Removable insulating connector for use in resectoscopes

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrically insulating insulating joint for detachably connecting to the distal end of a resectoscope rod, wherein the insulating joint has a hollow section with an elongated cavity for passing a through instrument, and the insulating joint has a fixing component for detachably connecting to the resectoscope rod. In addition, the present invention is also directed to an electrode instrument connected to the insulating joint and a resectoscope comprising the same.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electrically insulating insulating joint, an electrode instrument and an electric resectoscope. Background Art

[0002] Resectoscopes of this type with corresponding electrode instruments and with insulating tips at the distal end are used, in particular in urology, for electrosurgical operations in the bladder and urethra. They are generally used for excision and fumigation of tissues, for example, in the lower urinary tract. For this purpose, the resectoscope comprises a longitudinally movable electrosurgical through-instrument, which can be pushed out of the distal end of the rod tube of the resectoscope with its distal working end after the insertion of the resectoscope. The electrosurgical through-instrument can include, for example, an electrosurgical electrode or a fumigation button (such as a plasma button) in the form of a ring (loop) at its distal working end. Such an instrument is, for example, an OES PRO resectoscope (Olympus) or other continuously irrigated resectoscopes according to Iglesias.

[0003] In order to avoid short circuits between the active electrode and the conductive material of the shaft tube, the resectoscope usually includes a section at its distal end that is made of an insulating material (such as a ceramic material) and is usually called an insulating tip or insulating joint. The insulating joint can be Figure 1 or Figure 2 Arranged as shown in the inner rod ( Figure 1 ) or outer rod ( Figure 2 ). Since resectoscopes are designed for repeated use and accordingly must also withstand sterilization conditions such as autoclave processing, the insulating joint must meet stringent requirements for durability and recleanability in both cases. Therefore, the material selection is usually limited to relatively expensive high-power ceramic materials such as silicon nitride. In order to minimize the fragility of the insulating joint made of ceramic material, the joint must also have a relatively high wall thickness.

[0004] It is worth expecting that not only the cost of the insulating joint can be reduced, but also the wall thickness thereof can be further reduced. Therefore, there is also a need for corresponding improvement of the insulating joint. Summary of the invention

[0005] This object is achieved by an insulating joint according to the invention, an electrode instrument according to the invention and a resectoscope according to the invention. According to the invention, the insulating joint is designed in particular as a disposable component, which is detachably connected to the resectoscope shaft and can therefore be replaced in a simple manner after use and can be replaced by a new insulating joint. At the same time, the insulating joint is securely held on the resectoscope shaft by means of a fixing component, thereby preventing the insulating joint from falling off during surgery.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention therefore relates to an electrically insulating insulating joint for detachable connection to the distal end of a resectoscope shaft, characterized in that the insulating joint has a hollow section with an elongated cavity for passing a straight-through instrument, and the insulating joint has a fixing part for detachable connection to the resectoscope shaft.

[0007] The insulating joint is designed to be non-conductive, i.e. electrically insulating. In this way, the insulation of the active electrode relative to the conductive resectoscope rod is ensured. For this purpose, the insulating joint is preferably completely (at least to ensure the insulating ability of the joint to a certain extent) composed of a non-conductive material, i.e. an electrically insulating material. Such materials are known to professionals and include, for example, ceramic materials and plastics. According to the present invention, an insulating joint composed of plastic is particularly preferred because of its relatively low production costs and insulating ability. Since the insulating joint may come into contact with the plasma that occurs during use during electrosurgery using the electrode, heat-resistant plastics are particularly preferred. Heat-resistant plastics are able to withstand the high temperatures that occur in the distal resectoscope tip region without damage. Suitable heat-resistant plastics can, for example, be selected from the group consisting of fluorinated polymers and cycloolefin copolymers. The insulating joint made of plastic can be manufactured by means of injection molding.

[0008] The insulating joint is adapted to be removably connected to the distal end of the resectoscope rod. This means that the insulating joint and the end are at least partially complementary in shape and size. Thus, the insulating joint can be connected to the end. Various possible embodiments for the connection are described elsewhere herein. In any case, the connection is so strong or locked that the insulating joint is prevented from falling off during surgery.

[0009] At the same time, the connection between the resectoscope rod and the insulating joint is designed to be detachable, so as to allow the insulating joint to be easily replaced and / or cleaned, for example by a medical technician or a cleaning technician responsible for recleaning the instrument, i.e., the end user of the resectoscope. Therefore, the insulating joint is not bonded to the end of the resectoscope rod in particular. However, this does not exclude that the removal of the connection between the insulating joint and the resectoscope rod (for cleaning) may require a conventional disassembly step. Therefore, in a specific embodiment of the invention, for example, it is necessary to detach the outer rod (sleeve) from the inner rod with the inserted electrode instrument, and then the insulating joint can be separated from the inner rod or the outer rod.

[0010] A connection between the resectoscope rod and the insulating joint is established in the distal end of the rod. Usually, the insulating joint is designed at least partially to complement the shape of the component of the resectoscope rod arranged at its end. Thus, the insulating joint with a cylindrical section can, for example, be put on the inner tube or outer tube, inserted into the inner tube or inserted between the inner tube and the outer tube. In this case, the possibility described later is preferred. The insulating joint can, for example, be connected to the inner tube and be shaped in such a way that the inner tube connected to the insulating joint can be inserted into the outer tube from the proximal direction.

[0011] The insulating connector and the resectoscope shaft therefore usually overlap in the installed state, i.e. they overlap each other. Obviously, the insulating connector should not be completely inserted into the resectoscope shaft in order to ensure sufficient insulation of the electrode. The overlapping area and thus the "distal end" of the resectoscope shaft mentioned here is therefore usually limited to a distal end section of a few millimeters, for example 10 millimeters or less, 8 millimeters or less, preferably 5 millimeters or less, starting from the distal end of the resectoscope shaft.

[0012] As described above, the insulating joint has a hollow section with an elongated cavity for passing through the straight-through instrument. The section is arranged in the proximal end of the insulating joint. It ensures that the straight-through instrument guided through the resectoscope rod can be passed through the channel-shaped interior of the insulating joint. The insulating joint can have a substantially cylindrical shape or at least one substantially cylindrical proximal section. Accordingly, the cavity can have a hollow cylindrical shape in the hollow section.

[0013] However, it is also conceivable within the scope of the present invention to design the cavity and the corresponding section to have a non-circular cross section. Therefore, it may be advantageous for certain applications to design the cavity and / or the outer side of the section to have an elliptical or oval cross section. Irregular cross sections are also conceivable, such as depressions or eversions in the inner wall of the section to guide a specific straight-through instrument. It is also conceivable that the wall thickness of the section is adapted to its various loads. Therefore, for example, the wall can be designed to be thicker in the region extending distally than in other regions of the insulating joint. The hollow section can be generally regarded as tubular, where the term "tube" as mentioned above not only includes a pure hollow column shape, but also includes an elongated section with an outer wall and an internal elongated cavity, where the cavity is open at its distal and proximal ends to enable the passage of the straight-through instrument. The straight-through instrument passed through can, for example, include an electrode instrument, an optical component, an irrigation tube, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, the insulating joint, in particular at its distal end, can have a conventional shape. In this case, the wall of the insulating joint can preferably be arranged in the wall space of the hollow cylindrical space. However, as described above, different wall thicknesses are also permissible within the scope of the invention. Preferably, the wall space has the same inner diameter as the inner tube arranged in the resectoscope shaft. In the past, Figure 1The illustrated insulating tip shape, which is extended distally on one side, has proven itself in particular. The region of the hollow section that is extended distally and the region that is arranged proximally thereof can have a greater wall thickness than other regions of the insulating joint. With a "beak-shaped" insulating joint designed in this way, tissue can be supported on the extended side of the joint so that it does not fall into the visible area. In addition, the design extends the irrigation fluid path and thus produces a straight jet, which reduces the risk of vortices in front of the optical component. At the same time, the electrode can also cut tissue near the edge of the insulating joint.

[0015] According to the invention, the insulating joint has one or more fixing parts for detachable connection with the resectoscope rod. This or these fixing parts can have various shapes and ensure a reliable but detachable connection in combination with the design of the distal end of the resectoscope rod. The fixing parts are generally arranged in the proximal end of the insulating joint, preferably in its hollow section.

[0016] The fixing part can, for example, comprise or consist of a radial thickening of the insulating joint in its hollow section. The thickening can engage with another part on the resectoscope rod and in this way fix the insulating joint to prevent distal movement. Other elements on the resectoscope rod can, for example, be insertion openings or protrusions. The thickening can be flexible, for example as a snap-fit ​​piece, to enable the insulating joint to be moved onto the resectoscope rod. Alternatively, the thickening can be non-flexible, when, for example, the insulating joint is arranged between the inner tube structure and the outer tube structure when the resectoscope is installed.

[0017] The radial thickening can be formed, for example, by a) an outer diameter of the insulating joint that is larger than the outer diameter at the far end of the hollow section, and / or by b) a diameter of the insulating joint wall that is larger than the wall diameter at the far end of the hollow section. In the example of a larger outer diameter according to alternative a), the insulating joint, in particular its outer wall, can be designed completely or partially to be conical in the axial direction. The outer diameter of the insulating joint at its proximal end is then larger than its outer diameter at its distal end. In an example of a larger diameter of the wall of the insulating joint according to alternative b), one or more protrusions, for example in the form of dowels, can be formed on the outer wall or inner wall of the insulating joint. The protrusions can be formed radially around the corresponding wall, or in the form of one or more dowels arranged radially along the circumference of the corresponding wall.

[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the fixing component may include or consist of a part of a connection commonly used in other fields. Thus, the fixing component may, for example, include or consist of a part of a bayonet connection, a threaded connection, a snap connection, a clip connection or a locking connection. The corresponding complementary parts of the respective connections may then be formed on the resectoscope rod, thereby forming a bayonet connection, a threaded connection, a snap connection, a clip connection or a locking connection between the insulating joint and the resectoscope rod.

[0019] In one embodiment, the fixing means comprises, for example, a protruding locking piece arranged on the fixing side of the hollow section. Here, the side of the outer side and the inner side of the hollow section of the insulating joint on which the fixing means is mounted is considered to be the "fixing side". The fixing side of the hollow section is preferably its outer wall. This means, for example, that in the region of the insulating joint arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube of the resectoscope shaft, the outer tube has means for fixing the insulating joint against distal movement.

[0020] When the insulating joint is fixed against axial displacement, it can be arranged rotatably on the inner tube and the outer tube or fixed between the inner tube and the outer tube in a special embodiment. This allows the insulating joint to be rotated during surgery so that tissue can be obtained from different directions. The rotation of the insulating joint can be synchronized with or coupled to the rotation of the electrode about the longitudinal axis of the resectoscope shaft.

[0021] In a similar second aspect, the present invention relates to an electrode instrument to be used in an electroresectoscope, wherein the electrode instrument has a rod and an electrode at its distal end that can receive high-frequency current, characterized in that the electrode instrument is connected to an insulating joint according to the present invention, and the electrode instrument and the insulating joint can be axially moved relative to each other.

[0022] Electrode instruments used in resectoscopes are usually designed for single use. The insulating joint according to the invention can also be designed for single use. The aforementioned connection between the electrode instrument and the insulating joint advantageously makes it possible to provide two system components that are potentially designed for single use to be replaced together. In addition, the insulating joint can also cooperate in this way in the guidance and positioning of the electrode within the rod system. At the same time, the electrode ring can be accurately aligned relative to the insulating joint. The insulating joint can also be used as a gripping body when inserting the electrode instrument connected to the insulating joint, that is, as an object at which the connection part can be gripped. Thereby, the electrode instrument, in particular the electrode, can be protected during insertion and the maneuverability is improved for the end user.

[0023] The electrode instrument has an elongated rod (rod) and is designed as a straight-through instrument for a resectoscope, i.e., as an instrument that can be inserted into a body opening through a resectoscope rod tube. The electrode instrument has an electrode at its distal end that can receive high-frequency current. The electrode can be a cutting ring, a plasma button or other commercially available electrodes. The electrode is preferably a cutting ring electrode. The professionals are aware of the corresponding electrodes and electrode instruments.

[0024] The electrode instrument can be a bipolar electrode instrument, which includes an electrode as part of an electrode assembly. In this case, the electrode instrument, for example, includes a second electrode in the distal end of the electrode instrument, which is designed as a neutral electrode. Alternatively, the second electrode (neutral electrode) can also be arranged on other elements of the distal end of the resectoscope. It goes without saying that the electrode instrument can also be designed as a monopolar instrument.

[0025] The electrode instrument can move longitudinally in the resectoscope rod, that is, it can move distally and proximally in the axial direction. In order to be connected to the resectoscope, the electrode instrument has at least one elongated rod, which can be fixed on a slide included in the resectoscope to establish a motion coupling connection with its proximal end. The slide generally slides on a tube and is held in a static position by a spring preloaded by a spring unit. Therefore, the electrode can move back and forth at the distal end relative to the tissue to be cut without moving the entire resectoscope. In addition, the longitudinal movability of the electrode instrument makes it possible to clamp tissue between the electrode and the insulating joint and remove it from the surgical site. Therefore, the distal end of the insulating joint and the electrode can move closer to and away from each other by means of the longitudinal movability of the electrode instrument.

[0026] According to the invention, in particular, an electrode device is provided which is connected to an insulating joint according to the invention. The axial mobility of the electrode device and the insulating joint relative to each other is not impeded by the connection. Instead, the connection ensures that a certain distance of longitudinal movement in the axial direction is possible. This distance includes the distance over which the electrode device is usually movable in the axial direction. At the same time, the mobility in other directions is reduced or prevented by the connection.

[0027] The insulating joint can, for example, have more than one, preferably two, connecting pieces, in which the fork tubes of the electrode instrument can be axially movably installed. The connecting piece can be arranged on the inner wall of the insulating joint. In order to reduce material costs and optimize the matching shape, the connecting piece can, for example, be formed integrally with the insulating joint as an injection molded part. Since the electrode instrument preferably has two fork tubes, it is correspondingly preferred that the insulating joint has two connecting pieces, in which the fork tubes can be installed respectively. The longitudinal axes of the connecting pieces therefore extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the insulating joint respectively. The connecting piece is correspondingly connected to the inner wall of the insulating joint via its outer wall. The connecting piece can be tubular, i.e., has a hollow cylindrical shape. Instead of a single-hole tubular connecting piece, it is also feasible to use a semi-cylindrical connecting piece within the scope of the present invention, i.e., a connecting piece with a semi-circular cross-section. The connecting piece can, for example, be designed as a clip or a clamp.

[0028] In another similar aspect, the present invention relates to an electrosurgery scope for endoscopic surgery, which has a tubular electrosurgery scope rod, which includes an elongated sleeve, an inner tube arranged in the sleeve, and a rod-shaped optical component, characterized in that the electrosurgery scope has

[0029] a) an insulating joint according to the invention and an electrode device comprising a shaft and an electrode at its distal end which can receive high frequency current, or

[0030] b) Electrode device according to the invention.

[0031] The resectoscope according to the invention can be used in all areas of endoscopic surgery. They are particularly suitable for use in body cavities such as the urethra. For this purpose, the resectoscope has a tubular resectoscope rod as described above. The rod can usually have a sleeve (outer tube) and an inner tube extending through the sleeve, wherein the electrode instrument used in the invention is preferably arranged in the inner tube. The wall of the insulating joint according to the invention in its proximal end is now preferably arranged between the sleeve and the inner tube extending in the sleeve as described above.

[0032] In order to observe the surgical field and monitor the operation, the resectoscope according to the invention also has an optical component, i.e. an optical image conductor. The optical component passes through the rod over its length and is also arranged in the inner tube, for example. The optical component can include an ordered fiber bundle and / or rod-shaped lenses arranged one after the other. At the distal end, the optical component has an objective lens and at the proximal end an eyepiece. The observer's eyes view the observation area in front of the distal end of the rod through the optical component. Alternatively, the optical component can also be connected to a digital image capture unit at its proximal end.

[0033] It is conceivable to stabilize the individual parts of the shaft passing through the resectoscope against one another, in particular against radial displacement.

[0034] Therefore, the electrode instrument usually has a guide, which is used to support and stabilize the electrode instrument in the inner tube. For this reason, the guide is adjacent to the inner wall of the inner tube or the inner wall of the optical component so that the axial movement of the electrode instrument and the potential rotational movement around the longitudinal axis can be realized, while reducing or preventing the movement of the electrode instrument in the radial direction. It has been shown that it is particularly advantageous that the guide part is designed to complement the shape of the inner wall. The guide can, for example, have a semicircular cross section. Professionals are aware of such guides. The guide can be made of metal or other materials. Particularly preferably, the guide is a guide plate. No other components are generally provided between the electrode instrument or its guide and the inner wall of the inner tube. However, other components, such as optical components, can be arranged in the inner tube.

[0035] In addition to or as an alternative to the guide, the insulating joint according to the invention has, as described above, a connecting piece, by means of which the electrode device is locked against displacement in the radial direction, while it is still movable in the axial direction. It is possible within the scope of the invention to dispense with the conventional guide, as described above, since the electrode device is guided at the insulating joint. However, it is of course also conceivable within the scope of the invention to achieve additional stabilization by means of the guide.

[0036] The resectoscope rod generally includes components for establishing a detachable connection with the insulating joint described elsewhere, in particular, components for detachably connecting the distal end of the sleeve or inner tube to the proximal end of the insulating joint. The components are respectively complementary to the functions of the above-mentioned fixing components of the insulating joint, so that the components with the fixing components form a detachable connection between the insulating joint and the resectoscope rod. The sleeve or inner tube of the resectoscope may, for example, have an insertion port for a locking member of the insulating joint in order to form a detachable connection. Alternatively or additionally, the sleeve or inner tube may include one or more radial protrusions, which prevent the insulating joint (e.g., a conical insulating joint) from axially moving distally in the installed state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In the accompanying drawings, embodiments according to the present invention are schematically shown, in which:

[0038] Figure 1 A schematic side cross-sectional view of a prior art resectoscope is shown, wherein an insulating tip is arranged on its inner tube,

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic side cross-sectional view of an alternative resectoscope of the prior art is shown, wherein an insulating tip is arranged on its sleeve,

[0040] Figure 3 The prior art is shown as Figure 1 A schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end of the resectoscope shown in FIG.

[0041] Figure 4 The prior art is shown as Figure 2 A schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end of the resectoscope shown in FIG.

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end of a resectoscope according to the invention is shown, which has an insulating joint with a fixing part arranged radially outward,

[0043] Figure 6 A schematic side cross-sectional view of an alternative distal end portion of a resectoscope according to the present invention is shown, which has a conical insulating joint at its proximal end,

[0044] Figure 7 A schematic side cross-sectional view of an alternative distal end portion of an electric resectoscope according to the present invention is shown, which has a conical insulating joint at its proximal end and to which an electrode instrument is axially movably connected,

[0045] Figure 8A schematic side cross-sectional view of an alternative distal end portion of an electrosurgical resectoscope according to the present invention is shown, wherein the distal end portion of the electrosurgical resectoscope has a conical insulating joint at its proximal end portion and an electrode instrument is axially movably connected to the insulating joint, and the insulating joint has a locking member (A) for additional connection between the insulating joint and the electrosurgical resectoscope rod, and a partial enlarged view of the cross-sectional view is shown (B);

[0046] Fig. 9 A partial schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end of another resectoscope according to the invention is shown, wherein the insulating connector has a locking element for an additional connection between the insulating connector and the resectoscope shaft, wherein the locking connection can be separated without destroying the locking element.

[0047] Reference numerals list

[0048] 10 Insulation Joints 30 Electrodes

[0049] 12 ends 32 connectors

[0050] 14 resection mirror rod 34 fork tube

[0051] 16 hollow sections 36 casing

[0052] 17 cavity 38 inner tube

[0053] 18 fixed components 40 optical components

[0054] 19 thickened portion 42 insertion port

[0055] 20 wall 46 retaining member

[0056] 21 support 48 handle

[0057] 22 locking member 50 holding member

[0058] 24 electrode instruments 52 grippers

[0059] 26 resectoscope 54 spring bridge

[0060] 28 rod 56 slide DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described.

[0062] Figure 1 A schematic side cross-sectional view of a prior art resectoscope 26 is shown, wherein an insulating joint 10 is arranged on the inner tube 38 thereof. Figure 3 A schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end portion of the same resectoscope of the prior art is shown.

[0063] The resectoscope 26 has a resectoscope shaft 14, which includes a sleeve 36 (outer tube) shown in dashed lines. An inner tube 38 extends within the sleeve 36, and the electrode instrument 24 and the like are Figure 3 The optical assembly 40 shown and the illumination means, for example in the form of a fiber optic bundle, extend in the inner tube 38. In addition, other elements not shown here can also extend in the resectoscope, such as, for example, a separate irrigation tube, etc. In a manner not shown here, the cannula 36 comprises a plurality of openings at its distal end, through which dirty irrigation fluid can flow into the gap between the cannula 36 and the inner tube 38 and out through the resectoscope shaft 14.

[0064] As in Figure 1 Neutral Figure 3 As can be seen in more detail in FIG, the electrode instrument 24 in this common instrument is protected against lateral movement by means of a retaining member 46 (guide member) having a semicircular cross-section, that is, it will not deviate from the longitudinal movement of the resectoscope rod 14, for example, transverse to the longitudinal movement. The electrode instrument 24 is mounted in the inner tube 38 so as to be longitudinally movable. The retaining member 46 is designed to be complementary in shape to the inner wall of the inner tube 38 or the outer wall of the optical component 40 and has a semi-cylindrical shape. The retaining member 46 is fixed on two fork tubes 34 in the rod portion of the electrode instrument 24. The fork tubes 34 extend closely in the resectoscope rod 14 and are separated only in the distal end of the resectoscope rod 14 so as to accommodate and support the loop electrode between its two ends. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the fork tube 34 transitions to the electrode instrument rod tube in the central area or proximal area of ​​the resectoscope 26. In this embodiment, the retaining member 46 can be arranged on the electrode instrument rod tube.

[0065] The electrode instrument 24 can be forcibly guided to move in the distal direction and the proximal direction in the axial direction by the operation of the handle 48. At this time, it can move beyond the distal end of the inner tube 38 and the sleeve 36. Therefore, the surgeon is allowed to manipulate tissues further away from the tip of the resectoscope. For this reason, the inner tube 38 and / or the electrode instrument 24 can also be mounted rotatably around its longitudinal axis. The electrode instrument 24 has an electrode 30 at its distal end, which is designed to cut a ring and can remove tissue by electrosurgical ablation. In this case, a high-frequency power supply is loaded on the electrode 30 to cut the tissue.

[0066] The resectoscope 26 shown has a passive indexer, where the slide 56 is moved toward the distal first grip 52 in the distal direction by the relative movement of the grips 50 and 52 provided on the proximal side of the resectoscope rod 14, overcoming the spring force applied by the spring bridge 54. When the slide 56 moves toward the grip 52 in the distal direction, the electrode instrument 24 is forcibly guided to move distally in a manner not shown. When the grips 50 and 52 are not under force, the spring force generated by the spring bridge 54 forces the slide 56 to return to its rest position, at which time the electrode instrument 24 is pulled proximally. When the slide 56 moves back, the electrode instrument 24 can be used to perform electrosurgery without the need for manual force by the surgeon (i.e., passively).

[0067] Unlike the insulating joint 10 according to the present invention, the insulating joint 10 of this conventional resectoscope 26 is not detachably connected to the resectoscope shaft 14, but is permanently fixed to the resectoscope shaft 14 by bonding (not shown here). In addition, the insulating joint 10 does not include a fixing part 18 either.

[0068] Figure 2 A schematic side cross-sectional view of an alternative resectoscope 26 of the prior art is shown, in which the insulating terminal 10 is arranged on a sleeve 36 . Figure 4 2 shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of the distal end of such a known resectoscope 26. By mounting the insulating connector 10 on the sleeve 36, the resectoscope shaft 14 can be formed in an ultra-thin configuration. The resectoscope 26 also substantially corresponds to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The resectoscope 26 shown. Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the illustrated resectoscope 26, the insulating connector 10 and the resectoscope shaft 14 are also connected to each other by permanent bonding.

[0069] Unlike the conventional permanent connection between the insulating joint 10 and the resectoscope rod 14, Figures 5 to 8 FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a distal end portion 12 of a different resectoscope 26 according to the present invention, wherein the connection between the insulating connector 10 and the resectoscope rod 14 is designed to be detachable. Apart from the distinguishing features of the present invention described below, the resectoscope 26 shown is substantially the same as the one shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 4 The resectoscope 26 shown is the same.

[0070] Figure 5An embodiment is shown which has an insulating joint with radially external fixing elements 18. The fixing elements 18 are designed as pin-shaped extrusions on the outer side of the wall 20 of the insulating joint, i.e. as thickenings 19 of the wall 20. The insulating joint 10 here has more than one fixing element 18, i.e. at least two fixing elements 18, which are preferably distributed uniformly along the circumference of the insulating joint 10 in the form of tongues. It is also conceivable to arrange a single fixing element in the form of a circumferential ridge on the insulating joint 10 instead. In the embodiment shown here, the inner tube 38 has more than two bearing elements 21 with distal bearing surfaces, which can be brought into contact with the proximal end of the insulating joint 10 and in this way prevent the insulating joint 10 from moving in the proximal direction.

[0071] Figure 6 An insulating joint 10 is shown, the wall 20 of which has a conical shape on its outer side at the proximal end of the insulating joint 10. In other words, the diameter of the insulating joint 10 at its proximal end is greater than the diameter at its distal end at its hollow section 16. It can be seen that the insulating joint 10 is arranged between the sleeve 36 and the inner tube 38 and that the insulating joint 10 formed in a conical shape is prevented from sliding in the distal direction by narrowing the sleeve 36 at its distal end.

[0072] Figure 7 An embodiment is shown, where Figure 6 The resectoscope 26 is supplemented with a connection between the insulating connector 10 and the electrode instrument 24. The electrode instrument 24 is connected to the insulating connector 10 in an axially movable manner by means of one or more connecting pieces 32. Preferably, each of the two connecting pieces 32 is in the form of a hollow cylinder, wherein the longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the resectoscope shaft 14, and a fork tube 34 of the electrode instrument 24 can be guided axially in the hollow cylinder.

[0073] Figure 8 An embodiment is shown, where Figure 7The resectoscope 26 is supplemented with an additional detachable connection between the insulating joint 10 and the resectoscope rod 14. It is obviously also feasible within the scope of the present invention to abandon the conical shape and / or the connecting piece 32 of the insulating joint 10 for the convenience of the detachable connection. The insulating joint 10 has a locking piece 22 here to produce another detachable connection. As can be seen in the enlarged view shown in the partial B of the accompanying drawings, the locking piece 22 is in this case a local cutout of the inner wall of the insulating joint 10 that is elongated and connected to the inner wall of the insulating joint 10. The local cutout is bent at a small angle from the inner wall toward the far inside. The adjacent outer wall of the inner tube 38 has a corresponding insertion opening 42. If the insulating joint 10 moves past the distal end of the inner tube 38 in the shown position, the local cutout engages the insertion opening 42. By applying a corresponding pulling force, the insulating joint 10 can be separated again and the local cutout is pulled apart at this time.

[0074] Fig. 9 like Figure 8 As shown in the figure, an enlarged part of the resectoscope according to the present invention is shown. The insulating joint 10 has a locking piece 22 to produce a detachable connection. The locking piece 22 is a local cut-out portion of the inner wall of the insulating joint 10 connected to the inner wall of the insulating joint 10 in an elongated shape. The local cut-out portion includes a proximal section bent from the inner wall to the far inner side at a small angle, a section arranged at its distal side and extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the resectoscope 26, and a distal section bent to the far outer side. The adjacent outer wall of the inner tube 38 has a corresponding insertion opening 42. If the insulating joint 10 is moved to the position shown through the distal end of the inner tube 38, the local cut-out portion engages the insertion opening 42. By applying a corresponding pulling force, the insulating joint 10 can be separated again without breaking the local cut-out portion. This is particularly ensured by the fact that the locking piece 22 has a surface extending obliquely toward the near inner side at its distal end.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described in detail in conjunction with an embodiment, it is obvious to a skilled person that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, but rather can be modified in such a way that some features can be omitted or other combinations of the conceivable individual features can be implemented, as long as the protection scope of the attached claims is not exceeded. All combinations of the conceivable individual features are covered herein.

Claims

1. An electrically insulating insulating connector (10) for detachably connecting to a distal end (12) of a resectoscope rod (14), characterized in that: The insulating joint (10) has a hollow section (16) with an elongated cavity (17) for passing a straight-through instrument, and the insulating joint (10) has a fixing component (18) for detachably connecting to the resectoscope rod (14), wherein: The fixing element (18) comprises a radial thickening (19) of the insulating joint (10) in its hollow section (16), wherein: The radial thickening (19) is formed by a) an outer diameter of the insulating joint (10) that is larger than the outer diameter at the distal end of the hollow section (16), and / or by b) a diameter of the wall (20) of the insulating joint (10) that is larger than the diameter of the wall (20) at the distal end of the hollow section (16), wherein the wall (20) of the insulating joint (10) has a larger diameter at the proximal end, wherein one or more protrusions are formed on the outer wall or inner wall of the insulating joint (10), and wherein the protrusions are formed radially around the corresponding wall (10) or are formed as one or more dowels arranged radially along the circumference of the corresponding wall.

2. The insulating joint (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing component (18) comprises a part of a bayonet connection, a threaded connection, a snap connection, a clip connection or a locking connection or consists of the same.

3. The insulating joint (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The fixing component (18) comprises a protruding locking piece (22) arranged on the fixing side of the hollow section (16).

4. The insulating joint (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixed side of the hollow section (16) is its outer wall.

5. The insulating joint (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating joint (10) is made of plastic.

6. The insulating joint (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plastic is a heat-resistant plastic.

7. An electrode device (24) for use in an electroresectoscope (26), wherein: The electrode device (24) has a rod (28) and an electrode (30) capable of receiving high-frequency current at its distal end, and is characterized in that the electrode device (24) is connected to an insulating joint (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the electrode device (24) and the insulating joint (10) are axially movable relative to each other.

8. The electrode device (24) according to claim 7, characterized in that: The insulating joint (10) has one or more connecting parts (32), in which the fork tubes (34) of the electrode instrument (24) are respectively mounted so as to be axially movable.

9. An electrosurgeon (26) for endoscopic surgery, the electrosurgeon having a tubular electrosurgeon rod (14), the electrosurgeon rod comprising an elongated sleeve (36), an inner tube (38) arranged in the sleeve, and a rod-shaped optical component (40), wherein: The resectoscope (26) has: a) An insulating joint (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and an electrode device (24) comprising a rod (28) and an electrode (30) at the distal end thereof capable of receiving high-frequency current; or b) An electrode device (24) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The resectoscope (26) according to claim 9, characterized in that: The wall (20) of the insulating joint (10) is arranged at its proximal end between the sleeve (36) and the inner tube (38) extending inside the sleeve.

11. The resectoscope (26) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The insulating joint (10) is detachably connected to the distal end of the sleeve (36) or the distal end of the inner tube (38), and the sleeve (36) or the inner tube (38) has an insertion port (42) for a locking piece (22) of the insulating joint (10) in order to form a detachable connection.

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