Insertion tool

Abstract

Provided is an insertion tool that makes it possible to smoothly proceed with various treatments by firmly supporting the vagina by means of a cylindrical body section while reducing burden on the patient.　This insertion tool has a cylindrical body section to be inserted from the opening of the vagina. The body section has a lumen, a first portion (210) provided at a portion including the distal end at which a distal-end opening (101a) communicating with the lumen is positioned, and a second portion (220) positioned closer to the base-end side than the first portion. The outer circumferential surface (111) of the first portion is formed so as to be more flexible than the second portion (220).

Description

Insertion tool

[0001] The present invention relates to an insert.

[0002] Conventionally, insertion instruments (transvaginal tubes) used in laparoscopic or other procedures for removing the uterus (for example, "laparoscopic hysterectomy") have been known. Patent Document 1 listed below discloses an insertion instrument having a tubular main body (tubular body) that is inserted into the vagina through the opening of the vagina.

[0003] In the procedure using the insertion tool of Patent Document 1, when incising the uterus, the surgeon supports a portion of the vagina by pressing the tip of the main body inserted into the vagina against the vagina to lift it up. The surgeon checks the supported portion of the vagina under laparoscopy from the ventral side. By using the supported portion of the vagina as a guide for the resection position (the position where the vagina and uterus are cut), the surgeon can smoothly proceed with the uterine resection by accessing from the ventral side. Furthermore, when suturing the resection position after hysterectomy, the surgeon supports the vaginal cuff (resected end) with the tip of the main body inserted into the vagina. By supporting the vaginal cuff, which is the area to be sutured, from inside the vagina, the surgeon can easily check the position of the vaginal cuff from the ventral side, allowing the procedure to proceed smoothly.

[0004] JP 2004-41395 A

[0005] In the procedure using the insertion tool described in Patent Document 1 and elsewhere, the tip of the main body is pressed against the inside of the vagina as necessary during each procedure of hysterectomy. Therefore, if the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the main body that comes into contact with the vagina is excessively hard, the burden on the patient increases. On the other hand, if the main body is excessively flexible, the burden on the patient may be reduced, but the main body may not be able to firmly support the vagina from the inside.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provides an insertion device that can realize a smooth procedure by reducing the burden on the patient and enabling the tubular main body to firmly support the vagina from the inside.

[0007] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by any one of the following means (1) to (7).

[0008] (1) An insertion tool having a tubular main body portion to be inserted from an opening of the vagina, the main body portion having an inner cavity, a first portion provided at a portion including a tip where a tip opening communicating with the inner cavity is located, and a second portion located closer to the base end than the first portion, and the outer peripheral surface of the first portion is formed to be more flexible than the second portion.

[0009] (2) The insertion tool according to (1), wherein a protrusion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the second portion, protruding in a direction away from the central axis of the main body.

[0010] (3) The insertion tool according to (1) or (2), which has a grippable handle provided at or near the base end of the main body.

[0011] (4) The insertion tool according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the distal end surface and the inner peripheral surface of the first portion are formed to be more flexible than the second portion.

[0012] (5) The insertion tool according to (4), wherein the main body portion has a first member that constitutes the outer peripheral surface, the tip surface, and the inner peripheral surface of the first portion, a second member that constitutes the second portion, and a third member that connects the first member to the second member, and the first member is made of a material that is softer than the second member and the third member.

[0013] (6) The insertion tool described in (5), wherein the first member has an outer peripheral rib that forms the outer peripheral surface of the first part, an inner peripheral rib that forms the inner peripheral surface of the first part, and a fitting space provided between the outer peripheral rib and the inner peripheral rib; the third member has an insertion rib that is inserted into the fitting space to fit with the first member; and the second member has a groove portion into which the base end of the third member can fit, and a blind portion that covers the outer peripheral surface of the base end of the first member when connected to the third member.

[0014] (7) The insertion tool according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the main body portion has a base end opening communicating with the inner cavity, and a holding member configured to be detachable from the base end opening and capable of holding a medical instrument inserted into the inner cavity via the base end opening.

[0015] In the above-mentioned insertion tool, the outer peripheral surface of the first portion, which includes the tip of the tubular main body, is formed to be more flexible than the second portion, which is located more proximal than the first portion. Therefore, the above-mentioned insertion tool can reduce the burden on the patient when performing operations such as inserting the tip of the main body into the vagina and pressing the outer peripheral surface of the tip against the vagina. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned insertion tool, the second portion, which is located more proximal than the first portion, is formed to be harder than the first portion, so that the second portion can firmly support the vagina from the inside, allowing various procedures using the insertion tool to proceed smoothly.

[0016] 1 is a perspective view showing an insertion tool according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a side view of the insertion tool; 3 is an exploded perspective view of the insertion tool; 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the distal end of the insertion tool; 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the proximal end of the insertion tool; 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the proximal end of the insertion tool; 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of use of the insertion tool;

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description does not limit the technical scope or meaning of terms described in the claims. Also, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0018] An insertion tool 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0019] 1 to 6 are diagrams showing an insertion tool 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of how the insertion tool 10 is used.

[0020] In the description herein, the direction in which main body 100 of insertion tool 10 extends is defined as the "axial direction," and is indicated by arrows X1-X2 in the drawings. In addition, the side of insertion tool 10 that is inserted into the opening Na of vagina N (the side indicated by arrow X1) is defined as the distal end, and the side opposite the distal end that is manipulated by hand (the side indicated by arrow X2) is defined as the proximal end.

[0021] <Insertion Tool 10> As shown in Fig. 7, the insertion tool 10 can be used in a procedure for removing a patient's uterus (for example, laparoscopic hysterectomy). With at least a portion of the main body 100 of the insertion tool 10 inserted into the vagina N, the surgeon can place various medical instruments 300 into the vagina N via the insertion tool 10, or use the insertion tool 10 to support uterine resection performed from the abdominal side or suturing of the vaginal stump.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the insertion device 10 has a cylindrical main body 100 that is inserted from the opening Na of the vagina N.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the main body 100 has an inner cavity 105, a first portion 110 provided in a portion including the tip 101 where a tip opening 101a communicating with the inner cavity 105 is located, and a second portion 120 located on the base end side of the first portion 110.

[0024] 6, the base end 103 of the main body 100 is provided with a base end opening 103a that communicates with the lumen 105. The lumen 105 extends from the tip end opening 101a located at the tip 101 of the main body 100 to the base end opening 103a located at the base end 103.

[0025] 7, the surgeon can insert the medical instrument 300 into the lumen 105 through the proximal opening 103a and protrude the medical instrument 300 toward the distal end 101 of the main body 100 through the distal opening 101a. The surgeon can perform various treatments using the medical instrument 300 protruding from the distal opening 101a. The medical instrument 300 is, for example, a forceps used to suture a cut portion of the vagina N, but is not limited to this.

[0026] The main body 100 extends in a substantially straight line along the central axis c1. The cross-sectional shape of the main body 100 (the shape of a cross section perpendicular to the central axis c1) is preferably, for example, circular, taking into consideration the load when the main body 100 is inserted into the vagina N. However, the cross-sectional shape of the main body 100 may be rectangular, polygonal, or other shapes.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, a tip surface 112 of the first portion 110 (the tip surface of the main body 100) has a shape that is inclined obliquely with respect to a central axis c1 along the extension direction of the main body 100.

[0028] The distal end opening 101a, which is located on the same plane as the distal end surface 112, has an opening surface that is inclined parallel to the distal end surface 112. In the side view shown in Fig. 2, the distal end surface 112 can be configured to have an inclined shape such that the portion on the opposite side (lower side) to the side on which the handle portion 140 is provided (upper side) extends further toward the distal end.

[0029] The outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 is formed to be more flexible than the second portion 120 .

[0030] In the insertion tool 10, the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 is softer than the second portion 120, and therefore, when the main body portion 100 is inserted into the vagina N, it is possible to prevent the vagina N from being damaged by the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 located at the tip 101 of the main body portion 100. Furthermore, in a procedure using the insertion tool 10, it is possible to prevent the vagina N from being damaged even when an operation such as pressing the first portion 110 of the main body portion 100 inserted into the vagina N from the inside is performed to perform a specific procedure.

[0031] For example, if the entire main body portion 100 were made flexible in order to make the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 flexible, the main body portion 100 would easily deform when supporting the vagina N from the inside, and may not be able to exert sufficient support. In the insertion device 10, the second portion 120 is harder than the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110. In other words, the second portion 120 is configured to have a predetermined hardness. Therefore, the insertion device 10 can firmly support the vagina N from the inside with the second portion 120 while ensuring the flexibility of the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110.

[0032] The hardness of the vaginal wall is generally less than 10 Shore A hardness (ISO 7619-1 or ASTM D2240). It is desirable that outer peripheral surface 111 of first portion 110 has a flexible Shore A hardness similar to that of a rubber material, and because it is necessary to be able to support vagina N from the inside, it preferably has a Shore A hardness of 0 to 80, and more preferably a Shore A hardness of 30 to 60. When the hardness of outer peripheral surface 111 of first portion 110 is formed within the above range, second portion 120 preferably has a Shore A hardness of 50 or more, and more preferably a Shore A hardness of 90 or more.

[0033] The flexibility relationship between the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 can be set, for example, by the materials constituting the portions 111, 120. However, in addition to the materials, the flexibility relationship can also be set based on the thickness of the portions 111, 120, manufacturing conditions (such as resin orientation) when the portions 111, 120 are manufactured as resin molded products, and the like. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the flexibility relationship between the first member 210 constituting the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110 and the second member 220 constituting the second portion 120 is established by selecting the material from materials having a predetermined hardness.

[0034] The axial length L1 of the main body 100 (the linear distance from the most distal position to the most proximal position of the main body 100 shown in FIG. 2) can be, for example, 100 mm to 300 mm. When the axial length L1 of the main body 100 is the above-described length, the axial length of the first portion 110 (the linear distance from the most distal position to a predetermined position on the proximal side of the main body 100 shown in FIG. 2) can be, for example, 5 mm to 50 mm.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer peripheral surface 121 of the second portion 120 is provided with a protrusion 125 that protrudes in a direction away from the central axis c1 of the main body 100 .

[0036] The three protrusions 125 are arranged at predetermined intervals from one another in the axial direction of the main body 100. Each protrusion 125 extends continuously along the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface 121 of the second portion 120.

[0037] Each protrusion 125 protrudes in a direction approximately perpendicular to the central axis c1 of the main body 100 on an orthogonal cross section. That is, each protrusion 125 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the central axis c1 in the side view shown in FIG. 2 . Configuring the protrusions 125 in this manner enhances the sealing function that prevents gas used for pneumoperitoneum from leaking outside the living body. However, the protrusions 125 may protrude at a predetermined angle with respect to the central axis c1. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the number and positions of the protrusions 125, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusions 125, or the protruding length of the protrusions 125.

[0038] 7 , in a procedure using the insertion tool 10, the protrusion 125 prevents the formation of a gap through which the gas used for pneumoperitoneum can pass between the inner surface of the vagina N and the second part 120. By preventing the formation of the above-mentioned gap, the protrusion 125 prevents the gas used for pneumoperitoneum from leaking from inside the vagina N to the outside of the living body through the opening Na of the vagina N.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the insertion tool 10 has a grippable handle portion 140 provided at or near the base end 103 of the main body portion 100 .

[0040] The handle portion 140 is connected to the main body portion 100 and has a root portion 141 that protrudes from the main body portion 100 toward the outward side of the central axis c1, and an extension portion 142 that extends from the base end of the root portion 141 to a position closer to the base end than the base end 103 of the main body portion 100.

[0041] In a procedure using the insertion tool 10 shown in Figure 7, the surgeon can easily and smoothly operate the insertion tool 10 by grasping the handle portion 140 with the fingers or the like outside the living body (outside the vagina N).

[0042] The handle portion 140 preferably has a predetermined hardness so that it can be gripped by the surgeon. Therefore, the handle portion 140 can be made of, for example, the same hardness or the same material as the second portion 120. Furthermore, when the handle portion 140 is made of the same material as the second portion 120, if the second portion 120 is made of a resin material, the handle portion 140 can be integrally formed with the second portion 120 by resin molding.

[0043] In the insertion tool 10, the distal end surface 112 and the inner peripheral surface 113 of the first part 110 can be formed to be more flexible than the second part 120. By configuring it in this way, in a procedure using the insertion tool 10, it is possible to further reduce the strain on the vagina N when inserting the main body part 100 into the vagina N and during various treatments performed with the main body part 100 inserted.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the main body 100 has a first member 210 that forms the outer surface 111, tip surface 112, and inner surface 113 of the first part 110, a second member 220 that forms the second part 120, and a third member 230 that connects the first member 210 to the second member 220.

[0045] The first member 210 is made of a material that is more flexible than the second member 220. Therefore, each of the outer peripheral surface 111, the tip surface 112, and the inner peripheral surface 113 of the first portion 110 made of the first member 210 is made more flexible than the second portion 120 made of the second member 220.

[0046] Furthermore, the first member 210 is made of a material that is more flexible than the third member 230. This prevents the third member 230 from breaking or bending when the insertion tool 10 is in use. Furthermore, the insertion tool 10 can maintain a favorable connection between the first member 210 and the second member 220 by the third member 230.

[0047] The first member 210 can be made of, for example, a resin material. For example, silicone can be used as the resin material that makes up the first member 210. Note that the holding member 150, which will be described later, can also be made of, for example, silicone.

[0048] The second member 220 and the third member 230 can be made of a resin material or a metal material that is harder than the first member 210. The resin material that makes up the second member 220 and the third member 230 can be, for example, polycarbonate.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the members 210, 220, and 230 is provided with a mechanical connection mechanism that enables connection and disconnection of each of them.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the first member 210 has an outer circumferential rib 211 that forms the outer circumferential surface 111 of the first part 110, an inner circumferential rib 212 that forms the inner circumferential surface 113 of the first part 110, and an engagement space 215 that is provided between the outer circumferential rib 211 and the inner circumferential rib 212.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4 , the third member 230 has an insertion rib 231 that is inserted into the fitting space 215 to be fitted with the first member 210 .

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the second member 220 has a groove portion 221 into which the base end 233 of the third member 230 can fit, and a blind portion 223 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the base end of the first member 210 when connected to the third member 230.

[0053] 3, a fitting groove 234 is provided at the base end 233 of the third member 230, which can fit into the fitting protrusion 224 formed on the inside of the tip of the second member 220. When the third member 230 is connected to the second member 220, the fitting protrusion 224 can be fitted into the fitting groove 234. By fitting the fitting protrusion 224 into the fitting groove 234, it is possible to prevent the second member 220 and / or the third member 230 from rotating and becoming displaced relative to each other around the central axis c1.

[0054] In the insertion tool 10, the insertion rib 231 is disposed in the fitting space 215 of the first member 210, thereby favorably maintaining the connection between the first member 210 and the second member 220. Furthermore, the insertion rib 231, which is part of the third member 230 that is harder than the first member 210, is disposed in the fitting space 215 of the first member 210 that is made of a relatively flexible material, so that the insertion rib 231 functions as a core material that maintains the shape of the first member 210. Therefore, the main body 100 can maintain a predetermined shape (cylindrical shape) while maintaining the flexibility of the outer peripheral surface 111, the tip surface 112, and the inner peripheral surface 113 of the first portion 110.

[0055] In the insertion tool 10, the second member 220 and the third member 230 are connected by fitting the proximal end 233 of the third member 230 into the groove 221 of the second member 220. The first member 210 is connected to the second member 220 via the third member 230. Furthermore, when the members 210, 220, and 230 are connected, the outer peripheral surface of the proximal end of the first member 210 is covered by the blind portion 223 of the second member 220. This prevents the proximal end of the first member 210 from being exposed and forming a step due to the proximal end of the first member 210. This prevents the proximal end of the first member 210 from getting caught on the inner wall of the vagina N or the like during a procedure using the insertion tool 10.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, the main body 100 is configured by assembling three members, the first member 210, the second member 220, and the third member 230, but the main body 100 is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is also possible to configure the main body 100 using members corresponding to the first member 210 and the second member 220 without using a member such as the third member 230, or to integrally configure the main body 100 having the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 using a predetermined molding method (e.g., injection molding).

[0057] 5 and 6, the main body 100 has a proximal opening 103a that communicates with the lumen 105. The insertion tool 10 has a holding member 150 that is configured to be detachable from the proximal opening 103a and that can hold the medical instrument 300 that is inserted into the lumen 105 via the proximal opening 103a.

[0058] The holding member 150 is configured to be connectable to a fitting portion 107 arranged near the base end 103 of the inner cavity 105 of the main body portion 100 .

[0059] 6, the holding member 150 has a fitting portion 157 that is arranged to be in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 107 and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting portion 107. The holding member 150 can be attached to the main body portion 100 near the base end opening 103a via the fitting portion 107 and the fitting portion 157.

[0060] The holding member 150 has a holding hole 153 used as a forceps port. The holding hole 153 is arranged to communicate with the lumen 105 via the proximal end opening 103a.

[0061] The holding member 150 has an arm portion 155a extending from a main body portion provided with the holding hole 153. A cap 155b that allows the holding hole 153 to be opened and closed is provided at one end portion of the arm portion 155a located in the extending direction.

[0062] The holding member 150 can be made of an elastic material (for example, a resin material such as silicone). When the surgeon uses a medical instrument 300, such as forceps, in a procedure using the insertion tool 10, the surgeon inserts the medical instrument 300 into the holding hole 153, which is in an open state as shown in FIG. 7 . The holding member 150, made of an elastic material, supports a portion of the medical instrument 300 by means of the holding hole 153. This allows the medical instrument 300 to be held by the holding member 150, preventing the medical instrument 300 from shifting position.

[0063] When the surgeon is not using a medical instrument 300 such as forceps during a procedure, the surgeon can close the holding hole 153 with the cap 155b. By closing the holding hole 153, the surgeon can prevent the gas used for pneumoperitoneum from leaking out of the living body through the holding hole 153.

[0064] <Example of Use of Insertion Tool 10> When the insertion tool 10 is used for laparoscopic total hysterectomy, the procedure can be carried out, for example, in the following order.

[0065] Before starting the incision of the vagina N (resection of the uterus), the surgeon inserts a certain area on the tip 101 side of the main body 100 of the insertion tool 10 into the vagina N from the opening Na of the vagina N. Next, the surgeon presses the area near the tip 101 of the main body 100 against the vaginal fornix from inside the vagina N to clarify the position to be cut.

[0066] The surgeon presses the tip 101 of the main body 100 against the vaginal fornix to form a guide for the cutting position, and then cuts the uterus. At this time, the surgeon prevents the gas used for pneumoperitoneum from leaking from the vagina N. For example, the surgeon uses the protrusion 125 formed on the outer circumferential surface 121 of the second part 120 to prevent the formation of gaps through which gas can leak, or closes the holding hole 153 of the holding member 150 with a cap 155b.

[0067] After making an incision in the vagina N (after resecting the uterus), the surgeon removes the main body part 100 of the insertion tool 10 from the vagina N. After removing the main body part 100 from the vagina N, the surgeon takes out the resected uterus from the living body via the vagina N.

[0068] After removing the uterus outside the living body, the surgeon reinserts the main body 100 of the insertion tool 10 into the vagina N. The surgeon sutures the incision in the vagina N while maintaining pneumoperitoneum with the main body 100 inserted into the vagina N. At this time, the surgeon can insert a medical instrument 300 such as forceps into the vagina N through the holding hole 153 of the holding member 150, if necessary.

[0069] As described above, the insertion device 10 according to this embodiment has a tubular main body 100 that is inserted through the opening Na of the vagina N, and the main body 100 has a first portion 110 that is provided in a portion including the inner cavity 105 and the tip 101 where the tip opening 101a that communicates with the inner cavity 105 is located, and a second portion 120 that is located closer to the base end than the first portion 110, and the outer surface 111 of the first portion 110 is formed to be more flexible than the second portion 120.

[0070] In the insertion tool 10 described above, the outer peripheral surface 111 of the first portion 110, which includes the distal end 101 of the tubular main body 100, is formed to be more flexible than the second portion 120, which is located closer to the base end than the first portion 110. Therefore, the insertion tool 10 can reduce the burden on the patient when performing operations such as inserting the distal end 101 of the main body 100 into the vagina N and pressing the outer peripheral surface 111 of the distal end 101 against the vagina N. Furthermore, in the insertion tool 10, the second portion 120, which is located closer to the base end than the first portion 110, is formed to be harder than the first portion 110, so that the second portion 120 can firmly support the vagina N, allowing various treatments using the insertion tool 10 to proceed smoothly.

[0071] Although the insertion device according to the present invention has been described through the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the specification, and can be modified as appropriate based on the description of the claims.

[0072] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-052948, filed on March 28, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0073] 10 Insertion tool 100 Main body 101 Tip of main body 101a Tip opening 103 Base end of main body 103a Base opening 105 Cavity 110 First part 111 Outer surface of first part 112 Tip surface of first part 113 Inner surface of first part 120 Second part 121 Outer surface of second part 125 Protrusion 140 Handle 150 Retaining member 153 Retaining hole 155b Cap 210 First member 211 Outer rib 212 Inner rib 215 Fitting space 220 Second member 221 Groove 223 Blind part 230 Third member 231 Insertion rib c1 Central axis of main body 300 Medical device N Vagina Na Vaginal opening

Claims

1. An insertion tool having a tubular main body portion to be inserted from the opening of the vagina, the main body portion having an inner cavity, a first portion provided at a portion including a tip where a tip opening communicating with the inner cavity is located, and a second portion located closer to the base end than the first portion, the outer peripheral surface of the first portion being formed to be more flexible than the second portion.

2. An insertion tool as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of said second portion is provided with a protrusion that protrudes in a direction away from the central axis of said main body portion.

3. An insertion tool as claimed in claim 1, having a graspable handle provided at or near the base end of said body.

4. The insertion tool according to claim 1, wherein the tip surface and inner peripheral surface of said first portion are formed to be more flexible than said second portion.

5. An insertion tool as described in claim 4, wherein the main body portion has a first member that constitutes the outer peripheral surface, the tip surface, and the inner peripheral surface of the first portion, a second member that constitutes the second portion, and a third member that connects the first member to the second member, and the first member is made of a material that is softer than the second member and the third member.

6. An insertion tool as described in claim 5, wherein the first member has an outer peripheral rib that forms the outer peripheral surface of the first part, an inner peripheral rib that forms the inner peripheral surface of the first part, and a fitting space provided between the outer peripheral rib and the inner peripheral rib, the third member has an insertion rib that fits with the first member by being inserted into the fitting space, and the second member has a groove portion into which the base end of the third member can fit, and a blind portion that covers the outer peripheral surface of the base end of the first member when connected to the third member.

7. An insertion device as described in claim 1, wherein the main body has a base-end opening communicating with the inner cavity, and a holding member configured to be detachable from the base-end opening and capable of holding a medical instrument to be inserted into the inner cavity via the base-end opening.

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