Endoscope

Abstract

An endoscope includes: a treatment instrument elevator base including a contact surface which contacts with a treatment instrument inserted into a treatment instrument insertion channel, and rotatably provided to a distal end to elevate the instrument; a contact portion provided to the distal end to contact with the instrument when the elevator base is elevated; a first leading portion provided to the contact surface to lead the instrument to a predetermined position on the contact surface as the elevator base is rotated; a holding portion provided to the contact surface and the contact portion, and including a grasping surface for sandwiching the instrument with a diameter not exceeding a predetermined value; and a second leading portion provided to the contact portion to lead the instrument larger than the grasping surface away from the holding portion.

1 . An endoscope comprising:
 an insertion portion including a distal end on a distal end side thereof and inserted into a body cavity;   a treatment instrument insertion channel disposed in the insertion portion and communicating with the distal end;   a treatment instrument elevator base including a contact surface which comes in contact with a treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, the treatment instrument elevator base rotatably provided to the distal end to elevate the treatment instrument through the contact of the contact surface with the treatment instrument in accordance with the operation of operation portion;   a contact portion provided to the distal end to be contactable with the treatment instrument when the treatment instrument elevator base is elevated;   a first leading portion provided to the contact surface of the treatment instrument elevator base to lead the treatment instrument to a predetermined position on the contact surface in accordance with a rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base;   a holding portion provided to the contact surface and the contact portion and including a grasping surface of a predetermined size for sandwiching, between the contact surface and the contact portion, the treatment instrument led by the first leading portion, the treatment instrument having a diameter not exceeding a predetermined value; and   a second leading portion provided to the contact portion to lead and hold the treatment instrument in a direction away from the holding portion, the treatment instrument being larger in size than the grasping surface of the holding portion.   
     
     
         2 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first leading portion is configured to form a tilted surface or a curved surface for leading the treatment instrument to an edge portion of the contact surface of the treatment instrument elevator base.   
     
     
         3 . The endoscope according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the holding portion is configured such that the grasping surface is disposed at the edge portion of the contact surface when the treatment instrument elevator base is elevated.   
     
     
         4 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second leading portion is configured to form a tilted surface or a curved surface for leading the treatment instrument to a predetermined fixing position.   
     
     
         5 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the treatment instrument is a guide wire.   
     
     
         6 . The endoscope according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the guide wire has a diameter at least in the range of from 0.02 inches to 0.04 inches.   
     
     
         7 . An endoscope comprising:
 an insertion portion including a distal end on a distal end side thereof and inserted into a body cavity;   a treatment instrument insertion channel disposed in the insertion portion and communicating with the distal end;   a treatment instrument elevator base including a contact surface which comes in contact with a treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, the treatment instrument elevator base rotatably provided to the distal end to elevate the treatment instrument through the contact of the contact surface with the treatment instrument in accordance with the operation of operation portion;   a contact portion provided to the distal end to be contactable with the treatment instrument when the treatment instrument elevator base is elevated;   a leading portion for leading the treatment instrument to a predetermined position on the contact portion in accordance with a rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base; and   a holding fixture portion provided to the contact surface and the contact portion and including a grasping surface for sandwiching, between the contact surface and the contact portion, the treatment instrument led by the leading portion, the treatment instrument having a diameter not exceeding a predetermined value.   
     
     
         8 . The endoscope according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the leading portion is a tilted surface or a curved surface.   
     
     
         9 . An endoscope comprising:
 an insertion portion including a distal end on a distal end side thereof and inserted into a body cavity;   a treatment instrument insertion channel disposed in the insertion portion and communicating with the distal end;   a treatment instrument elevator base rotatably provided to the distal end to elevate a first treatment instrument or a second treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, in accordance with the operation of operation portion;   a fixing member disposed to the distal end and functioning as a fulcrum when the treatment instrument elevator base is actuated to change the direction of the first treatment instrument or the second treatment instrument;   a first treatment instrument holding portion provided to the treatment instrument elevator base to hold, at a first position, the first treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel;   a second treatment instrument holding portion provided to the treatment instrument elevator base to hold, at a second position different from the first position, the second treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel;   a holding fixture portion provided to each of the treatment instrument elevator base and the fixing member to sandwich, between the treatment instrument elevator base and the fixing member, the first treatment instrument elevated by the treatment instrument elevator base; and   a leading portion provided to the fixing member to lead the first treatment instrument elevated in accordance with a rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base to the holding fixture portion of the fixing member, without leading the second treatment instrument elevated in accordance with the rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base to the holding fixture portion.   
     
     
         10 . The endoscope according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the holding fixture portion of the fixing member is disposed in a plane including a locus plane defined by the movement of the first treatment instrument holding portion in accordance with the rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base.   
     
     
         11 . The endoscope according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the leading portion is a tilted surface or a curved surface formed on the fixing member.   
     
     
         12 . The endoscope according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the leading portion is a tilted surface or a curved surface formed on the fixing member.   
     
     
         13 . The endoscope according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first treatment instrument is a guide wire having an outer diameter equal to or less than a predetermined diameter; and   wherein the second treatment instrument is a treatment instrument having an outer diameter greater than the predetermined diameter.   
     
     
         14 . The endoscope according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the treatment instrument elevator base includes a contact surface which comes in contact with the first treatment instrument or the second treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel, and   wherein the contact surface is formed with an elevator-base-side leading portion for leading the first treatment instrument and the second treatment instrument in accordance with the rotating movement of the treatment instrument elevator base such that the first treatment instrument and the second treatment instrument are made in contact with and held at the first position and the second position, respectively.   
     
     
         15 . The endoscope according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first treatment instrument holding portion includes a wall portion for latching the first treatment instrument.