Method for recovering insertion portion, endoscope, and bendable tube

Abstract

The present application discloses a method for recovering an insertion part, an endoscope and a curved tube, and relates to the technical field of medical devices. The insertion part disclosed in the present application is used for an endoscope. The insertion part includes a front end assembly, a curved tube, an inner lining tube and an outer sleeve, wherein: the front end assembly is installed at the distal end of the outer sleeve, the inner lining tube and the curved tube are both passed through the outer sleeve, and along the axial direction of the insertion part, the curved tube is limitedly installed between the front end assembly and the inner lining tube; among the front end assembly and the inner lining tube, at least one is detachably connected to the outer sleeve, so as to allow the curved tube to be withdrawn from the outer sleeve after the front end assembly or the inner lining tube is removed from the outer sleeve. The above scheme can at least be used to solve the problem of high cost of using existing endoscopes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a method for recovering an insertion portion, an endoscope, and a curved tube. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of medical technology, endoscopes have been widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Currently, disposable endoscopes are often used to avoid cross-infection caused by repeated use of endoscopes. However, this single-use format results in high costs for endoscopes.

[0003] To reduce the cost of use, some related technologies achieve this by designing a reusable portion of the endoscope handle. The endoscope handle using this technology includes a disposable portion and a reusable portion. After the endoscope is used, the insert and the disposable portion of the handle can be discarded, while the reusable portion of the handle can be retained for subsequent reuse, thereby reducing the cost of use. However, the aforementioned related technologies still have very limited control over the cost of use of endoscopes, and the problem of excessively high cost of use still exists. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a method for recovering an insertion portion, an endoscope, and a bending tube, which can at least be used to solve the problem of high cost of using existing endoscopes.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an insertion portion for an endoscope.

[0006] The insertion part includes a front end component, a bending tube, an inner lining tube and an outer sleeve, wherein: the front end component is installed at the distal end of the outer sleeve, the inner lining tube and the bending tube are both inserted into the outer sleeve, and along the axial direction of the insertion part, the bending tube is limitedly installed between the front end component and the inner lining tube; among the front end component and the inner lining tube, at least one is detachably connected to the outer sleeve to allow the bending tube to withdraw from the outer sleeve after the front end component or the inner lining tube is removed from the outer sleeve.

[0007] In some embodiments, the curved tube is positioned and assembled in the outer sleeve by snap-fitting with the outer sleeve.

[0008] In some embodiments, the distal end of the curved tube abuts against the front end assembly, and the proximal end of the curved tube abuts against the distal end of the liner tube, so as to be pressed and restricted in the outer sleeve.

[0009] In some embodiments, the curved tube is snap-fitted to the outer sleeve via its distal end.

[0010] In some embodiments, the curved tube is snap-fitted to the outer sleeve via its proximal end.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the bent pipe and the liner pipe abut against each other, at least one of them has a first step portion at the corresponding abutting end, and the bent pipe and the liner pipe are sleeved together through the first step portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the bending tube has a first clamping portion, and the bending tube is clamped and matched with the outer sleeve through the first clamping portion; the front end component includes a slot provided on its proximal side, and the slot is used to plug and install the outer sleeve and the bending tube; wherein, a second clamping portion is provided on the slot wall corresponding to the slot, and when the outer sleeve and the bending tube are inserted into the slot, the first clamping portion at the distal end of the bending tube is clamped and matched with the second clamping portion, and the portion of the outer sleeve corresponding to the first clamping portion or the second clamping portion is pressed and fixed between the slot wall of the slot and the bending tube.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outer sleeve includes a main body section and a thinned section provided at a distal end of the main body section, wherein the radial thickness of the thinned section is smaller than the radial thickness of the main body section, and when the outer sleeve and the curved tube are inserted into the slot, the thinned section is pressed and fixed between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion;

[0014] In some embodiments, in the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, one is a clamping protrusion and the other is a clamping recess; in the bending tube and the front end assembly, the corresponding basic component with the clamping recess is also provided with a guide groove, which extends along the insertion direction of the bending tube and the front end assembly and is connected to the clamping recess.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outer sleeve has a second step portion provided on its distal outer surface, and a thinned section is formed on the outer sleeve corresponding to the second step portion. The outer sleeve is inserted into the slot through the second step portion, and when the second step portion is inserted into the slot, the outer peripheral surface of the main section is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the front end component.

[0016] In some embodiments, the bending tube is a riveted snake bone, and the bending tube includes a plurality of snake bone segments that are rotated and connected in sequence. The outer sleeve has an avoidance groove provided on its inner wall and distributed along its axial direction. The avoidance groove corresponds to the riveted position between the avoidance snake bone segments; on the bending tube, the first clamping portion located at the far end of the bending tube is provided on the distribution path of the riveted position, the first clamping portion is a clamping depression, and the second clamping portion is a clamping protrusion.

[0017] In some embodiments, the front end assembly has a first channel space for installing an instrument tube, and the front end assembly also includes a support tube portion arranged on the proximal side thereof and arranged around the first channel space. The bending tube is connected to the support tube portion through its distal end, and the support tube portion supports the bending tube along its radial direction.

[0018] In some embodiments, the insertion portion includes a traction rope for pulling the bending tube to achieve the bending action, and the distal end of the traction rope is fixedly connected to the distal end or front end component of the bending tube.

[0019] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an endoscope, comprising the insertion portion described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0020] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for recovering a bent tube, which is applied to the insertion portion described in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0021] The recycling method includes:

[0022] Removing the front end assembly or the inner liner from the outer casing to create an opening on the corresponding side of the outer casing;

[0023] The curved tube is withdrawn from the outer sleeve through the opening.

[0024] The technical solution adopted in this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0025] In the insertion portion disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, the front end assembly and / or the inner liner tube are capable of being removed from the outer sleeve by detachably connecting at least one of the front end assembly and the inner liner tube to the outer sleeve.

[0026] Compared with the technical route in the related art in which the front-end component and the liner tube are fixed to the bent tube by gluing, welding, integral injection molding, etc., the insertion part disclosed in the embodiment of the present application is based on the detachable capability of the front-end component and / or the liner tube. This can not only simplify the assembly process of the insertion part itself, but also greatly reduce the difficulty of disassembling the front-end component and / or the liner tube. In this way, the liner tube can be easily taken out and recycled and reused, thereby achieving effective control of costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute improper limitations on the present application.

[0028] In the attached figure:

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the insertion portion disclosed in some embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 This is an exploded schematic diagram of the insertion portion disclosed in some embodiments of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of an adapter disclosed in some embodiments of the present application;

[0034] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the insertion part disclosed in some embodiments of this application Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the insertion part disclosed in some embodiments of this application Figure 2 ;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of point C in the middle;

[0037] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the coordination of the front end assembly, outer sleeve and curved tube disclosed in some embodiments of the present application;

[0038] Figure 10 for Figure 7 A partial enlarged view of point D in the middle;

[0039] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the insertion part disclosed in some embodiments of this application Figure 3 ;

[0040] Figure 12 for Figure 11 A partial enlarged view of point E in the middle;

[0041] Figure 13 This is a flow chart of a method for recovering bent pipes disclosed in some embodiments of the present application.

[0042] Description of reference numerals:

[0043] 100-front end assembly, 110-camera module, 111-mounting seat, 111a-first channel space, 112-camera, 113-light source, 114-circuit board, 120-adapter, 120a-second channel space, 122a-peripheral side wall, 122a1-second clamping part, 122b-support tube part, 122b1-wire hole, 122c-slot, 200-insertion tube, 210-bending tube, 210a-snake bone joint, 210b-riveted part, 211-first clamping part, 212-guide groove, 220-lining tube, 221-first step part, 230-outer sleeve, 230a-avoidance groove, 231-main body section, 232-thinning section, 300-instrument tube, 400-first skin, 500-wiring harness, 600-traction rope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of this application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] In each embodiment of the present application, "proximal end" and "distal end" refer to the position of the endoscope and its accessories 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".

[0046] In order to facilitate understanding of the recovery method of the insertion portion, endoscope and curved tube provided in the embodiments of the present application, the relevant technologies are first introduced in conjunction with the application scenarios.

[0047] In response to the problem of high cost of using existing endoscope technology, after research, the inventors found that the main cost pressure is caused by the discarding of the curved tube in the insertion part. Specifically, during the use of the endoscope, the insertion part needs to be used to achieve active bending in the human body cavity to advance or withdraw the endoscope, and the active bending operation of the insertion part is achieved by relying on the curved tube inside it. There are many types of curved tubes, among which riveted snake bones are the most representative. Riveted snake bones have excellent bending stability, but due to the high processing cost, they are difficult to use in disposable endoscopes; in addition, even if other types of curved tubes are used, such as spiral one-piece cutting tubes and pivoting one-piece cutting tubes, there are still high processing costs. This is why endoscopes that use the handle side part reuse method have limited effect on cost control.

[0048] In the related art, the camera module and the instrument tube at the distal end of the insertion part are fixed to the distal end of the curved tube by gluing, integral injection molding, welding, etc., and the proximal end of the curved tube is also usually fixedly connected to the inner lining tube (such as a metal spiral tube) at the rear section of the insertion part by gluing, welding, etc. Therefore, if the curved tube is to be recovered, it is necessary to release the connection between the distal end of the curved tube and the camera module and the instrument tube, and to release the connection between the proximal end of the curved tube and the inner lining tube. As an endoscope is a relatively sophisticated instrument, the operation of recovering the curved tube from the insertion part is complicated and can only be recovered manually. However, this not only results in high manpower expenditure, but also the accuracy of manual recovery operations is difficult to control. The degumming and desoldering processes can easily cause the curved tube to be damaged by stress. For this reason, the industry currently does not usually recycle curved tubes, which cannot further effectively reduce the cost of using endoscopes.

[0049] In view of this, some embodiments of the present application provide an insertion portion for an endoscope.

[0050] See Figures 1 to 12 The insertion part disclosed in the embodiment of the present application includes a front end component 100, a bending tube 210, an inner lining tube 220 and an outer sleeve 230, wherein: the front end component 100 is installed at the distal end of the outer sleeve 230, the inner lining tube 220 and the bending tube 210 are both inserted into the outer sleeve 230, and along the axial direction of the insertion part, the bending tube 210 is limitedly installed between the front end component 100 and the inner lining tube 220; among the front end component 100 and the inner lining tube 220, at least one is detachably connected to the outer sleeve 230, so as to allow the bending tube 210 to withdraw from the outer sleeve 230 after the front end component 100 or the inner lining tube 220 is removed from the outer sleeve 230.

[0051] Regarding the front-end assembly 100, it is located at the distal end of the insertion portion and includes a camera module 110 for providing a shooting function. In some embodiments, the camera module 110 includes a mounting base 111, a camera 112, a light source 113, and a circuit board 114. The camera 112, the light source 113, and the circuit board 114 are all mounted on the mounting base 111, and the camera 112 and the light source 113 are both connected to the circuit board 114. Among them, the mounting base 111 is the basic structure of the camera module 110, which provides a mounting base for the camera 112, the light source 113, and the circuit board 114. Of course, it can also play a protective role for these structures. For example, the camera 112 can be arranged on one side of the distal end surface of the mounting base 111 to shoot the target area (such as a lesion) in the human body during the insertion process. The light source 113 can be arranged on one side of the distal end surface of the mounting base 111 to provide lighting for the area facing the camera module 110. The circuit board 114 can provide power to the camera 112 and the light source 113 and is also used to implement signal interaction.

[0052] In some embodiments, the front-end assembly 100 may further include an adapter 120, through which the camera module 110 can be connected to the instrument tube 300 and / or the insertion tube 200. The adapter 120 may define a second passage space 120a for passing the instrument tube 300. To facilitate the passage of the wiring harness 500, the adapter 120 may define a wire hole 122b1 for the wiring harness 500 to pass through.

[0053] The insertion tube 200 of the insertion section includes a bending tube 210, an inner liner 220, and an outer sleeve 230, extending from the handle side of the endoscope to the distal end of the insertion section. The bending tube 210 and the inner liner 220 constitute the inner tube structure of the insertion tube 200, which has an axial channel for arranging the instrument tube 300 and routing cables. The insertion tube 200 has the ability to actively bend, which is primarily achieved by the bending tube 210. The bending tube 210 can be in the form of a riveted snake-bone or an integrally cut bending tube 210. The bending tube 210 can be pulled by a traction rope 600 to achieve the active bending movement.

[0054] In the related art, the insertion portion of an endoscope often includes an integral insertion tube, such as a curved tube and an outer covering, or a curved tube, an intermediate woven mesh layer, and an outer covering. These layered structures are all wrapped together by the covering, making them difficult to separate. Therefore, in order to peel off the curved tube in the related art, the external structure must usually be removed, which can easily damage the curved tube and make peeling more difficult. In contrast, in the insertion tube 200 disclosed in the embodiment of the present application, the curved tube 210 is separated and independent from its outer sleeve 230. The curved tube 210 can move inside the outer sleeve 230, providing conditions for removing the curved tube 210 for recycling.

[0055] Regarding the liner tube 220, it can be an liner tube 220, which can serve as a passive bending structure on the rear side of the bending tube 210, but the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific type of the liner tube 220. It can be a pipe with greater hardness to provide better support performance.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the bending tube 210 is positionally mounted between the front end assembly 100 and the inner liner 220. That is, after the front end assembly 100 and the inner liner 220 are mounted in place relative to the outer sleeve 230, they can both axially retain the bending tube 210, preventing the bending tube 210 from being removed from the outer sleeve 230. It should be understood that the axial retaining effect of the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 on the bending tube 210 does not necessarily mean that the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 must abut against the bending tube 210 to provide the axial retaining effect, but rather means that the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 have the ability to axially retain the bending tube 210, specifically, the ability of the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 to connect to the outer sleeve 230 to block the port of the outer sleeve 230 and prevent the bending tube 210 from being removed from the outer sleeve 230.

[0057] At the same time, at least one of the front end assembly 100 and the inner liner tube 220 is detachably connected to the outer tube 230. This detachable connection is a fixed connection. Therefore, when the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 are connected to the outer tube 230, they can be fixedly installed with each other to ensure that the bending tube 210 is constrained between the two. In addition, it should be noted that the fixed connection method can ensure that the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 will not be separated from the outer tube 230 when the insertion portion is subjected to force (such as advancing, retracting, bending, etc.). Of course, it is precisely because the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 are detachably connected to the outer tube 230 that the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 have the ability to be removed from the outer tube 230. Whether it is the front-end component 100 or the inner liner tube 220, when it is removed from the outer sleeve 230, an opening for the bent tube 210 to exit is formed on the corresponding side of the outer sleeve 230. The opening refers to the corresponding port after the front-end component 100 or the inner liner tube 220 is removed from the outer sleeve 230. In this way, the bent tube 210 can be taken out from the opening for recycling and reuse.

[0058] Among them, only one of the front-end assembly 100 and the inner liner tube 220 can be detachably connected to the outer sleeve 230. For example, the front-end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 are detachably connected, and the inner liner tube 220 and the outer sleeve 230 can be in a non-detachable assembly relationship. Specifically, the outer sleeve 230 corresponding to the inner liner tube 220 can be injection-molded onto the outer periphery of the inner liner tube 220, or the inner liner tube 220 and the outer sleeve 230 can be fixed by gluing. The inner liner tube 220 can also be detachably connected to the outer sleeve 230, while the front-end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 can be in a non-detachable assembly relationship. Specifically, the fixed connection between the front-end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 can be achieved by gluing, welding, integral injection molding, etc.

[0059] Of course, the front end assembly 100 and the inner liner tube 220 can also be detachably connected to the outer sleeve 230.

[0060] Compared with the related art, the insertion part of the embodiment of the present application is different from the technical route of fixing the front end component 100 and the inner liner tube 220 to the outer sleeve 230 through gluing, welding, integral injection molding, etc. by detachably connecting the front end component 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 to the outer sleeve 230. This can not only simplify the assembly process of the insertion part itself (no need for welding, bonding, etc.), but also greatly reduce the difficulty of disassembling the front end component 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220. In this way, the inner liner tube 220 can be easily taken out and recycled and reused, thereby achieving effective control of costs.

[0061] It is worth noting that the embodiments of the present application do not limit the application scenarios of the above-mentioned insertion part, which can be used in disposable endoscopes as well as reusable endoscopes.

[0062] In the embodiment of the present application, the specific manner in which the bending tube 210 is positioned and installed in the outer sleeve 230 is not limited.

[0063] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 9 As shown, the bending tube 210 is positioned and assembled within the outer sleeve 230 by snapping together with the outer sleeve 230. It should be understood that during the active bending of the insertion portion, the traction rope 600 will pull the bending tube 210, and the bending tube 210 will press against the outer sleeve 230 during the bending action, so there is a risk of relative displacement between the two. If this happens, it will be difficult to achieve the preset bending angle, and the outer sleeve 230 may even be damaged and unable to bend.

[0064] In this example, the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 are directly positioned and assembled through a snap-fit ​​connection. This prevents the bending tube 210 from shifting relative to the outer sleeve 230 during bending, thereby ensuring that the insertion portion can reliably perform the bending operation. Furthermore, the relative positioning of the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 prevents the bending tube 210 from moving within the outer sleeve 230 and pressing against the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220, thereby preventing the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 from being pushed against by the bending tube 210 and separating from the outer sleeve 230 during surgery.

[0065] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific snap-fitting relationship between the curved tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 , such as a snap-fitting combination of a protrusion and a recess.

[0066] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 6 As shown, the distal end of the curved tube 210 abuts the front end assembly 100, and the proximal end of the curved tube 210 abuts the distal end of the liner tube 220, thereby being pressed and retained within the outer sleeve 230. It will be appreciated that, in this arrangement, the ends of the curved tube 210 are pressed by the front end assembly 100 and the liner tube 220, respectively, thereby retaining the curved tube 210 within the outer sleeve 230. This structural arrangement eliminates the need for a positioning structure within the outer sleeve 230 to mate with the liner tube 220, further simplifying the internal structure of the insert. Furthermore, during actual assembly, once the front end assembly 100 (or liner tube 220) is connected to the outer sleeve 230, their press fit with the curved tube 210 is achieved. This is equivalent to simultaneously assembling the front end assembly 100 (or liner tube 220) with the outer sleeve 230 and the curved tube 210 in a single action, thereby simplifying the assembly process.

[0067] Of course, it is worth noting that in this example, it is necessary to preset the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 and the outer sleeve 230 to have relatively high connection reliability to avoid separation due to the relative pressure of the bent tube 210.

[0068] In the embodiment where the bent tube 210 is both snap-fitted with the outer sleeve 230 and pressed between the front end assembly 100 and the liner tube 220 , the reliability of the bent tube 210 being restricted within the outer sleeve 230 is greatly improved.

[0069] In an embodiment where the bending tube 210 abuts against the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220, the bending tube 210 can be sleeved with the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 at the abutment point through a step structure, thereby achieving radial clamping. In this way, when the insertion portion is bent, the bending tube 210 can be prevented from being detached from the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220, thereby ensuring connection reliability.

[0070] In a specific embodiment, when the curved tube 210 and the inner liner tube 220 abut against each other, at least one of them is provided with a first step 221 at the corresponding abutting end, and the curved tube 210 and the inner liner tube 220 are sleeved together via the first step 221. Since the curved tube 210 and the inner liner tube 220 are typically tubular structures with similar radial dimensions, the sleeved connection between the two is prioritized via the step structure. It will be appreciated that the sleeved connection between the curved tube 210 and the inner liner tube 220 via the first step 221 provides radial restraint, thereby preventing separation when the insert portion is bent.

[0071] When the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 are engaged to achieve positioning, if there are many engaging points between the two, it will make it more difficult to recover the bending tube 210; of course, if there are fewer engaging points between the two, it will be less difficult to recover the bending tube 210, but the risk of relative displacement between the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 when the insertion part is bent becomes higher, which requires considering strengthening the reliability of the engaging points, or limiting it by pressing the bending tube 210 with the front end component 100 and the inner liner tube 220.

[0072] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 9 As shown, the bend tube 210 is engaged with the outer sleeve 230 at its distal end. It should be understood that whether the traction rope 600 of the endoscope is fixedly mounted on the front end assembly 100 or fixedly mounted on the distal end of the bend tube 210, the bending moment on the distal end of the bend tube 210 will be the largest when the force analysis is performed on the bend tube 210. Therefore, the portion of the bend tube 210 closer to its distal end is more likely to be misaligned with the outer sleeve 230. For example, the portion of the bend tube 210 closer to its distal end is arched, resulting in a state where the bend tube 210 is already bent and the insertion portion is not bent. It can be seen that the above situation not only causes the bending accuracy of the insertion portion to deteriorate and become uncontrollable, but also makes it easy to be damaged due to scratches between the bend tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230.

[0073] In this example, by clamping the distal end of the bending tube 210 with the outer sleeve 230 to form a constraint between the distal end of the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230, during the bending process of the insertion part, the outer sleeve 230 will bend together with the distal end of the bending tube 210, thereby preventing relative displacement between the two, ensuring that the insertion part maintains good bending controllability and bending accuracy, and avoiding damage between the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 due to relative displacement.

[0074] In some embodiments, the curved tube 210 is snap-fitted with the outer sleeve 230 through its proximal end, which can further enhance the assembly reliability of the curved tube 210 in the outer sleeve 230 .

[0075] In embodiments where the curved tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 are clipped together, the clipping method can be various. In one specific embodiment, the curved tube 210 is a riveted snake-like structure. Positioning grooves can be defined on the inner wall of the outer sleeve 230. The curved tube 210 clips into the positioning grooves via rivets between the snake-like segments 210a. In this embodiment, no additional clipping structure is required on the curved tube 210, simplifying the structural layout of the curved tube 210 and saving costs.

[0076] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 9 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the bending tube 210 has a first clamping portion 211, and the bending tube 210 is clamped and matched with the outer sleeve 230 through the first clamping portion 211; the front end component 100 includes a slot 122c provided on its proximal side, and the slot 122c is used to plug and install the outer sleeve 230 and the bending tube 210; wherein, a second clamping portion 122a1 is provided on the groove wall corresponding to the slot 122c, and when the outer sleeve 230 and the bending tube 210 are inserted into the slot 122c, the first clamping portion 211 at the distal end of the bending tube 210 is clamped and matched with the second clamping portion 122a1, and the portion of the outer sleeve 230 corresponding to the first clamping portion 211 or the second clamping portion 122a1 is pressed and fixed between the groove wall of the slot 122c and the bending tube 210.

[0077] It is understood that the front end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 have a detachable connection relationship, and as mentioned above, the curved tube 210 can be snap-fitted with the outer sleeve 230 via the distal end. These two mating relationships generally require two sets of corresponding mating structures. In this example, the first snap-fitting portion 211 and the second snap-fitting portion 122a1 are the snap-fitting structures between the front end assembly 100 and the curved tube 210, and the outer sleeve 230 is fixed by being pressed between the first snap-fitting portion 211 and the second snap-fitting portion 122a1, thereby simultaneously achieving the mating between the front end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230, and between the outer sleeve 230 and the curved tube 210. In other words, the assembly of the front end assembly 100, the outer sleeve 230, and the curved tube 210 is achieved through the above-mentioned one set of mating structures, thus eliminating one set of mating structures and achieving structural simplification.

[0078] It is worth mentioning that through the above-mentioned structural layout of this example, during the assembly process, it is only necessary to insert the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 into the slot 122c of the front-end component 100, and dock the first clamping part 211 and the second clamping part 122a1 into place, thereby realizing the assembly of the front-end component 100, the outer sleeve 230 and the bending tube 210, including the detachable connection relationship between the front-end component 100 and the outer sleeve 230, and the clamping relationship between the outer sleeve 230 and the bending tube 210.

[0079] Furthermore, during the process of recovering the curved tube 210, the front end assembly 100 can be removed from the outer sleeve 230 by simply releasing the engagement between the first and second clamping portions 211 and 122a1. Furthermore, since the distal end of the outer sleeve 230 is no longer pressed by the first and second clamping portions 211 and 122a1, the curved tube 210 can move within the outer sleeve 230, thereby enabling the curved tube 210 to be smoothly removed from the outer sleeve 230 for recovery and reuse. This structural layout makes the operation of recovering the curved tube 210 extremely simple and significantly improves the efficiency of recovering the curved tube 210.

[0080] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 9 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the outer sleeve 230 includes a main body section 231 and a thinned section 232 provided at the distal end of the main body section 231. The radial thickness of the thinned section 232 is smaller than the radial thickness of the main body section 231. When the outer sleeve 230 and the curved tube 210 are inserted into the slot 122c, the thinned section 232 is pressed and fixed between the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1. Figure 9 In the embodiment, the first clamping portion 211 is a clamping hole, and the second clamping portion 122a1 is a clamping protrusion. The thinned section 232 is pressed and deformed by the clamping protrusion, and the thinned section 232 is pressed into the clamping hole to achieve fixed assembly.

[0081] It is understood that the outer sleeve 230 of the insertion portion should possess a certain strength and rigidity to provide adequate support. Therefore, the distal end of the outer sleeve 230 may not be easily inserted between the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1. Forced assembly may even result in structural damage. To address this issue, this embodiment thins the distal end of the outer sleeve 230 to form a thinned section 232, while the main section 231 maintains a predetermined radial thickness to achieve sufficient rigidity and strength. The thinned section 232 has a smaller radial thickness, resulting in lower rigidity and greater flexibility, allowing it to be smoothly inserted between the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1. Furthermore, the thinned section 232 can release internal stress through deformation, thereby preventing damage to the abutting areas of the front end assembly 100, the outer sleeve 230, and the curved tube 210.

[0082] In other embodiments, the distal end of outer sleeve 230 may be made of a more flexible material without changing its radial thickness.

[0083] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 9 As shown, in the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1, one is a clamping protrusion and the other is a clamping recess; in the bending tube 210 and the front end assembly 100, the corresponding basic component with the clamping recess is also provided with a guide groove 212 (not shown in the drawings), which extends along the insertion direction of the bending tube 210 and the front end assembly 100 and is connected to the clamping recess. For example, Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the snap-fit ​​protrusion is arranged in the slot 122c of the front end assembly 100, and the snap-fit ​​recess is arranged on the curved tube 210. Specifically, the snap-fit ​​recess is a through hole. Of course, the snap-fit ​​recess can also be a blind hole or a groove.

[0084] It is understandable that the front end assembly 100, outer sleeve 230, and curved tube 210 need to be assembled simultaneously, and are generally in a blind insertion state, so there is a certain degree of difficulty in alignment. In this example, through the above structural layout, during the clamping process of the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1, the clamping protrusion can first be clamped into the guide groove 212, and then smoothly clamped into the clamping recess under the guidance of the guide groove 212, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0085] It is worth noting that the above embodiment can improve assembly efficiency, thereby avoiding possible wear on the bent tube 210 caused by multiple and repeated states, which helps to improve the quality of the recovered bent tube 210.

[0086] In a further embodiment, Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the engaging recess can be provided along the extension path of the guide groove 212. With this arrangement, the front-end assembly 100 only needs to be pushed along the guide groove 212 until the engaging protrusion is pushed and locked into the engaging recess, making the assembly process very convenient. Of course, the width of the guide groove 212 can be set to be smaller than the radial dimension of the engaging recess to improve the engagement reliability between the engaging protrusion and the engaging recess.

[0087] In a further embodiment, the engaging recess can be offset from the extension path of the guide groove 212. With this arrangement, after pushing the front end assembly 100 until the engaging protrusion reaches the end point of the guide groove 212, the front end assembly 100 needs to be rotated so that the engaging protrusion screws into the engaging recess, thereby achieving an axial engaging fit. This embodiment allows the front end assembly 100 to be smoothly withdrawn and the bending tube 210 can be retrieved only after the engaging protrusion disengages from the engaging recess during the recovery process of the bending tube 210. This prevents accidental detachment of the front end assembly 100 to a certain extent.

[0088] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 4 and Figure 9 As shown, the outer sleeve 230 has a second step portion provided on its distal outer surface, and a thinned section 232 is formed at a portion of the outer sleeve 230 corresponding to the second step portion. The outer sleeve 230 is inserted into the slot 122c via the second step portion. When the second step portion is inserted into the slot 122c, the outer circumference of the main section 231 is flush with the outer circumference of the front end assembly 100. It can be understood that with this arrangement, the outer sleeve 230 forms the thinned section 232 by providing the second step portion, and simultaneously sleeves the front end assembly 100 via the thinned portion of the second step portion, thereby making the connection between the front end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 flush. This not only facilitates covering with the skin, but also prevents scratching of the human body cavity.

[0089] In some embodiments, as Figures 2 to 4 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the bending tube 210 is a riveted serpentine structure, comprising a plurality of serpentine segments 210a that are rotatably connected in sequence. The outer sleeve 230 has axially distributed relief grooves 230a disposed on its inner wall. The relief grooves 230a correspond to the rivet joints 210b between the serpentine segments 210a. It is understood that during insertion and removal of the bending tube 210 into or from the outer sleeve 230, the relief grooves 230a guide the rivet joints 210b of the bending tube 210, preventing the bending tube 210 from circumferentially rotating relative to the outer sleeve 230, thereby improving the smoothness of the insertion and exit of the bending tube 210. Furthermore, the relief grooves 230a are effectively a partially thinned portion of the outer sleeve 230, allowing the rivet joints 210b of the bending tube 210 to be accommodated within the relief grooves 230a, thereby reducing the overall radial dimension of the insertion portion.

[0090] Furthermore, if Figures 2 to 9 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, on the curved tube 210, a first engaging portion 211 at the distal end of the curved tube 210 is disposed along the distribution path of the riveted portion 210b. The first engaging portion 211 is a engaging recess, and the second engaging portion 122a1 is a engaging protrusion. It can be understood that the distribution path of the riveted portion 210b on the curved tube 210 corresponds to the extension path of the avoidance groove 230a. With this arrangement, the portion of the outer sleeve 230 corresponding to the avoidance groove 230a is actually thinned in radial thickness, forming a relatively flexible sidewall. This has relatively low rigidity and is therefore easily deformed. Therefore, during the engagement process between the first engaging portion 211 and the second engaging portion 122a1, the engaging protrusion easily presses against the portion of the outer sleeve 230 corresponding to the avoidance groove 230a, causing it to deform. The engaging protrusion first engages with the avoidance groove 230a and then moves along the avoidance groove 230a until it engages with the engaging recess. It can be seen that the structural layout of this example further improves the assembly efficiency.

[0091] In addition, the above-mentioned avoidance groove 230a scheme can be combined with the embodiment in which the aforementioned outer sleeve 230 has a thinned section 232, which can further enhance the flexibility of the portion of the outer sleeve 230 pressed by the first clamping portion 211 and the second clamping portion 122a1, thereby facilitating assembly and reducing the risk of damage to the mating structures.

[0092] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown, the front end assembly 100 has a first channel space 111a for installing the instrument tube 300. The front end assembly 100 also includes a support tube portion 122b arranged on its proximal side and arranged around the first channel space 111a. The bending tube 210 is connected to the support tube portion 122b through its distal end, and the support tube portion 122b supports the bending tube 210 along its radial direction.

[0093] It should be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the bending tube 210 and the outer sleeve 230 are two separate, independent structures. This differs from the technical approach of the related art, in which the insertion tube is a one-piece structure integrated with multiple layers of tubing. Therefore, when the bending tube 210 is bent by traction, its distal end is easily displaced relative to the outer sleeve 230 and pressed against the inner wall of the outer sleeve 230, potentially causing damage or tearing of the outer sleeve 230. To address this issue, this embodiment uses a support tube portion 122b on the proximal side of the front end assembly 100. The support tube portion 122b can be sleeved and support the bending tube 210. In this way, when the insertion portion performs a bending action, the distal end of the bending tube 210 presses against the support tube portion 122b, and the pressing force acts directly on the support tube portion 122b, thereby avoiding pressing against the outer sleeve 230 and preventing damage to the outer sleeve 230. In addition, it is worth mentioning that, precisely because the bending tube 210 and the supporting tube portion 122b are mutually sleeved, there is a certain contact area between the two along the axial direction, thereby preventing the structural damage caused by stress concentration at the contact part.

[0094] In a further embodiment, Figure 5 、 Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the front end assembly 100 further includes an outer peripheral side wall 122a provided on the proximal side thereof. In the radial direction of the front end assembly 100, the outer peripheral side wall 122a is provided on the outside of the supporting tube portion 122b, and a slot 122c is defined therebetween.

[0095] In some embodiments, the insertion portion includes a traction rope 600 for pulling the bending tube 210 to achieve bending action, and the distal end of the traction rope 600 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the bending tube 210 or the front end assembly 100. Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, the distal end of the traction rope 600 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the bending tube 210 .

[0096] It can be understood that if the solution disclosed in this example is adopted in which the traction rope 600 is fixedly connected to the distal end of the bending tube 210, in the process of recovering the bending tube 210, the proximal end of the traction rope 600 can be first peeled off from the rotating wheel in the handle, and then the bending tube 210 can be smoothly withdrawn from the outer sleeve 230 with the traction rope 600. The recovered bending tube 210 is connected with the traction rope 600, so that it can be applied to the mirror type with the length of the traction rope 600 to further save costs; of course, the recovered bending tube 210 can also be stripped of the traction rope 600 again to leave a separate bending tube 210, so that it can be adapted to more scenarios without being restricted by the original traction rope 600.

[0097] If the solution disclosed in this example is adopted in which the traction rope 600 is fixedly connected to the front end component 100, in the process of recovering the bending tube 210, the proximal end of the traction rope 600 can also be peeled off from the wheel in the handle first, and then the connection between the front end component 100 and the outer sleeve 230 can be released. When the front end component 100 is removed, the traction rope 600 can be pulled out of the bending tube 210, and then the bending tube 210 can be withdrawn from the outer sleeve 230. In this way, the separate bending tube 210 is recovered, and the process of peeling the traction rope 600 from the bending tube 210 is reduced.

[0098] In some embodiments, the connection between the front end assembly 100 and the outer sleeve 230 may be covered by the first skin 400 to improve the connection reliability.

[0099] See Figures 1 to 12 Some embodiments of the present application provide an endoscope, which includes the aforementioned insertion part, thereby having the beneficial effects of the aforementioned insertion part, which will not be repeated.

[0100] The endoscopes involved in the embodiments of the present application may be bronchoscopes, pyeloscopes, esophagoscopes, gastroscopes, colonoscopes, otoscopes, nasoscopes, stomatoscopes, laryngoscopes, colposcopes, laparoscopes, arthroscopes, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any specific restrictions on the types of endoscopes.

[0101] See Figures 1 to 13 Some embodiments of the present application provide a method for recovering a curved tube 210, which is applied to the insertion portion mentioned in any of the aforementioned embodiments. The method for recovering the curved tube 210 includes:

[0102] S1301, remove the front end assembly 100 or the inner liner 220 from the outer sleeve 230, and form an opening on the corresponding side of the outer sleeve 230. It should be understood that in the insertion portion mentioned in the embodiment of the present application, the front end assembly 100 and / or the inner liner 220 are detachably connected to the outer sleeve 230, so that no matter whether the front end assembly 100 or the inner liner 220 is removed from the outer sleeve 230, an opening for the curved tube 210 to be withdrawn can be formed on the corresponding side of the outer sleeve 230, so that the curved tube 210 can be taken out from the opening for recycling and reuse.

[0103] S1302, withdraw the curved tube 210 from the outer sleeve 230 through the opening.

[0104] Compared with the related art, since the insertion part disclosed in the embodiment of the present application detachably connects the front end component 100 and / or the inner liner tube 220 with the outer sleeve 230, which is different from the technical route of fixing the front end component 100 and the inner liner tube 220 to the curved tube 210 through gluing, welding, integral injection molding, etc., the above-mentioned recycling method only needs to remove the front end component 100 or the inner liner tube 220 from the outer sleeve 230, and the inner liner tube 220 can be easily taken out for recycling and reuse, thereby achieving effective control of costs and significantly improving its recycling efficiency.

[0105] The above embodiments of this application focus on the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. Considering the simplicity of the text, they will not be repeated here.

[0106] The foregoing is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application should all be included within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An insertion portion for an endoscope, characterized in that: The insert portion includes a front end assembly, a curved tube, an inner liner tube, and an outer sleeve, wherein: The front end assembly is installed at the distal end of the outer sleeve, the inner liner tube and the curved tube are both inserted into the outer sleeve, and along the axial direction of the insertion portion, the curved tube is positionally installed between the front end assembly and the inner liner tube; At least one of the front end assembly and the inner liner is detachably connected to the outer sleeve, so as to allow the bent tube to exit from the outer sleeve after the front end assembly or the inner liner is removed from the outer sleeve; The curved tube is positioned and assembled in the outer sleeve by snap-fitting with the outer sleeve; the curved tube is snap-fitting with the outer sleeve through its distal end; and / or the curved tube is snap-fitting with the outer sleeve through its proximal end.

2. The insertion portion according to claim 1, wherein The distal end of the curved tube abuts against the front end assembly, and the proximal end of the curved tube abuts against the distal end of the liner tube, so as to be pressed and restricted in the outer sleeve.

3. The insertion portion according to claim 2, wherein: When the bent pipe and the liner pipe are in abutment with each other, at least one of them is provided with a first step portion at the corresponding abutment end, and the bent pipe and the liner pipe are sleeved and fitted with each other via the first step portion.

4. The insertion portion according to claim 3, wherein: The curved tube has a first clamping portion, and the curved tube is clamped and matched with the outer sleeve through the first clamping portion; The front end component includes a slot provided on its proximal side, and the slot is used for plugging and installing the outer sleeve and the curved tube; wherein, a second clamping portion is provided on the slot wall corresponding to the slot, and when the outer sleeve and the curved tube are inserted into the slot, the first clamping portion at the distal end of the curved tube is engaged with the second clamping portion, and the portion of the outer sleeve corresponding to the first clamping portion or the second clamping portion is pressed and fixed between the slot wall of the slot and the curved tube.

5. The insertion portion according to claim 4, characterized in that The outer sleeve includes a main body section and a thinned section provided at a distal end of the main body section, wherein the radial thickness of the thinned section is smaller than the radial thickness of the main body section. When the outer sleeve and the curved tube are inserted into the slot, the thinned section is pressed and fixed between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion. And / or, in the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, one is a clamping protrusion and the other is a clamping recess; in the bending tube and the front end assembly, the corresponding basic component having the clamping recess is also provided with a guide groove, which extends along the insertion direction of the bending tube and the front end assembly and is connected to the clamping recess.

6. The insertion portion according to claim 5, wherein: The outer sleeve has a second step portion provided on its distal outer surface, and the thinned section is formed at a portion of the outer sleeve corresponding to the second step portion. The outer sleeve is inserted into the slot through the second step portion, and when the second step portion is inserted into the slot, the outer peripheral surface of the main section is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the front end component.

7. The insertion portion according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that The bending tube is a riveted snake bone, comprising a plurality of snake bone segments connected in sequence and rotating. The outer sleeve has avoidance grooves provided on its inner wall and distributed along its axial direction, the avoidance grooves corresponding to the riveted parts between the snake bone segments; On the bending tube, the first clamping portion located at the distal end of the bending tube is provided on a distribution path of the riveted portion, the first clamping portion is a clamping recess, and the second clamping portion is a clamping protrusion.

8. The insertion portion according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The front end assembly has a first passage space for installing an instrument tube, and the front end assembly also includes a support tube portion provided on a proximal side thereof and arranged around the first passage space, the curved tube being sleeved on the support tube portion through its distal end, and the support tube portion supporting the curved tube in its radial direction; And / or, the insertion portion includes a traction rope for pulling the bending tube to achieve the bending action, and the distal end of the traction rope is fixedly connected to the distal end of the bending tube or the front end assembly.

9. An endoscope, characterized in that: The invention comprises the insertion portion according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method for recovering a bent tube, applied to the insertion portion according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The recovery method comprises: Remove the front end assembly or the inner liner from the outer sleeve to form an opening on the corresponding side of the outer sleeve; The curved tube is withdrawn from the outer sleeve through the opening.

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