US2012184818A1PendingUtilityA1

Endoscope

41
Assignee: SUGISAWA TATSUYAPriority: Jan 19, 2011Filed: Jan 5, 2012Published: Jul 19, 2012
Est. expiryJan 19, 2031(~4.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Tatsuya SugisawaKeisuke Naito
A61B 1/00163A61B 1/0051A61B 1/00078A61B 1/0055A61B 1/015
41
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

There is provided an endoscope that prevents occurrence of buckling of a flexible body built in an insertion part of the endoscope without damaging other built-in components, and is easy to manufacture without impairing the curving manipulability. The endoscope includes a curvable portion, and an elongated insertion part being inserted into a subject. The endoscope has an elongated flexible body built in the insertion part, and a flexible protective tube that covers an outer periphery of the flexible body. The protective tube has a first region that covers the range of the flexible body, and a second region that covers the range of the soft portion. The elastic constant of the first region is smaller than the elastic constant of the second region, and the external diameter of the protective tube in the first region is larger than the external diameter of the protective tube of the second region.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An endoscope comprising:
 a curvable portion provided to extend at a distal end of a soft portion having flexibility,   an elongated insertion part to be inserted into a subject,   an elongated flexible body built in the insertion part, and   a protective tube that covers an outer periphery of the flexible body,   wherein the protective tube has a first region that covers the flexible body located at least in the curvable portion, and a second region that covers the flexible body located in the soft portion, and   wherein the elastic constant of the first region is smaller than the elastic constant of the second region, and the external diameter of the protective tube in the first region is larger than the external diameter of the protective tube in the second region.   
     
     
         2 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first region and the second region are made of different materials.   
     
     
         3 . The endoscope according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first region is made of a rubber-based material.   
     
     
         4 . The endoscope according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the surface of the rubber-based material of the first region is coated with fluorine-based coating.   
     
     
         5 . The endoscope according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the rubber-based material includes either silicone rubber or fluorine-based rubber.   
     
     
         6 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second region is made of a fluorine-based resin material.   
     
     
         7 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the second region is made of a fluorine-based resin material.   
     
     
         8 . The endoscope according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the fluorine-based resin material includes either polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA).   
     
     
         9 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the elastic constant is tensile modulus, the tensile modulus of the first region is in the range of 5 to 50 MPa, and the tensile modulus of the second region is in the range of 100 to 600 MPa.   
     
     
         10 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the elastic constant is tensile modulus, the tensile modulus of the first region is in the range of 5 to 50 MPa, and the tensile modulus of the second region is in the range of 100 to 600 MPa.   
     
     
         11 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the elastic constant is tensile modulus, the tensile modulus of the first region is in the range of 5 to 50 MPa, and the tensile modulus of the second region is in the range of 100 to 600 MPa.   
     
     
         12 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the tensile modulus of the second region is 2 to 20 times larger than the tensile modulus of the first region.   
     
     
         13 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the tensile modulus of the second region is 2 to 20 times larger than the tensile modulus of the first region.   
     
     
         14 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the tensile modulus of the second region is 2 to 20 times larger than the tensile modulus of the first region.   
     
     
         15 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protective tube in the first region and the protective tube in the second region are constituted by separate tube members, and   a connection part between the tube member of the first region and the tube member of the second region is arranged in the soft portion.   
     
     
         16 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the protective tube in the first region and the protective tube in the second region are constituted by separate tube members, and   a connection part between the tube member of the first region and the tube member of the second region is arranged in the soft portion.   
     
     
         17 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the protective tube in the first region and the protective tube in the second region are constituted by separate tube members, and   a connection part between the tube member of the first region and the tube member of the second region is arranged in the soft portion.   
     
     
         18 . The endoscope according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein a plurality of the flexible bodies covered with the protective tube is arranged inside the insertion part, and   the connection part between a protective tube member of the first region and a protective tube member of the second region is arranged at an axially different position for each of the protective tubes.   
     
     
         19 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the surface friction coefficient of the second region is smaller than the surface friction coefficient of the first region.   
     
     
         20 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the surface friction coefficient of the second region is smaller than the surface friction coefficient of the first region.   
     
     
         21 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the surface friction coefficient of the second region is smaller than the surface friction coefficient of the first region.   
     
     
         22 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the flexible body is an optical fiber that transmits illumination light to the distal end of the insertion part.   
     
     
         23 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the flexible body is an optical fiber that transmits illumination light to the distal end of the insertion part.   
     
     
         24 . The endoscope according to any one of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the flexible body is an optical fiber that transmits illumination light to the distal end of the insertion part.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2012184818A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.