130101; A61M 25/0138 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 1/005 20060101
A61B001/005; A61M 25/01 20060101 A61M025/01; A61B 1/04 20060101
A61B001/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 16, 2014 |
JP |
2014-102625 |
Claims
1. An endoscope comprising: an insertion portion insertable into a
subject and comprising a bending-portion bendable in all directions
including four directions of up, down, left and right directions
with a longitudinal axis as a center; four wires configured to
cause the bending portion to bend by pulling, distal end sides of
the four wires being inserted through the insertion portion; an
operation portion linked to a proximal end of the insertion
portion; an operation button projectingly disposed at a center in a
left and right width direction of the operation portion; a button
linking member provided in the operation portion and linked to the
operation button; an operation lever disposed at the center in the
left and light width direction of the operation portion so that the
operation lever and the operation button face each other as viewed
from a front and back of the operation portion, the operation
portion being tiltable in all directions including four directions
corresponding to the up, down, left and right directions of the
bending portion; and a wire pulling member including a central part
to which one end of the operation lever is connected, the wire
pulling member including four fixing portions in a periphery
portion of the central part, the four wires being respectively
fixed to the four fixing portions, and a housing formed in a
substantially cylindrical shape, the wire pulling member being
disposed inside the housing, the housing supporting the wire
pulling member rotatably around two axes orthogonal to each other,
the housing being arranged at a center in the left and right width
direction of the operation portion, the housing being arranged to
adjoin the button linking member, wherein two wires of the four
wires are disposed on a right side of the button linking member,
and an other two wires of the four wires are disposed on a left
side of the button linking member.
2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein each of the four
wires is inserted through a guide coil.
3. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the guide coil is
fixed to the housing.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation application U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/201,703 filed on Jul. 5, 2016 which is a
continuation of PCT/JP2015/058328 filed on Mar. 19, 2015 and claims
benefit of Japanese Application No. 2014-102625 filed in Japan on
May 16, 2014, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated
herein by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an endoscope in which a
bending portion performs a bending motion in conjunction with an
operation of tilting a bending lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] Conventionally, endoscopes have been widely used in medical
and industrial fields. Some endoscopes are provided with an
elongated and flexible insertion portion. In general, such flexible
endoscopes are provided with a bending portion capable of freely
performing a bending motion in a predetermined direction in
accordance with a user's manual operation, on a distal end side of
the insertion portion.
[0004] Among the endoscopes, especially in a small-diameter
endoscope for which an amount of force for bending is small, and
the bending portion of which bends with a small radius of
curvature, such as a bronchial endoscope, each portion is generally
configured so that a grasping portion provided on the operation
portion is grasped by three fingers of a middle finger, a third
finger and a little finger of a left hand, a bending lever is
operated by a thumb, and various kinds of switches/buttons such as
a suction button are operated by a forefinger. Further, in order to
easily realize a similar operation not only by a left hand but also
by a right hand on an endoscope of this kind, for example, Japanese
Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H8-299255 discloses a
technique in which the bending lever is extended backward from a
side portion of the operation portion in an L shape, a finger
hooking portion is disposed on a back side of the operation
portion, and a suction button is disposed on a
longitudinal-direction central axis of the operation portion, on a
switch portion set on a front side of the operation portion.
[0005] By the way, as for the endoscope with a small diameter, such
as a bronchial endoscope, it is also demanded to cause the bending
portion to perform a bending motion not only in two directions,
such as up and down directions, but also in any of directions
including up, down, left and right directions. As a technique for
realizing such a bending motion by an operation input to a single
bending lever, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
Publication No. 2003-325437 discloses a bending apparatus provided
with a wire pulling member having four arm portions to which
proximal end portions of pulling wires (pulling members)
corresponding to up, down, left and right bending directions are
fixed, respectively, and an operation instruction lever (bending
lever) for giving an instruction to cause a tilt direction of and
an amount of tilt of the wire pulling member to change and cause a
predetermined pulling wire, among the respective pulling wires, to
move by a predetermined amount.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An endoscope according to an aspect of the present invention
includes: an insertion portion insertable into a subject and having
a bending portion bendable in all directions including four
directions of up, down, left and right directions with a
longitudinal axis as a center; four wires configured to cause the
bending portion to bend by pulling, distal end sides of the four
wires being inserted through the insertion portion; an operation
portion linked to a proximal end of the insertion portion; an
operation button projectingly disposed at a center in a left and
right width direction of the operation portion; a button linking
member provided in the operation portion and linked to the
operation button; an operation lever disposed at the center in the
left and right width direction of the operation portion so that the
operation lever and the operation button face each other in front
and behind, and tiltable in all directions including four
directions corresponding to the up, down, left and right directions
of the bending portion; and a wire pulling member tiltably provided
in the operation portion, the operation lever being coupled with a
central part of the wire pulling member, and proximal end sides of
the wires being coupled with respective distal end sides of four
arm portions extended in cross directions from the central part;
wherein tilt directions of the operation lever for causing the
bending portion to bend in the up, down, left and right directions
are set to correspond to four directions of the left and right
width directions of the operation portion and directions orthogonal
to the left and right width directions, respectively; extending
directions of the four arm portions of the wire pulling member are
disposed at positions rotated around a central axis of the
operation lever by a set angle relative to the four tilt directions
set for the operation lever; and the button linking member is
provided at a position facing the wire pulling member and is
positioned between and faced by two arm portions among the four arm
portions so that the four arm portions do not interfere with the
button linking member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external appearance of an
endoscope;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the external appearance
of the endoscope;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a top view showing the external appearance of the
endoscope;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement
relationship between a wire pulling member and a cylinder;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an arrangement
relationship between a bending operation mechanism and the
cylinder;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an internal structure
body of the bending operation mechanism;
[0013] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal
structure body of the bending operation mechanism;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing main portions of a
distal end portion and a bending portion;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the distal end portion
along a IX-IX line in FIG. 8;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the bending portion
along a X-X line in FIG. 8; and
[0017] FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the bending portion
along an XI-XI line in FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described
with reference to drawings. The drawings are related to the
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing
an external appearance of an endoscope; FIG. 2 is a right side view
showing the external appearance of the endoscope; FIG. 3 is a top
view showing the external appearance of the endoscope; FIG. 4 is an
explanatory diagram showing an arrangement relationship between a
wire pulling member and a cylinder; FIG. 5 is a perspective view
showing an arrangement relationship between a bending operation
mechanism and the cylinder; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an
internal structure body of the bending operation mechanism; FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure body
of the bending operation mechanism; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional
view showing main portions of a distal end portion and a bending
portion; FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the distal end portion
along a IX-IX line in FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing
the bending portion along a X-X line in FIG. 8; and FIG. 11 is a
sectional view showing the bending portion along an XI-XI line in
FIG. 8.
[0019] An endoscope 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1
and 2 is a bronchial electronic endoscope, and the endoscope 1 is
configured having an insertion portion 2 formed in an elongated
tube shape, an operation portion 3 linked to a proximal end of the
insertion portion 2, a universal cord 4, which is an endoscope
cable disposed extending from the operation portion 3, and an
endoscope connector 5 disposed at a distal end of the universal
cord 4.
[0020] The insertion portion 2 is configured with a tubular member
having flexibility to which a distal end portion 6, a bending
portion 7 and a flexible tube portion 8 are linked in this order
from the distal end side.
[0021] For example, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a distal end rigid
portion 10 made of metal is provided in the distal end portion 6,
and, in the distal end rigid portion 10, an image pickup unit 11
which includes an image pickup device such as a CCD and a CMOS, a
pair of light guides 12 and a treatment instrument insertion
channel 13 are held.
[0022] Further, in the distal end portion 6, a most distal end
bending piece 20 forming a substantially cylindrical shape is
fitted on a proximal end side of the distal end rigid portion 10,
and an outer circumference of the most distal end bending piece 20
is covered with bending rubber 22. On an inner circumference of the
most distal end bending piece 20, wire fixing portions 21 are
provided at four positions around an insertion axis O. A distal end
of any one of four pulling wires 23 inserted through the insertion
portion 2 is fixed to each of the wire fixing portions 21.
[0023] Here, in order to efficiently dispose each component member
without increasing a diameter of the distal end portion 6, the
image pickup unit 11, which is a large-sized member, and the
treatment instrument insertion channel 13 are arranged side by side
on right and left in the distal end rigid portion 10 and the most
distal end bending piece 20 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and the respective
light guides 12 are disposed in spaces formed above and below by
the arrangement. Note that, in the present embodiment, up, down,
left and right directions of the distal end portion 6 (insertion
portion 2) are, for example, directions defined to correspond to
up, down, left and right directions of an image picked up by the
image pickup unit 11.
[0024] Further, in order to prevent interference of the image
pickup unit 11 and the treatment instrument insertion channel 13
with each pulling wire 23, the respective wire fixing portions 21
are provided at positions rotated around the insertion axis O by a
predetermined angle relative to the up, down, left and right
positions of the distal end portion 6. That is, for example, as
shown in FIG. 9, the most distal end bending piece 20 is provided
with the respective wire fixing portions 21 at positions rotated
left and right, respectively, around the insertion axis O by an
angle within a range of 30 to 60 degrees (more specifically, for
example, positions rotated left and right by 39 degrees,
respectively), with the up direction of the distal end portion 6 as
a reference, and positions rotated left and right, respectively,
around the insertion axis O by an angle within the range of 30 to
60 degrees (more specifically, for example, positions rotated left
and right by 39 degrees, respectively), with the down direction of
the distal end portion 6 as a reference. In other words, the
respective pulling wires 23 are routed at positions rotated around
the insertion axis O by a predetermined angle relative to the up,
down, left and right directions, respectively, in the distal end
portion 6.
[0025] The bending portion 7 is configured so that the bending
portion 7 can be caused to actively bend in all circumferential
directions around the insertion axis O, including the up, down,
left and right directions, in response to an operation input to the
operation portion 3 by a surgeon or the like. That is, the bending
portion 7 of the present embodiment is configured having a bending
piece set 24, for example, in which a plurality of bending pieces
25 are linked and which has pivoted portions 25a disposed in the up
and down directions of the insertion portion 2 (see FIG. 8) on a
distal end side, and pivoted portions 25b disposed in the left and
right directions of the insertion portion 2 on a proximal end
side.
[0026] Inside the bending piece set 24, a signal cable 11a which
extend from the image pickup unit 11, the light guides 12 and the
treatment instrument insertion channel 13 are inserted in an
arrangement substantially similar to an arrangement in the distal
end portion 6. Further, an outer circumference of the bending piece
set 24 is covered with the bending rubber 22 extending from a
distal end portion 6 side.
[0027] Further, on a predetermined bending piece 25 constituting
the bending piece set 24, wire guides 26 in which the respective
pulling wires 23 are to be inserted are formed. Similarly to the
wire fixing portions 21 described above, the wire guides 26 are
provided at positions rotated around the insertion axis O by a
predetermined angle relative to up, down, left and right positions
of the bending portion 7. That is, for example, as shown in FIGS.
10 and 11, the predetermined bending piece 25 is provided with the
respective wire guides 26 at positions rotated left and right,
respectively, around the insertion axis O by an angle within a
range of 30 to 60 degrees (more specifically, for example,
positions rotated to a left side by 34 degrees and to a right side
by 44 degrees, respectively) with the up direction of the bending
portion 7 as a reference, and positions rotated left and right,
respectively, around the insertion axis O by an angle within the
range of 30 to 60 degrees (more specifically, for example,
positions rotated to the left side by 42 degrees and to the right
side by 45 degrees, respectively) with the down direction of the
bending portion 7 as a reference. In other words, the respective
pulling wires 23 are routed at positions rotated around the
insertion axis O relative to the up, down, left and right
directions, respectively, in the bending portion 7.
[0028] The flexible tube portion 8 is configured with a tubular
member having flexibility of being passively bendable. Inside the
flexible tube portion 8, the signal cable 11a, light guides 12 and
treatment instrument insertion channel 13 described above are
inserted (none of them is shown here).
[0029] The operation portion 3 is configured having a bend
preventing portion 30 connected to the flexible tube portion 8 in a
state of covering a proximal end of the flexible tube portion 8, a
grasping portion 31 which is linked to the bend preventing portion
30 and which can be grasped by a hand of a user or the like, and an
operation portion body 32 linked to a proximal end side of the
grasping portion 31. Note that, in the present embodiment, the
directions or the like around the insertion axis O in the operation
portion 3 are defined based on a state of the user or the like
grasping the grasping portion 31, and, more specifically, forward,
backward, left and right directions (front, back, left and right
side faces, and the like) based on the user or the like grasping
the grasping portion 31 are defined for the operation portion
3.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the grasping portion 31 is formed in a
bilaterally symmetrical shape relative to the insertion axis O (the
central axis), and the user or the like can grasp the grasping
portion 31 by either a left hand or a right hand similarly.
[0031] Further, a treatment instrument insertion portion 35 is
provided on a front on a distal end side of the grasping portion
31. The treatment instrument insertion portion 35 is configured
having a treatment instrument insertion port 35a through which
various kinds of treatment instruments (not shown) are to be
inserted. Inside the operation portion 3, the treatment instrument
insertion channel 13 is communicated to the treatment instrument
insertion port 35a via a branch member not shown. Further, a
forceps plug (not shown), which is a cover member for blocking the
treatment instrument insertion port 35a, can be detachably attached
to the treatment instrument insertion portion 35.
[0032] The operation portion body 32 is configured with a hollow
member forming a substantially partially spherical shape which is
swollen mainly toward left and right sides and forward, on the
proximal end side of the grasping portion 31. On a front side of
the operation portion body 32, an operation button group 40 for
executing various kinds of functions of the endoscope 1 is
disposed. On the other hand, a bending lever 45 as an operation
lever for performing a bending operation of the bending portion 7
is disposed on a back side of the operation portion body 32.
Furthermore, the universal cord 4 is extended from one side portion
(for example, a left side portion) of the operation portion body
32.
[0033] Here, a left and right shape of the operation portion body
32 is a shape swollen bilaterally symmetrically relative to the
insertion axis O. On left and right side faces on a distal end side
of the operation portion body 32, guiding recess portions 32a for
guiding the forefinger or the like of the user grasping the
grasping portion 31 to the operation button group 40 are formed,
respectively.
[0034] The universal cord 4 extends up to the operation portion 3
from the distal end portion 6 side through the inside of the
insertion portion 2, and it is, furthermore, a composite cable in
which various kinds of signal lines extending from the operation
portion 3, the light guides 12 of a light source apparatus (not
shown) and, furthermore, an air/water feeding tube extended from an
air/water feeding apparatus (not shown) are inserted inside.
[0035] The endoscope connector 5 is configured having an electric
connector portion 5a to which a signal cable for connecting to a
video processor (not shown), which is an external apparatus, is
connected, on a side face portion as well as having a light source
connector portion 5b to which the light guides and electric cables
connecting to the light source apparatus, which is an external
apparatus, are connected, and an air/water feeding plug 5c for
connecting an air/water feeding tube (not shown) from the air/water
feeding apparatus (not shown), which is an external apparatus.
[0036] Next, a configuration of each portion in the operation
portion body 32 will be described in more detail.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the operation button group 40 is
configured having, for example, a suction button 41a as an
operation button projecting from a suction valve 41 detachably
fitted to the operation portion body 32, and two button switches 42
to which arbitrary functions among the various kinds of functions
of the endoscope 1 can be allocated.
[0038] The suction button 41a and the button switches 42 are
arranged so as to be bilaterally symmetrical on the front side of
the operation portion body 32. That is, in the present embodiment,
the suction button 41a is disposed at a center in a left and right
width direction of the operation portion body 32 so as to be
superposed on the insertion axis O. Further, the two button
switches 42 are disposed at positions bilaterally symmetrical, with
the insertion axis O sandwiched between them, on a more distal end
side than the suction button 41a.
[0039] Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a cylinder 43 as a
button linking member to be linked to the suction valve 41 is
provided inside the operation portion body 32. The cylinder 43 is
adapted so that the suction valve 41 can be detachably fitted to
the cylinder 43, and is disposed at the center in the left and
right width direction of the operation portion body 32 so as to be
superposed on the insertion axis O to correspond to the disposition
of the suction button 41a.
[0040] The bending lever 45 is configured with a joystick type
lever, for example, tiltable in all directions including the up,
down, left and right directions. The bending lever 45 is disposed
at a position where the bending lever 45 is bilaterally
symmetrical, on the back side of the operation portion body 32.
That is, in the present embodiment, the bending lever 45 is
disposed at the center in the left and right width direction of the
operation portion body 32 so as to be superposed on the insertion
axis O. Here, as for the tilt directions of the bending lever 45,
for example, the left and right directions of tilt operations are
defined as the left and right width direction of the operation
portion 3, which is a direction orthogonal to the insertion axis O,
and the up and down directions of tilt operations are defined as a
direction orthogonal to the left and right width direction, for
example, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0041] More specifically, the tilt directions of the bending lever
45 of the present embodiment are respectively defined as follows,
for example: a left side of FIG. 3 is a tilt direction for causing
the bending portion 7 to bend to the left side (a left tilt
direction); a right side of FIG. 3 is a tilt direction for causing
the bending portion 7 to bend to the right side (a right tilt
direction); a lower side of FIG. 3 is a tilt direction for causing
the bending portion 7 to bend to an upper side (an up tilt
direction); and an upper side of FIG. 3 is a tilt direction for
causing the bending portion 7 to bend to a lower side (a down tilt
direction).
[0042] A finger contact portion 46 which the thumb or the like of
the user or the like can be caused to abut is provided at a tip end
portion of the bending lever 45. Further, a bending operation
mechanism 50 is coupled with a proximal end side of the bending
lever 45 inside the operation portion 3, and the bending lever 45
is capable of causing the bending portion 7 to bend in an arbitrary
direction via a pulling motion of each pulling wire 23 performed by
the bending operation mechanism 50.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the bending operation mechanism 50
is configured having a housing 51 forming a substantially
cylindrical shape, a rotation frame 52 which is pivotally supported
so as to be rotatable (swingable) in the housing 51, a base member
53 which is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable (swingable)
in the rotation frame 52, and a wire pulling member 54 fixed to the
base member 53.
[0044] The housing 51 is configured with a member forming a
substantially cylindrical shape, and shaft holes 51a facing each
other are made in a peripheral wall of the housing 51.
[0045] The rotation frame 52 is configured with a frame body, for
example, forming a substantially rectangular shape. At centers of
both longitudinal-direction end portions of the rotation frame 52,
a pair of screw holes 52a facing each other are made, and,
furthermore, at centers of both lateral-direction end portions, a
pair of shaft holes 52b facing each other are made. By screws 55
inserted in the respective shaft holes 51a of the housing 51,
respectively, being screwed with the respective screw holes 52a,
the rotation frame 52 is pivotally supported to be rotatable
relative to the housing 51.
[0046] The base member 53 is configured with a member forming a
substantially cylindrical shape. A fitting hole 53a is made at a
central part of the base member 53, and the proximal end side of
the bending lever 45 is coupled with the fitting hole 53a by
insertion. Further, a pair of flat portions 53b facing each other
are formed on a peripheral portion of the base member 53, and screw
holes 53c facing each other (in FIG. 7, only one of the screw holes
53c is shown) are made in the flat portions 53b. By screws 56
inserted in the respective shaft holes 52b of the rotation frame
52, respectively, being screwed with the respective screw holes
53c, the base member 53 is pivotally supported to be rotatable
relative to the rotation frame 52. By the base member 53 being
supported by the housing 51 via the rotation frame 52 in this way,
the bending lever 45 coupled with the base member 53 can tilt in an
arbitrary direction.
[0047] The wire pulling member 54 is configured with a plate-like
member from which arm portions 54b are extended in four directions
mutually different from one another. More specifically, in the
present embodiment, the wire pulling member 54 is configured with a
cross-shaped plate-like member in which an angle formed by mutually
adjoining arm portions 54b is set to be 90 degrees, and central
part 54a is fixed to the base member 53 via screws 57. That is, the
bending lever 45 is coupled with the wire pulling member 54 via the
base member 53. Further, on distal end sides of the respective arm
portions 54b, wire fixing holes 54c are made, and proximal end
sides of the respective pulling wires 23 extended from an insertion
portion 2 side are fixed to the wire fixing holes 54c. Thereby, the
wire pulling member 54 can pull a predetermined pulling wire 23
corresponding to a tilt state of the bending lever 45 by a
predetermined amount of pulling. Note that, the angle formed by the
respective arm portions 54b is not limited to 90 degrees. For
example, the angle can be arbitrarily changed within a range of 90
degrees.+-.30 degrees.
[0048] The bending operation mechanism 50 configured as described
above is disposed so that the bending operation mechanism 50 faces
the cylinder 43 in front and behind in the operation portion body
32. In this case, in the bending operation mechanism 50, the
respective arm portions 54b are disposed at positions rotated
around a central axis OI of the bending lever 45 by an angle within
a range of 30 to 60 degrees (for example, positions rotated by 45
degrees) relative to the up, down, left and right tilt directions
defined for the bending lever 45. Thereby, for example, as shown in
FIG. 4, the bending operation mechanism 50 is arranged in a state
that the cylinder 43 is positioned between and faced by two arm
portions 54b of the wire pulling member 54.
[0049] Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, two respective
stays 58 extending to both sides of the cylinder 43 are provided on
the housing 51 of the bending operation mechanism 50; guide coils
23a are fixed to the stays 58; and each pulling wire 23 is inserted
in the guide coils 23a so that the pulling wire 23 is routed,
taking a detour to avoid interference with the cylinder 43.
[0050] In such a configuration, for example, when the user or the
like grasps the grasping portion 31 of the operation portion 3 and
causes the bending lever 45 to tilt in the left tilt direction by
the thumb of the hand grasping the grasping portion 31, mainly
pulling wires 23 coupled with two arm portions 54b located in the
right tilt direction are pulled. Thereby, mainly two pulling wires
23 located on a left side of a bending direction are pulled in the
bending portion 7, and the bending portion 7 is bent to a left
side.
[0051] Further, for example, when the user or the like grasps the
grasping portion 31 of the operation portion 3 and causes the
bending lever 45 to tilt in the right tilt direction by the thumb
of the hand grasping the grasping portion 31, mainly pulling wires
23 coupled with two arm portions 54b located in the left tilt
direction are pulled. Thereby, mainly two pulling wires 23 located
on a right side of a bending direction are pulled in the bending
portion 7, and the bending portion 7 is bent to a right side.
[0052] Further, for example, when the user or the like grasps the
grasping portion 31 of the operation portion 3 and causes the
bending lever 45 to tilt in the up tilt direction by the thumb of
the hand grasping the grasping portion 31, mainly pulling wires 23
coupled with two arm portions 54b located in the down tilt
direction are pulled. Thereby, mainly two pulling wires 23 located
on an upper side of a bending direction are pulled in the bending
portion 7, and the bending portion 7 is bent to an upper side.
[0053] Further, for example, when the user or the like grasps the
grasping portion 31 of the operation portion 3 and causes the
bending lever 45 to tilt in the down tilt direction by the thumb of
the hand grasping the grasping portion 31, mainly pulling wires 23
coupled with two arm portions 54b located in the up tilt direction
are pulled. Thereby, mainly two pulling wires 23 located on a lower
side of a bending direction are pulled in the bending portion 7,
and the bending portion 7 is bent to a lower side.
[0054] Furthermore, by the user or the like guiding the forefinger
or the like of the hand grasping the operation portion 3 along the
guiding recess portions 32a to the operation button group 40 and
performing a pressing operation of the suction button 41a and the
like while grasping the operation portion 3, the various kinds of
functions by the endoscope 1, such as a suction motion, are
executed.
[0055] At that time, by the operation portion 3 (the grasping
portion 31) forming a bilaterally symmetrical shape, and the
suction button 41a and the bending lever 45 being arranged facing
each other at the center in the left and right width direction of
the operation portion 3 (the operation portion body 32), it is
possible to grasp the operation portion 3 similarly by either the
left or right hand, and, moreover, it is possible to manually
operate the suction button 41a and the bending lever 45 with equal
operability. In this case, since the respective arm portions 54b
are disposed in a state of being rotated around the central axis OI
of the bending lever 45 by a predetermined angle relative to the
up, down, left and right tilt directions defined for the bending
lever 45, it is possible to prevent the arm portions 54b and the
like from interfering with the cylinder 43. Especially, even when
the bending lever 45 is caused to be tilted in the up or down tilt
direction, it is possible to prevent the arm portions 54b, the
pulling wires 23 and the like which are linked with the tilt from
interfering with the cylinder 43. Therefore, it is possible to
arrange the suction button 41a and the bending lever 45 facing each
other in front and behind at the center in the left and right width
direction of the operation portion 3, without causing the wire
pulling member 54 (the bending operation mechanism 50) to be
considerably separated from the cylinder 43, and it is possible to
realize equal operability by either a left or right hand without
upsizing the operation portion 3.
[0056] Further, even when the tilt directions of the bending lever
45 are caused to be different from the extending directions of the
respective arm portions 54b, around the central axis OI of the
bending lever 45 on the operation portion 3 side, it is possible
to, by routing the pulling wires 23 to be routed in the bending
portion 7 at positions rotated around the insertion axis O by a set
angle relative to the up, down, left and right bending directions
of the bending portion 7 substantially according to the above
state, easily cause the up, down, left and right bending directions
of the bending portion 7 to correspond to the up, down, left and
right tilt directions defined for the bending lever 45.
Furthermore, since it is not necessary to route the pulling wires
23 in the left and right directions in the bending portion 7 if the
above disposition is adopted, it is possible to, for example, by
using a layout in a bending portion capable of bending only in the
up and down directions, in which the image pickup unit 11 which is
a large-sized member and the treatment instrument insertion channel
13 are arranged side by side on right and left as it is, realize
bending motions in the up, down, left and right directions without
increasing an outer diameter.
[0057] Note that the present invention is not limited to each
embodiment described above, and various modifications and changes
are possible. The modifications and changes are also within the
technical scope of the present invention. For example, though
description has been made on an example in which the present
invention is applied to a bronchial endoscope in the embodiment
described above, the present invention is not limited to that and
is also applicable, for example, to a urinary endoscope or the
like.
[0058] Further, it goes without saying that the tilt directions
defined for the bending lever are not limited to those described
above and that the operation buttons are not limited to the suction
button and the like.
* * * * *