Active bending section, endoscope and bending radius control method

Abstract

The present invention provides an active bending section, an endoscope and a bending radius control method, which relates to the field of endoscopes. The present invention includes a serpentine body, a clamping piece and a driving assembly. The clamping piece is coaxial and axially slidably arranged on the serpentine joint. The clamping piece includes a sliding portion and an abutting portion. The driving assembly is connected to the serpentine joint and corresponds one to one. When the driving assembly drives the clamping piece to slide along the axial direction of the serpentine body, when the clamping piece is in a first position, the sliding portion and the abutting portion of the clamping piece are both located in the current serpentine joint. When the clamping piece is in a second position, the sliding portion of the clamping piece is still located in the current serpentine joint, and the abutting portion of the clamping piece is close to the side wall of the adjacent serpentine joint and is used to limit the rotation of two adjacent serpentine joints. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages of changing the hardness and softness of the active bending section of the endoscope, thereby changing the bending radius of the active bending section, and improving the adaptability of the insertion portion of the endoscope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of endoscopes, and in particular to an active bending section, an endoscope and a bending radius control method. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope is a medical device that inserts its insertion part into the human body and uses the camera module at the far end to observe internal tissues. It can help doctors locate lesions and their tissue structure characteristics.

[0003] At present, soft insertion endoscopes are more widely used in clinical practice because their soft active bending section can more easily pass through complex body cavity structures or curved channels. However, after leaving the factory, the bending radius of the active bending section of this type of endoscope has been fixed. When facing the complex and narrow body cavity channels of the human body, an excessively large bending radius may cause damage or discomfort to body tissues, and it is more difficult to quickly enter the branch channels of narrow body cavity channels, so its adaptability is greatly limited. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of the hardness or softness of the active bending section of an endoscope and thus change the bending radius of the active bending section to improve the adaptability of the insertion portion of the endoscope, the present application provides an active bending section, an insertion portion and an endoscope.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an active bending segment, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An active bending section, comprising:

[0007] A snake bone body, wherein the snake bone body comprises a plurality of snake bone sections arranged along the axial direction of the snake bone body, and two adjacent snake bone sections are hingedly connected to each other;

[0008] A clamping member, which is coaxially and axially slidably arranged on the snake bone segment, and comprises a sliding portion and an abutting portion;

[0009] A driving assembly, wherein the driving assembly is connected to the snake bone segments and corresponds to each other one by one, and when the driving assembly drives the clamping member to slide along the axial direction of the snake bone body, the clamping member has a first position and a second position;

[0010] When the locking member is in the first position, the sliding portion and the abutting portion of the locking member are both located in the current snake bone joint;

[0011] When the locking member is in the second position, the sliding portion of the locking member is still located in the current snake bone segment, and the abutment portion of the locking member is close to the side wall surface of the adjacent snake bone segment and is used to limit the rotation of the two adjacent snake bone segments.

[0012] Preferably, at least one limiting block is fixedly provided on the peripheral wall of the positioning member along the circumferential direction;

[0013] When the positioning member is in the first position, the limiting block abuts against the end wall of the current snake bone segment;

[0014] When the locking member is in the second position, the limiting block abuts against the end wall of the adjacent serpentine segment.

[0015] Preferably, a plurality of limit grooves are provided on the end walls adjacent to the swing gaps of the snake bones, the limit blocks correspond to the limit grooves one by one, and the limit blocks and the limit grooves are plugged into and matched with each other.

[0016] Preferably, a riveted portion is fixedly provided at the end of the limit block, and the limit block is located within the contour of the riveted portion along the projection contour of the riveted portion, and the riveted portion is used to be clamped to the peripheral wall of the snake bone segment.

[0017] Preferably, a plurality of rivet grooves are provided at the end walls of the swing gaps of the adjacent snake bones, the rivet grooves correspond to the limit grooves one by one and are interconnected, and the rivet grooves correspond to the riveted parts one by one, and the riveted parts and the rivet grooves are plugged and matched with each other;

[0018] And / or, the peripheral wall of the positioning member is hollowed out;

[0019] And / or, the outer walls at both ends of the clamping member are provided with guiding bevels along the axial direction;

[0020] And / or, it also includes a damping member, which is connected to the snake bone joint, and is used to buffer and position the locking member when the locking member is in the first position or the second position.

[0021] Preferably, the positioning member is provided with an avoidance groove for avoiding the traction rope.

[0022] Preferably, the driving assembly includes a first magnetic component and a second magnetic component, the first magnetic component is arranged on the locking component, the second magnetic component is arranged on the snake bone joint, the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component are arranged opposite to each other, and at least one of the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component is a variable polarity magnetic body.

[0023] Preferably, the first magnetic member on the positioning member is a magnet, and the second magnetic member on the snake bone joint is an electromagnet;

[0024] When the second magnetic member is in the positive current direction, the first magnetic member is attracted to the second magnetic member, so that the positioning member is in the first position and the adjacent snake bone joints are in a normal rotation state;

[0025] When the second magnetic member is in the reverse current direction, the first magnetic member repels the second magnetic member, so that the blocking member is in the second position and the adjacent snake bone joints are in a rotation-stopped state;

[0026] And / or, at least one of the side walls of the same pair of the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component facing away from each other is provided with a magnetic shielding plate.

[0027] In a second aspect, the present application provides an endoscope, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0028] An endoscope comprises a handle and an insertion portion, wherein the insertion portion is arranged at the front end of the handle and comprises the active bending section of one of the above schemes.

[0029] In a third aspect, the present application provides a method for controlling the bending radius of an active bending section of an endoscope, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0030] A method for controlling the bending radius of an active bending section of an endoscope is applicable to the active bending section described in the above scheme or the endoscope described in the above scheme. According to different bending requirements, the purpose of controlling the bending radius of the active bending section of the endoscope is achieved by adjusting the positioning piece in the snake bone node at a suitable position on the snake bone body to move to a second position.

[0031] The present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0032] When the doctor inserts the insertion part of the endoscope into the complex and narrow body cavity channel of the human body, he only needs to determine the approximate bending radius of the serpentine body of the active bending section according to the image transmitted by the lens at the front end of the endoscope, and then drive the clamping member to slide along the axial direction of the serpentine body by controlling the appropriate number and position of the driving components on the serpentine segment, so that the sliding part of the clamping member is located in the current serpentine segment, and the abutting part of the clamping member is close to the side wall surface of the adjacent serpentine segment to limit the rotation of the two adjacent serpentine segments, thereby limiting the rotation of the serpentine segment with suitable length and position, so that the position where the rotation is restricted becomes hard and straight, and the position cannot rotate;

[0033] As for the position on the snake bone body where the driving assembly does not drive the locking piece to slide, the snake bone section at this position can still rotate and bend normally with the traction of the traction rope, and finally realize the control of the required bending radius of the snake bone body. By controlling the bending radius of the active bending section, the flexibility, adaptability and operability of the insertion part of the endoscope are improved, making it easier for the front end of the insertion part to pass through complex anatomical structures or curved channels, thereby improving the success rate and efficiency of the operation. If the bending radius of the active bending section of the endoscope is too large, it will also cause damage or discomfort to body tissues. Changing the bending radius of the active bending section can ensure the safety of operation and the comfort of patients to a certain extent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram intended to show the structure of the snake body of the endoscope.

[0036] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram intended to show the first position and the second position of the locking parts on adjacent snake bone nodes.

[0037] Figure 3 An exploded view designed to show a single snake segment, drive components, and stop components.

[0038] Figure 4 It is intended to show Figure 3 Enlarged view of part P.

[0039] Figure 5 It is intended to show Figure 3 Enlarged view of the middle Q section.

[0040] Figure 6 It is a partial schematic diagram intended to show the limiting block and riveting part on the clamping piece.

[0041] Figure 7 It is a structural diagram intended to show the change in bending radius caused by the hardening of the main body of the snake bone and the bending of the front end.

[0042] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram intended to show the overall structure of an endoscope.

[0043] The markings in the figure are:

[0044] 1. Snake bone body; 11. Snake bone joint; 111. Limiting groove; 112. Rivet groove;

[0045] 2. Positioning member; 21. Sliding portion; 22. Abutting portion; 23. First position; 24. Second position; 25. Limiting block; 251. Riveting portion; 26. Guide bevel; 27. Avoidance groove;

[0046] 3. driving assembly; 31. first magnetic member; 32. second magnetic member;

[0047] 4. Damping parts;

[0048] 5. Magnetic shielding plate;

[0049] 6. Handle; 61. Control module;

[0050] 7. Insertion portion; 71. Active bending section; 72. Passive bending section; 73. Traction rope;

[0051] A. Swing gap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] To make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other implementation methods obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described here, and the objects distinguished by "first", "second", etc. are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship.

[0054] First of all, it should be emphasized that the endoscope in the embodiments of the present application can be a bronchoscope, a pyeloscope, an esophagoscope, a gastroscope, a colonoscope, an otoscope, a rhinoscope, a stomatoscope, a laryngoscope, a colposcope, a laparoscope, an arthroscope, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not impose specific restrictions on the type of endoscope.

[0055] Combine the following Figures 1 to 8 An active bending section, an endoscope and a bending radius control method provided in an embodiment of the present application are described in detail through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0056] Reference Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, some embodiments of the present application provide an active bending section, including a serpentine body 1, the serpentine body 1 including a plurality of serpentine nodes 11 arranged along the axial direction of the serpentine body 1, and two adjacent serpentine nodes 11 are hingedly mounted to each other. The hinge structure between the serpentine nodes 11 has been disclosed as a prior art and will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0057] The retaining member 2 is coaxially and axially slidably installed on the snake bone joint 11. The retaining member 2 is annular in shape. The retaining member 2 includes a sliding portion 21 and an abutting portion 22. In different implementations, the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the retaining member 2 can be integrally arranged, or the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the retaining member 2 are two parts respectively. The sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the retaining member 2 are welded or bonded together, and the outer walls of the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the retaining member 2 are flush.

[0058] In actual installation, each retaining member 2 can be slidably installed on the outer wall or inner wall of each serpentine joint 11, so that the function of limiting the rotation of adjacent serpentine joints 11 can be achieved. However, when the retaining member 2 is located on the outer wall of the serpentine joint 11, due to the existence of the outermost skin protective layer of the serpentine body 1, it will affect the sliding of the retaining member 2 to a certain extent. Therefore, this installation method is not the best implementation method, but it still serves as a protection scheme of the present invention; and when the retaining member 2 is located on the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 as the best embodiment, the following descriptions are all for the retaining member 2 located on the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11.

[0059] According to an optional embodiment, the driving component 3 is connected to the snake bone joint 11 and corresponds one to one. When the driving component 3 drives the locking member 2 to slide along the axial direction of the snake bone body 1, the locking member 2 has a first position 23 and a second position 24. Indeed, in different implementations, the driving component 3 can also use multiple pull ropes to be respectively connected to the locking member 2, and the driving of the locking member 2 is achieved by pulling the pull ropes respectively, or a driving component 3 can be used to simultaneously drive multiple locking members 2 to move together, so that the locking member 2 is in the first position 23 and the second position 24.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 When the locking member 2 is in the first position 23, the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2 are both located in the current snake bone joint 11; when the locking member 2 is in the second position 24, the sliding portion 21 of the locking member 2 is still located in the current snake bone joint 11, and the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2 is close to the side wall surface of the adjacent snake bone joint 11, and is used to limit the rotation of the two adjacent snake bone joints 11. At this time, the outer wall of the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2 is transitionally matched with the inner wall of the adjacent snake bone joint 11, and at the same time, the outer wall of the sliding portion 21 of the locking member 2 is transitionally matched with the inner wall of the current snake bone joint 11. In this matching state, if the adjacent snake bone joint 11 rotates, the inner wall of the snake bone joint 11 will abut against the outer walls of the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2, thereby effectively preventing the adjacent snake bone joint 11 from rotating, thereby achieving the control of the rotation of the adjacent snake bone joint 11.

[0061] The following is a further explanation of transition fit. Transition fit is a type of fit in mechanical design, which means that when two parts fit together, it is neither a complete clearance fit nor a complete interference fit. The transition fit can be adjusted between clearance and interference according to actual needs to achieve better assembly effect and performance.

[0062] According to an optional embodiment, the peripheral wall of the retaining member 2 is hollowed out. Specifically, the circumferential side wall of the retaining member 2 is provided with a plurality of openings. The shape of the retaining opening may be square, circular or other shapes, depending on the specific situation. The hollow shape of the retaining member 2 can reduce the material usage of the retaining member 2, save costs and reduce weight, and at the same time can make the retaining member 2 have a very small deformation ability to avoid the serpentine body 1 of the active bending section 71 from being in a state of complete rigidity, thereby preventing the doctor from causing damage to the body cavity due to an imbalance in force control in the hand when inserting the insertion portion 7 into the body cavity.

[0063] According to an optional embodiment, at least one limit block 25 is fixed to the outer wall of the locking member 2 along the circumferential direction. The cross-sectional shape of the limit block 25 can be square, circular or other special shapes. In this embodiment, no specific limitation is made. When the locking member 2 is made of stainless steel or alloy material, the limit block 25 can be welded or bonded to the locking member 2. When the material of the locking member 2 is made of plastic, such as ABS plastic, polypropylene plastic and polystyrene plastic, the limit block 25 can be directly injection molded together with the locking member 2 through an injection molding machine.

[0064] Of course, in the optimal embodiment, the number of limit blocks 25 is preferably evenly arranged along the circumference of the locking member 2. Under this condition, when the locking member 2 slides axially along the serpentine body 1, the limit blocks 25 are blocked by the end walls of the serpentine nodes 11, and the locking member 2 can have better stability. In this embodiment, the number of limit blocks 25 is four.

[0065] It is worth noting that when the locking member 2 is in the first position 23, that is, the sliding portion 21 and the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2 are both located in the current snake bone joint 11, the locking member 2 does not slide along the axial direction of the snake bone body 1, and the limit block 25 will abut against the end wall of the current snake bone joint 11, and the limit block 25 will play a role in limiting the locking member 2 to prevent the limit block 25 from sliding freely. When the locking member 2 is in the second position 24, that is, the sliding portion 21 of the locking member 2 is still located in the current snake bone joint 11, and the abutting portion 22 of the locking member 2 is close to the side wall of the adjacent snake bone joint 11, the locking member 2 will move out of the current snake bone joint 11 during this process, and the limit block 25 will abut against the end wall of the adjacent snake bone joint 11, and the limit block 25 will prevent the locking member 2 from sliding excessively, resulting in failure to slide to a suitable position.

[0066] It should be emphasized that the principle of the locking member 2 limiting the rotation of adjacent serpentine joints 11 is that the outer wall of the locking member 2 abuts against the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11, forming a large friction force and a positive pressure between the contact surfaces, thereby limiting the rotation between adjacent serpentine joints 11. Now, due to the existence of the limit block 25, the limit block 25 will abut against the end wall of the serpentine joint 11, and will transfer part of the positive pressure between the outer wall of the locking member 2 and the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the friction between the contact surfaces to the lateral pressure and friction force on the limit block 25, and then convert it into a 'T'-shaped angle between the limit block 25 and the outer wall of the locking member to form an overall force, thereby effectively strengthening the limiting force on the rotation of adjacent serpentine joints 11. From a specific analysis from the force angle: in the absence of the limit block 25, since there is a transition fit between the locking piece 2 and the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11, there is actually a certain gap. When the locking piece 2 limits the bending of the adjacent serpentine joint 11, the locking piece 2 and the serpentine joint 11 are at a very small angle, and the locking piece 2 and the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 are in point contact. The stress at the contact point is concentrated, which can easily cause the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the locking piece 2 to be compressed, deformed and damaged by wear. Due to the presence of the limit block 25, the end wall of the serpentine joint 11 will contact the limit block 25, thereby dispersing part of the pressure, which is finally converted into force at the contact point between the end wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the limit block 25, and at the contact point between the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the locking piece 2, thereby preventing the serpentine joint 11 from structural damage. The position of the locking piece when in the limited state will become more stable, and the limiting effect will be better.

[0067] As an optional embodiment, a plurality of limit grooves 111 are provided on the end walls at the positions of the swing gaps A of adjacent serpentine joints 11, and the limit blocks 25 correspond to the limit grooves 111 one by one. The limit blocks 25 and the limit grooves 111 are plugged into and matched with each other. After the limit blocks 25 follow the locking member 2 to slide into the limit grooves 111, the locking member 2 will be more stable in the first position 23 or the second position 24.

[0068] As an optional embodiment, the retaining member 2 is provided with an avoidance groove 27 for avoiding the traction rope 73. The avoidance groove 27 is concave on the retaining member 2 to facilitate the passage of the traction rope 73. Since in the endoscope of this embodiment, the number of traction ropes 73 is two, the concave shapes on the retaining member 2 are relatively arranged. Of course, for other endoscopes with multiple traction ropes 73, the concave surface of the retaining member 2 can be specifically adjusted according to the number of traction ropes 73, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0069] As an optional embodiment, the entire retaining member 2 may be in a circular ring shape. The avoidance groove 27 configured on the retaining member 2 may be formed by welding a retaining ring on the inner wall of the retaining member 2 for the traction rope 73 to pass through. The through hole formed by the retaining ring itself may serve as the avoidance groove 27.

[0070] In some embodiments, the outer walls at both ends of the retaining member 2 are provided with guide bevels 26 along the axial direction. The guide bevels 26 can be rounded or straight. Due to the existence of the guide bevels 26, when the retaining member 2 slides along the axial direction of the serpentine body 1, it can better enter the adjacent serpentine joints 11. It should be emphasized that since the serpentine body 1 generally has a certain curved shape in the body cavity, due to the guiding effect of the guide bevels 26, the retaining member 2 can better enter the adjacent serpentine joints 11, thereby playing a limiting role.

[0071] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The end of the limit block 25 away from the snake joint 11 is fixedly provided with a riveted portion 251. The riveted portion 251 can be integrally formed with the limit block 25, or welded and fixed to each other. The shape of the riveted portion 251 can be circular, square or other shapes, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment. The limit block 25 is located within the contour of the riveted portion 251 along the projection contour of the riveted portion 251, that is, the riveted portion 251 is larger than the limit block 25. The length of the limit block 25 is just equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the snake joint 11. The riveted portion 251 will abut the outer wall of the snake joint 11. The cross-section formed by the riveted portion 251, the limit block 25 and the clamping member 2 is in an 'H' shape, and is clamped on the inner wall, end wall and outer wall of the snake joint 11, thereby limiting the rotation between adjacent snake joints 11.

[0072] It should be emphasized that when the locking member 2 is in the second position 24 extending out of the serpentine joint 11, when the adjacent serpentine joints 11 show a tendency to rotate, due to the combined action of the riveting portion 251 and the limiting block 25, the surface friction and positive pressure between the outer wall of the locking member 2 and the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 will be converted into positive pressure and friction on the riveting portion 251 and the limiting block 25, and the force is concentrated on the position of the limiting block 25 and the contact position between the riveting portion 251 and the serpentine joint, thereby changing the force point and the force surface. In this way, the combined action of the riveting portion 251, the limiting block 25 and the outer wall of the locking member 2 can more directly and stably limit the rotation between the adjacent serpentine joints 11, and ultimately effectively enhance the limitation of the rotation of the adjacent serpentine joints 11 by the locking member 2. From the perspective of force, due to the existence of the riveted part 251, when the locking member 2 limits the bending of the adjacent serpentine joint 11, the direct force point will be converted into force at the contact point between the end wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the limiting block 25, the contact point between the inner wall of the serpentine joint 11 and the locking member 2, and the contact point between the riveted part 251 and the outer wall of the serpentine joint 11. Since these three points are subjected to force at the same time, the position of the locking member in the limiting state will become more stable, and the limiting effect will be further enhanced.

[0073] As an optional embodiment, a plurality of rivet grooves 112 are provided at the end walls of the swing gaps A of the adjacent serpentine joints 11, the rivet grooves 112 correspond one-to-one with the limiting grooves 111 and are interconnected, and the rivet grooves 112 correspond one-to-one with the riveted portions 251, and the riveted portions 251 and the rivet grooves 112 are plugged into each other. Due to the presence of the rivet grooves 112, the rivet grooves 112 can reduce the radial length of the riveted portions 251 along the serpentine joint 11, so that the riveted portions 251 are located within the outer contour of the serpentine joint 11 along the axial direction, thereby avoiding The mutual friction between the riveted part 251 and the skin and other structures outside the serpentine joint 11 is avoided, and the volume of the active bending section 71 is effectively saved. When the riveted part 251 is clamped in the rivet groove 112, the side wall of the rivet groove 112 can be completely embedded with the side wall of the riveted part 251, and can well resist the pressure of the serpentine joint 11 bending under the drive of the traction rope 73. In other methods, the riveted part 251 is provided with guiding arc surfaces at both ends in the sliding direction of the locking member 2, which can facilitate the riveted part 251 to enter the rivet groove 112.

[0074] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 In order to prevent the positioning member 2 from sliding freely when it is in the first position 23 or the second position 24, a damping member 4 is installed on the bottom wall of the rivet groove 112. In this embodiment, the damping member 4 is a rubber block, which is embedded or bonded to the bottom wall of the rivet groove 112. When the positioning member 2 is in the first position 23 or the second position 24, the inner wall of the positioning member 2 will abut against the rubber block, causing the rubber block to deform, and the friction between the rubber block and the positioning member 2 will increase, so that the positioning member 2 is positioned. In different embodiments, the rubber block can also be laid on the side wall of the rivet groove 112. After the riveted portion 251 enters the rivet groove 112, the rubber block is deformed, and the rubber block is wrapped on the riveted portion 251, increasing the friction between them, so as to limit the positioning member 2.

[0075] Reference Figure 3-Figure 5 The driving component 3 is composed of a first magnetic component 31 and a second magnetic component 32. The first magnetic component 31 is installed on the clamping component 2, and the second magnetic component 32 is installed on the serpentine joint 11. The first magnetic component 31 and the second magnetic component 32 are arranged opposite to each other. In this embodiment, there are two groups of driving components 3 on each serpentine joint 11 and they are located on both sides of the radial direction of the serpentine joint 11. The two groups of driving components 3 are symmetrically arranged. In this way, when the driving clamping component 2 moves, the stable sliding of the clamping component 2 can be effectively guaranteed. Of course, the driving component 3 on each serpentine joint 11 can also be one group or more groups. In this embodiment, the clamping component 2 is preferably made of magnetic material or non-magnetic material, such as plastic, composite material, and alloy material, so as to prevent the clamping component 2 from being affected by the first magnetic component 31 and the second magnetic component 32.

[0076] At least one of the first magnetic member 31 and the second magnetic member 32 is a variable polarity magnetic body. Specifically, both the first magnetic member 31 and the second magnetic member 32 can use electromagnets, or one of them is an electromagnet and the other is a magnet. When the first magnetic member 31 and the second magnetic member 32 are both electromagnets, the sliding control of the locking member 2 can be achieved by controlling the polarity direction of the two. When one of them is an electromagnet and the other is a magnet, the sliding control of the locking member 2 can be achieved by controlling the polarity direction of the electromagnet.

[0077] As a preferred embodiment, the first magnetic member 31 on the clamping member 2 is a magnet, and the second magnetic member 32 on the snake bone joint 11 is an electromagnet. Since the clamping member 2 can change the sliding state, if the electromagnet is installed on the clamping member 2, it will be difficult to wire and reduce the utilization rate of space. If the magnet is installed on the clamping member 2, the polarity direction of the magnet will not be controlled, which facilitates installation and saves costs.

[0078] Specifically, when the electromagnet of the second magnetic member 32 is in the forward current direction, the first magnetic member 31 and the second magnetic member 32 are attracted, and the blocking member 2 is now in the snake bone joint 11, and the adjacent snake bone joint 11 can rotate normally. When the electromagnet of the second magnetic member 32 is in the reverse current direction, the first magnetic member 31 and the second magnetic member 32 repel each other, and the blocking member 2 moves out of the snake bone joint 11 and is located in the gap position of the adjacent snake bone joint 11, thereby blocking the adjacent snake bone joint 11 and preventing the adjacent snake bone joint 11 from rotating.

[0079] As an optional embodiment, a magnetic shielding plate 5 is installed on at least one of the side walls of the same pair of first magnetic parts 31 and second magnetic parts 32 that face away from each other. The magnetic shielding plate 5 can effectively reduce the mutual influence between different groups of first magnetic parts 31 and second magnetic parts 32 on adjacent serpentine joints 11, so as to prevent the locking part 2 from being unable to move out or retract into the serpentine joint 11 normally, or being unable to slide to a suitable position. The magnetic shielding plate 5 is made of a material with high magnetic conductivity, and its main function is to absorb or guide the magnetic field, thereby reducing the propagation of the magnetic field or blocking the range of influence of the magnetic field. The magnetic shielding plate 5 is usually made of materials such as nickel-iron alloy (such as Mu-metal) or ferrite ceramics. These materials have high magnetic conductivity and can effectively absorb or guide the magnetic field, thereby reducing the propagation and influence of the magnetic field.

[0080] It should be noted that the endoscope is mainly composed of a handle 6 and an insertion part 7. The insertion part 7 is used to be installed at the front end of the handle 6. The insertion part 7 includes the active bending section 71, the passive bending section 72 and the lens mount in the above scheme. The proximal end of the active bending section 71 is used to be connected to the distal end of the passive bending section 72, the proximal end of the passive bending section 72 is used to be connected to the handle 6, and the lens mount is used to be connected to the distal end of the active bending section 71. A control module 61 is fixedly or detachably installed on the handle 6, and the control module 61 is electrically connected to all the second magnetic parts 32 of the active bending section 71.

[0081] The control module 61 mainly includes a processor and a display screen. The display screen is installed on the handle 6, and all the second magnetic members 32 are connected to the processor through thin wires to form a closed loop. The display screen is a touch screen display screen, which is connected to the processor. The touch screen display screen can display an operation interface shaped like the overall appearance of the snake bone body 1. By clicking the operation interface shaped like the snake bone body 1 on the touch screen display screen with a finger, the user can select a suitable control position.

[0082] The position where the finger clicks on the touch screen will be displayed in different colors, such as red or green. Red corresponds to the position where the locking piece 2 in the snake bone joint 11 at that position is moved out and located in the gap between the adjacent snake bone joints 11, indicating that the adjacent snake bone joints 11 at that position cannot rotate, and green is the opposite.

[0083] During this process, the operating data of the display screen is fed back to the corresponding second magnetic member 32 after being calculated by the processor. The second magnetic member 32 at the corresponding position is then energized in the forward direction or reverse direction, so that the locking member 2 moves out or retracts the serpentine joint 11. Finally, the snake joint 11 is controlled to be in the appropriate position and cannot rotate, so that it becomes hard and cannot bend, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the bending radius.

[0084] As an optional embodiment, the present application provides a method for controlling the bending radius of the active bending section 71 of an endoscope, including adjusting the multiple second magnetic members 32 near the handle 6 side by the control module 61 to change the direction of the magnetic poles, so as to repel the first magnetic member 31 from driving the positioning member 2 to move into the swing gap A position of the adjacent serpentine joint 11, so as to limit the rotation of the adjacent serpentine joint 11 near the handle 6 side, so as to achieve the purpose of controlling the bending radius of the active bending section 71 of the endoscope, and when the entire serpentine body 1 needs to rotate normally, it is only necessary to change the second magnetic member 32 at the corresponding position by the control module 61 to change the direction of the magnetic poles, so that all the positioning members 2 are retracted into the serpentine joint 11, so as to achieve the control of the serpentine body 1. Of course, in a preferred embodiment, the bending control can be performed on any position of the serpentine body 1, and the control is not limited to starting from the side near the handle 6.

[0085] The above description is only a specific implementation mode of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, which should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active bending section, applied to an endoscope, characterized in that: include: A snake bone body (1), the snake bone body (1) comprising a plurality of snake bone sections (11) arranged along the axial direction of the snake bone body (1), and two adjacent snake bone sections (11) are hingedly connected to each other; A retaining member (2), the retaining member (2) being coaxially and axially slidably disposed on the snake bone segment (11), the retaining member (2) comprising a sliding portion (21) and an abutting portion (22); A driving component (3), wherein the driving component (3) is connected to the snake bone joints (11) and corresponds to each other one by one, and when the driving component (3) drives the clamping member (2) to slide along the axial direction of the snake bone body (1), the clamping member (2) has a first position (23) and a second position (24); When the locking member (2) is in the first position (23), the sliding portion (21) and the abutting portion (22) of the locking member (2) are both located within the current snake bone joint (11); When the locking member (2) is in the second position (24), the sliding portion (21) of the locking member (2) is still located in the current snake bone joint (11), and the abutting portion (22) of the locking member (2) is close to the side wall surface of the adjacent snake bone joint (11) and is used to limit the rotation of the two adjacent snake bone joints (11).

2. The active bending section according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one limiting block (25) is fixedly arranged on the peripheral wall of the positioning member (2) along the circumferential direction; When the locking member (2) is in the first position (23), the limiting block (25) abuts against the end wall of the current snake bone joint (11); When the locking member (2) is in the second position (24), the limiting block (25) abuts against the end wall of the adjacent snake bone joint (11).

3. The active bending section according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end wall adjacent to the swing gap of the snake bone joint (11) is provided with a plurality of limit grooves (111), the limit blocks (25) correspond to the limit grooves (111) one by one, and the limit blocks (25) and the limit grooves (111) are plugged and matched with each other.

4. The active bending section according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A riveting portion (251) is fixedly provided at the end of the limit block (25), and the limit block (25) is located within the contour of the riveting portion (251) along the projection contour of the riveting portion (251), and the riveting portion (251) is used to be clamped to the peripheral wall of the snake bone joint (11).

5. The active bending section according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of rivet grooves (112) are provided at the end walls of the swinging gaps of the adjacent snake bones (11), the rivet grooves (112) correspond one-to-one with the limiting grooves (111) and are interconnected, and the rivet grooves (112) correspond one-to-one with the riveted parts (251), and the riveted parts (251) and the rivet grooves (112) are plugged and matched with each other; And / or, the peripheral wall of the positioning member (2) is hollowed out; And / or, the outer walls at both ends of the positioning member (2) are provided with guiding bevels (26) along the axial direction; And / or, it also includes a damping member (4), wherein the damping member (4) is connected to the snake bone joint (11), and the damping member (4) is used to buffer and position the locking member (2) when the locking member (2) is in the first position (23) or the second position (24).

6. The active bending section according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning member (2) is provided with an avoidance groove (27) for avoiding the traction rope (73).

7. The active bending section according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The driving assembly (3) comprises a first magnetic component (31) and a second magnetic component (32); the first magnetic component (31) is arranged on the locking component (2), and the second magnetic component (32) is arranged on the serpentine joint (11); the first magnetic component (31) and the second magnetic component (32) are arranged opposite to each other; and at least one of the first magnetic component (31) and the second magnetic component (32) is a variable polarity magnetic body.

8. The active bending section according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first magnetic part (31) on the locking part (2) is a magnet, and the second magnetic part (32) on the snake bone joint (11) is an electromagnet; When the second magnetic member (32) is in the positive current direction, the first magnetic member (31) and the second magnetic member (32) are attracted to each other, so that the positioning member (2) is in the first position (23) and the adjacent snake bone joint (11) is in a normal rotation state; When the second magnetic member (32) is in the reverse current direction, the first magnetic member (31) and the second magnetic member (32) repel each other, so that the locking member (2) is in the second position (24) and the adjacent snake bone joint (11) is in a rotation-stopping state; And / or, at least one of the side walls of the same pair of the first magnetic component (31) and the second magnetic component (32) facing away from each other is provided with a magnetic shielding plate (5).

9. An endoscope, characterized in that: It comprises a handle (6) and an insertion portion (7), wherein the insertion portion (7) is arranged at the front end of the handle (6), and the insertion portion (7) comprises the active bending section (71) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method for controlling the bending radius of an active bending segment, applicable to the active bending segment according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the endoscope according to claim 9, characterized in that: The locking member (2) in the snake bone joint (11) at a suitable position on the snake bone body (1) is adjusted to move to a second position (24) to limit the rotation between adjacent snake bone joints (11) at the position.

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