Front end structure and endoscope

Abstract

The present invention provides a front end structure and an endoscope, which relate to the technical field of medical devices. The front end structure of the present invention comprises an instrument tube and a front end shell, wherein the front end shell is provided with a first channel for the movement of the instrument tube, and part of the instrument tube can be moved to the distal side of the front end shell through the first channel; the instrument tube has a first side and a second side opposite to each other in its radial direction, and when part of the instrument tube moves to the distal side of the front end shell along the first channel, part of the instrument tube can be deflected to the first side under the driving force of at least one of an external force and its own bending deformation force. In this way, when the insertion part cannot enter a narrower sub-cavity channel, part of the instrument tube is moved from the first channel to the distal end of the front end shell, and the instrument tube is driven to deflect to the narrower sub-cavity channel side, so that the instrument tube can be inserted into the narrower sub-cavity channel, thereby helping to improve the problem of limited movement of the insertion part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a front end structure and an endoscope. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope is a medical device used to examine internal organs or cavities in the body. It is a thin, tubular instrument inserted into the patient's body, equipped with a camera, a light source, and sometimes small manipulable tools, allowing doctors to directly observe and diagnose conditions in the body. Endoscopes are mainly used to examine the digestive tract, respiratory tract, urinary tract, etc., and can also be used for minimally invasive surgery, such as endoscopic tissue resection, biopsy, or other therapeutic operations.

[0003] The endoscope includes an operating handle and an insertion part. During surgery, the doctor inserts the insertion part into the human body through the human cavity. The insertion part is equipped with a camera module and an instrument tube. By controlling the operating handle, the active bending section at the front end of the insertion part can be pulled by a traction rope to achieve a bending action, thereby changing the direction of the front end of the insertion part, allowing the camera module to be positioned at the lesion so that the insertion part can quickly reach the lesion location.

[0004] The inventors found in many surgeries that after the insertion portion is inserted into the main cavity, the camera module may observe that the lesion exists in a narrower sub-cavity, so that the insertion portion cannot enter the sub-cavity normally due to size reasons, thereby limiting the movement of the insertion portion. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to design a front end structure and an endoscope to solve the problem of limited movement of the insertion portion.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a front end structure for use in an endoscope. The front end structure includes an instrument tube and a front end housing, wherein the front end housing is provided with a first channel for movement of the instrument tube, and a portion of the instrument tube can be moved to the distal side of the front end housing through the first channel; the instrument tube has a first side and a second side opposite to each other in its radial direction, and when a portion of the instrument tube moves to the distal side of the front end housing along the first channel, the portion of the instrument tube can be deflected to the first side under the drive of at least one of an external force and its own bending deformation force.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present application provides an endoscope, which includes an operating handle, an insertion portion, and the front end structure described in the first aspect of the present application, wherein the insertion portion includes a front end housing.

[0008] The present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0009] After the insertion part is inserted into the human body cavity, if the camera module observes that the lesion exists in a narrower sub-cavity, and at this time the insertion part cannot enter the sub-cavity due to its large size. On this basis, part of the instrument tube can be moved from the first channel of the front end shell to the far side of the front end shell. Since the size of the instrument tube is smaller than the size of the insertion part, the size of the instrument tube can directly enter the narrower sub-cavity. After the instrument tube is moved out of the first channel, the instrument tube can be deflected toward one side of the sub-cavity, and the force that causes the instrument tube to deflect can be an external force or its own bending deformation force. In this way, after the instrument tube is moved out of the first channel, the instrument tube can further replace the insertion part to achieve the purpose of entering the sub-cavity, which is beneficial to improve the problem of limited movement of the insertion part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] 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.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 1 ;

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present application;

[0013] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 2 ;

[0014] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 3 ;

[0015] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 4 ;

[0016] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of

[0017] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a pulling member used to show some embodiments of the present application;

[0018] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 5 ;

[0019] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the front end housing of some embodiments of the present application. Figure 5 ;

[0020] Fig.10 It is a partial cross-sectional view for showing the steering part of some embodiments of the present application.

[0021] The markings in the figure are:

[0022] 100, front end housing; 110, first channel; 120, second channel; 130, camera module; 140, light source;

[0023] 200, instrument tube; 210, first bending portion; 220, annular groove;

[0024] 300, operating handle;

[0025] 400, insertion part;

[0026] 500, driving mechanism; 510, pulling member; 5110, snare portion; 5111, blocking sub-portion; 5120, pulling portion; 5130, second bending portion; 520, sleeve; 5210, guide channel;

[0027] 600, positioning portion; 610, receiving groove;

[0028] 700, steering portion; 710, steering cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] In the related art, an endoscope is a medical device used to enter the body through the natural cavity or surgical channel of the human body for inspection, diagnosis or treatment. Usually, an endoscope includes an operating handle and an insertion part. When operating, the doctor inserts the insertion part into the body through the human cavity. The insertion part is usually equipped with a camera module and an instrument tube. The doctor controls the traction rope through the operating handle, and then pulls the active bending section at the front end of the insertion part to bend it, so as to change the direction of the front end of the insertion part, so that the camera module can be positioned at the lesion, which is convenient for the insertion part to quickly reach the lesion.

[0032] In medical practice, doctors often need to use endoscopes to enter complex anatomical structures for surgical operations. For example, in the digestive tract, bronchus, or urinary system, the main cavity is usually spacious and suitable for the insertion part to pass through. However, in many cases, the lesion may be located in a smaller sub-cavity, such as the end of the bronchioles, the bile duct, or the tiny branches of the urinary system. At this time, due to the large diameter of the insertion part, it is impossible to enter these sub-cavities smoothly, resulting in the doctor's inability to accurately locate or contact the lesion. This limitation not only affects the surgical effect, but may also make some important treatments impossible to complete.

[0033] Although the existing endoscope technology has a bending operation function, which can help doctors adjust the direction of the insertion part to a certain extent, when encountering a cavity with thin branches, the existing technology has not effectively solved the problem of the inability of the insertion part to enter. In this case, the following unfavorable situations may occur: 1. Unable to enter the narrow branch: The insertion part cannot enter the narrow branch cavity due to size limitations, resulting in the endoscope being unable to contact or view the lesion located in the branch; 2. Difficult to perform treatment operations: Even if the camera module can observe the existence of the lesion, if the insertion part cannot be further advanced, the treatment instruments carried by the endoscope (such as forceps, catheters, etc.) cannot reach the lesion location, resulting in the inability to perform necessary operations; 3. Limited cleaning of sputum or foreign matter: In structures such as bronchi, sputum or foreign matter may accumulate in narrow branches, but the insertion part cannot enter the area, resulting in the inability to use the adsorption function of the endoscope normally, affecting the patient's respiratory tract cleaning effect.

[0034] Taking bronchoscope adsorption of sputum as an example, when the insertion part of the bronchoscope enters the main cavity, the location of the sputum can be observed through the camera module. However, if the sub-cavity where the sputum is located is too narrow, the rigid structure and preset bending angle of the insertion part often cannot adapt to these complex space limitations. This limitation not only makes it difficult for the ureteroscope to continue to operate in depth, but may also increase the operation time due to multiple attempts to enter the narrow area, and may even cause additional damage to the surrounding tissues.

[0035] In addition, since the insertion part cannot reach the target area, the doctor may need to use additional instruments or adjust the surgical method, which invisibly increases the complexity of the operation and the risk to the patient. These operational limitations and technical bottlenecks seriously affect the precise positioning and thorough removal of sputum, resulting in an increased probability of sputum residue, which may lead to postoperative complications or the need for a second operation, thus making sputum adsorption difficult.

[0036] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a front-end structure and an endoscope. The front-end structure includes an instrument tube and a front-end shell, the front-end shell has a first channel, the instrument tube can be moved out of the front-end shell from the first channel, and the instrument tube can be deflected. In this way, when the insertion part cannot enter the narrower sub-cavity, part of the instrument tube is moved from the first channel to the distal end of the front-end shell, and the instrument tube is driven to deflect to the narrower sub-cavity side by at least one of the external force and the bending deformation force of the instrument tube itself, so that the distal end of the instrument tube is aligned with the entrance of the smaller cavity, so that the instrument tube can be inserted into the narrower sub-cavity. Taking the adsorption of sputum by a bronchoscope as an example, when the instrument tube enters the narrower sub-cavity with sputum, the suction device can extend into the interior of the sub-cavity through the instrument tube and approach the sputum collection point to adsorb the sputum out, which is beneficial to improve the problem of limited movement of the insertion part.

[0037] The following is combined with Figure 1 To Attachment Fig.10 , the front-end structure and endoscope provided in the embodiments of the present application are described in detail through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0038] In a first aspect, the present application provides a front end structure. The front end structure can be used in an endoscope. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The front end structure includes an instrument tube 200 and a front end housing 100, and the front end housing 100 is provided with a first channel 110 for the movement of the instrument tube 200, and part of the instrument tube 200 can be moved to the distal side of the front end housing 100 through the first channel 110. Exemplarily, the endoscope includes an operating handle 300 and an insertion portion 400, the insertion portion 400 is provided on the operating handle 300, and the front end housing 100 is provided at the distal end of the insertion portion 400, the first channel 110 extends from the front end housing 100 through the insertion portion 400 to the operating handle 300, and the instrument tube 200 also extends from the front end housing 100 to the operating handle 300 through the first channel 110, and the operating handle 300 is provided with an adjusting member (not shown in the figure), which can control the moving path of the instrument tube 200 in the first channel 110 and the position adjustment of the instrument tube 200, that is, it can push the instrument tube 200 to move back and forth in the length direction of the first channel 110, and can also adjust the circumferential orientation of the instrument tube 200 in the first channel 110.

[0039] On this basis, the instrument tube 200 has a first side and a second side opposite to each other in its radial direction. When part of the instrument tube 200 moves along the first channel 110 to the distal side of the front end shell 100, part of the instrument tube 200 can be deflected toward the first side under the drive of at least one of an external force and its own bending deformation force.

[0040] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the instrument tube 200 has a first bending portion 210, and the first bending portion 210 is configured as at least a portion of the instrument tube 200 near the distal end. When the first bending portion 210 is in a natural state, the first bending portion 210 is bent and deformed toward the first side. In this way, when the instrument tube 200 is completely received in the first channel 110, the first bending portion 210, which should be bent, is elastically deformed by the constraint of the inner side wall of the first channel 110, and then extends to a state in which its own extension direction is nearly consistent with the extension path of the first channel 110. After the tube section of the instrument tube 200 having the first bending portion 210 is extended from the first channel 110 to the distal side of the front end housing 100, the first bending portion 210 is no longer constrained by the inner wall of the first channel 110, and will be directly bent again into a bent state. In the process of bending the first bending portion 210, the purpose of deflection to the first side of the instrument tube 200 is achieved.

[0041] Exemplarily, the position of the instrument tube 200 in the circumferential direction can be adjusted in the first channel 110, so that the first side and the second side of the instrument tube 200 can be adjusted according to the usage. For example, after the instrument tube 200 is extended from the first channel 110 to the far side of the front housing 100, if the instrument tube 200 is bent through the first bending portion 210, it is found that the bending direction of the instrument tube 200 is not toward the side close to the sub-cavity channel, then the instrument tube 200 can be retracted into the first channel 110, and then the circumferential position of the instrument tube 200 can be adjusted by operating the adjustment member at the end of the handle 300, so that the bending direction of the first bending portion 210 is also adjusted. After the adjustment is completed, the instrument tube 200 is further extended from the first channel 110. At this time, since the bending direction of the first bending portion 210 has changed compared to the last time, the instrument tube 200 can be adjusted in this adjustment manner so that the instrument tube 200 can be directed toward the sub-cavity channel under the bending action of the first bending portion 210, and then the instrument tube 200 can enter the sub-cavity channel normally after continuing to extend.

[0042] In some optional embodiments, the instrument tube 200 can be withdrawn from the insertion portion 400 to the end of the operating handle 300 through the first channel 110, and can be removed from the operating handle 300. In this way, during the actual operation, if it is found that the size of the instrument tube 200 used is still too large compared to the sub-cavity channel, resulting in the bent instrument tube 200 still unable to enter the narrower sub-cavity channel, the currently used instrument tube 200 can be withdrawn from the first channel 110, and then replaced with a smaller instrument tube 200 to re-enter the first channel 110, so as to ensure that the instrument tube 200 can normally enter the sub-cavity channel and reach the lesion after replacement.

[0043] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 The front structure also includes a driving mechanism 500. The front housing 100 is provided with a second channel 120. The driving mechanism 500 moves in the second channel 120, and the driving mechanism 500 can be connected to the instrument tube 200. When the driving mechanism 500 is connected to the instrument tube 200, the driving mechanism 500 can drive the part of the instrument tube 200 at the far side of the front housing 100 to deflect toward the first side. In this way, when the instrument tube 200 itself is not bendable, the driving mechanism 500 can apply a bending force to the part of the instrument tube 200 at the far side of the front housing 100, so as to achieve the purpose of deflecting the part of the instrument tube 200 at the far side of the front housing 100 to the first side, and further achieve the purpose of making the tube mouth end of the instrument tube 200 face the entrance end of the sub-cavity channel, and finally, the instrument tube 200 can successfully enter a narrower sub-cavity channel during the movement of the instrument tube 200.

[0044] In some embodiments, Figure 1As shown, the front housing 100 has a camera module 130 and a light source 140. The light source 140 is provided on both sides of the camera module 130. The camera module 130 can provide a field of view for the movement of the insertion part 400 to facilitate the movement of the insertion part 400 in the human body cavity; and the light source 140 is used to provide illumination for the camera module 130, so that the shooting picture of the camera module 130 can be clearer. Exemplarily, the position of the second channel 120 is on the side of the first channel 110 away from the camera module 130, and the position of the second channel 120 also avoids the light source 140 and the camera module 130, that is, the second channel 120 is not located between the light source 140 and the camera module 130. In this way, the existence of the second channel 120 can be less likely to affect the light source 140 providing illumination for the camera module 130. Furthermore, the distance between the second channel 120 and the first channel 110 is set as large as possible, so that when the driving mechanism 500 moves in the second channel 120 and drives the part of the instrument tube 200 at the distal side of the front housing 100 to deflect toward the first side, the driving mechanism 500 can drive the instrument tube 200 to achieve a larger bending angle, which is beneficial to improving the applicable range of the instrument tube 200 after bending. So that the instrument tube 200 can enter more sub-cavities at different positions.

[0045] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 , Figure 4 The driving mechanism 500 includes a pulling member 510, and the pulling member 510 has a snare portion 5110. The pulling member 510 can be sleeved on the instrument tube 200 through the snare portion 5110. In this configuration, when the snare portion 5110 is directly sleeved on the portion of the instrument tube 200 at the distal side of the front housing 100, the pulling member 510 is driven to move along the second channel 120 toward the proximal end of the insertion portion 400. At this time, the snare portion 5110 will apply a pulling force to the instrument tube 200 to drive the instrument tube 200 to bend and deflect toward the second channel 120 side; and the displacement length of the pulling member 510 moving in the second channel 120 can also synchronously control the bending angle of the instrument tube 200 to improve the control degree of the instrument tube 200. Exemplarily, the first side of the instrument tube 200 is configured to face the second channel 120 side.

[0046] For example, refer to Figure 5, the outer circumference of the instrument tube 200 is provided with an annular groove 220, and the annular groove 220 is sleeved with the snare portion 5110. In this case, when the pulling member 510 moves along the second channel 120 toward the proximal end of the insertion portion 400, the snare portion 5110 will apply a pulling force to the instrument tube 200. Since the snare portion 5110 is sleeved in the annular groove 220, the movement of the snare portion 5110 in the extension direction of the instrument tube 200 will be restricted, so the snare portion 5110 is not easy to slide relative to the instrument tube 200, so that the pulling force applied by the snare portion 5110 to the instrument tube 200 is not easy to be lost. At the same time, the snare portion 5110 can be positioned on the instrument tube 200, so that the snare portion 5110 is not easy to be separated from the instrument tube 200, which is beneficial to improve the convenience of driving the instrument tube 200 to bend.

[0047] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 , the snare portion 5110 is slidably matched with the instrument tube 200, and the snare portion 5110 can move along the instrument tube 200 toward the distal end or the proximal end of the instrument tube 200. In this way, when the snare portion 5110 is sleeved with the instrument tube 200, the snare portion 5110 can change the sleeved position with the instrument tube 200 in the extension direction of the instrument tube 200, so that the snare portion 5110 can change the bending portion of the instrument tube 200 during the pulling process, so that the bending amplitude of the instrument tube 200 can be adaptively adjusted. For example, if the bending amplitude of the instrument tube 200 is required to be larger, the snare portion 5110 can be moved to the distal end of the instrument tube 200, so that the sleeved position of the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200 is also at the distal end side of the instrument tube 200, and the portion of the snare portion 5110 extending out of the second channel 120 will also be longer. In this way, when the pulling member 510 is moved along the second channel 120 toward the proximal end of the insertion portion 400, the sleeve connection portion between the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200 will drive the instrument tube 200 to bend, and the snare portion 5110 can move a longer distance, so that the curvature of the instrument tube 200 can be further increased, thereby increasing the bending range of the instrument tube 200. Similarly, if the instrument tube 200 only needs to be bent slightly, the snare portion 5110 can be sleeved on the outer tube wall of the instrument tube 200 near the proximal end, so that when the snare portion 5110 pulls the instrument tube 200 to bend, the bending amplitude of the instrument tube 200 is relatively small. The principle is the same as that of increasing the bending amplitude of the instrument tube 200, and will not be repeated here. It is worth emphasizing that the "curvature" and "amplitude" in the above content can both be used to indicate the degree of bending of the instrument tube 200.

[0048] At the same time, the snare part 5110 is detachably connected to the instrument tube 200. After such arrangement, when the instrument tube 200 does not need to be bent, the snare part 5110 can be separated from the instrument tube 200, and then the snare part 5110 can be stored in the second channel 120 of the front end housing 100, which can avoid the snare part 5110 being exposed at the far end of the front end housing 100 to block the imaging of the camera module 130 to a certain extent.

[0049] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 1 , Figure 4 The pulling member 510 is movably arranged on the front end housing 100, and the pulling member 510 can be switched between a first position and a second position relative to the front end housing 100; wherein, when the pulling member 510 is located at the first position, the snare portion 5110 is located in the second channel 120; when the pulling member 510 is located at the second position, at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 extends out of the second channel 120 from the distal end of the second channel 120, so that the snare portion 5110 can be sleeved with the instrument tube 200.

[0050] On this basis, after the snare portion 5110 is sleeved and matched with the instrument tube 200, the snare portion 5110 can be separated from the instrument tube 200 by withdrawing the instrument tube 200 into the first channel 110. In this case, the pulling member 510 can also drive the snare portion 5110 to withdraw into the second channel 120 and be in the first position, so that the instrument tube 200 and the snare portion 5110 are both received in the front end housing 100; similarly, when the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200 are originally in a separated state, the pulling member 510 can be pre-converted from the first position to the second state, so that the snare portion 5110 is pre-moved to the distal side of the front end housing 100, so that the snare portion 5110 is located on the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200, so that when the instrument tube 200 extends out of the first channel 110, the instrument tube 200 and the snare portion 5110 will automatically achieve sleeve matching. With such arrangement, when the snare portion 5110 is detachably connected to the instrument tube 200, the snare portion 5110 can also be moved in a directional manner, that is, when the pulling member 510 is in the second position, the snare portion 5110 is automatically located at the distal end of the front end shell 100 and can be sleeved and matched with the instrument tube 200, which is beneficial to improving the controllability of the pulling member 510 and thereby improving the efficiency during the operation.

[0051] In some embodiments, Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 is made of elastic material. When the pulling member 510 is in the first position, the snare portion 5110 is compressed in the second channel 120; when the pulling member 510 is in the second position, the snare portion 5110 can be opened under the action of elastic force to form a sleeve hole that is sleeved with the instrument tube 200.

[0052] Exemplarily, at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 is a memory alloy, and the snare portion 5110 is in an open state in a natural state, and when constrained by the inner wall of the second channel 120, it will be in a contracted state, so that the snare portion 5110 can be normally stored in the second channel 120 when not in use. Further, when the snare portion 5110 is in a natural state, the inner diameter of the hole formed by the snare portion 5110 when it is opened is larger than the outer diameter of the instrument tube 200, so that the instrument tube 200 can normally pass through the hole formed by the snare portion 5110 during movement.

[0053] In some other embodiments, Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the pulling member 510 also has a pulling portion 5120, and at least one of the pulling portion 5120 and the snare portion 5110 has a second bending portion 5130, and the second bending portion 5130 is made of elastic material. In the process of the pulling member 510 extending out of the second channel 120 from the distal end of the second channel 120, at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 can be radially deflected toward the second channel 120 under the action of the elastic force of the second bending portion 5130. In this way, when the snare portion 5110 extends from the distal end of the second channel 120 to the second channel 120, the snare portion 5110 can be first opened and then radially deflected, so that the sleeve hole of the snare portion 5110 is located at the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200, thereby allowing the instrument tube 200 to automatically pass through the sleeve hole of the snare portion 5110 when the instrument tube 200 extends from the first channel 110, thereby automatically achieving the sleeve connection between the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200. It should be noted that in the attached Figure 7 , what is shown is the situation where only the snare portion 5110 has the second bending portion 5130.

[0054] Exemplarily, in order to allow the snare portion 5110 to achieve directional radial deflection toward the second channel 120 side, the pulling member 510 has a positioning block, which is movably arranged in the second channel 120. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the positioning block is a polygon, such as a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, etc. Similarly, the cross-sectional shape of the second channel 120 is also adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the positioning block. After such arrangement, the positioning block can move normally in the second channel 120, but the rotation of the positioning block in its own circumferential direction will be limited. Therefore, when the front end housing 100 is in the early manufacturing stage, the position of the positioning block can be designed in advance, so that the position of the positioning block in the second channel 120 cannot rotate circumferentially. In the process of extending the pulling member 510 from the distal end of the second channel 120 out of the second channel 120, at least part of the snare portion 5110 is automatically deflected radially toward the second channel 120 under the action of the elastic force of the bending portion, so that the directional deflection of the snare portion 5110 can be achieved.

[0055] It is worth noting that if the position of the positioning block is designed in advance, and the snare portion 5110 does not deflect in the predetermined direction after extending from the second channel 120, but deflects to a position where the instrument tube 200 cannot pass normally, it indicates that the position of the positioning block in the second channel 120 does not meet the design requirements and the position of the positioning block needs to be readjusted.

[0056] It should be noted that, in the drawings of the embodiments of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the positioning block and the cross-sectional shape of the second channel 120 are not shown as polygonal.

[0057] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , the front end housing 100 has a positioning portion 600, and the positioning portion 600 can be positioned and matched with the snare portion 5110. When the positioning portion 600 is positioned and matched with the snare portion 5110, at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 is opposite to the instrument tube 200. Further, "opposite" here means that the sleeve hole formed by the snare portion 5110 is located at the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200, so that after the instrument tube 200 moves from the first channel 110 to the distal end of the front end housing 100, the instrument tube 200 will automatically pass through the snare portion 5110 and achieve sleeve matching with the snare portion 5110. After such a configuration, when the snare portion 5110 is not used, it is not necessary to completely store the snare portion 5110 in the second channel 120, and the snare portion 5110 is directly positioned and matched on the positioning portion 600, so as to facilitate the next use of the snare portion 5110. Furthermore, when the snare portion 5110 is positioned and matched with the positioning portion 600, the snare portion 5110 is not only limited in position outside the front end housing 100, but the limited position is also located on the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200, so that the operability of the snare portion 5110 is improved without affecting the use of other front end devices on the front end housing 100.

[0058] Exemplarily, the positioning portion 600 is a positioning ring, which is coaxially arranged with the second channel 120 and has an inner diameter greater than or equal to an outer diameter of the second channel 120 , so that the setting of the positioning portion 600 does not affect the normal extension of the instrument tube 200 from the second channel 120 .

[0059] In some embodiments, in combination Figure 8 , Fig. 9When the snare portion 5110 is positioned and matched with the positioning portion 600, the snare portion 5110 can be attached to the front end surface of the front end housing 100. After such arrangement, the snare portion 5110 is attached to the front end surface of the front end housing 100, so the snare portion 5110 occupies a small space at the front end of the front end housing 100, so that the snare portion 5110 is not easy to affect the use effect of other front end components after staying outside the front end housing 100, such as the lens imaging effect of the camera module 130 and the lighting effect of the light source 140.

[0060] Exemplarily, the positioning portion 600 includes one or more positioning protrusions arranged around the distal end port of the first channel 110, and the snare portion 5110 can be sleeved on the positioning protrusions and positioned with the positioning portion 600. After being arranged in this way, the one or more positioning protrusions can provide sleeve points for the snare portion 5110, so that the snare portion 5110 can be positioned at the front end of the front housing 100 when in an open state, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the snare portion 5110 after being positioned outside the front housing 100.

[0061] For example, Figure 8 , Fig. 9 As shown, the positioning portion 600 has a receiving groove 610, and at least a portion of the snare portion 5110 is received in the receiving groove 610 and positioned with the positioning portion 600. In this way, the snare portion 5110 can be directly sleeved in the receiving groove 610 when it is in an open state, which can not only position the snare portion 5110 at the front end of the front housing 100, but also keep the snare portion 5110 in an open state, which is beneficial to improving the convenience of the subsequent sleeve cooperation between the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200.

[0062] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 , Figure 6 The driving mechanism 500 further includes a sleeve 520, which is sleeved on the pulling member 510 and can move along the pulling member 510, and at least a portion of the sleeve 520 can extend out of the second channel 120 from the distal end of the second channel 120 along the pulling member 510. Exemplarily, the sleeve 520 is provided with a guide channel 5210 along its own axial direction, and the pulling member 510 is slidably arranged in the guide channel 5210. When a portion of the snare portion 5110 moves to the distal end of the front end housing 100 along the second channel 120, the snare portion 5110 is constrained by the guide channel 5210 when it moves into the guide channel 5210 and shrinks, so that the snare portion 5110 is tightly sleeved on the outer peripheral wall of the instrument tube 200.

[0063] On this basis, after the snare portion 5110 has been sleeved on the instrument tube 200, the pulling member 510 is moved along the second channel 120, and the moving direction is the direction close to the operating handle 300 side, at this time, the snare portion 5110 will gradually enter the guide channel 5210 in the sleeve 520. In this process, the snare portion 5110 will shrink due to the constraint of the guide channel 5210, so that the sleeve hole of the snare portion 5110 will shrink synchronously. In this way, the snare portion 5110 gradually shrinks into the guide channel 5210, so that the snare portion 5110 and the outer peripheral wall of the instrument tube 200 can be tightly sleeved, which can avoid the relative sliding of the snare portion 5110 when driving the instrument tube 200 to bend to a certain extent, which is beneficial to improve the sleeve stability of the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200. At the same time, since the sleeve 520 can move along the second channel 120 and extend out of the second channel 120, the sleeve 520 can synchronously adjust the socket position of the snare portion 5110 on the instrument tube 200, that is, the socket position of the snare portion 5110 and the instrument tube 200 is changed by moving the sleeve 520 to achieve the socket cooperation between the socket portion and the instrument tube 200 at the specified position.

[0064] In some embodiments, reference Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , a steering portion 700 is provided on the front end wall of the front end housing 100, and the steering portion 700 has a steering cavity 710 connected to the second channel 120, and at least part of the snare portion 5110 can extend to the moving path of the instrument tube 200 through the steering cavity 710, and is located on the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200. Exemplarily, the steering cavity 710 is smoothly curved so that the snare portion 5110 can achieve smooth steering after entering the steering cavity 710. After such a setting, when the snare portion 5110 moves out of the second channel 120, the snare portion 5110 will enter the steering cavity 710 and be deflected through the steering cavity 710. When the snare portion 5110 moves from the steering cavity 710 to the distal end of the front end housing 100, the extension direction of the snare portion 5110 has been deflected, thereby achieving the effect of driving the snare portion 5110 to deflect more conveniently. At the same time, if the snare portion 5110 does not have elastic bending, the snare portion 5110 can be moved to the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200 only by the steering portion 700, which is beneficial to improving the controllability of the movement of the snare portion 5110.

[0065] In some other embodiments, Figure 6 , Fig.10As shown, the steering portion 700 can also be arranged at the end of the sleeve 520 close to the distal end of the front housing 100, that is, when the pulling member 510 is slidably arranged in the sleeve 520, when the snare portion 5110 moves from the guide channel 5210 to the distal end of the front housing 100, the steering portion 700 can also act on the snare portion 5110, so that when the snare portion 5110 moves from the steering cavity 710 to the distal end of the front housing 100, the snare portion 5110 can be deflected in the radial direction of the second channel 120, thereby allowing the snare portion 5110 to move to a position located at the periphery of the moving path of the instrument tube 200. It is worth noting that when the steering portion 700 is arranged at the tube end of the sleeve 520, the front end wall of the front housing 100 cannot be provided with the steering portion 700, so as to avoid the steering portion 700 affecting the normal extension of the sleeve 520 from the second channel 120. Similarly, when the turning portion 700 is disposed on the front end wall of the front end housing 100 , the sleeve 520 does not exist in the driving mechanism 500 , otherwise the sleeve 520 may not be able to extend normally from the second channel 120 .

[0066] Exemplary, combined Figure 6 , Figure 7 The trap portion 5110 is provided with a blocking sub-portion 5111, the outer diameter of the blocking sub-portion 5111 is larger than the inner diameter of the steering cavity 710, and the blocking sub-portion 5111 is provided at the end of the trap portion 5110 farthest from the steering portion 700. With such a configuration, when the trap portion 5110 passes through the steering cavity 710 and enters the second channel 120, the blocking sub-portion 5111 will be stuck at the open end of the steering cavity 710, so that the blocking sub-portion 5111 of the trap portion 5110 will not enter the steering cavity 710. In this case, the blocking sub-portion 5111 of the trap portion 5110 has a certain guiding effect, so that the next time the trap portion 5110 is moved out of the second channel 120, the steering portion 700 can be moved out more easily under the guiding effect of the blocking sub-portion 5111, so as to further improve the operability of the trap portion 5110; at the same time, the blocking sub-portion 5111 can also, to a certain extent, avoid the situation where the trap portion 5110 is completely inserted into the second channel 120 and is stuck and cannot be extended again.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 10 In a second aspect, the present application provides an endoscope. The endoscope comprises an operating handle 300 , an insertion portion 400 and the front end structure of the first aspect of the present application, wherein the insertion portion 400 comprises a front end housing 100 .

[0068] The endoscope involved in the embodiments of the present application may 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 any specific restrictions on the type of endoscope.

[0069] 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 endoscope front end structure, characterized in that: It comprises an instrument tube (200) and a front end housing (100), wherein the front end housing (100) is provided with a first channel (110) for the movement of the instrument tube (200), and a portion of the instrument tube (200) can be moved to the distal side of the front end housing (100) through the first channel (110); The instrument tube (200) has a first side and a second side opposite to each other in its radial direction, and when part of the instrument tube (200) moves along the first channel (110) to the distal side of the front housing (100), part of the instrument tube (200) can be deflected toward the first side under the drive of at least one of an external force and its own bending deformation force; The front end structure further comprises a driving mechanism (500), and the driving mechanism (500) can be connected to the instrument tube (200); When the driving mechanism (500) is connected to the instrument tube (200), the driving mechanism (500) can drive the portion of the instrument tube (200) located at the distal side of the front end housing (100) to deflect toward the first side; The driving mechanism (500) comprises a pulling member (510), wherein the pulling member (510) has a snare portion (5110), and the pulling member (510) can be sleeved on the instrument tube (200) through the snare portion (5110); The front end housing (100) has a positioning portion (600), and the positioning portion (600) can be positioned and matched with the snare portion (5110); when the positioning portion (600) and the snare portion (5110) are positioned and matched, at least a portion of the snare portion (5110) is opposite to the instrument tube (200); When the snare portion (5110) and the positioning portion (600) are positioned and matched, the snare portion (5110) can fit with the front end surface of the front end housing (100); And / or, the positioning portion (600) includes one or more positioning protrusions arranged around the distal end port of the first channel (110), and the snare portion (5110) can be sleeved on the positioning protrusions and positioned and matched with the positioning portion (600); And / or, the positioning portion (600) has a receiving groove (610), and at least a portion of the snare portion (5110) is received in the receiving groove (610) and is positioned and matched with the positioning portion (600).

2. The endoscope front end structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end housing (100) is provided with a second channel (120), and the driving mechanism (500) moves in the second channel (120).

3. The endoscope front end structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The snare portion (5110) is slidably matched with the instrument tube (200), and the snare portion (5110) can move along the instrument tube (200) toward the distal end or the proximal end of the instrument tube (200); And / or, the snare portion (5110) is detachably connected to the instrument tube (200).

4. The endoscope front end structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The pulling member (510) is movably arranged on the front end housing (100), and the pulling member (510) can be switched between a first position and a second position relative to the front end housing (100); When the pulling member (510) is located in the first position, the snare portion (5110) is located in the second channel (120). When the pulling member (510) is located in the second position, at least a portion of the snare portion (5110) extends out of the second channel (120) from the distal end of the second channel (120) so that the snare portion (5110) can be sleeved with the instrument tube (200).

5. The endoscope front end structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least part of the snare portion (5110) is made of elastic material. When the pulling member (510) is in the first position, the snare portion (5110) is compressed in the second channel (120); when the pulling member (510) is in the second position, the snare portion (5110) can be opened under the action of elastic force to form a sleeve hole that is sleeved with the instrument tube (200); And / or, the pulling member (510) further has a pulling portion (5120), at least one of the pulling portion (5120) and the snare portion (5110) has a second bending portion (5130), and the second bending portion (5130) is made of an elastic material. In the process of the pulling member (510) extending out of the second channel (120) from the distal end of the second channel (120), at least a portion of the snare portion (5110) can be radially deflected toward the second channel (120) under the action of the elastic force of the second bending portion (5130).

6. The endoscope front end structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The driving mechanism (500) further comprises a sleeve (520), wherein the sleeve (520) is sleeved on the pulling member (510) and the sleeve (520) can move along the pulling member (510), and at least a portion of the sleeve (520) can extend from the distal end of the second channel (120) along the pulling member (510) out of the second channel (120).

7. An endoscope, characterized in that: It comprises an operating handle (300), an insertion portion (400), and the front end structure of an endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the insertion portion (400) comprises the front end housing (100).

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