Endoscope

Abstract

The present invention provides an endoscope capable of suppressing wear or breakage of a treatment instrument tube while maintaining the flexibility of the insertion portion. The endoscope includes: an insertion portion; a hand-held operation portion connected to one end of the insertion portion; a first treatment instrument tube that passes through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the first treatment instrument tube from the upper end of the hand-held operation portion; and a second treatment instrument tube that passes through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and the second treatment instrument tube has a branch portion that branches into a first branch path and a second branch path in the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the second treatment instrument tube from the first branch path. The first treatment instrument tube includes: a first portion having a first hardness at least in a gripping portion in the hand-held operation portion; and a second portion having a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope device generally has an insertion portion that is inserted into the body (such as a digestive organ) of a subject. Inside the insertion portion, there are an optical waveguide for transmitting light and electrical wiring for transmitting an electrical signal from an imaging unit. In addition, inside the insertion portion, there are an air and water supply pipe for supplying water or air, and a treatment instrument pipe for inserting and removing treatment instruments such as forceps (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] If the flexibility of the treatment instrument pipe is low (hard), the flexibility of the insertion portion cannot be sufficiently obtained, and it may be impossible to obtain the desired movement of the insertion portion. On the contrary, if the flexibility of the treatment instrument pipe in the bending portion is high, breakage of the pipe including buckling of the pipe may sometimes occur. In addition, sometimes the treatment instrument pipe comes into contact with other components, and the treatment instrument pipe is deformed. If such deformation occurs, the inner diameter of the pipe becomes smaller, and if the treatment instrument is moved in this state, wear or breakage of the treatment instrument pipe may occur. Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose a technique for a structure that can solve the problems caused by contact between such a treatment instrument pipe and other components.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-46314

[0007] Patent Document 2: International Publication No. 2018 / 088087 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can suppress wear or breakage of a treatment instrument pipe while maintaining the flexibility of the insertion portion.

[0010] Technical Solution for Solving the Problem

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, an endoscope according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion; a hand-held operation portion connected to one end of the insertion portion; a first treatment instrument conduit passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the first treatment instrument conduit from the upper end of the hand-held operation portion; and a second treatment instrument conduit passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, the second treatment instrument conduit having a branch portion that branches into a first branch path and a second branch path in the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the second treatment instrument conduit from the first branch path. The hand-held operation portion includes a grip portion for a user to grip, and the first treatment instrument conduit includes: a first portion having a first hardness in at least the grip portion in the hand-held operation portion; and a second portion having a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

[0012] In the first aspect, the hand-held operation portion may include a kink prevention portion located between the grip portion and the insertion portion, and the first treatment instrument conduit has the first portion at least inside the kink prevention portion and the grip portion. Additionally, the first treatment instrument conduit may have the first portion in a region near the branch portion. Further, the endoscope further includes a general-purpose cable, one end of which is connected to the hand-held operation portion and the other end is connected to a connector portion, and the first treatment instrument conduit has the first portion in a region near the connection portion with the general-purpose cable in the hand-held operation portion.

[0013] Alternatively, in the first aspect, the first treatment instrument conduit may also include an inner layer and an outer layer formed outside the inner layer. Here, the inner layer is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a first porosity. The outer layer may include: a first portion formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a second porosity; and a second portion formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a third porosity larger than the second porosity.

[0014] An endoscope according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion; a hand-held operation portion connected to one end of the insertion portion; a first treatment instrument conduit passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the first treatment instrument conduit from the upper end of the hand-held operation portion; and a second treatment instrument conduit passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, the second treatment instrument conduit having a branch portion that branches into a first branch path and a second branch path in the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the second treatment instrument conduit from the first branch path. The first treatment instrument conduit includes: a first portion having a first hardness in at least a region near the branch portion in the hand-held operation portion; and a second portion having a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

[0015] Advantages of the Invention

[0016] An endoscope according to the present invention can provide an endoscope that can suppress wear or breakage of the treatment instrument tube while maintaining the flexibility of the insertion portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 FIG. is an external view of an endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 FIG. is a perspective view showing the structure of the distal end portion 104 of the endoscope 100.

[0019] Figure 3 FIG. is a cross-sectional view more specifically showing the cross-sectional structure of the distal end portion 104.

[0020] Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic view showing the arrangement of various tubes in the insertion portion 10, the hand-held operation portion 102, the general cable 105, and the connector portion 106.

[0021] Figure 5 FIG. is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the treatment instrument tubes 141B and 141C according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6 FIG. is a schematic view showing the effect of the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 FIG. is a view showing a modification of the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 8 FIG. is a schematic view showing the structure of the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 9 FIG. is a schematic view showing the structure of the second embodiment.

[0026] Figure 10 FIG. is a schematic view showing the structure of the third embodiment.

[0027] Figure 11 FIG. is a schematic view showing the structure of the third embodiment.

[0028] Figure 12 FIG. is a schematic view showing the structure of the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, elements having the same function are sometimes denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, although the drawings show embodiments and installation examples according to the principles of the present disclosure, they are used to understand the present disclosure and are not used to restrictively interpret the present disclosure in any way. The description in this specification is merely a typical illustration, and the description in this specification is only a typical illustration and does not limit the scope of protection or application examples of the present disclosure in any sense.

[0030] In the embodiments described below, in order for those skilled in the art to implement the present disclosure, it has been described in sufficient detail, but it should be understood that other installations and methods are also possible, and structural and configurational changes and replacements of various elements can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical idea of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be construed as being limited thereto.

[0031] [First Embodiment]

[0032] First, the endoscope system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Figure 1 is an external view of the endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the distal end portion 104 of the endoscope 100. The endoscope system 1 generally includes an endoscope 100, a processor 200, a light source device 300, a gas supply / water supply unit 400, a suction unit 500, a display 600, and an input unit 700.

[0033] The endoscope 100 is configured to be insertable into the body of a subject to photograph a subject, and has a function of transmitting an image signal of the photographed image to the processor 200. The processor 200 receives the image signal from the endoscope 100 and performs prescribed signal processing.

[0034] The light source device 300 is configured to be connectable to the processor 200 and has a light source inside that emits illumination light for irradiating the subject. The light from the light source is irradiated toward the subject via a light guide member described later. The light source device 300 may be configured to be separable from the processor 200 and connectable to the processor 200, or may be assembled inside the processor 200.

[0035] The gas supply / water supply unit 400 includes an air pump for discharging a water flow or an air flow supplied to the subject. The suction unit 500 includes a pump and a tank (not shown) for sucking body fluids and excised materials sucked from the body of the subject via the endoscope 100.

[0036] The display 600 is, for example, a display device for performing display based on the data processing result in the processor 200 and the like. In addition, the input unit 700 is a device for inputting instructions from an operator in various measurement operations.

[0037] The endoscope 100 includes an insertion portion 10, a hand-held operation portion 102, a general cable 105, and a connector portion 106. The insertion portion 10 further includes a flexible tube portion 101, a bending portion 103, and a distal end portion 104.

[0038] As Figure 1 shown, the insertion portion 10 of the endoscope 100 is flexible and includes a flexible tube portion 101 for inserting into the body of the subject. One end of the flexible tube portion 101 is connected to the hand-held operation portion 102. The hand-held operation portion 102 includes, for example, a bending operation knob 1021 and other operation buttons 1022 that can be operated by the user, and is a part for enabling the operator to perform various operations for imaging by the endoscope system 1. In addition, a treatment instrument insertion port 1024, 1026, 1027 for inserting a treatment instrument is provided in the hand-held operation portion 102.

[0039] The portion of the flexible tube portion 101 close to the bending portion 103 is the first flexible tube portion 101A, and the portion close to the hand-held operation portion 102 is the second flexible tube portion 101B. The shape of the bending portion 103 can be actively changed by the operator's operation of the bending operation knob 1021. In contrast, the first flexible tube portion 101A is a portion whose shape is passively changed by an external force unrelated to the operation of the bending operation knob 1021, such as an external force generated by the contact of the distal end portion 104, the bending portion 103 with the wall surface of the digestive organ. The same applies to the second flexible tube portion 101B, but the degree of shape change is smaller than that of the first flexible tube portion 101A (the minimum radius of curvature is larger). In addition, in the Figure 1 example, the flexible tube portion 101 has two types of flexible tube portions, but it is not limited thereto, and it may include three or more types of flexible tube portions, or may be one type.

[0040] A bendable bending portion 103 (active bending portion) is provided at the distal end of the flexible tube portion 101. As described above, the bending portion 103 bends by the traction of an operation wire (not shown in the Figure 1 ) linked to the rotation operation of the bending operation knob 1021 provided on the hand-held operation portion 102. In addition, a bending wire W and a connecting portion that will not be deformed by an external force may be provided between the bending portion 103 and the first flexible tube portion 101A.

[0041] Moreover, a distal end portion 104 having an imaging element (imaging portion) is connected to the distal end of the bending portion 103. The orientation of the distal end portion 104 changes according to the bending operation of the bending portion 103 caused by the rotation operation of the bending operation knob 1021, thereby enabling the imaging area of the endoscope 100 to change.

[0042] The hand-held operation unit 102 includes a main body portion 102M, a grip portion 102H, and a bend prevention portion 102G. The main body portion 102M is the part having the above-described bending operation knob 1021 and operation buttons 1022, and the grip portion 102H is configured to be grippable by an operator. In order to make it easier for the operator to grip, the width of the grip portion 102H is made smaller than that of the main body portion 102M. In addition, the bend prevention portion 102G is formed at the connection portion between the insertion portion 10 and the hand-held operation unit 102, and is provided to suppress bending of the insertion portion 10.

[0043] The general cable 105 extends from the opposite side of the hand-held operation unit 102 toward the connector portion 106. Similar to the insertion portion 10, the general cable 105 includes an optical waveguide, various wirings, and various pipelines inside thereof. One end of the general cable 105 is connected to the hand-held operation unit 102, and the other end is connected to the connector portion 106.

[0044] The connector portion 106 includes various connectors for connecting the endoscope 100 to the processor 200. In addition, the connector portion 106 includes a water / air supply pipeline 108 as a path for supplying a water flow and an air flow toward the insertion portion 10. The water / air supply pipeline 108 is connected to the general cable 105 via the air flow / water flow port 1061. In addition, the connector portion 106 has a suction pipeline 109 for sucking body fluids and excised materials sucked from the body of the subject through the endoscope 100 and discharging them to the suction portion 500.

[0045] Refer to Figure 2 , and the structure of the distal end portion 104 of the endoscope 100 will be described. Lighting lenses 112A and 112B are arranged at the distal end portion 104 of the endoscope 100, and inside the insertion portion 10, the optical waveguides LGa and LGb extend from the distal end portion 104 to the connector portion 106. The light from the light source of the light source device 300 is guided by these optical waveguides LGa and LGb and irradiated toward the subject through the lighting lenses 112A and 112B arranged at the distal end portion 104.

[0046] In addition, as Figure 2 shown, the endoscope 100 includes an objective lens 113 and an imaging element 133 at the distal end portion 104. The objective lens 113 provided at the distal end portion 104 condenses the scattered light and reflected light from the subject and forms an image of the subject on the light receiving surface of the imaging element 133.

[0047] As an example, the imaging element 133 may be composed of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Sensor). The imaging element 133 is controlled by signals (such as gain control signals, exposure control signals, shutter speed control signals, etc.) supplied from the processor 200 via the electrical wiring 138, and supplies an image signal of the captured image to the processor 200 via the electrical wiring 138 and an A / D conversion circuit (not shown).

[0048] In addition, an air and water supply port 114, a sub-water supply port 115, and treatment instrument ports 116A to 116C are provided on the end face of the front end portion 104 as the ends or openings of various pipelines. The air and water supply port 114 is connected to the air and water supply pipeline 121 in order to introduce a water flow or an air flow for cleaning the front end portion 104, etc.

[0049] In addition, the sub-water supply port 115 is connected to the sub-water supply pipeline 122 in order to introduce sub-water supply for removing dirt in the visual field. The pipelines 121 to 122 are arranged so as to extend along the inside of the front end portion 104, the bending portion 103, the insertion portion 10, the hand-held operation portion 102, and the general cable 105.

[0050] In addition to such pipelines 121 to 122, treatment instrument pipelines 141A to 141C are also provided inside the endoscope 100. The treatment instrument pipelines 141A to 141C are configured to allow treatment instruments such as forceps to move forward and backward therein. The front ends of the treatment instrument pipelines 141A to 141C constitute the treatment instrument ports 116A to 116C at the front end portion 104. In this first embodiment, as an example, the treatment instrument pipeline 141A has a branch portion that branches into a first branch portion and a second branch portion, one for inserting a treatment instrument and the other serving as a suction pipeline to the suction portion.

[0051] Refer to Figure 3 , and the cross-sectional structure of the front end portion 104 will be described in detail. In this cross-sectional view, the detailed structures of the objective lens 113 to the electrical wiring 138, the air and water supply pipeline 121, and the treatment instrument pipeline 141B are shown. The treatment instrument pipelines 141A and 141C are omitted from the illustration. The structures of the light distribution lenses 112A, 112B, and the light guides LGa and LGb are also omitted from the illustration. In addition, the structure of the sub-water supply pipeline 122 is also omitted from the illustration.

[0052] The front end portion 104 has a front end hard portion 104M. The front end hard portion 104M has hole portions that constitute the above-described air and water supply port 114, sub-water supply port 115, and treatment instrument port 116B. As Figure 3As shown, the air and water supply pipe 121 and the treatment instrument pipe 141B are inserted into the corresponding hole parts of the front-end rigid part 104M.

[0053] The front-end rigid part 104M also has a hole part for fitting the lens frame 136 that holds the objective lens 113, the aperture AP, and the light-shielding mask 131. The lens frame 136 is fixed to the hole part of the front-end rigid part 104M via the sealant 137.

[0054] On the other hand, behind the objective lens 113, as an example, the light-shielding mask 131, the glass cover 132, the imaging element (CCD) 133, and the circuit board 134 are held by the CCD unit frame 135, and the CCD unit frame 135 is inserted into and fixed to the hole part of the front-end rigid part 104M. An electrical wiring 138 is connected to the circuit board 134.

[0055] The front end part 104 (front-end rigid part 104M) configured as described above is fitted into the front end of the bending part 103. The bending part 103 is constituted by connecting, in a rotatable manner, bending blocks 153 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape by using rivets. The outer surface of the bending block 153 is covered with a mesh tube 152. The mesh tube 152 is joined to the front-end rigid part 104M via a collar tube 151 at its end. In addition, the outer surface of the mesh tube 152 is covered with a synthetic resin outer skin rubber tube 155. The outer skin rubber tube 155 and the front-end rigid part 104M are fixed, at their ends, by a fixing wire S1, for example.

[0056] A wire guide 154 is provided between the plurality of bending blocks 153, and the bending wire W for the bending operation passes through the wire guide 154. Four bending wires W are provided, for example, at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction within one insertion part 10. One end of each bending wire W is fixed to the foremost bending block 153. The other end of the bending wire W is tensioned / relaxed by the operation of the bending operation knob 102A, whereby the bending part 103 bends.

[0057] Next, with reference to Figure 4 , the configurations of various pipes in the insertion part 10, the hand-held operation part 102, the general cable 105, and the connector part 106 are shown. As described above, the air and water supply pipe 121, the sub-water supply pipe 122, and the treatment instrument pipes 141A to 141C are arranged in the insertion part 10.

[0058] The air and water supply pipe 121 branches off from the air pipe 121J midway. The air pipe 121J and the air and water supply pipe 121 pass through the inside of the insertion part 10, the hand-held operation part 102, and the general cable 105, and are connected to the air / water port 1061 at the connector part 106. The air / water port 1061 is connected to the above-mentioned air and water supply pipe 108. Similarly, the auxiliary water supply pipe 122 is arranged to pass through the inside of the insertion part 10, the hand-held operation part 102, and the general cable 105, and reach the auxiliary water supply port 1063 at the connector part 106.

[0059] The treatment instrument pipe 141A (first treatment instrument pipe) is arranged to extend inside the insertion part 10, but has a branch Dv at the position of the treatment instrument insertion port 1024 of the hand-held operation part 102, and branches off from the branch pipe 141A' (first branch pipe). The branch pipe 141A' is connected to the treatment instrument insertion port 1024 and functions as a pipe for inserting the treatment instrument. The treatment instrument pipe 141A (second branch pipe) further extends to the hand-held operation part 102, the general cable 105, and the connector part 106 and is connected to the suction port 1062. The above-mentioned suction pipe 109 is connected to the suction port 1062. In this way, the treatment instrument pipe 141A serves both as a pipe for inserting the treatment instrument and a pipe for suction.

[0060] On the other hand, the treatment instrument pipes 141B and 141C (second treatment instrument pipes) are arranged to extend inside the insertion part 10, but do not extend in the direction of the general cable 105, but extend to the upper end of the hand-held operation part 102 and reach the treatment instrument insertion ports 1026 and 1027.

[0061] From Figure 4 it can be seen that various pipes are densely arranged inside the hand-held operation part 102, especially near the branch Dv. In addition, in order to be easily held by the operator, the diameter (width) of the holding part 102H of the hand-held operation part 102 is set to be smaller than that of the main body part 102M. The same applies to the anti-bending part 102G connecting the holding part 102H and the insertion part 10. Therefore, inside the hand-held operation part 102, especially near the holding part 102H and the anti-bending part 102G, contact between pipes or contact between pipes and the structural components of the operation part is likely to occur.

[0062] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the treatment instrument pipes 141B and 141C adopt Figure 5The structure shown. The treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C have a double-layer structure including an inner layer 201 and an outer layer 202 disposed outside the inner layer 201. The inner layer 201 is made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) with a solid structure (the porosity (first porosity) is approximately zero) throughout its entire length (from the front end portion 104 to the hand-held operation portion 102) in order to suppress breakage caused by contact with the treatment instrument passing through the conduit. In addition, instead of setting it to a solid structure, PTFE with a porous structure having a very small porosity that can obtain sufficient hardness may be used.

[0063] On the other hand, the first part 202A of the outer layer 202 located in the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G is made of PTFE with a solid structure (the porosity (second porosity) is approximately zero). The remaining second part 202B is made of PTFE with a porous structure (a third porosity larger than the second porosity). In other words, in the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 are made of PTFE with a solid structure. In addition, instead of setting it to a solid structure, PTFE with a porous structure having a very small porosity that can obtain sufficient hardness may be used.

[0064] By forming the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C into a double-layer structure of solid PTFE and porous PTFE, it is possible to achieve both resistance to breakage caused by the insertion of the treatment instrument and resistance to buckling. In other words, by using the porous PTFE of the outer layer 202 that is difficult to buckle to hold the solid PTFE of the inner layer 201, a soft and difficult-to-buckle conduit can be formed. On the other hand, in the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 are made of PTFE with a solid structure. Thus, the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C can have a first part with a first hardness in the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G that are part of the hand-held operation portion 102, and a second part with a second hardness smaller than the first hardness outside this part. In addition, it is also possible to make both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 of solid PTFE only in the gripping portion 102H.

[0065] When the flexibility of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C is high, as shown in (a) of Figure 6 , other components (reference numeral Ob) inside the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G come into contact with the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C, which may cause deformation in the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C. Such deformation may cause wear or breakage of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C.

[0066] In contrast, in the first embodiment, as described above, in the holding portions 102H and the anti-kinking portions 102G that are part of the hand-held operation portion 102, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C are made of PTFE with a solid structure. Therefore, even if other components within the holding portions 102H and the anti-kinking portions 102G come into contact with the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C, the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C are not easily deformed. Thus, according to the present embodiment, wear and breakage of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C at the dense portion can be suppressed, and a conduit with a soft core layer and difficult to bend can be obtained.

[0067] In addition, in the example shown above, in the double-layered PTFE that constitutes the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C, by making the porosity different, a treatment instrument conduit with different hardnesses according to the position is provided. However, the structure of providing a first portion with a first hardness and a second portion with a second hardness smaller than the first hardness is not limited to the illustrated structure. For example, by providing a portion strengthened by a heat-shrinkable tube or a reinforcing coil and a non-strengthened portion, different hardnesses can also be imparted. Additionally, the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C can also be constituted by Figure 7 a braided tube as described above. The braided tube includes, for example, an inner layer 203 made of a fluororesin such as PTFE, a metal sheet 204 (such as stainless steel) wound around the outside of the inner layer, and an outer layer 205 made of a soft resin such as polyurethane on the outside thereof. By making the density of the metal wires in the metal sheet 204 different according to the position, different hardnesses can also be imparted. Such a modification can also be adopted in the following second to fourth embodiments.

[0068] [Second Embodiment]

[0069] Next, with reference to Figure 8 and Figure 9 the endoscope of the second embodiment will be described. The overall structure of the endoscope of this second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 ). In addition, the structures of the distal end portion 104, the bending portion 103, and the insertion portion 10, as well as the arrangement of various conduits, are also the same as those of the first embodiment ( Figures 2 to 4 ).

[0070] As Figure 8 shown, the structures of the treatment instrument conduits 141B and 141C of this second embodiment are different from those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the regions where both the inner layers 201 and 202 are made of PTFE with a solid structure are the regions 1023S near the branch portion Dv in the hand-held operation portion 102.

[0071] As described above, in the region 1023S near the branch portion Dv, various pipelines are concentrated and extend in different directions. Therefore, contact between pipelines is particularly likely to occur. For example, the branch portion Dv is usually composed of hard components such as stainless steel. In the area where various pipelines are dense, the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C on the outer side of its hard branch portion Dv are prone to Figure 6 the deformation as shown in (a) of. Therefore, in the second embodiment, in the region 1023S, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C are made of PTFE with a solid structure. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, it is also possible to suppress wear and breakage of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C at the dense portion, and a soft and difficult-to-buckle pipeline can be formed.

[0072] [Third Embodiment]

[0073] Next, with reference to Figure 10 and Figure 11 the endoscope according to the third embodiment will be described. The overall structure of the endoscope of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 ). In addition, the structures of the distal end portion 104, the bending portion 103, and the insertion portion 10, and the arrangement of various pipelines are also the same as those of the first embodiment ( Figures 2 to 4 ).

[0074] As Figure 10 shown, the structures of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C of the third embodiment are different from those of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the portions of the inner layers 201 and 202 that are made of FTFE with a solid structure are the regions 102U near the connection portion of the general-purpose cable 105 in the hand operation portion 102.

[0075] As Figure 11 shown, in the region 102U (inside the main body portion 102M) near the connection portion of the general-purpose cable 105, various pipelines extending to the general-purpose cable 105 are concentrated and bent substantially vertically. Therefore, contact between pipelines is particularly likely to occur. Therefore, in the third embodiment, in the region 102U, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C are made of PTFE with a solid structure. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, it is also possible to suppress wear and breakage of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C at the dense portion, and a soft and difficult-to-buckle pipeline can be formed. In addition, although not shown, in the third embodiment, the inner layers 201 and the outer layers 202 of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C of the gripping portion 102H and the anti-bending portion 102G can also be configured in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0076] [Fourth Embodiment]

[0077] Next, with reference to Figure 12 the endoscope according to the fourth embodiment will be described. The overall structure of the endoscope according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( Figure 1 ). In addition, the structures of the distal end portion 104, the bending portion 103, and the insertion portion 10, and the arrangement of various pipelines are also the same as those of the first embodiment ( Figures 2 to 4 ).

[0078] As Figure 12 shown, the structures of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C according to the fourth embodiment are different from those of the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 are both parts (the first part) made of PTFE with a solid structure, and the whole including the anti-bending portion 102G in the hand-held operation portion 102. In other words, the part (the second part) of the outer layer 202 with a porous structure only exists in the insertion portion 10. In the hand-held operation portion 102, including the anti-bending portion 102G and the main body portion 102M, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 are made of PTFE with a solid structure as a whole.

[0079] According to the fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can also be obtained. In the fourth embodiment, only the outer layer 202 in the insertion portion 10 is made of PTFE with a porous structure, and in the hand-held operation portion 102 as a whole, both the inner layer 201 and the outer layer 202 can be made of PTFE with a solid structure, and the structures of the treatment instrument pipelines 141B and 141C become simple, and their manufacturing can be made easy.

[0080] [Other]

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modification examples. For example, the above-described embodiments are described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not limited to having all the structures described. In addition, a part of the structure of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the structure of another embodiment, and in addition, the structure of another embodiment can be added to the structure of a certain embodiment. In addition, for a part of the structure of each embodiment, other structures can be added, deleted, or replaced.

[0082] Description of reference numerals

[0083] 1…Endoscope system, 100…Endoscope, 10…Insertion portion, 101…Flexible tube portion, 101A…First flexible tube portion, 101B…Second flexible tube portion, 102…Handheld operation portion, 1021…Bending operation knob, 1022…Operation button, 1024, 1026, 1027…Disposal instrument insertion port, 102G…Anti-kinking portion, 102H…Grip portion, 102M…Main body portion, 103…Bending portion, 104…Tip portion, 105…General cable, 106…Connector portion, 108…Air and water supply line, 109…Suction line, LGa, LGb…Light guide, 112A, 112B…Light distribution lens, 113…Objective lens, 114…Air and water supply port, 115…Sub water supply port, 116A - C…Disposal instrument port, 121…Air and water supply pipe line, 122…Sub water supply pipe line, 141A - C…Disposal instrument pipe line, 133…Imaging element, 134…Circuit board, 135…CCD unit frame, 136…Lens frame, 137…Sealant, 138…Electrical wiring, 200…Processor, 201…Inner layer, 202…Outer layer, 203…Inner layer, 204…Metal sheet, 205…Outer layer, 300…Light source device, 400…Air and water supply section, 500…Suction section, 600…Monitor, 700…Input section.

Claims

1. An endoscope, characterized in that, it comprises: an insertion portion; a hand-held operation portion connected to one end of the insertion portion; a general cable, one end of the general cable is connected to the hand-held operation portion, and the other end is connected to a processor; a first treatment instrument pipeline, passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the first treatment instrument pipeline from the upper end of the hand-held operation portion; and a second treatment instrument pipeline, passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, the second treatment instrument pipeline has a branch portion, and the branch portion branches into a first branch path and a second branch path in the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the second treatment instrument pipeline from the first branch path, the hand-held operation portion has a grip portion for the user to hold, the first treatment instrument pipeline does not extend in the direction of the general cable and comprises: a first portion having a first hardness in at least the grip portion in the hand-held operation portion; and a second portion having a second hardness smaller than the first hardness.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein, the hand-held operation portion has a anti-bending portion located between the grip portion and the insertion portion, the first treatment instrument pipeline has the first portion at least inside the anti-bending portion and the grip portion.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the first treatment instrument pipeline has the first portion in a region near the branch portion.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein, the first treatment instrument pipeline has the first portion in a region near the connection portion with the general cable in the hand-held operation portion.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein, the first treatment instrument pipeline comprises: an inner layer; and an outer layer formed outside the inner layer, the inner layer is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a first porosity, the outer layer comprises: a first portion formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a second porosity; and a second portion formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a third porosity larger than the second porosity.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein, the first treatment instrument pipeline has the second portion only in the insertion portion.

7. An endoscope, characterized in that, it comprises: an insertion portion; a hand-held operation portion connected to one end of the insertion portion; a general cable, one end of the general cable is connected to the hand-held operation portion, and the other end is connected to a connector portion; a first treatment instrument pipeline, passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the first treatment instrument pipeline from the upper end of the hand-held operation portion; and a second treatment instrument pipeline, passing through the inside of the insertion portion and the hand-held operation portion, the second treatment instrument pipeline has a branch portion, and the branch portion branches into a first branch path and a second branch path in the hand-held operation portion, and a treatment instrument is inserted through the second treatment instrument pipeline from the first branch path, the first treatment instrument pipeline does not extend in the direction of the general cable and comprises: a first portion having a first hardness in at least the vicinity of the branch portion in the hand-held operation portion; and The second part has a second hardness that is smaller than the first hardness.

8. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein, the first treatment instrument conduit has the first part in a region near the connection part with the general cable in the hand-held operation part.

9. The endoscope according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, the first treatment instrument conduit includes: an inner layer; and an outer layer formed outside the inner layer, the inner layer is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a first porosity, the outer layer includes: a first part formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a second porosity; and a second part formed of polytetrafluoroethylene having a third porosity greater than the second porosity.

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