Snake-bone unit, active bending segment and endoscope

Abstract

This invention discloses a snake-bone unit, an active bending section, and an endoscope, relating to the field of medical device technology. The snake-bone unit of this invention includes a snake-bone body, with a first opening and a second opening respectively at its distal and proximal ends. At least one of the first and second openings is a strip-shaped hole, the diameter of which is larger along the axial direction of the snake-bone body than its radial direction. The snake-bone unit also includes a connector, with its two ends respectively installed within the first and second openings on two adjacent snake-bone bodies, creating a movable gap between the connector and the first and / or second openings. This movable gap is close to the end of the snake-bone body, and when the active bending section is in a straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies abut against each other. The snake-bone unit of this invention can improve the smoothness of the endoscope insertion process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a snake-bone unit, an active bending segment, and an endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] An endoscope is a commonly used medical device that can directly enter human cavities for examination, providing doctors with comprehensive diagnostic information. An endoscope typically includes: an insertion part for insertion into the body, a handle for controlling the bending of the insertion part's tip, and a display device for showing the internal environment of the body's natural cavities. Through the coordination of these three parts, an endoscope can achieve visualization of the human body's interior, exploration of lesions, and treatment.

[0003] The insertion section includes an active bending section and a passive bending section. The active bending section is located at the distal end of the insertion section and is the core component controlling the imaging range of the distal camera module of the endoscope. To achieve the bending of the active bending section, it comprises multiple serpentine segments, which are formed by riveting, integral cutting, or injection molding. Due to the high labor costs, riveted serpentine segments are rarely used in the production of disposable endoscopes by manufacturers to reduce component costs.

[0004] However, riveted metal skeletons possess advantages that injection-molded or one-piece cut skeletons lack, such as stable quality and high strength. In large-sized insertion sections, such as those in digestive endoscopes, the overall rigidity of the insertion section is high due to the numerous and large dimensions of the tubing. Injection-molded or one-piece cut skeletons have lower strength and may experience breakage or detachment of the rotating parts even with a few bending cycles. Therefore, riveted skeletons are still used by a small number of manufacturers who prioritize quality.

[0005] In related technologies, riveted snake bones have gaps between adjacent segments. The bending angle of the snake bone segment is determined by the gap between the two adjacent segments; the larger the gap, the larger the bending angle of the snake bone segment, and the larger the imaging range of the camera module. However, when the insertion part is in a straightened state, due to the gap between the two adjacent snake bones, the insertion part is subject to resistance. Under the action of external force, the snake bone segments are prone to rotation and irregular bending, which hinders the lens insertion process.

[0006] In related technologies, to solve this problem, doctors typically need to first insert a rigid endoscope. Once the rigid endoscope reaches the target position, a guidewire is inserted, the rigid endoscope is removed, and finally, a flexible endoscope is inserted into the target position under the guidance of the guidewire. This approach results in a complex insertion process for the flexible endoscope, requires numerous auxiliary instruments, and leads to a long surgical time. Therefore, providing an easily insertable, actively curved segment within the cavity is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention discloses a snake-bone unit, an active bending section, and an endoscope to solve the technical problem in related technologies where the endoscope is obstructed during insertion.

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] The first aspect of the present invention provides a snake-bone unit.

[0010] The snake-bone unit of the present invention includes a snake-bone body, wherein a first opening and a second opening are respectively provided at the distal and proximal ends of the snake-bone body, and at least one of the first opening and the second opening is a strip-shaped hole, wherein the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the axial direction of the snake-bone body is larger than the diameter along the radial direction of the snake-bone body; the snake-bone unit further includes a connector, wherein the two ends of the connector are respectively installed in the first opening and the second opening on two adjacent snake-bone bodies, and the connector has a movable gap with the first opening and / or the second opening, wherein the movable gap is close to the end of the snake-bone body, and when the active bending section is in a straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies abut against each other.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment, the snake bone body is further provided with a traction rope mounting part, which is used to mount a traction rope, and the traction rope located between two adjacent snake bone bodies is located outside the contact point of the two adjacent snake bone bodies.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment, the two ends of the snake bone body are recessed towards the center of the snake bone body to form recessed portions, and the middle part of the snake bone body has a fixing portion for fixing the traction rope, and the recessed portions and the fixing portion form the traction rope mounting portion.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment, a slit is provided on the side of the recess away from the end face of the snake bone body, the slit penetrating the wall surface of the snake bone body, and the slit and the snake bone body between the two slits form the fixing part.

[0014] According to one optional embodiment, the first opening is a strip-shaped opening and the second opening is a strip-shaped opening; or the first opening is a strip-shaped opening and the second opening is a round opening; or the first opening is a round opening and the second opening is a strip-shaped opening.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment, the connector includes a connecting rod and a first riveting member and a second riveting member located at both ends of the connecting rod, wherein the first riveting member and the second riveting member are respectively installed in the first opening and the second opening.

[0016] According to one optional embodiment, after the two ends of the connector are respectively installed in the first opening and the second opening, the connecting rod is located on the outer wall surface of the snake bone body; or after the two ends of the connector are respectively installed in the first opening and the second opening, the connecting rod is located on the inner wall surface of the snake bone body.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment, the outer diameter of the first riveting member is the same as the inner diameter of the first opening, or the outer diameter of the first riveting member is the same as the diameter of the first opening in the radial direction of the snake body; the outer diameter of the second riveting member is the same as the inner diameter of the second opening, or the outer diameter of the second riveting member is the same as the diameter of the second opening in the radial direction of the snake body.

[0018] A second aspect of the invention provides an active bending segment.

[0019] The active bending segment of the present invention includes multiple snake-bone units, wherein the snake-bone unit is the snake-bone unit described in any of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the ends of two adjacent snake-bone units are connected to each other.

[0020] A third aspect of the invention provides an endoscope.

[0021] The endoscope of the present invention includes an insertion part and a handle, the insertion part and the handle being connected, wherein the insertion part includes an active bending section and a passive bending section, the active bending section being the active bending section as described in any of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the proximal end of the active bending section being connected to the distal end of the passive bending section.

[0022] The technical solution adopted in this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0023] In the snake-bone unit of the present invention, when in the straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies abut against each other. This abutment of the end faces of adjacent snake-bone bodies allows them to be circumferentially restrained, enhancing the rigidity of the active bending section. During endoscope insertion, even if the active bending section encounters resistance, the snake-bone body is less prone to irregular bending, thus reducing the risk of surface smoothness being affected by deformation of the active bending section and improving the smoothness of the endoscope insertion process. In other words, the snake-bone unit of the present invention solves the technical problem of endoscope obstruction during insertion in related technologies.

[0024] On the other hand, when two adjacent snake-bone bodies are connected by a connector, the connector has a movable gap with the first opening and / or the second opening. The movable gap is close to the end of the snake-bone body. When the active bending section needs to bend, under the pull of the traction rope, the movable gap between the connector and the first opening and / or the second opening can provide the connector with movable space. That is, the connector can move in the direction of the movable gap, so that there is a gap between the two adjacent snake-bone bodies. This gap can provide room for the bending of the snake-bone body, so that the two adjacent snake-bone bodies can rotate in the direction of separation from each other to achieve the bending function. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the active bending segment in the related technology;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake segments being riveted together in related technologies;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the serpentine joint in related technologies;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of irregular bending of the active bending segment in related technologies;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the endoscope used in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the snake bone body according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the snake bone body according to the second embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the snake bone body according to the third embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone bodies abutting each other in this application;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone bodies connected by a connector according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone bodies connected by a connector according to the second embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone bodies after bending according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone bodies after bending according to the second embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a first partial schematic diagram of the active bending segment in the straightened state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 15 This is a second partial schematic diagram of the active bending segment in an embodiment of this application, where the bending segment is in a straightened state.

[0041] In the diagram: 100, snake bone unit; 110, snake bone body; 111, first opening; 112, second opening; 113, movement gap; 114, traction rope mounting part; 1141, recessed part; 1142, slit; 120, connector; 121, connecting rod; 122, first riveting part; 123, second riveting part; 130, contact point; 140, riveting part; 150, lug; 151, opening; 160, traction rope; 200, insertion part; 210, active bending section; 211, cutting gap; 220, passive bending section; 300, handle. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0043] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0044] In the various embodiments of this application, "near end" and "far end" refer to the distance of each component from the user in the usage environment. The end closer to the user is designated as the "near end", and the end farther from the user is designated as the "far end".

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram is shown of the active bending segment 210 in a straightened state in the related art. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the active bending section 210 includes multiple snake-bone bodies 110, with adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 riveted together by riveting members 140. A cutting gap 211 exists between adjacent snake-bone bodies 110, as... Figure 2 As shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the snake-bone body 110 has lugs 150 at both ends, and the lugs 150 are provided with openings 151 for mounting the riveting parts 140. See again Figure 2 and Figure 3 The opening 151 is a round hole. After the riveting piece 140 is installed in the opening 151, the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 can be fixed in the axial and radial directions. When the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 rotate, they rotate around the riveting piece 140 as the rotation center until the ends of the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 abut against each other on the curved side. The rotation angle of the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 is limited by the cutting gap 211 between the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110.

[0046] However, when the active bending segment 210 is in a straightened state, the cutting gap 211 between adjacent snake bone segments inevitably causes instability in the active bending segment 210. When the insertion process of the active bending segment 210 is resisted, the snake bone body 110 is prone to rotation and irregular bending under the action of external force, which hinders the lens insertion process. Figure 4 A schematic diagram is shown showing the active bending section 210 exhibiting irregular bending. This deformed active bending section 210 affects the smoothness of its surface, thus impacting the smoothness of the lens advance process.

[0047] To address this, this application provides a snake-bone unit. When the active bending section is in a straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies abut against each other, allowing the two adjacent snake-bone bodies to be positioned relative to each other in the circumferential direction. During endoscope insertion, this reduces the risk of surface smoothness being affected by deformation of the active bending section, thereby improving the smoothness of the endoscope insertion process. Furthermore, by providing elongated openings on the snake-bone bodies, a gap can be formed between two adjacent snake-bone bodies when the active bending section needs to bend. This gap provides clearance for the bending of the snake-bone bodies, allowing the two adjacent snake-bone bodies to rotate in a direction separating from each other, thus achieving the bending function.

[0048] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 5 to 15 The application provides a detailed description of the snake-bone unit, active bending segment, and endoscope through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0049] The first aspect of this embodiment describes the snake-bone unit in detail.

[0050] The snake-bone unit 100 in this embodiment is applied to the active bending section 210 of the endoscope, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The endoscope includes an insertion section 200 and a handle 300, as... Figure 5 As shown. The insertion part 200 is used for insertion into the cavity, and the handle 300 is equipped with operating parts for easy operation by the doctor, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The insertion portion 200 has an active bending section 210 and a passive bending section 220, with the active bending section 210 located at the distal end and the passive bending section 220 located at the proximal end, as... Figure 5 As shown. The insertion section 200 also includes an instrument tube for inserting instruments. The distal end face of the active bending section 210 is equipped with structures such as a camera module. The active bending section 210 can be in a straight or bent state under the action of the traction rope 160.

[0051] In some embodiments, the snake-bone unit 100 includes a snake-bone body 110. The distal and proximal ends of the snake-bone body 110 are respectively provided with a first opening 111 and a second opening 112, at least one of the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 being a strip-shaped hole, such as... Figures 6-8 As shown. Preferably, the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the axial direction of the snake-bone body 110 is larger than the diameter along the radial direction of the snake-bone body 110, such as... Figures 6-8 As shown, the strip-shaped holes are distributed along the axial direction of the snake bone body 110, which reduces the risk of misalignment between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 in the radial direction.

[0052] In some embodiments, the snake-bone unit 100 further includes a connector 120, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown. Connector 120 is used to connect two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110, as... Figure 10 As shown. The two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 on two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110. For example, for a snake-bone body 110, the distal end has the first opening 111 and the proximal end has the second opening 112. The connector 120 is used to connect the second opening 112 of the distal snake-bone body 110 and the first opening 111 of the proximal snake-bone body 110, so that two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 can be connected to each other through the connector 120.

[0053] For example, two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 are connected by two connectors 120. Accordingly, the distal end of the snake bone body 110 has two first openings 111, which are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the snake bone body 110; the proximal end of the snake bone body 110 has two second openings 112, which are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the snake bone body 110.

[0054] For example, the first opening 111 is a strip-shaped hole, and the second opening 112 is a strip-shaped hole, such as... Figure 6 As shown. When the two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 on two adjacent snake bone bodies 110, there is a movable gap 113 between the distal end of the connector 120 and the second opening 112, and the movable gap 113 is located on the side near the proximal end face of the distal snake bone body 110; there is a movable gap 113 between the proximal end of the connector 120 and the first opening 111, and the movable gap 113 is located on the side near the distal end face of the proximal snake bone body 110. This allows the end faces of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 to abut against each other when the active bending section 210 is in a straightened state, and when subjected to external force during the lens insertion process, the two adjacent snake bones can be limited to each other, reducing the risk of rotation of the snake bone body 110.

[0055] For example, the first opening 111 is a strip-shaped hole, and the second opening 112 is a round hole, such as... Figure 7 As shown. When the two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 on two adjacent snake bone bodies 110, there is no movable gap 113 between the distal end of the connector 120 and the second opening 112; there is a movable gap 113 between the proximal end of the connector 120 and the first opening 111, and the movable gap 113 is located on the side near the distal end face of the proximal snake bone body 110. This allows the end faces of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 to abut against each other when the active bending section 210 is in a straightened state, and the two adjacent snake bones can be limited by each other when subjected to external force during the lens insertion process, reducing the risk of rotation of the snake bone body 110.

[0056] For example, the first opening 111 is a round hole, and the second opening 112 is a strip-shaped hole, such as... Figure 8As shown. When the two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 on two adjacent snake bone bodies 110, there is a movable gap 113 between the distal end of the connector 120 and the second opening 112, and the movable gap 113 is located on the side near the proximal end face of the distal snake bone body 110; there is no movable gap 113 between the proximal end of the connector 120 and the first opening 111. This allows the end faces of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 to abut against each other when the active bending section 210 is in a straightened state, and the two adjacent snake bones can be limited by each other when subjected to external force during the lens insertion process, reducing the risk of rotation of the snake bone body 110.

[0057] In this embodiment, the movable gap 113 refers to the fact that, for the slotted hole, the installation space of the slotted hole is larger than the space required to install the connector 120. That is, after the connector 120 is installed in the slotted hole, there is still remaining space. This remaining space forms the movable gap 113, which allows the connector 120 to move within the slotted hole. Figure 11 As shown. Preferably, the movable gap 113 is located in the axial direction of the strip hole along the snake bone body 110; there is no movable gap 113 in the radial direction of the strip hole along the snake bone body 110, thereby avoiding the potential risk of misalignment between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 in the radial direction.

[0058] For example, when the active bending segment 210 needs to be rigid, it can be straightened and the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 can be brought into contact with each other, such as... Figures 9-11 As shown. For example, by increasing the tension of the traction rope, the rigidity of the active bending section 210 can be further increased. When the active bending section 210 needs to be flexible, the circumferential contact point of two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 is used as a rotational support point. Simultaneously, the existence of the movable gap 113 allows the adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 to separate from each other, as shown. Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown.

[0059] In this embodiment, when the active bending section 210 of the snake bone unit 100 is in a straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 abut against each other, such as... Figures 9-11As shown. Through the contact of the end faces of two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110, the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 can be mutually restricted in the circumferential direction. At this time, the active bending section 210 can be regarded as a rigid tube, thus ensuring the rigidity requirements of the active bending section 210 during endoscope insertion. Specifically, when the endoscope is inserted, even if the active bending section 210 encounters resistance, the snake-bone body 110 is less likely to exhibit irregular bending, thereby reducing the potential for deformation of the active bending section 210 affecting surface smoothness and improving the smoothness of the endoscope insertion process. That is, the snake-bone unit 100 of this embodiment solves the technical problem in related technologies where the endoscope is obstructed during insertion.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, when two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 are connected by the connector 120, the connector 120 has a movable gap 113 with the first opening 111 and / or the second opening 112. The movable gap 113 is close to the end of the snake-bone body 110. When the active bending section 210 needs to bend, under the pull of the traction rope, the movable gap 113 between the connector 120 and the first opening 111 and / or the second opening 112 can provide the connector 120 with a movable space. That is, the connector 120 can move in the direction of the movable gap 113, so that there is a gap between the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110. This gap can provide room for the bending of the snake-bone body 110, so that the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 can rotate in the direction of separation from each other to achieve the bending function.

[0061] All three embodiments of the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 described above can achieve the bending function of the active bending section 210. Preferably, the first opening 111 is a strip-shaped hole, and the second opening 112 is also a strip-shaped hole, which increases the gap between two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110, thereby increasing the bending angle between the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110. Not limited to this, the length of the strip-shaped hole in the axial direction of the snake-bone body 110 can also be increased, which similarly increases the gap between two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110, thereby increasing the bending angle between the two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110.

[0062] In some embodiments, the snake bone body 110 is also provided with a traction rope mounting part 114, such as Figure 9 As shown. The traction rope mounting part 114 is used to mount the traction rope (the traction rope is not shown in the figure). Preferably, the traction rope located between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 is located outside the contact point 130 of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110. For example, after the traction rope is mounted on the traction rope mounting part 114, the traction ropes located at both ends of the snake bone body 110 are located on the outer wall surface of the snake bone body 110, so that when there is a gap between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110, the traction rope located between the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 is located outside the contact point 130 of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110, such as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown.

[0063] The inventors discovered in their research that the middle part of the conventional snake bone body 110 is recessed towards the center of the snake bone body 110 to form a recessed portion 1141. A slit 1142 is provided on the side of the recessed portion 1141. The slit 1142 is used to maintain communication between the recessed portion 1141 and the interior of the snake bone body 110. Furthermore, the recessed portion 1141 and the slit 1142 form a traction rope mounting portion 114, such as... Figures 1-3 As shown. In this type of traction rope mounting part 114, the traction ropes at both ends of the snake bone body 110 are located on the inner wall surface of the snake bone body 110. When two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 abut against each other, the traction rope between the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 is located inside the abutment point 130 of the snake bone bodies 110. If force is continued to be applied to the traction rope at this time, the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 may move in the direction of moving closer to each other, and it cannot be ensured that the two snake bone bodies 110 can be further separated.

[0064] like Figure 9 As shown, the snake bone body 110 in this embodiment is also provided with a traction rope mounting part 114. The traction rope located between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 is located outside the contact point 130 of the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110. Thus, when the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 abut against each other, the two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 can rotate around the contact point 130 of the snake bone body 110. At the same time, the connector 120 can slide in the strip hole toward the direction of the movable gap 113 to ensure that the two snake bone bodies 110 can be further separated.

[0065] On the other hand, compared with the traditional method, this structure can increase the maximum bending degree of two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 without increasing the gap between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 (that is, without increasing the length of the movable gap 113 in the axial direction of the snake bone body 110).

[0066] In some embodiments, both ends of the snake bone body 110 are recessed towards the center of the snake bone body 110 and formed as recessed portions 1141, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the snake bone body 110 has a fixing part in the middle, which is used to fix the traction rope, and the recessed part 1141 and the fixing part are formed as the traction rope mounting part 114.

[0067] In some embodiments, a slit 1142 is provided on the side of the recess 1141 away from the end face of the snake bone body 110. The slit 1142 penetrates the wall surface of the snake bone body 110, thereby allowing the recess 1141 to remain in communication with the interior of the snake bone body 110. Figure 9 As shown. The snake bone body 110 between the two cuts 1142 forms a fixing part.

[0068] For example, after the traction rope is installed in the recess 1141 at the far end, the traction rope enters the snake bone body 110 through the slit 1142 at the far end, and then exits the snake bone body 110 through the slit 1142 at the proximal end. The traction rope is then installed in the recess 1141 at the proximal end, thus achieving the installation and fixation of the traction rope.

[0069] For example, a clamp or clasp structure is provided on the outer wall surface of the middle part of the snake bone body 110, and the clamp or clasp structure forms a fixing part. After the traction rope is installed in the recessed part 1141 at the distal and proximal ends, the traction rope can be fixed to the outer wall surface of the snake bone body 110 by the clamp or clasp structure. The clamp or clasp structure is provided in the middle part of the snake bone body 110, so that when two adjacent snake bone bodies 110 abut against each other, it is still the ends of the two snake bone bodies 110 that abut against each other, that is, the proximal end of the distal snake bone body 110 abuts against the distal end of the proximal snake bone body 110.

[0070] To secure the traction rope, the traction rope located in the middle of the snake bone body 110 can be located inside the snake bone body 110 or on the outer wall surface of the snake bone body 110. In this embodiment, the position of the traction rope located in the snake bone body 110 is not limited.

[0071] In some embodiments, the connector 120 includes a connecting rod 121 and a first riveting member 122 and a second riveting member 123 located at both ends of the connecting rod 121. The first riveting member 122 and the second riveting member 123 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112, such as... Figure 10 As shown. Exemplarily, the first riveting member 122 and the second riveting member 123 are rivets, so that after the first riveting member 122 and the second riveting member 123 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112, the snake-bone body 110 can rotate. Exemplarily, the connecting rod 121 is a plate-like structure, such as... Figure 10 As shown. For example, the connecting rod 121, the first riveting member 122, and the second riveting member 123 are integrally formed or separate structures.

[0072] In some embodiments, after the two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112, the connecting rod 121 is located on the outer wall surface of the snake-bone body 110, such as... Figure 10 As shown. This method allows the connector 120 to be installed from the outside of the snake bone body 110, facilitating the assembly between two adjacent snake bone bodies 110; it also avoids the problem of the connecting rod 121 encroaching on the internal space of the snake bone body 110.

[0073] In some embodiments, after the two ends of the connector 120 are respectively installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 112, the connecting rod 121 is located on the inner wall surface of the snake-bone body 110, such as... Figure 11As shown. The inventors discovered during their research that the snake-bone body 110 is also covered with a skin. During the rotation of the snake-bone body 110, the connecting rod 121 also rotates, causing the connecting rod 121 to contact the skin and generate friction. This not only increases the rotational resistance of the snake-bone body 110 but also makes the skin more susceptible to damage. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 121 is located inside the snake-bone body 110, which reduces the contact area between the connecting member 120 and the skin, thereby reducing the risk of skin damage and also reducing the rotational resistance of the snake-bone body 110.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the first opening 111 is a circular hole, the outer diameter of the first riveting member 122 is the same as the inner diameter of the first opening 111. Alternatively, when the first opening 111 is a strip hole, the outer diameter of the first riveting member 122 is the same as the diameter of the first opening 111 in the radial direction of the snake-bone body 110.

[0075] In some embodiments, when the second opening 112 is a circular hole, the outer diameter of the second riveting member 123 is the same as the inner diameter of the second opening 112. Alternatively, when the second opening 112 is a strip hole, the outer diameter of the second riveting member 123 is the same as the diameter of the second opening 112 in the radial direction of the snake-bone body 110.

[0076] The above embodiments ensure that there is no gap 113 between the first riveting member 122 and the first opening 111 in the radial direction of the snake-bone body 110, and that there is no gap 113 between the second riveting member 123 and the second opening 112 in the radial direction of the snake-bone body 110, thereby avoiding the potential for misalignment of two adjacent snake-bone bodies 110 in the radial direction.

[0077] The second aspect of this embodiment provides a detailed description of the active bending segment.

[0078] The active bending segment 210 of this embodiment includes multiple serpentine units 100, such as... Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown. The snake bone unit 100 is the snake bone unit of any technical solution in this embodiment. The ends of two adjacent snake bone units 100 are connected to each other.

[0079] The active bending section 210 of this embodiment has the snake bone unit 100 of any of the technical solutions in this embodiment. Compared with the traditional active bending section 210, the active bending section 210 of this embodiment has the advantage of not being easily deformed during the lens insertion process, thereby improving the smoothness of lens insertion.

[0080] The third aspect of this embodiment provides a detailed description of the endoscope.

[0081] The endoscope in this embodiment includes an insertion part 200 and a handle 300, which are connected as follows: Figure 5As shown. In some embodiments, the insertion portion 200 includes an active bending section 210 and a passive bending section 220. The active bending section 210 is the active bending section 210 of any technical solution in this embodiment. The proximal end of the active bending section 210 is connected to the distal end of the passive bending section 220, such as... Figure 5 As shown. The passive bending section 220 and the handle 300 can be structures of the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0082] The endoscope in this embodiment may be a digestive endoscope, bronchoscope, nephroscope, esophagoscope, gastroscope, colonoscope, otoscope, rhinoscope, oral endoscope, laryngoscope, colposcope, laparoscope, arthroscope, etc. This embodiment does not impose specific restrictions on the type of endoscope system.

[0083] The endoscope of this embodiment has an active bending section 210 of any of the technical solutions in this embodiment, which can improve the smoothness of the endoscope insertion process; compared with the method of using rigid endoscope and guide wire to assist insertion, it can also reduce the use of auxiliary instruments, simplify the insertion steps, and shorten the operation time.

[0084] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0085] Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatus in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than 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.

[0086] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A snake-bone unit, characterized in that, The device includes a snake-bone body (110), with a first opening (111) and a second opening (112) at its distal and proximal ends, respectively. At least one of the first opening (111) and the second opening (112) is a strip-shaped hole, and the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the axial direction of the snake-bone body (110) is larger than the diameter along the radial direction of the snake-bone body (110). The snake bone unit also includes a connector (120), which includes a connecting rod (121) and a first riveting member (122) and a second riveting member (123) located at both ends of the connecting rod (121). The first riveting member (122) and the second riveting member (123) are respectively installed in the first opening (111) and the second opening (112) on two adjacent snake bone bodies (110), and the first riveting member (122) and / or the second riveting member (123) have a movable gap (113) with the first opening (111) and / or the second opening (112). The movable gap (113) is close to the end of the snake bone body (110), and when the active bending section is in the straightened state, the end faces of two adjacent snake bone bodies (110) abut against each other. When the active bending section is in the straight state, the movable gap (113) is located between the first riveting member (122) and the second riveting member (123), and when the active bending section switches from the straight state to the bending state, the movable gap (113) switches from one end of the first opening (111) and / or the second opening (112) to the other end.

2. The snake-bone unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The snake bone body (110) is also provided with a traction rope mounting part (114), which is used to install a traction rope, and the traction rope between two adjacent snake bone bodies (110) is located outside the contact point (130) of the two adjacent snake bone bodies (110).

3. The snake-bone unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, Both ends of the snake bone body (110) are recessed towards the center of the snake bone body (110) to form recessed portions (1141). The middle part of the snake bone body (110) has a fixing portion for fixing the traction rope. The recessed portion (1141) and the fixing portion form the traction rope mounting portion (114).

4. The snake-bone unit according to claim 3, characterized in that, A slit (1142) is provided on the side of the recess (1141) away from the end face of the snake bone body (110). The slit (1142) penetrates the wall of the snake bone body (110), and the snake bone body (110) between the slit (1142) and the two slits (1142) forms the fixing part.

5. The snake-bone unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first opening (111) is a strip-shaped opening, and the second opening (112) is a strip-shaped opening; or The first opening (111) is a strip-shaped hole, and the second opening (112) is a round hole; or The first opening (111) is a round hole, and the second opening (112) is a strip hole.

6. The snake-bone unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, After the two ends of the connector (120) are respectively installed in the first opening (111) and the second opening (112), the connecting rod (121) is located on the outer wall surface of the snake-bone body (110); or After the two ends of the connector (120) are respectively installed in the first opening (111) and the second opening (112), the connecting rod (121) is located on the inner wall surface of the snake bone body (110).

7. The snake-bone unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the first riveting member (122) is the same as the inner diameter of the first opening (111), or the outer diameter of the first riveting member (122) is the same as the diameter of the first opening (111) in the radial direction of the snake body (110). The outer diameter of the second rivet (123) is the same as the inner diameter of the second opening (112), or the outer diameter of the second rivet (123) is the same as the diameter of the second opening (112) in the radial direction of the snake body (110).

8. An active bending segment, characterized in that, It includes a plurality of snake-bone units (100), the snake-bone units (100) being the snake-bone units of any one of claims 1 to 7, and the heads and tails of two adjacent snake-bone units (100) are connected to each other.

9. An endoscope, characterized in that, It includes an insertion part (200) and a handle (300), the insertion part (200) and the handle (300) being connected, wherein, The insertion portion (200) includes an active bending section (210) and a passive bending section (220), wherein the active bending section (210) is the active bending section as described in claim 8, and the proximal end of the active bending section (210) is connected to the distal end of the passive bending section (220).

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