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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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.