Endoscope cable having an excellent flexibility

Abstract

The present invention relates to an endoscope cable. Specifically, the present invention relates to a reusable or disposable colonoscope cable equipped with an environmentally friendly insertion tube that has excellent flexibility and excellent resistance to compression and twisting.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope cable. Specifically, the present invention relates to a reusable or disposable colonoscope cable equipped with an environmentally friendly insertion tube that has excellent flexibility and excellent resistance to compression and twisting. Background Technology

[0002] An endoscope is a tool that allows direct viewing of internal organs, etc., by directly inserting a camera into the body of an animal, such as a person. It can be formed by providing a camera and a joint part for adjusting the angle of the camera at one end of a cable, and providing a control part for operating the joint part and a display part for showing images captured by the camera at the other end of the cable.

[0003] Generally, an endoscope cable is structured such that an insertion cord, which includes a component for performing the role of a transmission to convey the operation of the control unit to the joint, a component for transmitting images captured by the camera, a component for cleaning the imaging area inside the human body, and a component for immediately removing polyps of organs, is entirely protected by an insertion tube. However, the insertion tube applied to conventional endoscope cables has insufficient flexibility, which reduces the flexibility of the endoscope camera and simultaneously has low resistance to external compression and twisting, which can damage the components of the insertion cord mounted inside; furthermore, there is a problem of not being environmentally friendly due to the inclusion of harmful substances.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for reusable or disposable colonoscope cables equipped with an environmentally friendly insertion tube that offers excellent flexibility and resistance to compression and twisting. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an endoscope cable equipped with an environmentally friendly insertion tube that is reusable or disposable, having excellent flexibility and resistance to compression and twisting. means of solving the problem

[0006] To solve the above problem, the present invention,

[0007] An endoscope cable having a camera and a joint for adjusting the camera angle connected to one end and a control unit for operating the joint connected to the other end, comprising an insertion cord including one or more configurations of a biopsy channel for collecting suspected lesion tissue, a transmission for operating the joint, a cleaning channel for spraying cleaning water or injecting air, and a communication cable, and an insertion tube that completely wraps and protects the insertion cord, wherein the insertion tube is placed on a support spaced 100 mm apart at room temperature according to standard ASTM D790 and the center of the insertion tube is pressed downward to a depth of 70 mm, and the flexibility, which is the force required without the insertion tube being damaged, is 12 N or less.

[0008] Herein, an endoscope cable is provided in which the compression strain (E) according to the following mathematical formula 1 is 1.3 or less when the insertion tube is compressed at room temperature with a force of 400 to 800 N according to standard ASTM D695.

[0009] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0010]

[0011] D in the above mathematical formula 1 o is the diameter before compression (mm), and △D is the length (mm) in which the diameter increases in the direction perpendicular to the compression direction due to compression.

[0012] In addition, the above-mentioned insertion tube is provided in accordance with the ISO 7800 standard, and one end of the insertion tube, having an outer diameter of 10 mm and a length of 200 mm, is fixed and a torque wrench is connected to the other end to apply a twist of 30° in the left or right direction, and the torsional stress is 0.7 N·m or less when measured.

[0013] In addition, the above-described insertion tube provides an endoscope cable characterized in that the total content of the top 10 hazardous substances under RoHS is 0.1% by weight or less based on the total weight of the insertion tube.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention provides an endoscope cable characterized in that the insertion tube comprises a spiral coil, a braided layer that wraps the spiral coil with a metal braid, and a jacket formed by extrusion on the braided layer.

[0015] Herein, the endoscope cable is provided, characterized in that the spiral coil is formed by transversely winding a flat wire having a width of 2 to 4 mm and a thickness of 0.3 to 0.5 mm spirally with a twist pitch of 3 to 5 mm.

[0016] In addition, the above-mentioned braided layer is characterized by having a braiding density (F) defined by the following mathematical formula 2 of 0.85 or less, thereby providing an endoscope cable.

[0017] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0018] F=(mW / 2πDe)×K m =mW / (2Lsin(B))

[0019] In the above mathematical formula 2,

[0020] m is the number of strokes of the braided body, and

[0021] W is the width (mm) of a single bundle of wires constituting one trowel, and

[0022] De is the layer depth (mm) of the unilayer, and

[0023] K m is the annual entry rate,

[0024] L is the twist pitch (mm) of the braid, and

[0025] B is a fraction (radians), πBi / 180=arctan(πDe / L), and

[0026] Bi is the braiding angle (θ) with respect to the cable center axis.

[0027] In addition, an endoscope cable is provided, characterized in that the shielding rate (K) defined by the mathematical formula 3 below is 55 to 98%.

[0028] [Mathematical Formula 3]

[0029] K(%)=(2F-F 2 )×100

[0030] Meanwhile, the above jacket provides an endoscope cable characterized by having a Shore A hardness of 75 to 90 according to the standard ASTM D2240.

[0031] Herein, the endoscope cable is provided, characterized in that the jacket is made of a thermoplastic resin comprising thermoplastic polyurethane or thermoplastic polyethylene.

[0032] Furthermore, the above thermoplastic resin is characterized by having a specific gravity of 1.0 to 1.2, a flexural modulus of 1,000 to 1,600 psi, a tensile strength of 5,000 to 6,500 psi, and an elongation of 500 to 750%, thereby providing an endoscope cable.

[0033] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned biopsy channel provides an endoscope cable characterized by having a biopsy forceps for collecting suspected lesion tissue mounted in a hollow portion.

[0034] In addition, the above transmission is arranged in pairs or more in directions facing each other, and includes a coil pipe and a wire mounted in a hollow portion inside the coil pipe, thereby providing an endoscope cable.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention provides an endoscope cable characterized in that the communication cable comprises a power line for supplying power to the camera, a communication line for receiving a video signal captured by the camera, and a ground line.

[0036] Meanwhile, the present invention provides an endoscope comprising: the endoscope cable; a camera connected to one end of the endoscope cable; a joint for adjusting the angle of the camera; and a control unit connected to the other end of the endoscope cable for operating the joint. Effects of the invention

[0037] The endoscope cable according to the present invention exhibits excellent effects, such as improved flexibility through an insertion tube of a novel configuration for protecting internal components, excellent resistance to compression and twisting, and environmental friendliness. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0038] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the configuration of one embodiment of an endoscope cable according to the present invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the spiral coil among the insertion tubes in the endoscope cable shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the braided layer in the insertion tube of the endoscope cable shown in Figure 1. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete, and to ensure that the concept of the present invention is sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same components.

[0040] The present invention relates to a reusable or disposable colonoscope cable, wherein a camera and a joint for adjusting the angle of the camera are connected to one end, and a control unit for operating the joint and a display unit for showing an image captured by the camera are connected to the other end.

[0041] In the case of reusable endoscope cables, an additional coating layer is applied to the surface of the outermost jacket for reuse after cleaning, whereas in the case of disposable endoscope cables, an additional coating layer is not applied to the surface of the outermost jacket.

[0042] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the configuration of one embodiment of an endoscope cable according to the present invention.

[0043] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the endoscope cable according to the present invention may include an insertion cord comprising: a biopsy channel (100) for collecting suspected lesion tissue, such as a polyp of an organ, for biopsy; a transmission (200) connected to the end of the cable for operating a joint portion that can change the angle of a camera; a cleaning channel (300) for cleaning the camera shooting area by spraying cleaning water or for suctioning out wrinkles such as internal organs by injecting air, or for sucking out removed tissue and impurities from the body; a communication cable (400) connected to the end of the cable for controlling a camera and transmitting images captured by the camera; a spiral coil (500) formed in a pipe shape as an insertion tube that completely wraps and protects the insertion cord; a braided layer (600) that wraps the spiral coil (500) and performs an electromagnetic shielding function; and a jacket (700) that wraps the braided layer (600).

[0044] Specifically, the biopsy channel (100) has biopsy forceps installed in the hollow portion for collecting suspected lesion tissue, such as polyps, inside the human body, so that when an endoscope operator discovers a polyp or the like through a camera and wishes to collect it, the biopsy forceps can be inserted from one end of the endoscope cable through the hollow portion of the biopsy channel (100) to collect the polyp or the like.

[0045] Additionally, the transmission (200) may be formed by arranging one or more pairs in opposing directions and mounting a wire (210) in the hollow portion inside the coil pipe (220), and the wire (210) may be connected to the operating portion at one end of the endoscope cable and the camera joint portion at the other end, respectively.

[0046] Accordingly, the endoscope operator can adjust the shooting angle of the camera connected to the camera joint by operating the camera joint by pulling or pushing a wire (210) constituting one or more transmissions (200) through an operating part connected to one end of the endoscope cable.

[0047] For example, a total of four transmissions (200) can be arranged in four directions (up, down, left, and right) on the endoscope cable, and the camera joint can be bent in the pulling direction by pulling one of the wires (210) of each pair of opposing transmissions (200) and pushing the other.

[0048] That is, when an endoscope operator pulls the wire (210) constituting the transmission (200) positioned upward through the control unit and pushes the wire (210) constituting the transmission (200) positioned downward, the camera joint connected to the wires (210) can be bent upward, thereby adjusting the shooting angle of the camera connected to the camera joint.

[0049] In addition, if the part to be photographed inside the human body is contaminated by bodily fluids, excretions, etc. and is difficult to observe, the endoscope operator can observe the contaminated part after removing the bodily fluids, excretions, etc. by spraying washing water through the washing channel (300). Also, if the part to be observed has wrinkles and it is difficult to observe the part folded by the wrinkles, the operator can observe the part folded by the wrinkles by injecting air through the washing channel (300) to flatten the wrinkles.

[0050] In addition, if necessary, a suction function to suck up the above-mentioned bodily fluids, excretions, etc. present in the body can also be performed through the washing channel (300).

[0051] Meanwhile, the communication cable (400) may include a power line that supplies power to the camera, a communication line that receives a video signal captured by the camera, a ground line, etc., and the communication line may be provided as a pair in which a pair of communication lines are twisted together.

[0052] The endoscope cable according to the present invention is provided with an insertion tube that completely wraps the insertion cord to protect the insertion cord, which includes the various configurations described above, from external shock or pressure. The insertion tube may include a spiral coil (500) formed in a pipe shape, a braided layer (600) that wraps the spiral coil (500) with a metal braid for electromagnetic shielding, and a jacket (700) formed by extrusion on the braided layer (600).

[0053] The above insertion tube is environmentally friendly, with a total content of 10 major RoHS hazardous substances of 0.1% by weight or less based on the total weight of the insertion tube, and may have a flexibility of 12 N or less according to the ASTM D790 standard, a compression strain of 1.3 or less according to the ASTM D695 standard, and a torsional stress of 0.7 N·m or less as measured according to the ISO 7800 standard.

[0054] Thus, the endoscope cable according to the present invention exhibits excellent effects, such as improved flexibility, excellent resistance to compression and twisting, and environmental friendliness.

[0055] Specifically, the jacket (700) of the above-mentioned insertion tube can be controlled to have a content of bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), which is one of the top 10 hazardous substances according to European RoHS standards, at 0.1 weight% or less, and cleaning of the inside of the extruder is important when extruding the jacket (700).

[0056] In addition, flexibility according to standard ASTM D790 can be evaluated by the force required when the insertion tube sample is placed on a support spaced 100 mm apart at room temperature and the center of the insertion tube sample is pressed downward to a depth of 70 mm without the insertion tube sample breaking, and the compressive strain according to standard ASTM D695 can be evaluated by calculating the compressive strain (E) according to Equation 1 below when the insertion tube sample is compressed with a force of 400 to 800 N at room temperature.

[0057] [Mathematical Formula 1]

[0058]

[0059] D in the above mathematical formula 1 o is the diameter before compression (mm), and △D is the length (mm) in which the diameter increases in the direction perpendicular to the compression direction due to compression.

[0060] Meanwhile, torsional stress measured in accordance with standard SIO 7800 can be evaluated as the torsional stress measured when one end of an insertion tube sample with an outer diameter of about 10 mm and a length of about 200 mm is fixed and a torque wrench is connected to the other end to apply a twist of 30° in the left or right direction.

[0061] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the spiral coil among the insertion tubes in the endoscope cable shown in Figure 1.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the spiral coil (500) can be formed by winding a flat wire, for example made of stainless steel, with a width (w) of 2 to 4 mm and a thickness of 0.3 to 0.5 mm, spirally with a twist pitch (P) of 3 to 5 mm.

[0063] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the braided layer in the insertion tube of the endoscope cable shown in Figure 1.

[0064] The braiding density of the braided layer (600) can be defined by the following mathematical formula 2, and by adjusting the braiding density (F) to 0.85 or less, the compound constituting the jacket (700) is partially injected into the empty space of the braided layer (600) during the solid extrusion of the jacket (700), thereby suppressing the formation of wrinkles or protrusions on the exterior of the jacket (700).

[0065] [Mathematical Formula 2]

[0066] F=(mW / 2πDe)×K m =mW / (2Lsin(B))

[0067] In the above mathematical formula 2, m is the number of turns of the braided body, that is, the number of bundles of wires arranged in parallel and wound together; W is the width (mm) of a single bundle of wires constituting one turn, which can be calculated as the number of wires constituting one turn (N) × the diameter of a single wire (d); De is the layer depth (mm) of the braided layer, that is, the diameter of an imaginary circle connecting the centers of the wires constituting the braided layer, which can be calculated as the inner diameter (Di) of the braided layer + 2.25 × the diameter of a single wire (d); and K m ε is the inductance rate, which indicates how much the length of the wire wound transversely in a spiral is extended relative to the total length of the braid, denoted as sqrt(1+(πDe / L)). 2 ) can be calculated as )=1 / cos(B), where L is the twist pitch (mm) of the braid and B is the braid (radians), and can be calculated as πBi / 180=arctan(πDe / L), where Bi is the braid angle (θ) with respect to the center axis of the cable.

[0068] Meanwhile, if the braiding density (F) of the braiding layer (600) exceeds 0.85, the empty space for the compound constituting the jacket (700) to be injected during the extrusion of the jacket (700) is insufficient, and the braided body shrinks, causing appearance defects such as wrinkles to occur on the exterior of the jacket (700) extruded on the braiding layer (600), and the flexibility of the endoscope cable may be reduced.

[0069] Furthermore, the braided layer (600) may have a shielding rate (K) defined by the following mathematical formula 3, and the shielding rate (K) may be 55% to 98%. Here, if the shielding rate (K) is less than 55%, malfunction of the communication cable (400) due to electromagnetic wave ingress may be a problem, whereas if it exceeds 98%, the flexibility of the endoscope cable is reduced and defects in the appearance of the jacket may be a problem.

[0070] [Mathematical Formula 3]

[0071] K(%)=(2F-F 2 )×100

[0072] Meanwhile, the jacket (700) is required to have an outer diameter of at least 10 mm for the insertion tube of the endoscope and an inner diameter of at least 7.7 mm for the installation of internal components constituting the insertion cord, so the thickness formed by extrusion may be about 0.4 to 0.7 mm.

[0073] Additionally, the jacket (700) may be made of a thermoplastic resin having a Shore A hardness of 75 to 90 according to standard ASTM D2240, for example, a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyethylene, etc. Additionally, the thermoplastic resin may have a specific gravity of 1.0 to 1.2, a flexural modulus of 1,000 to 1,600 psi, a tensile strength of 5,000 to 6,500 psi, and an elongation of 500 to 750%.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art may modify and change the present invention in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the claims below. Therefore, if a modified embodiment basically includes the components of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to be included within the technical scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0075] 100 : Biopsy Channel 200 : Transmission 300 : Washing channel 400 : Communication cable 500: Spiral coil 600 : Braided layer 700 : Jacket

Claims

Claim 1 An endoscope cable having a camera and a joint for adjusting the camera angle connected to one end and a control unit for operating the joint connected to the other end, comprising an insertion cord including one or more configurations of a biopsy channel for collecting suspected lesion tissue, a transmission for operating the joint, a cleaning channel for spraying cleaning water or injecting air, and a communication cable, and an insertion tube that completely wraps and protects the insertion cord, wherein the flexibility, which is the force required without breaking the insertion tube when the insertion tube is placed on a support spaced 100 mm apart at room temperature according to standard ASTM D790 and the center of the insertion tube is pressed downward to a depth of 70 mm, is 12 N or less. Claim 2 An endoscope cable according to claim 1, wherein when the insertion tube is compressed at room temperature with a force of 400 to 800 N in accordance with standard ASTM D695, the compressive strain (E) according to the following Equation 1 is 1.3 or less. [Equation 1] D in the above mathematical formula 1 o is the diameter before compression (mm), and △D is the length (mm) in which the diameter increases in the direction perpendicular to the compression direction due to compression. Claim 3 An endoscope cable according to claim 1, wherein the insertion tube is in accordance with standard ISO 7800, and the insertion tube has an outer diameter of 10 mm and a length of 200 mm, and one end of the insertion tube is fixed and a torque wrench is connected to the other end to apply a twist of 30° in the left or right direction, with a torsional stress of 0.7 N·m or less. Claim 4 An endoscope cable according to claim 1, characterized in that the total content of the RoHS 10 hazardous substances in the insertion tube is 0.1% by weight or less based on the total weight of the insertion tube. Claim 5 An endoscope cable according to claim 1, wherein the insertion tube comprises a spiral coil, a braided layer wrapping the spiral coil with a metal braid, and a jacket formed by extrusion on the braided layer. Claim 6 An endoscope cable according to claim 5, characterized in that the spiral coil is formed by transversely winding a flat wire having a width of 2 to 4 mm and a thickness of 0.3 to 0.5 mm spirally with a twist pitch of 3 to 5 mm. Claim 7 An endoscope cable according to claim 5, characterized in that the braided layer has a braiding density (F) defined by the following mathematical formula 2 of 0.85 or less. [Mathematical Formula 2] F=(mW / 2πDe)×K m =mW / (2Lsin(B)) In the above mathematical formula 2, m is the number of strands in the braid, W is the width (mm) of a single bundle of wires constituting one strand, De is the layer depth (mm) of the braided layer, and K m ε is the twist rate, L is the twist pitch of the braid (mm), B is the braid (radians) as πBi / 180=arctan(πDe / L), and Bi is the braid angle (θ) with respect to the center axis of the cable. Claim 8 An endoscope cable according to claim 7, characterized in that the shielding rate (K) defined by the following mathematical formula 3 is 55 to 98%. [Mathematical Formula 3] K(%)=(2F-F 2 )×100 Claim 9 In claim 5, the endoscope cable is characterized in that the jacket has a Shore A hardness of 75 to 90 according to standard ASTM D2240. Claim 10 An endoscope cable according to claim 9, characterized in that the jacket is made of a thermoplastic resin comprising thermoplastic polyurethane or thermoplastic polyethylene. Claim 11 An endoscope cable according to claim 10, characterized in that the thermoplastic resin has a specific gravity of 1.0 to 1.2, a flexural modulus of 1,000 to 1,600 psi, a tensile strength of 5,000 to 6,500 psi, and an elongation of 500 to 750%. Claim 12 An endoscope cable according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the biopsy channel is characterized by having a biopsy forceps for collecting suspected lesion tissue mounted in a hollow portion. Claim 13 An endoscope cable according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the transmission is arranged in pairs or more in directions facing each other and comprises a coil pipe and a wire mounted in a hollow portion inside the coil pipe. Claim 14 An endoscope cable according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the communication cable comprises a power line for supplying power to the camera, a communication line for receiving an image signal captured by the camera, and a ground line. Claim 15 An endoscope comprising an endoscope cable according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a camera connected to one end of the endoscope cable and a joint for adjusting the angle of the camera, and a control unit connected to the other end of the endoscope cable and for operating the joint.

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