Snake assembly, active bending segment and endoscope

Abstract

The present invention discloses a serpentine assembly, an active bending section and an endoscope, and relates to the technical field of medical devices. The serpentine assembly of the present invention comprises a first serpentine body and a second serpentine body, wherein the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body are respectively provided with a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are used to install a rivet, and at least one of the first opening and the second opening is a strip hole, wherein the aperture of the strip hole along the axial direction of the first serpentine body and / or the second serpentine body is larger than the aperture along the radial direction of the first serpentine body and / or the second serpentine body, and the outer diameter of the first serpentine body is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the second serpentine body, and the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body have a first connection state in which they are nested with each other or a second connection state in which they are spaced from each other. The serpentine assembly of the present invention is conducive to improving the rigidity and stability of the active bending section of the endoscope during the insertion process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a snake bone component, an active bending section 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. The active bending section is located at the distal end of the insertion part. The active bending section is the core component for controlling the imaging range of the distal camera module of the endoscope. In order to achieve the bending of the active bending section, the active bending section includes multiple snake bone sections, which are formed by riveting, integral cutting or injection molding. Riveted snake bones have high labor costs. In the field of disposable endoscopes, in order to reduce the cost of parts, few manufacturers use riveted snake bones in the production of disposable endoscopes.

[0004] However, riveted metal snake bones have advantages that injection molded snake bones or one-piece cut snake bones do not have, such as stable quality and high strength. In large-sized insertion parts, such as digestive endoscopes, there are many pipelines and the size of the pipelines is large, so the overall rigidity of the insertion part is relatively large. Injection molded snake bones or one-piece cut snake bones have lower strength and may also have the risk of breaking or detaching the rotating part with fewer bending times. Therefore, riveted snake bones will still be used by a small number of manufacturers who attach importance to quality.

[0005] In the riveted snake bones in the related art, there is a cutting gap between two adjacent snake bone joints, and the bending angle of the snake bone joint is determined according to the cutting gap between the two adjacent snake bone joints. The larger the cutting gap, the larger the bending angle of the snake bone joint, and the larger the imaging range of the camera module. However, when the insertion part is in the straight state, due to the cutting gap between the two adjacent snake bones, when the insertion part is subjected to resistance, the snake bone joint is prone to rotation under the action of external force and irregular bending, which hinders the process of lens insertion.

[0006] In the related art, in order to solve this problem, doctors usually need to insert a rigid endoscope first, and then insert a guide wire when the rigid endoscope insertion part reaches the target position, and then remove the rigid endoscope, and finally insert the soft endoscope to the target position under the guidance of the guide wire. The above scheme leads to a complicated insertion process of the soft endoscope, many auxiliary instruments are required, and the operation time is long. Therefore, providing an active bending section that is easy to insert into the cavity is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0007] The invention discloses a snake bone component, an active bending section and an endoscope, so as to solve the technical problem that the endoscope in the related art is hindered during the insertion process.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention provides a snake assembly.

[0010] The serpentine bone assembly of the present invention comprises a first serpentine bone body and a second serpentine bone body, wherein the first serpentine bone body and the second serpentine bone body are respectively provided with a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening and the second opening are used for installing a rivet, and at least one of the first opening and the second opening is a strip hole, wherein the diameter of the strip hole along the axial direction of the first serpentine bone body and / or the second serpentine bone body is larger than the diameter along the radial direction of the first serpentine bone body and / or the second serpentine bone body, and the outer diameter of the first serpentine bone body is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the second serpentine bone body, and the first serpentine bone body and the second serpentine bone body have a first connection state in which they are nested with each other or a second connection state in which they are spaced from each other.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment, a first protrusion and a second protrusion are provided on the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body, a first notch is formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and the first opening is located on the wall surface of the first notch; and lugs are provided on the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body, and the second opening is located on the wall surface of the lugs.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment, when the first serpentine bone body and the second serpentine bone body are in a first connection state, at least part of the first protrusion and / or at least part of the second protrusion is nested in the second serpentine bone body; when the first serpentine bone body and the second serpentine bone body are in a second connection state, in the axial direction of the serpentine bone assembly, there is a gap between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and the second serpentine bone body.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment, in the axial direction of the serpentine bone assembly, the gap between the first protrusion and / or the second protrusion and the second serpentine bone body satisfies: 0≤L0≤1 / 2L, wherein L0 is the gap between the first protrusion and / or the second protrusion and the second serpentine bone body; L is the axial length of the second serpentine bone body located at the first protrusion and / or the second protrusion.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment, on the first serpentine body, a second notch is formed between two adjacent first protrusions and between two adjacent second protrusions, and on the second serpentine body, a third notch is formed between two adjacent lugs, and the second notch and the third notch form a curved space.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment, a notch is provided at the second notch, the notch is located in the axial extension direction of the traction rope mounting portion on the first serpentine body and / or the second serpentine body, and the width of the notch is greater than the outer diameter of the traction rope.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment, the first openings located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body are both circular holes, and the second openings located at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body are both bar-shaped holes; or the first openings located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body are both bar-shaped holes, and the second openings located at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body are both circular holes; or one of the first openings located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body is a circular hole and the other is a bar-shaped hole, and the second opening located on the second serpentine body, one that matches the circular hole is a bar-shaped hole, and the other that matches the bar hole is a circular hole.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment, the snake bone assembly further includes a connecting piece, and the connecting piece is fixedly connected to the first snake bone body, or the connecting piece is fixedly connected to the second snake bone body.

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

[0019] The active bending section of the present invention comprises a plurality of snake bone components, wherein the snake bone components are the snake bone components described in any one of the technical solutions of the present invention, and the heads and tails of two adjacent snake bone components are connected to each other.

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

[0021] 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.

[0022] The technical solution adopted by the present invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0023] In the snake bone assembly of the present invention, at least one of the first opening and the second opening is a strip hole, which can provide a movable space for the rivet. When a force is applied to the first snake bone body at the distal end, the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body can be gradually moved toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so that the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body can be nested with each other; conversely, when the force applied to the first snake bone body at the distal end is released, the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body can be moved in the opposite direction, so that the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body can be spaced from each other. That is, in the snake bone assembly of the present invention, the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body can be switched between the first connection state and the second connection state.

[0024] Specifically, when the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body are in a first connection state nested with each other, when the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body want to bend, the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body limit each other and prevent them from bending, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the active bending section and the stability of the active bending section. When the endoscope is advanced, even if the active bending section encounters resistance, the serpentine body is not prone to irregular bending, which is beneficial to reduce the hidden danger of deformation of the active bending section causing the surface smoothness to be affected, so as to improve the smoothness of the endoscope advancement process, and solve the technical problem of the endoscope being hindered during the advancement process in the related technology.

[0025] Specifically, when the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body have a second connection state spaced apart from each other, that is, the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body are not nested with each other, the limit between the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body is released, so that the first serpentine body and the second serpentine body can bend under the action of the traction rope to realize the bending function of the active bending section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] 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.

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section in the related art;

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of two adjacent snake bone nodes riveted to each other in the related art;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a snake bone joint in the related art;

[0030] Figure 4It is a schematic diagram of irregular bending of the active bending section in the related art;

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section of an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 7 is a first schematic diagram of the first snake bone body of the embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 8 is a second schematic diagram of the first snake bone body of the embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the second snake bone body of the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig.10 This is a first schematic diagram of the connection between the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body in the embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig.11 is a second schematic diagram of the connection between the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section of another embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of a first snake bone body of another embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of a second snake bone body according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body in another embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Fig.16 is a schematic diagram of an active bending section of another embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig.17 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body in another embodiment of the present application.

[0044] In the figure: 100, snake bone assembly; 100a, snake bone joint; 100b, cutting gap; 100c, mounting hole; 110, first snake bone body; 111, first opening; 112, first protrusion; 1121, gap; 113, second protrusion; 114, first notch; 115, second notch; 116, gap; 120, second snake bone body; 121, second opening; 122, lug; 123, third notch; 124, traction rope mounting part; 130, rivet; 131, movable gap; 140, traction rope; 150, connector; 151, welding point; 200, insertion part; 210, active bending section; 220, passive bending section; 300, handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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".

[0048] Figure 1 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the active bending section 210 in the related art in a straightened state. Figure 1 As shown, the active bending section 210 includes a plurality of snake bone joints 100a, and two adjacent snake bone joints 100a are riveted together by a rivet 130. There is a cutting gap 100b between two adjacent snake bone joints 100a, such as Figure 2 As shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, both ends of the snake bone section 100a have mounting holes 100c, and the mounting holes 100c are used to install the rivet 130. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The mounting hole 100c is a round hole. After the rivet 130 is installed in the mounting hole 100c, the two adjacent snake bone sections 100a can be fixed in the axial direction and the radial direction. When the two adjacent snake bone sections 100a rotate, the rivet 130 is used as the rotation center to rotate until the ends of the two adjacent snake bone sections 100a abut against each other on the curved side. The rotation angle of the two adjacent snake bone sections 100a is subject to the cutting gap 100b between the two adjacent snake bone sections 100a.

[0049] However, when the active bending section 210 is in a straight state, the cutting gap 100b between two adjacent serpentine joints 100a inevitably makes the active bending section 210 unstable. When the insertion process of the active bending section 210 encounters resistance, the serpentine joints 100a are prone to rotate under the action of external force and bend irregularly, which hinders the insertion process. Figure 4 The schematic diagram shows an irregular bending posture of the active bending section 210. The deformed active bending section 210 will affect the smoothness of the surface of the active bending section 210, thereby affecting the smoothness of the mirror insertion process.

[0050] To this end, the present application provides a snake bone assembly, in which the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body of the snake bone assembly have a first connection state in which they are nested with each other and a second connection state in which they are spaced apart from each other. When the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body are nested with each other, the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body limit each other and prevent them from bending, thereby enhancing the rigidity and stability of the active bending section. During the advancement of the endoscope, the hidden danger of deformation of the active bending section causing the surface smoothness to be affected can be reduced, thereby improving the smoothness of the advancement of the endoscope; when the first snake bone body and the second snake bone body are spaced apart from each other, the bending function of the active bending section can be realized.

[0051] The following is combined with Figures 5 to 17 , the snake bone assembly, active bending segment and endoscope provided by the present application are described in detail through specific embodiments and their application scenarios.

[0052] The first aspect of this embodiment provides a detailed description of the snake bone assembly.

[0053] The snake bone assembly 100 of this embodiment is applied to the active bending section 210 of the endoscope, such as Figure 5 The endoscope includes an insertion portion 200 and a handle 300. Figure 5 The insertion part 200 is used to be inserted into the cavity, and the handle 300 is provided with an operating member for the convenience of the doctor to operate. Figure 5The inserting portion 200 has an active bending section 210 and a passive bending section 220, wherein the active bending section 210 is located at the distal end and the passive bending section 220 is located at the proximal end. Figure 5 As shown. An instrument tube is also provided in the insertion part 200, and the instrument tube is used to insert the instrument. The surface of the insertion part 200 is covered with a skin layer. The distal end surface of the active bending section 210 is provided with a camera module and other structures. The active bending section 210 can be in a straight state or a bent state under the action of the traction rope 140.

[0054] In some embodiments, the snake bone assembly 100 includes a first snake bone body 110 and a second snake bone body 120. Figure 6 As shown. The first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are arranged in the axial direction. Exemplarily, the first serpentine body 110 is located at the distal end, and the second serpentine body 120 is located at the proximal end. The proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 and the distal end of the second serpentine body 120 are connected, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 shown.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first serpentine body 110 is provided with a first opening 111, and the second serpentine body 120 is provided with a second opening 121. Figure 7~Figure 9 The first serpentine body 110 has a first opening 111 at its distal end and a second opening 121 at its proximal end. Figure 7~Figure 9 The first opening 111 and the second opening 121 at least partially overlap, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be riveted to each other by the rivet 130 installed in the first opening 111 and the second opening 121, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 and Fig.11 shown.

[0056] Exemplarily, the distal end and the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 are respectively provided with two first openings 111, and the distal end and the proximal end of the second serpentine body 120 are respectively provided with two second openings 121. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be riveted together by two rivets 130 to improve the stability of the riveting of the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120.

[0057] In some embodiments, at least one of the first opening 111 and the second opening 121 is a bar-shaped hole, such as Figure 7~Figure 9 Preferably, the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the axial direction of the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120 is larger than the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the radial direction of the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120. Figure 7~Figure 9That is, the strip-shaped holes are distributed along the axial direction of the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can move relative to each other in the axial direction.

[0058] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the first serpentine body 110 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of the second serpentine body 120, and the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 have a first connection state in which they are nested with each other or a second connection state in which they are spaced from each other. Exemplarily, the outer diameter of the first serpentine body 110 is equal to the inner diameter of the second serpentine body 120. Fig.10 and Fig.11 The schematic diagram shows that the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 are in a second connection state where they are spaced apart from each other. Fig.17 A schematic diagram showing the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 being in a first connection state nested with each other.

[0059] The nesting of the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120 means sliding in a direction close to each other, and at least a portion of the first serpentine body 110 slides into the second serpentine body 120. Fig.17 As shown, it can be known that at least a portion of the first serpentine body 110 slides into the second serpentine body 120, excluding the portion of the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 that is pre-overlapped due to riveting.

[0060] Correspondingly, being spaced apart from each other means that the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120 slide in a direction away from each other, and the first serpentine body 110 located in the second serpentine body 120 slides out of the second serpentine body 120, such as Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown. It can be seen that the first serpentine body 110 located in the second serpentine body 120 does not include the portion where the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 overlap in advance due to riveting. The first serpentine body 110 located in the second serpentine body 120 may refer to the portion where the first serpentine body 110 slides into the second serpentine body 120 when the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are close to each other.

[0061] Various arrangements of the first openings 111 and the second openings 121 are provided below.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first openings 111 at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body 110 are both round holes, and the second openings 121 at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body 120 are both bar holes. Fig.13 and Fig.14The rivet 130 is located in the second opening 121, and the second opening 121 also leaves a movable gap 131, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 and Fig.15 As shown. Exemplarily, the first opening 111 at the proximal end is located at the distal end of the second opening 121 at the distal end, and the first opening 111 at the distal end is located at the proximal end of the second opening 121 at the proximal end on the other second serpentine body 120. When the first serpentine body 110 at the distal end is subjected to a pulling force toward the proximal end (for example, it can be a pulling force applied by two traction ropes 140 at the same time), the movable gap 131 can provide a clearance space for the rivet 130, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be gradually moved toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be nested with each other.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first openings 111 at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body 110 are both strip-shaped holes, and the second openings 121 at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body 120 are both round holes. The rivet 130 is located in the first opening 111, and the first opening 111 also leaves a movable gap 131. When the first serpentine body 110 at the distal end is subjected to a pulling force toward the proximal end (for example, it can be a pulling force applied by two traction ropes 140 at the same time), the movable gap 131 can provide a clearance space for the rivet 130, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be gradually moved toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so as to achieve the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 being nested with each other.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is a round hole, and the first opening 111 at the distal end is a strip hole, and the second opening 121 at the proximal end of the second serpentine body 120 is a round hole, and the second opening 121 at the distal end is a strip hole, such as Figure 7~Figure 9 When the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are connected to each other, the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is riveted to the second opening 121 at the distal end of the second serpentine body 120, and the first opening 111 at the distal end of the first serpentine body 110 is riveted to the second opening 121 at the proximal end of the other second serpentine body 120. The rivet 130 and the distal second opening 121 have a movable gap 131, and the rivet 130 also has a movable gap 131 with the distal first opening 111, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 and Fig.10 shown.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is a strip hole, and the first opening 111 at the distal end is a round hole, and the second opening 121 at the proximal end of the second serpentine body 120 is a strip hole, and the second opening 121 at the distal end is a round hole. When the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are connected to each other, the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is riveted to the second opening 121 at the distal end of the second serpentine body 120, and the first opening 111 at the distal end of the first serpentine body 110 is riveted to the second opening 121 at the proximal end of another second serpentine body 120. The rivet 130 has a movable gap 131 with the distal second opening 121, and the rivet 130 also has a movable gap 131 with the distal first opening 111.

[0066] In the above two methods, when the first serpentine body 110 located at the distal end is subjected to a pulling force toward the proximal end (for example, it can be a pulling force applied by two traction ropes 140 at the same time), the movable gap 131 can provide a clearance space for the rivet 130, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can gradually move toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so as to achieve the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 being nested with each other.

[0067] The arrangement of the first opening 111 and the second opening 121 in this embodiment allows both ends of the first serpentine body 110 to be nested in two adjacent second serpentine bodies 120 to ensure the rigidity and stability of the active bending section 210 in this state.

[0068] Without limitation thereto, the first opening 111 and the second opening 121 may also have other arrangements. For example, the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is a round hole, the first opening 111 at the distal end is a strip hole, and the second opening 121 at the proximal end of the second serpentine body 120 is a round hole, and the second opening 121 at the distal end is a round hole; or the first opening 111 at the proximal end of the first serpentine body 110 is a round hole, the first opening 111 at the distal end is a round hole, and the second opening 121 at the proximal end of the second serpentine body 120 is a round hole, and the second opening 121 at the distal end is a strip hole.

[0069] In the above scheme, at least one of the first opening 111 and the second opening 121 of the snake bone component 100 is a strip hole, which can provide a movable space for the rivet 130. When a force is applied to the first snake bone body 110 at the distal end, the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 can be gradually moved toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so that the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 can be nested with each other. Conversely, when the force applied to the first snake bone body 110 at the distal end is released, the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 can be moved in the opposite direction, so that the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 can be spaced from each other. That is, in the snake bone component 100 of this embodiment, the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 can be switched between the first connection state and the second connection state.

[0070] Specifically, when the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are in a first connection state nested with each other, when the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 want to bend, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 limit each other and prevent them from bending, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the active bending segment 210 and the stability of the active bending segment 210. When the active bending segment 210 is subjected to resistance during the advancement of the endoscope, the serpentine body is not prone to irregular bending, which is beneficial to reduce the hidden danger of the active bending segment 210 being deformed and affecting the surface smoothness, thereby improving the smoothness of the endoscope advancement process and solving the technical problem of the endoscope being hindered during the advancement process in the related technology.

[0071] Specifically, when the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 have a second connection state in which they are spaced apart from each other, that is, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are not nested with each other, the limit between the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 is released, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can bend under the action of the traction rope 140 to realize the bending function of the active bending section 210.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are in a second connection state in a natural state, such as Figure 6 , Figure 10~Figure 12 , Fig.15 As shown. The distal end of the traction rope 140 is fixedly connected to the first serpentine body 110 located at the distal end. By pulling the traction rope 140, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be gradually moved toward the proximal end from the distal end to the proximal end, so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are nested with each other. That is, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are switched from the second connection state to the first connection state.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be switched from the first connection state to the second connection state through the skin outside the active bending section 210. Specifically, when a pulling force is applied to the traction rope 140 to gradually move the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 toward the proximal end, the skin outside the active bending section 210 is also pulled and moves toward the proximal end. Since the skin has a certain elasticity, when the pulling force is released, the restoring elastic force generated by the skin can drive the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 to reset.

[0074] In some embodiments, the snake bone assembly 100 further includes a connecting member 150, such as Figure 6 and Fig.12 As shown. The connecting member 150 is fixedly connected to the first serpentine body 110, or the connecting member 150 is fixedly connected to the second serpentine body 120. Exemplarily, connecting members 150 are provided on both sides of the serpentine assembly 100. The connecting member 150 may be an elastic member or a connecting rope. The cross-section of the connecting rope may be circular or flat. The elastic member or steel wire rope on one side of the serpentine assembly 100 may be a whole or a segmented structure. Exemplarily, the connecting member 150 and the first serpentine body 110 or the second serpentine body 120 may be welded. Figure 6 and Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the welding point 151 is shown in FIG.

[0075] In the solution of this embodiment, the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 can be switched from the first connection state to the second connection state through the connecting member 150. Specifically, taking the fixed connection between the connecting member 150 and the first serpentine body 110 as an example, when a pulling force is applied to the traction rope 140 so that the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 gradually move toward the proximal end, the distance between the two adjacent first serpentine bodies 110 is reduced, and the connecting member 150 is squeezed (when the connecting member 150 is an elastic member) or redundant (when the connecting member 150 is a connecting rope). When the pulling force applied to the traction rope 140 is released, the connecting member 150 has a tendency to re-stretch, thereby driving the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 to reset.

[0076] In the solution of this embodiment, the connecting member 150 can not only provide a reset force for the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120, but also improve the stability of the connection between adjacent serpentine bodies. Specifically, due to the presence of the strip-shaped hole, the adjacent serpentine bodies have a tendency to move axially, and the two adjacent first serpentine bodies 110 are fixedly connected to the connecting member 150, so that the distance between the two adjacent welding points 151 is fixed, that is, the distance between the two adjacent first serpentine bodies 110 remains fixed. Only when the external force applied to the first serpentine body 110 is sufficient to overcome the force provided by the connecting member 150, will the first serpentine body 110 slide. Therefore, the connecting member 150 can improve the stability of the connection between the adjacent serpentine bodies.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first serpentine body 110 is provided with a first protruding portion 112 and a second protruding portion 113 at both the proximal and distal ends thereof, a first notch 114 is formed between the first protruding portion 112 and the second protruding portion 113, and the first opening 111 is located on the wall surface of the first notch 114. Figure 7 , Figure 8 or Fig.13 The second snake bone body 120 is provided with lugs 122 at both the proximal and distal ends, and the second opening 121 is located on the wall surface at the lugs 122. Fig. 9 or Fig.14 As shown. Exemplarily, the second openings 121 at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body 120 are both long strips, and the long strip openings are arranged on the lugs 122 to ensure the axial length of the long strip openings, so that the rivet 130 has a sufficient movable gap 131 .

[0078] In some embodiments, when the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are in the first connection state, at least a portion of the first protrusion 112 and / or at least a portion of the second protrusion 113 is embedded in the second serpentine body 120. Fig.17 When the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are in the second connection state, in the axial direction of the serpentine assembly 100, there is a gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and the second protrusion 113 and the second serpentine body 120, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 , Fig.11 or Fig.15 That is, when the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 are in the second connection state, the first protruding portion 112 and the second protruding portion 113 are not nested in the second snake bone body 120 .

[0079] There is a gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and the second protrusion 113 and the second serpentine body 120, especially between the end and / or side of the first protrusion 112 and the second protrusion 113 and the end surface of the second serpentine body 120. Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.15 shown.

[0080] In order to realize the bending of the active bending section 210, there is a cutting gap 100b between two adjacent serpentine bodies. In the scheme of this embodiment, the first serpentine body 110 is provided with a first protruding portion 112 and a second protruding portion 113. When the first serpentine body 110 is subjected to tension, the movement stroke of the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 when being nested can be reduced, that is, the first protruding portion 112 and the second protruding portion 113 are easy to be nested in the second serpentine body 120. On the other hand, a first notch 114 is formed between the first protruding portion 112 and the second protruding portion 113. When the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120 are in the second connection state, the existence of the first notch 114 can weaken the restraining effect between the first serpentine body 110 and the second serpentine body 120, which is conducive to realizing the bending of the active bending section 210.

[0081] In some embodiments, in the axial direction of the snake bone component 100, the gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and / or the second protrusion 113 and the second snake bone body 120 satisfies: 0≤L0≤1 / 2L. L0 is the gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and / or the second protrusion 113 and the second snake bone body 120; L is the axial length of the second snake bone body 120 located at the first protrusion 112 and / or the second protrusion 113. Preferably, in the axial direction of the snake bone component 100, the gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and / or the second protrusion 113 and the second snake bone body 120 satisfies: 0≤L0≤1 / 5L. The gap 1121 between the first protrusion 112 and / or the second protrusion 113 and the second snake bone body 120 is small, which can not only reduce the movement stroke of the first snake bone body 110 and the second snake bone body 120 when nested, but also enhance the stability of the snake bone assembly 100 in the second connection state.

[0082] In some embodiments, a second notch 115 is formed between two adjacent first protrusions 112 and between two adjacent second protrusions 113 on the first serpentine body 110. Figure 8 or Fig.13 On the second snake bone body 120, a third notch 123 is formed between two adjacent lugs 122, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 or Fig.14 The second notch 115 and the third notch 123 are formed into a curved space, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 , Fig.11 or Fig.15In the solution of this embodiment, the bending space is formed by the second notch 115 and the third notch 123, which can provide an escape space for the bending of two adjacent serpentine bodies; on the other hand, the existence of the bending space can also prevent the end surface of the first serpentine body 110 from abutting against the instrument tube or wire harness in the active bending section 210 when the first serpentine body 110 is bent.

[0083] In some embodiments, a notch 116 is provided at the second notch 115, such as Figure 8 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.13 , Fig.15 and Fig.17 The notch 116 is located in the axial extension direction of the traction rope mounting portion 124 on the first serpentine body 110 and / or the second serpentine body 120. Fig.10 , Fig.11 , Fig.15 and Fig.17 The width of the notch 116 is greater than the outer diameter of the traction rope 140. In the solution of this embodiment, by setting the notch 116, when the first serpentine body 110 is bent, the notch 116 can provide a space for the traction rope 140 to avoid the end surface of the first serpentine body 110 cutting the traction rope 140.

[0084] The second aspect of this embodiment provides a detailed description of the active bending section.

[0085] The active bending section 210 of this embodiment includes a plurality of snake bone components 100, such as Figure 6 , Fig.12 and Fig.16 The snake bone assembly 100 is a snake bone assembly of any technical solution in this embodiment. The head and tail of two adjacent snake bone assemblies 100 are connected to each other.

[0086] The active bending segment 210 of this embodiment has a snake bone component 100 of any one of the technical solutions in this embodiment. Compared with the traditional active bending segment 210, the active bending segment 210 of this embodiment has improved rigidity and stability during the insertion of the scope, and has the advantage of being less likely to deform, thereby improving the smoothness of the insertion of the scope.

[0087] The third aspect of this embodiment describes the endoscope in detail.

[0088] The endoscope of this embodiment includes an insertion portion 200 and a handle 300, and the insertion portion 200 and the handle 300 are connected. Figure 5 In some embodiments, the insertion portion 200 includes an active bending segment 210 and a passive bending segment 220, the active bending segment 210 is the active bending segment 210 of any technical solution in this embodiment, and the proximal end of the active bending segment 210 is connected to the distal end of the passive bending segment 220, such as Figure 5 The passive bending section 220 and the handle 300 may be structures of the prior art, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0089] The endoscope 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 endoscope system.

[0090] The endoscope of this embodiment has an active bending section 210 of any one of the technical solutions in this embodiment, so as to improve the smoothness of the endoscope during insertion; compared with the method of using a hard endoscope and a guide wire to assist in insertion, it can also reduce the use of auxiliary instruments, simplify the endoscope insertion steps, and shorten the operation time.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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 component, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first snake bone body (110) and a second snake bone body (120), wherein the distal end and the proximal end of the first snake bone body (110) are both provided with a first opening (111), and the distal end and the proximal end of the second snake bone body (120) are both provided with a second opening (121), and the first opening (111) and the second opening (121) are used for installing a rivet (130). At least one of the first opening (111) and the second opening (121) is a strip-shaped hole, the diameter of the strip-shaped hole along the axial direction of the first serpentine body (110) and / or the second serpentine body (120) is larger than the diameter along the radial direction of the first serpentine body (110) and / or the second serpentine body (120), and The outer diameter of the first serpentine body (110) is smaller than or equal to the inner diameter of the second serpentine body (120), and the first serpentine body (110) and the second serpentine body (120) are in a first connection state of being nested with each other or in a second connection state of being spaced from each other.

2. The snake bone assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first protruding portion (112) and a second protruding portion (113) are provided at the proximal end and the distal end of the first snake bone body (110); a first notch (114) is formed between the first protruding portion (112) and the second protruding portion (113); and the first opening (111) is located on the wall surface of the first notch (114); Lugs (122) are provided on the proximal end and the distal end of the second snake bone body (120), and the second opening (121) is located on the wall surface at the lugs (122).

3. The snake bone assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the first snake bone body (110) and the second snake bone body (120) are in a first connection state, at least a portion of the first protruding portion (112) and / or at least a portion of the second protruding portion (113) is nested in the second snake bone body (120); When the first serpentine body (110) and the second serpentine body (120) are in a second connection state, in the axial direction of the serpentine assembly, a gap (1121) is provided between the first protruding portion (112) and the second protruding portion (113) and the second serpentine body (120).

4. The snake bone assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the axial direction of the snake bone component, the gap (1121) between the first protrusion (112) and / or the second protrusion (113) and the second snake bone body (120) satisfies: 0≤L0≤1 / 2L, wherein, L0 is a gap between the first protrusion (112) and / or the second protrusion (113) and the second serpentine body (120); and L is an axial length of the second serpentine body (120) located at the first protrusion (112) and / or the second protrusion (113).

5. The snake bone assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: On the first snake bone body (110), a second notch (115) is formed between two adjacent first protrusions (112) and between two adjacent second protrusions (113). On the second snake bone body (120), a third notch (123) is formed between two adjacent lugs (122), and the second notch (115) and the third notch (123) form a curved space.

6. The snake bone assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: A notch (116) is provided at the second notch (115), the notch (116) is located in the axial extension direction of the traction rope mounting portion (124) on the first serpentine body (110) and / or the second serpentine body (120), and the width of the notch (116) is greater than the outer diameter of the traction rope (140).

7. The snake bone assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first openings (111) located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body (110) are both circular holes, and the second openings (121) located at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body (120) are both bar-shaped holes; or The first openings (111) located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body (110) are both bar-shaped holes, and the second openings (121) located at the proximal and distal ends of the second serpentine body (120) are both round holes; or The first openings (111) located at the proximal and distal ends of the first serpentine body (110) are one circular hole and the other strip-shaped hole, and the second openings (121) located on the second serpentine body (120) are one strip-shaped hole that matches the circular hole and one circular hole that matches the strip-shaped hole.

8. The snake bone assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: It also includes a connecting piece (150), wherein the connecting piece (150) is fixedly connected to the first snake bone body (110), or the connecting piece (150) is fixedly connected to the second snake bone body (120).

9. An active bending section, characterized in that: It comprises a plurality of snake bone components (100), wherein the snake bone components (100) are the snake bone components according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the heads and tails of two adjacent snake bone components (100) are connected to each other.

10. An endoscope, characterized in that: It comprises an insertion part (200) and a handle (300), wherein the insertion part (200) and the handle (300) are connected, wherein: The insertion portion (200) comprises an active bending segment (210) and a passive bending segment (220), the active bending segment (210) being the active bending segment according to claim 9, and the proximal end of the active bending segment (210) is connected to the distal end of the passive bending segment (220).

Images