Snake joints, active bending segments and endoscopes

Abstract

The present invention discloses a serpentine joint, an active bending section and an endoscope, and relates to the technical field of medical devices. The serpentine joint of the present invention is applied to the active bending section of the endoscope, and the distal end of the serpentine joint is provided with a first damping part, and the proximal end is provided with a second damping part. When multiple serpentine joints are connected to form an active bending section, the head and tail of two adjacent serpentine joints are at least partially overlapped, and the first damping part of the distal serpentine joint and the second damping part of the proximal serpentine joint in the two adjacent serpentine joints cooperate to form a damping member. When the serpentine joint rotates, the first damping part and the second damping part generate friction, and the friction generated by the damping member gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end. The active bending section assembled by the serpentine joint of the present invention can gradually bend the active bending section from the distal end to the proximal end when the active bending section is controlled to bend by a traction rope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, and in particular to a serpentine segment, an active bending segment and an endoscope. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope is a commonly used medical device that can directly enter the human body for examination and provide doctors with sufficient diagnostic information. An endoscope usually includes: an insertion part for inserting into the human body, a handle for controlling the bending of the front end of the insertion part, and a display device for displaying the internal environment of the human body's natural cavity; the endoscope can realize the internal observation of the human body, the exploration of lesions, and the treatment of lesions through the cooperation of the above three parts.

[0003] The insertion part includes an active bending section and a passive bending section, and the active bending section is located at the distal end of the insertion part. In the related art, a traction rope is provided in the handle, the distal end of the traction rope is fixedly connected to the distal snake bone section of the active bending section, and the proximal end of the traction rope is fixedly connected to the dial wheel or knob on the handle. By operating the dial rod or knob, the traction rope can be moved synchronously in different directions, so that the active bending section of the insertion part is bent. A camera module is provided at the distal end of the active bending section. After the insertion part is extended into the human body, the direction of the camera module can be adjusted by bending the active bending section, so that the camera module is aimed at the lesion site to provide diagnosis information to the doctor.

[0004] However, the inventors have discovered that when the active bending segment bends, its proximal end bends before the distal end. This bending method causes the distal end of the active bending segment to sweep a larger area during the bending process. When doctors use it during surgery, if they need to bend the active bending segment to the subrenal calyx end, the operation is difficult. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention discloses a snake bone joint, an active bending section and an endoscope to solve the technical problem in the related art that when the active bending section is bent, the distal end thereof sweeps a large area, making it difficult for doctors to operate during surgery.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides an active bending segment.

[0008] The snake bone segment of the present invention is applied to the active bending section of an endoscope, and the distal end of the snake bone segment is provided with a first damping part, and the proximal end is provided with a second damping part. When a plurality of the snake bone segments are connected to form the active bending section, the head and tail of two adjacent snake bone segments are at least partially overlapped, and in the two adjacent snake bone segments, the first damping part of the distal snake bone segment cooperates with the second damping part of the proximal snake bone segment to form a damping member. When the snake bone segment rotates, the first damping part and the second damping part generate friction, and the friction generated by the damping member gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end.

[0009] According to an optional embodiment, the damping member has at least a first state and a second state, when the serpentine segment is in an extended state, the damping member is in the first state, when the serpentine segment switches from the extended state to the bent state, the damping member switches from the first state to the second state, and the friction force generated by the damping member in the first state is greater than the friction force generated in the second state, and the friction force generated by the damping member in the first state gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment, the damping member has at least a first state, a second state and a third state. When the serpentine joint is in an extended state, the damping member is in the first state. When the serpentine joint is subjected to force, the damping member switches from the first state to the second state. When the serpentine joint switches from a extended state to a bent state, the damping member switches from the second state to the third state. The friction force generated by the damping member in the first state and the third state is smaller than the friction force generated in the second state. In addition, the friction force generated by the damping member in the second state gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment, the first damping part is a first protrusion, and the second damping part is a second protrusion. When the damping member has a first state and a second state, and the second protrusion contacts the first protrusion, the damping member is in the first state; when the second protrusion is separated from the first protrusion, the damping member is in the second state; or when the damping member has a first state, a second state and a third state, and the second protrusion is located on one side of the first protrusion, the damping member is in the first state; when the second protrusion contacts the first protrusion, the damping member is in the second state; when the second protrusion is located on the other side of the first protrusion, the damping member is in the third state.

[0012] According to an optional implementation, the number of the first bumps is one or two, and when there are two first bumps, the two first bumps are arranged at an interval.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment, for multiple first protrusions from the proximal end to the distal end, the protruding height of the first protrusions gradually decreases, or for multiple second protrusions from the proximal end to the distal end, the protruding height of the second protrusions gradually decreases; or for multiple damping elements from the proximal end to the distal end, when the damping elements are in the second state, the contact area between the first protrusions and the second protrusions gradually decreases.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment, a first connecting plate is provided at the distal end of the snake bone joint, and a second connecting plate is provided at the proximal end of the snake bone joint, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate of two adjacent snake bone joints are arranged at least partially overlapping, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are connected by a rivet, and the contact area between the rivet and the first connecting plate and / or the second connecting plate gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the multiple rivets.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment, the first protrusion is provided on one of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece, and the second protrusion is provided on the other of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention provides an active bending segment.

[0017] The active bending section of the present invention comprises a plurality of snake bone segments, wherein the snake bone segments are the snake bone segments described in any one of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the heads and tails of two adjacent snake bone segments are connected to each other.

[0018] A third aspect of the present invention provides an endoscope.

[0019] The endoscope of the present invention comprises an insertion part and a handle, wherein the insertion part and the handle are connected, wherein the insertion part comprises an active bending section and a passive bending section, the active bending section is the active bending section described in any technical solution of the present invention, and the proximal end of the active bending section is connected to the distal end of the passive bending section.

[0020] The technical solution adopted by the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The snake bone joint of the present invention has a first damping part at its distal end and a second damping part at its proximal end. When a plurality of snake bone joints are connected to form an active bending section, the first damping part and the second damping part on two adjacent snake bone joints can cooperate to form a damping member. When the snake bone joint is to be rotated, the damping member between the two adjacent snake bone joints can generate friction, thereby increasing the friction at the connection between the two adjacent snake bone joints. Furthermore, the friction generated by the damping member gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end, so that when the active bending section is bent by controlling the traction rope, the applied force can easily overcome the friction between the distal snake bone joints, that is, the snake bone joint at the distal end of the active bending section can be bent first; as the pulling force of the traction rope increases, the pulling force can overcome the friction between the proximal snake bone joints, and at this time, the snake bone joint at the proximal end of the active bending section can be bent.

[0022] It can be seen that the active bending section formed by the serpentine joints of the present invention gradually reduces the friction between the two adjacent serpentine joints from the proximal end to the distal end through the action of the damping member between the two adjacent serpentine joints. When the active bending section is bent by controlling the traction rope, the active bending section can be gradually bent from the distal end to the proximal end. This bending method is beneficial to reducing the area swept by the distal end during the bending process of the active bending section, and can reduce the difficulty of operation when used by doctors during surgery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] 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.

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section in an extended state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the bending path of the active bending section in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section in a bending state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a partial schematic diagram of the active bending section in the embodiment of the present application in a bending state;

[0029] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the active bending section of the embodiment of the present application in a bending state;

[0030] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A magnified view of part A;

[0031] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 A magnified view of part B;

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a first schematic diagram of a snake bone joint according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Fig.10 is a second schematic diagram of the snake bone joint of the embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of a snake bone joint according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of a riveted part according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] In the figure: 100, active bending section; 110, snake bone joint; 111, first connecting plate; 111a, first through hole; 112, second connecting plate; 112a, second through hole; 120, damping member; 121, first protrusion; 122, second protrusion; 130, rivet; 131, base; 132, connecting shaft; 132a, groove; 132b, gap; 133, top cap; 200, passive bending section; 300, insertion part; 400, handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] In each embodiment of the present application, "proximal end" and "distal end" refer to the position of each component relative to the user in the use environment, wherein the end closer to the user is designated as the "proximal end" and the end farther from the user is designated as the "distal end".

[0040] In the related art, the active bending section includes a plurality of snake bone sections, and a traction rope channel for the traction rope to pass through is provided on the wall surface of each snake bone section, and the traction rope channel is recessed toward the center of the active bending section, and the recessed area is used to install the traction rope. The traction rope passes through each snake bone section, and the distal end of the traction rope is fixed to the distal end of the active bending section; in addition, adjacent snake bone sections are connected by rivets, and when the active bending section is controlled to bend by the traction rope, the force applied needs to overcome the friction between the rivet and the snake bone section to make the active bending section bend.

[0041] However, the inventors found that when the active bending section is controlled to bend by a traction rope, the force applied by the traction rope causes the proximal end of the active bending section to bend first and the distal end to bend later. This bending method results in a larger area swept by the distal end of the active bending section during the bending process. When the doctor uses it during surgery, if it is necessary to bend the active bending section to the subrenal calyx end, the operation is difficult.

[0042] To this end, the present application provides a snake bone segment, which is provided with a first damping part at the distal end and a second damping part at the proximal end. When multiple snake bone segments are connected to form an active bending segment, the first damping part and the second damping part on two adjacent snake bone segments can cooperate to form a damping member. The active bending segment formed by the snake bone segment of the present invention gradually reduces the friction between the two adjacent snake bone segments from the proximal end to the distal end through the action of the damping member between the two adjacent snake bone segments. When the active bending segment is controlled to bend by a traction rope, the active bending segment can be gradually bent from the distal end to the proximal end. This bending method is conducive to reducing the area swept by the distal end during the bending process of the active bending segment, and can reduce the difficulty of operation when used by doctors during surgery.

[0043] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 12 , the snake bone segment, active bending segment and endoscope provided in this application are described in detail through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0044] The first aspect of this embodiment provides a detailed description of the snake bone joint.

[0045] The snake bone joint 110 of this embodiment is applied to the active bending section 100 of the endoscope. Exemplarily, the snake bone joint 110 of this embodiment is particularly applied to the proximal end of the active bending section 100.

[0046] The endoscope includes an insertion portion 300 and a handle 400. The insertion portion 300 is used to be inserted into a cavity. The handle 400 is provided with operating elements for the convenience of the doctor to operate. Figure 1The inserting portion 300 has an active bending section 100 and a passive bending section 200, wherein the active bending section 100 is located at the distal end and the passive bending section 200 is located at the proximal end. Figure 1 As shown. The insertion part 300 is also provided with an instrument tube for inserting instruments. The distal end surface of the active bending section 100 is provided with a camera module and other structures. The active bending section 100 can be in a straight state or a bent state under the action of the traction rope, such as Figure 2 or Figure 4 shown.

[0047] In some embodiments, the active bending section 100 includes a plurality of snake bones 110, such as Figure 2 Two adjacent snake bone joints 110 are rotatably connected, so that the snake bone joints 110 can rotate based on the pulling force of the traction rope, so that the active bending section 100 is switched from the straight state to the bent state.

[0048] In some embodiments, the plurality of snake bone segments 110 are arranged end to end, and the end to end of two adjacent snake bone segments 110 are at least partially overlapped. Exemplarily, the overlapping end to end portions of two adjacent snake bone segments 110 are connected by a rivet 130, such as Figure 2 As shown. Exemplarily, the rivet 130 is a rivet. Two adjacent snake bone segments 110 are connected by at least two rivets 130, and the rivets 130 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the snake bone segment 110.

[0049] In some embodiments, the distal end of the snake bone segment 110 is provided with a first damping portion, and the proximal end is provided with a second damping portion, such as Figure 9~Figure 11 As shown. Exemplarily, the distal end of the snake bone segment 110 is as follows Fig. 9 The right end shown is as Fig. 9 When multiple snake bone segments 110 are connected to form the active bending section 100, the first damping portion of the distal snake bone segment 110 and the second damping portion of the proximal snake bone segment 110 of the adjacent two snake bone segments 110 cooperate to form a damping member 120, such as Figure 6~Figure 8 When the serpentine joint 110 rotates, the first damping part and the second damping part generate friction. When the serpentine joint 110 is about to rotate, the damping member 120 generates friction to provide resistance to the rotation of the serpentine joint 110.

[0050] In some embodiments, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end. Exemplarily, in the entire active bending section 100, a damping member 120 is provided between the overlapping portions of two adjacent serpentine nodes 110. Exemplarily, a damping member 120 is provided between the overlapping portions of two adjacent serpentine nodes 110 located at the proximal end of the active bending section 100, while a damping member 120 may not be provided between the overlapping portions of two adjacent serpentine nodes 110 located at the distal end of the active bending section 100. Exemplarily, the distal end of the active bending section 100 and the proximal end of the active bending section 100 mentioned here are divided by the middle of the active bending section 100, the distal end of the active bending section 100 is located at the distal end of the dividing line, and the proximal end of the active bending section 100 is located at the proximal end of the dividing line. Without limitation to this, the distal end of the active bending section 100 and the proximal end of the active bending section 100 may also be divided in other ways.

[0051] The damping member 120 can provide resistance to the rotation of the serpentine joints 110, and the friction between two adjacent serpentine joints 110 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end. Specifically, it refers to the part of the active bending section 100 where the damping member 120 is provided, and the friction between two adjacent serpentine joints 110 when rotating from the proximal end to the distal end gradually decreases. It can be seen that the friction between two adjacent serpentine joints 110 (the friction generated between the rivet 130 and the serpentine joint 110) in the part of the active bending section 100 where the damping member 120 is not provided can be considered to be the same.

[0052] For example, Figure 2 As shown, from the proximal end to the distal end, there are the first snake bone joint, the second snake bone joint, the third snake bone joint, and the fourth snake bone joint... The first snake bone joint and the second snake bone joint are riveted by a first rivet, the second snake bone joint and the third snake bone joint are riveted by a second rivet, and the third snake bone joint and the fourth snake bone joint are riveted by a third rivet... A first damping member is provided at the connection between the first snake bone joint and the second snake bone joint, a second damping member is provided at the connection between the second snake bone joint and the third snake bone joint, and a third damping member is provided between the third snake bone joint and the fourth snake bone joint... When the snake bone joint 110 is to rotate, the friction force generated by the first damping member is greater than the friction force generated by the second damping member, and the friction force generated by the second damping member is greater than the friction force generated by the third damping member... Therefore, when the traction rope controls the active bending section 100 to bend, the friction force to be overcome gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end, so that the active bending section 100 can be gradually bent from the distal end to the proximal end. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the bending path of the active bending section 100 of this embodiment is shown.

[0053] The active bending segment 100 formed by the serpentine joints 110 of the present embodiment gradually reduces the friction force between the two adjacent serpentine joints 110 from the proximal end to the distal end through the action of the damping member 120 between the two adjacent serpentine joints 110. When the active bending segment 100 is bent by controlling the traction rope, the active bending segment 100 can be gradually bent from the distal end to the proximal end. This bending method is beneficial to reducing the area swept by the distal end during the bending process of the active bending segment 100. When the doctor uses it during surgery, for example, when the doctor needs to bend the active bending segment 100 from the upper renal calyx to the lower renal calyx, it can not only reduce the difficulty of operation, but also avoid the problem of kidney damage caused by excessively large swept area during the bending process of the active bending segment 100.

[0054] In some embodiments, the damping member 120 has at least a first state and a second state. When the damping member 120 is in the first state, the damping member 120 generates a large friction force. When the damping member 120 is in the second state, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 is 0, or the damping member 120 only generates a small friction force. From the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 in the first state gradually decreases. It is known that from the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 in the second state can gradually decrease or be the same.

[0055] When the active bending section 100 is bent by controlling the traction rope, the applied force needs to overcome the friction force generated by the damping element 120. Since the friction force generated by the damping element 120 in the first state gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end, the pulling force of the traction rope can easily overcome the friction force of the distal damping element 120, but not easily overcome the friction force of the proximal damping element 120, so that the distal serpentine segment 110 can bend before the proximal serpentine segment 110.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the serpentine joint 110 is in the straightened state, the damping member 120 is in the first state, and when the serpentine joint 110 switches from the straightened state to the bent state, the damping member 120 switches from the first state to the second state.

[0057] The damping member 120 of this embodiment is in a first state when the serpentine joint 110 is in a straight state. When the active bending section 100 is bent by controlling the traction rope, the damping member 120 generates a large friction force, which can prevent the proximal serpentine joint 110 from bending before the distal serpentine joint 110. As the force increases, the pulling force overcomes the friction force, the proximal serpentine joint 110 bends, and the damping member 120 is in a second state. In the second state, the damping member 120 generates a small friction force or the friction force is 0, so that the proximal serpentine joint 110 is easy to bend after passing the first state of the damping member 120, which is beneficial to reducing the force applied by the traction rope.

[0058] In some embodiments, the damping member 120 has at least a first state, a second state and a third state. When the damping member 120 is in the first state and the third state, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 is 0, or the damping member 120 only generates a small friction force. When the damping member 120 is in the second state, the damping member 120 generates a large friction force. That is: the friction force generated by the damping member 120 in the first state and the third state is smaller than the friction force generated in the second state. From the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 in the second state gradually decreases. It can be seen that from the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 in the first state or the third state may gradually decrease, or may be the same.

[0059] When the active bending section 100 is bent by controlling the traction rope, the applied force needs to overcome the friction force generated by the damping element 120. Since the friction force generated by the damping element 120 in the second state gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end, the pulling force of the traction rope can easily overcome the friction force of the distal damping element 120, but is not easy to overcome the friction force of the proximal damping element 120, so that the distal serpentine segment 110 can bend before the proximal serpentine segment 110.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the serpentine joint 110 is in an extended state, the damping member 120 is in a first state; when the serpentine joint 110 is subjected to force, the damping member 120 switches from the first state to the second state; when the serpentine joint 110 switches from an extended state to a bent state, the damping member 120 switches from the second state to the third state.

[0061] The damping member 120 of this embodiment is in the first state when the serpentine joint 110 is in the straight state. When the active bending section 100 is bent by controlling the traction rope, the damping member 120 switches from the first state to the second state. The damping member 120 generates a larger friction force, which can prevent the proximal serpentine joint 110 from bending before the distal serpentine joint 110. As the force increases, the pulling force overcomes the friction force, the proximal serpentine joint 110 bends, and the damping member 120 is in the third state. In the third state, the damping member 120 generates a smaller friction force or the friction force is 0, so that the proximal serpentine joint 110 is easy to bend after passing the second state of the damping member 120, which is beneficial to reducing the force applied by the traction rope.

[0062] In some embodiments, the damping member 120 is a rubber member or a plate-like structure with a non-smooth surface. When the serpentine joints 110 want to rotate, friction is generated between at least one of the two adjacent serpentine joints 110 and the damping member 120, so that the connection between the two adjacent serpentine joints 110 has a greater friction force and is not easy to bend compared to the case where the damping member 120 is not provided. Exemplarily, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 can be changed by changing the friction coefficient of the surface of the damping member 120.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first damping portion is the proximal end of the serpentine segment 110, and the second damping portion is the distal end of the serpentine segment 110. When a plurality of serpentine segments 110 are connected to form the active bending section 100, the head and tail of two adjacent serpentine segments 110 are at least partially overlapped, and the head and tail proximal ends and distal ends of two adjacent serpentine segments 110 contact each other to form the damping member 120. When the serpentine segment 110 is to rotate, the proximal ends and distal ends of the serpentine segments 110 that contact each other generate friction resistance.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first damping portion is a first bump 121, and the second damping portion is a second bump 122. Figure 6~Figure 8 As shown. The first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 protrude from the inner wall surface or the outer wall surface of the snake bone joint 110. Exemplarily, one of the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 protrudes from the inner wall surface of the snake bone joint 110, and the other protrudes from the outer wall surface of the snake bone joint 110, as shown. Figure 6~Figure 8 As shown. The first bump 121 and the second bump 122 are block-shaped, sheet-shaped, columnar, etc. structures. Exemplarily, the first bump 121 and the second bump 122 contact each other on a side having an inclined surface structure, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown. Exemplarily, the side edges of the first protrusion 121 and / or the second protrusion 122 are chamfered, so that the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 are easy to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0065] For example, when the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 cooperate, the inclination angle of the side of the first protrusion 121 away from the second protrusion 122 is larger, such as Fig.11 In this way, after the second protrusion 122 rotates a certain arc, the tightness of the fit between the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 can be reduced, thereby reducing the friction between the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122.

[0066] In some embodiments, when the damping member 120 has a first state and a second state, and the second protrusion 122 contacts the first protrusion 121, the damping member 120 is in the first state; when the second protrusion 122 separates from the first protrusion 121, the damping member 120 is in the second state. The damping member 120 of this embodiment, when the second protrusion 122 contacts the first protrusion 121, can generate a large friction force between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121. When the serpentine joint 110 is subjected to force and wants to bend, the contact between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121 can provide resistance to the bending of the serpentine joint 110; when the second protrusion 122 separates from the first protrusion 121, the friction force generated by the damping member 120 is greatly reduced, so that the serpentine joint 110 can be easily bent after passing the contact area between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121.

[0067] In some embodiments, when the damping member 120 has a first state, a second state and a third state, and the second protrusion 122 is located on one side of the first protrusion 121, the damping member 120 is in the first state; when the second protrusion 122 contacts the first protrusion 121, the damping member 120 is in the second state; when the second protrusion 122 is located on the other side of the first protrusion 121, the damping member 120 is in the third state.

[0068] For example, when the second bump 122 is located on one side of the first bump 121, the second bump 122 is completely located on the side of one side of the first bump 121, that is, there is no overlapping area between the two. Figure 7 Similarly, when the second bump 122 is located on the other side of the first bump 121, the second bump 122 is also completely located on the side of the other side of the first bump 121, that is, there is no overlapping area between the two. The contact between the second bump 122 and the first bump 121 can refer to side contact or upper and lower surface contact.

[0069] Exemplarily, when the second bump 122 is located on one side of the first bump 121, part of the second bump 122 is located on the side of one side of the first bump 121, and the other part overlaps with and does not contact the first bump 121; similarly, when the second bump 122 is located on the other side of the first bump 121, part of the second bump 122 is also located on the side of the other side of the first bump 121, and the other part overlaps with and does not contact the first bump 121.

[0070] The present invention is not limited thereto, and other arrangements may be provided between the first bump 121 and the second bump 122 .

[0071] In the damping member 120 of this embodiment, when the second protrusion 122 is located on one side of the first protrusion 121, a small friction force or zero friction force may be generated between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121. Figure 7 When the snake bone segment 110 is subjected to force and is bent, the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121 can provide resistance to the bending of the snake bone segment 110, such as Figure 8 As shown; when the second protrusion 122 is located on the other side of the first protrusion 121, a smaller friction force or zero friction force can be generated between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121, so that the snake bone joint 110 can be easily bent after passing the contact area between the second protrusion 122 and the first protrusion 121.

[0072] In some embodiments, the number of the first protrusion 121 is one. Exemplarily, when the snake joint 110 is in a straight state, the second protrusion 122 is located on one side of the first protrusion 121. At this time, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 can provide blocking force only when the snake joint 110 is bent to one side. Exemplarily, when the snake joint 110 is in a straight state, the second protrusion 122 contacts the first protrusion 121. At this time, when the snake joint 110 is bent to both sides, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 can both provide blocking force.

[0073] In some embodiments, the number of the first protrusions 121 is two, and the two first protrusions 121 are arranged at intervals. Exemplarily, when the snake bone joint 110 is in a straight state, the second protrusion 122 is located between the two first protrusions 121. When the snake bone joint 110 is bent to both sides, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 can both provide blocking force. Figure 7 As shown. Exemplarily, when the snake joint 110 is in a straight state, the second protrusion 122 partially contacts the two first protrusions 121, so that when the snake joint 110 is bent to both sides, the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 can provide blocking force.

[0074] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the first protrusions 121 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the plurality of first protrusions 121. The gradually decreasing protruding height of the first protrusions 121 refers to the comparison between the plurality of first protrusions 121, rather than the change in the height of a single first protrusion 121. In the case where the protruding heights of the plurality of second protrusions 122 are the same, the gradually decreasing protruding heights of the plurality of first protrusions 121 from the proximal end to the distal end can gradually reduce the tightness of the fit between the first protrusions 121 and the second protrusions 122 from the proximal end to the distal end, thereby gradually reducing the friction force generated between the first protrusions 121 and the second protrusions 122.

[0075] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the second protrusions 122 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the plurality of second protrusions 122. The gradually decreasing protruding height of the second protrusions 122 refers to the comparison between the plurality of second protrusions 122, rather than the change in the height of a single second protrusion 122. In the case where the protruding heights of the plurality of first protrusions 121 are the same, the protruding heights of the plurality of second protrusions 122 gradually decrease from the proximal end to the distal end, which can also gradually reduce the tightness of the fit between the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122 from the proximal end to the distal end, thereby gradually reducing the friction generated between the first protrusion 121 and the second protrusion 122.

[0076] In some embodiments, when the damping member 120 is in the second state, the contact area between the first bump 121 and the second bump 122 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the plurality of damping members 120. Exemplarily, the width of the first bump 121 and / or the second bump 122 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the plurality of first bumps 121 and / or the second bump 122, so that the friction force generated between the first bump 121 and the second bump 122 gradually decreases.

[0077] From the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the plurality of damping elements 120 gradually decreases, which is not limited to being achieved by the above-mentioned method, and may also be achieved by other methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0078] In some embodiments, the distal end of the snake bone segment 110 is provided with a first connecting piece 111, and the proximal end of the snake bone segment 110 is provided with a second connecting piece 112, such as Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The first connecting piece 111 is provided with a first through hole 111a, and the second connecting piece 112 is provided with a second through hole 112a. The first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112 of two adjacent snake bone joints 110 are at least partially overlapped, and the rivet 130 passes through the first through hole 111a and the second through hole 112a, so that the first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112 of the two adjacent snake bone joints 110 can be connected, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown.

[0079] In some embodiments, the rivet 130 includes a base 131, a connecting shaft 132, and a top cap 133, wherein the base 131 and the top cap 133 are located at two ends of the connecting shaft 132. Fig.12 As shown. Exemplarily, the rivet 130 can be a split structure or an integrated structure. Exemplarily, the inner diameter of the first through hole 111a is larger than the inner diameter of the second through hole 112a, and a groove 132a is provided at one end of the connecting shaft 132 close to the top cap 133, and the distance between the groove 132a and the base 131 is larger than the sum of the thicknesses of the first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112. When the first connecting piece 111 is matched with the bottom end of the connecting shaft 132, and the second connecting piece 112 is matched with the connecting shaft 132 at the groove 132a, a gap 132b can be formed between the first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112, and the gap 132b can be used to accommodate the damping member 120, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first protrusion 121 is disposed on one of the first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112 , and the second protrusion 122 is disposed on the other of the first connecting piece 111 and the second connecting piece 112 . Fig. 9 and Fig.10A schematic diagram showing that the first protrusion 121 is arranged on the first connecting piece 111 and the second protrusion 122 is arranged on the second connecting piece 112 is shown.

[0081] In some embodiments, the contact area between the rivet 130 and the first connecting piece 111 and / or the second connecting piece 112 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the multiple rivets 130. Exemplarily, on the entire active bending section 100, the contact area between the rivet 130 and the first connecting piece 111 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end, and / or the contact area between the rivet 130 and the second connecting piece 112 gradually decreases. Exemplarily, on the entire active bending section 100, the contact area between the base 131 of the rivet 130 and the first connecting piece 111 gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the multiple rivets 130, and / or the contact area between the top cap 133 of the rivet 130 and the second connecting piece 112 gradually decreases.

[0082] The rivet 130 of this embodiment can further reduce the friction force generated at the connection between two adjacent serpentine joints 110, thereby further facilitating the distal end of the active bending section 100 to bend before the proximal end.

[0083] The second aspect of this embodiment describes the active bending section 100 in detail.

[0084] The active bending section 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of snake bone nodes 110, such as Figure 2 The snake bone joint 110 is a snake bone joint of any technical solution in this embodiment. The head and tail of two adjacent snake bone joints 110 are connected to each other.

[0085] The active bending segment 100 of the present embodiment has the snake bone joint of any one of the technical solutions in the present embodiment, so that when the active bending segment 100 of the present embodiment is bent, the distal end of the active bending segment 100 bends first and the proximal end bends later, which is beneficial to reducing the area swept by the distal end during the bending process of the active bending segment 100, and can reduce the difficulty of operation when used by doctors during surgery.

[0086] The third aspect of this embodiment describes the endoscope in detail.

[0087] The endoscope of this embodiment includes an insertion portion 300 and a handle 400, and the insertion portion 300 and the handle 400 are connected. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the insertion portion 300 includes an active bending segment 100 and a passive bending segment 200, the active bending segment 100 is the active bending segment 100 of any technical solution in this embodiment, and the proximal end of the active bending segment 100 is connected to the distal end of the passive bending segment 200, such as Figure 1 The passive bending section 200 and the handle 400 may be structures of the prior art, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0088] The endoscope system of this embodiment may be a digestive endoscope, 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. This embodiment does not specifically limit the type of the endoscope system.

[0089] The endoscope of this embodiment has the active bending section 100 of any one of the technical solutions of this embodiment, which can reduce the difficulty of operation when the doctor uses it during surgery.

[0090] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0091] In addition, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and devices in the embodiments of the present application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, and may also include performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in a reverse order according to the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in an order different from that described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0092] 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. A snake bone joint, applied to an active bending section (100) of an endoscope, characterized in that: The distal end of the snake bone segment (110) is provided with a first damping portion, and the proximal end is provided with a second damping portion. When a plurality of the snake bone segments (110) are connected to form the active bending section (100), the head and tail of two adjacent snake bone segments (110) are at least partially overlapped, and the first damping portion of the distal snake bone segment (110) and the second damping portion of the proximal snake bone segment (110) of the two adjacent snake bone segments (110) cooperate to form a damping member (120), and when the snake bone segment (110) rotates, the first damping portion and the second damping portion generate friction, and the friction generated by the damping member (120) gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end; The damping member (120) has at least a first state and a second state, and when the snake bone segment (110) is in a straightened state, the damping member (120) is in the first state, and when the snake bone segment (110) switches from the straightened state to the bent state, the damping member (120) switches from the first state to the second state, and the friction force generated by the damping member (120) in the first state is greater than the friction force generated in the second state, and the friction force generated by the damping member (120) in the first state gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end; or The damping member (120) has at least a first state, a second state and a third state. When the serpentine joint (110) is in a straightened state, the damping member (120) is in the first state. When the serpentine joint (110) is subjected to force, the damping member (120) switches from the first state to the second state. When the serpentine joint (110) switches from the straightened state to the bent state, the damping member (120) switches from the second state to the third state. The friction force generated by the damping member (120) in the first state and the third state is smaller than the friction force generated in the second state. In the direction from the proximal end to the distal end, the friction force generated by the damping member (120) in the second state gradually decreases.

2. The snake bone joint according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first damping part is a first bump (121), the second damping part is a second bump (122), When the damping member (120) has a first state and a second state, and the second protrusion (122) contacts the first protrusion (121), the damping member (120) is in the first state; when the second protrusion (122) is separated from the first protrusion (121), the damping member (120) is in the second state; Alternatively, when the damping member (120) has a first state, a second state and a third state, and the second protrusion (122) is located on one side of the first protrusion (121), the damping member (120) is in the first state; when the second protrusion (122) is in contact with the first protrusion (121), the damping member (120) is in the second state; and when the second protrusion (122) is located on the other side of the first protrusion (121), the damping member (120) is in the third state.

3. The snake bone joint according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the first bulge (121) is one or two, and when there are two first bulges (121), the two first bulges (121) are arranged at an interval.

4. The snake bone joint according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of first protrusions (121) have a protruding height that gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end. Or the plurality of second protrusions (122) from the proximal end to the distal end, the protruding height of the second protrusions (122) gradually decreasing; Or a plurality of the damping members (120) from the proximal end to the distal end, when the damping member (120) is in the second state, the contact area between the first protrusion (121) and the second protrusion (122) gradually decreases.

5. The snake bone joint according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first connecting piece (111) is provided at the distal end of the snake bone segment (110), and a second connecting piece (112) is provided at the proximal end of the snake bone segment (110). The first connecting piece (111) and the second connecting piece (112) of two adjacent snake bone joints (110) are arranged to overlap at least partially, the first connecting piece (111) and the second connecting piece (112) are connected by a rivet (130), and the contact area between the rivet (130) and the first connecting piece (111) and / or the second connecting piece (112) gradually decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the plurality of rivets (130).

6. The snake bone joint according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first protrusion (121) is provided on one of the first connecting piece (111) and the second connecting piece (112), and the second protrusion (122) is provided on the other of the first connecting piece (111) and the second connecting piece (112).

7. An active bending section, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of snake bone segments (110), wherein the snake bone segments (110) are the snake bone segments described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the heads and tails of two adjacent snake bone segments (110) are connected to each other.

8. An endoscope, characterized in that: It comprises an insertion part (300) and a handle (400), wherein the insertion part (300) and the handle (400) are connected, wherein: The insertion portion (300) comprises an active bending segment (100) and a passive bending segment (200), the active bending segment (100) being the active bending segment according to claim 7, and the proximal end of the active bending segment (100) is connected to the distal end of the passive bending segment (200).

Images