Split water vapor button for endoscope
By designing a detachable water and air button on the endoscope, an independent water and air channel is constructed, which solves the problem of cross-infection caused by incomplete disinfection of the endoscope tubing, realizes independent control of the water and air channel and improves safety, while maintaining the smoothness of the original operation method.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 华世浩霖(江苏)医疗科技有限公司
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-09
AI Technical Summary
The existing endoscope water vapor button and valve seat are integrated into a single connected structure, resulting in complex internal tubing and dead spots where disinfection is not thorough. This can easily lead to bacterial residue and cross-infection. Furthermore, existing improvement solutions have failed to effectively solve the cross-infection problem or have increased the difficulty of operation.
Design a split-type endoscope water vapor button. By combining the shell, pressing rod and elastic reset component, an independent water and air channel is constructed. The elastic sealing structure and the sliding of the pressing rod are used to achieve precise and independent opening and closing of the water and air channel, blocking the original outlet and constructing a new flow path.
It completely avoids the bacterial residue in the original endoscope tubing, achieves independent control of water and air channels, improves medical safety and smoothness of operation, avoids cross-infection and cross-contamination problems, and retains the original operating method.
Smart Images
Figure CN122163124A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to a water vapor button, and more particularly to a water vapor button for a split endoscope. Background Technology
[0002] The water / air button, a key operating accessory of endoscopes, controls the water and air supply functions to ensure the endoscope lens is clean and the field of vision is clear. Currently, the water / air button and valve seat of existing endoscopes are integrated into a single, connected structure. Water and air are delivered through fixed internal tubing within the endoscope. However, the complex internal tubing structure of endoscopes has multiple blind spots for disinfection, making it easy for bacteria to remain. This can easily lead to cross-infection when used by different patients, seriously affecting medical safety.
[0003] To address the issue of cross-infection, some existing technologies have made simple sealing optimizations to the water vapor button, reducing leakage by simply adding seals without changing the original water and air channel connection method. This fails to fundamentally avoid the risk of incomplete disinfection of the original pipeline. Other improved solutions attempt to add external pipelines, but these suffer from poor sealing during channel switching and cross-flow of water and air. Furthermore, some solutions alter the operation of the original water vapor button on the endoscope, increasing the operational difficulty for medical staff and making it difficult to adapt to clinical usage habits.
[0004] Based on this, developing an endoscope water vapor button that can effectively block the original water and gas outlets and construct independent new water and gas channels while retaining the original operation mode of the endoscope, and achieve precise independent opening and closing of the water and gas channels with excellent sealing performance, has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Purpose of the invention: The purpose of this invention is to propose a split-type endoscope with a water vapor button, which can effectively block the original water and air outlets of the endoscope and construct independent water and air channels, fundamentally avoiding cross-infection. At the same time, it can achieve precise independent opening and closing of the water and air channels with good sealing performance.
[0006] Technical solution: The present invention includes a housing, a pressing rod, and an elastic reset component; the housing is inserted into and fixed relative to the endoscope water vapor valve seat, and the housing is provided with an elastic sealing structure; the pressing rod is a double-hollow structure that is not interconnected and can slide along the axial direction of the housing; the two ends of the elastic reset component abut against the housing and the pressing rod respectively, and are always in a compressed state; by the sliding of the pressing rod in conjunction with the deformation of the elastic sealing structure, the water and air channels can be independently opened and closed, and the original water and air outlets of the valve seat can be blocked to construct new water and air flow channels.
[0007] When the pressing rod is in the natural reset state, the third side opening of the pressing rod is located behind the second side opening of the middle seal and is wrapped by the elastic inner wall of the middle seal to form a sealing structure, cutting off the communication between the water inlet and water inlet channel of the endoscope water vapor valve seat and the second groove, and the water channel remains sealed.
[0008] When the pressing rod is in its natural reset state, the fourth side opening of the pressing rod is aligned with the first side opening of the central seal. The gas input from the air inlet of the endoscope water vapor valve seat enters the hollow rear section of the pressing rod sequentially through the air inlet channel, side hole, first groove, first side opening, and fourth side opening, and exits from the hollow rear section of the pressing rod. If directional air delivery to the endoscope lens is required, the end opening of the hollow rear section of the pressing rod is blocked. The internal pressure of the hollow rear section of the pressing rod gradually increases. When the pressure exceeds the sealing range of the rear sealing thin-walled cylindrical structure, the gas exerts an outward thrust on the inner wall of the thin-walled cylindrical structure, causing the thin-walled cylindrical structure to elastically deform and expand, thus losing its sealing effect. At this time, the fifth side opening of the pressing rod is connected to the water vapor outlet, and the gas flows sequentially through the fifth side opening and the deformation gap of the rear sealing thin-walled cylindrical structure to the water vapor outlet.
[0009] When the pressing lever is pressed, the third side opening of the pressing lever moves forward with the pressing lever and aligns with the second side opening. The water entering through the water inlet of the endoscope water vapor valve seat flows sequentially through the water inlet channel, the third side opening, the second side opening, and the second groove to the water vapor outlet.
[0010] The fourth side opening of the pressing rod moves forward and is offset from the first side opening, forming a complete elastic sealing area between them, cutting off the communication path between the air inlet, air inlet channel, first groove and hollow channel of the rear section of the pressing rod of the endoscope water vapor valve seat.
[0011] The fifth side opening of the pressing rod moves forward and is offset from the thin-walled cylindrical structure that is sealed at the rear, forming a sealing area between them. The thin-walled cylindrical structure that is sealed at the rear returns to its original position under its own elasticity.
[0012] The elastic sealing structure includes a front seal, a middle seal, and a rear seal; the front seal is fixed to the front end of the base, and the middle seal and the rear seal are fixed inside the base.
[0013] The elastic sealing structure achieves sealing through an interference fit with the pressing rod and the endoscope water vapor valve seat.
[0014] The inner and / or outer walls of each elastic sealing structure of the outer shell are provided with annular grooves.
[0015] The location and size of the annular groove satisfy the following: in the natural reset state and when the pressing rod is pressed to the predetermined position, both sides of each fluid passage on the side wall of the pressing rod retain a complete seal.
[0016] After the outer casing is inserted into the endoscope water and air valve seat, the front seal and sealing ring respectively seal and block the original water outlet and air outlet of the valve seat. The outer casing and all the components fixed on it are fixed relative to the valve seat. Only the pressing rod can slide smoothly back and forth along the axis under the action of external force.
[0017] Beneficial effects: The present invention has the following advantages:
[0018] (1) The original water outlet is blocked by the interference fit between the front seal and the valve seat, and the original air outlet is blocked by the compression seal of the sealing ring, thus completely cutting off the flow path of the original water and air pipeline of the endoscope; at the same time, a new independent water and air flow channel is constructed by the groove and side opening of the outer shell and the hollow structure and side opening of the pressing rod, which can be connected to a disposable water and air pipeline, completely avoiding the bacterial residue and cross-infection caused by the incomplete disinfection of the original pipeline, and greatly improving the medical safety of endoscope use;
[0019] (2) The pressing rod adopts a double hollow structure with no communication between the front and rear, which eliminates the crossflow of water and air from the structure. Through the axial sliding of the pressing rod, the third side port is precisely aligned with the second side port and the fourth side port is aligned with the first side port. Combined with the pressure-sensitive deformation of the rear sealed thin-walled cylindrical structure, the air supply and water supply functions are completely independently controlled. When water is supplied, the air supply channel is automatically disconnected. When air is supplied, the water channel is kept sealed, and there is no problem of water and air crossflow, which ensures the effectiveness of the endoscope.
[0020] (3) The front seal, middle seal and rear seal are all elastic seals. They achieve multi-node sealing through interference fit with the push rod and the endoscope water vapor valve seat. The sealing effect is excellent and there is no fluid leakage.
[0021] (4) The press rod is fitted with the through holes of the front seal and the middle seal to ensure smooth sliding; the inner and / or outer walls of the front seal, the middle seal and the rear seal can be provided with annular grooves to reduce the friction between the seal and the mating parts by reducing the contact area, thereby further improving the smoothness of operation, and the opening of the annular grooves does not affect the sealing performance; the design of the limit buckle effectively prevents the press rod from separating from the outer shell, and the spring realizes the automatic and rapid reset of the press rod, with strong structural stability and sensitive operation response. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;
[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 BB cross-sectional view. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0025] like Figures 1-2As shown, the split-type endoscope water vapor button of this embodiment includes a housing, a pressing rod, a spring, and a sealing ring 3. The housing provides sliding support for the pressing rod and can be inserted into the endoscope water vapor valve seat as a whole and fixed relative to the valve seat. At the same time, it can block the original water and gas outlets of the endoscope water vapor valve seat and provide a basic guiding structure for the new water and gas channels. The housing includes a front seal 4, a middle seal 5, a rear seal 6, and a housing fixing base 7.
[0026] The front seal 4 has an axial through hole for the pressing rod to pass through. It is interference-fitted with the endoscope water vapor valve seat to block the original water outlet 21 of the valve seat and cut off the original water flow path of the endoscope. The front seal 4 is fixed to the front end of the housing fixing base 7. The connection method can be glue bonding or snap-fit connection to ensure the sealing performance and structural stability of the connection.
[0027] The intermediate seal 5 has an axial through hole through which the pressing rod passes and can slide relative to it. The outer surface of the intermediate seal 5 has a first groove 8 and a second groove 10 on both sides along the axis. The first groove 8 is connected to the axial through hole through the first side opening 9, providing a flow path for gas. The second groove 10 is connected to the axial through hole through the second side opening 11, providing a flow path for water. The intermediate seal 5 is fixed inside the outer shell fixing base 7. The connection method can be glue bonding or interference fit to ensure a seal between the intermediate seal 5 and the outer shell fixing base 7 and prevent fluid leakage.
[0028] The rear seal 6 is a T-shaped elastic structure, with a limiting platform at the rear and a thin-walled cylindrical structure at the front. The thin-walled cylindrical structure is clearance-fitted with the outer side of the rear section of the pressing rod. The inner wall of the thin-walled cylindrical structure will undergo elastic deformation and expansion under pressure, thus losing its sealing effect. This allows the hollow rear section of the pressing rod to connect with the water and gas outlet 20, providing a control node for high-pressure gas flow. The rear seal 6 is fixed inside the housing fixing base 7, and the connection method can be glue bonding or interference fit.
[0029] The outer casing fixing base 7 is the core support structure of the outer casing, providing an installation base for the front seal 4, the middle seal 5, and the rear seal 6. It has a side hole 12 behind the position corresponding to the front seal 4, which is seamlessly connected to the first groove 8, realizing the transition between the valve seat air inlet channel and the first groove 8. It has an annular groove at the rear to accommodate the spring and provide space for the spring to be fixed and extended. It has a sealing ring 3 on its outer wall to block the original air outlet 22 of the valve seat and seal the gap between the outer casing and the valve seat.
[0030] The inner wall of the front seal 4, the inner and outer walls of the middle seal 5, and the inner wall of the rear seal 6 are all provided with annular grooves. The positions of the annular grooves are such that when the natural reset state and the pressing rod is pressed to the predetermined position, the two sides of the third side opening 13, the fourth side opening 14, and the fifth side opening 15 retain a complete sealing structure. This reduces friction by reducing the contact area between the seal and the mating parts, without affecting the sealing performance.
[0031] After the outer casing is inserted into the endoscope water and steam valve seat, the front seal 4 and the sealing ring 3 respectively seal and block the original water outlet 21 and air outlet 22 of the valve seat. The outer casing and all the components fixed on it are fixed relative to the valve seat. Only the pressing rod can smoothly reciprocate along the axial direction under the action of external force.
[0032] The pressing rod is a one-piece structure with a double hollow design at the front and rear. The front and rear hollow sections are not interconnected, structurally preventing water and air cross-flow. The front hollow side wall of the pressing rod has a third side opening 13, which is the interface for water to enter the pressing rod. The rear hollow side wall has a fourth side opening 14 and a fifth side opening 15. The fourth side opening 14 is the interface for gas to enter the pressing rod, and the fifth side opening 15 is the interface for high-pressure gas to exit the pressing rod. The pressing rod can slide back and forth along the axial through hole and axial through hole of the outer shell. The opening and closing of the water and air channels can be controlled by aligning / misaligning its upper side opening with the side opening and groove of the central seal 5. The pressing rod is equipped with a limiting buckle, which hooks onto the outer shell fixing base 7 to prevent the pressing rod from separating from the outer shell under the push of the spring.
[0033] The spring is housed in the annular groove of the outer casing fixing base 7, with one end abutting the end face of the annular groove and the other end abutting the front end face of the pressing part of the pressing rod. The spring is always in a compressed state. On the one hand, it provides the pressing rod with the power for automatic reset, ensuring that the pressing rod is in a natural reset state without external force. On the other hand, it ensures the positional stability of the pressing rod in the natural reset state, avoiding misalignment of the side opening that could lead to accidental interruption of the channel.
[0034] The sealing ring 3 is fitted onto the outer wall of the housing fixing base 7 and is located in front of the original air outlet 22 of the valve seat. When the housing is inserted into the endoscope water vapor valve seat, the sealing ring 3 is in a compressed state between the housing fixing base 7 and the valve seat. This not only seals and blocks the original air outlet 22 of the valve seat, cutting off the original air flow path of the endoscope, but also prevents gas from escaping from the fit gap between the valve seat and the housing fixing base 7, ensuring reliable sealing. The sealing ring 3 is made of elastic materials such as silicone or rubber, and its size and interference fit parameters can be adapted and adjusted according to the specifications of the endoscope water vapor valve seat to ensure no air or liquid leakage.
[0035] After assembly, the water vapor button of the present invention forms two fluid inlets and two fluid outlets by cooperating with the pressing rod and the outer shell. One of the fluid outlets can be connected to a disposable water and air supply pipeline. Through the pressure-sensitive deformation of the sealing 6 after the axial sliding connection of the pressing rod, the independent opening and closing of the water and air channels can be realized. The original pressing operation mode of the endoscope is retained throughout the process, and no additional learning or adaptation is required for medical staff.
[0036] When no external force is applied, the pre-compression force of the spring pushes the pressing rod to its natural return state. At this time:
[0037] The third side opening 13 of the pressing rod is located behind the second side opening 11 of the middle seal 5 and is tightly wrapped by the elastic inner wall of the middle seal 5 to form a sealing structure. The communication path between the water inlet 16 and the water inlet channel 17 of the endoscope water vapor valve seat and the second groove 10 is completely cut off, the water channel remains sealed, and no water flows into the new channel.
[0038] The fourth side opening 14 of the pressing rod is precisely aligned with the first side opening 9 of the central seal 5. The gas input from the air inlet 18 of the endoscope water vapor valve seat passes sequentially through the air inlet channel, the side hole 12 of the outer shell fixing base 7, the first groove 8 of the central seal 5, the first side opening 9, and the fourth side opening 14 of the pressing rod, and enters the hollow rear section of the pressing rod, realizing the initial flow of gas.
[0039] To increase the air flow rate or achieve directional air delivery to the endoscope lens, the opening at the hollow end of the rear section of the press rod is sealed. The gas inside the hollow section of the press rod cannot escape, and the pressure gradually increases. When the pressure exceeds the sealing range of the thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal 6, the gas exerts an outward thrust on the inner wall of the thin-walled cylindrical structure, causing it to elastically deform and expand, thus losing its sealing effect. At this time, the fifth side opening 15 of the press rod connects to the water-gas outlet 20. The gas flows sequentially through the fifth side opening 15 and the deformation gap of the thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal 6 to the water-gas outlet 20, and then through an external disposable air delivery line to the endoscope lens, achieving independent air delivery. The air flow rate can be adjusted by the degree to which the rear opening of the press rod is sealed to meet different clinical air delivery needs.
[0040] When the pressing rod is pressed along the direction of the outer shell, the pressing rod overcomes the pre-spring force and slides forward along the axial direction of the outer shell to its full stroke. The third side opening 13 of the pressing rod moves forward with the pressing rod and aligns with the second side opening 11 of the middle seal 5. The water entering through the water inlet 16 of the endoscope water vapor valve seat flows sequentially through the water inlet channel 17, the third side opening 13 of the pressing rod, the second side opening 11 of the middle seal 5, and the second groove 10 to the water vapor outlet 20. Then, it is delivered to the endoscope lens through the external disposable water supply pipeline, realizing independent water supply and meeting the cleaning requirements of the endoscope lens.
[0041] At the same time, as the pressing rod moves forward, the fourth side opening 14 of the pressing rod is offset from the first side opening 9 of the central seal 5, forming a complete elastic sealing area between the two. The communication path between the air inlet 18, air inlet channel, first groove 8 and the hollow channel 19 of the rear section of the pressing rod of the endoscope water vapor valve seat is completely cut off, and the air supply channel is automatically closed to ensure that no gas mixes in during the water supply process.
[0042] The fifth side opening 15 of the pressing rod also moves forward with the pressing rod and is offset from the thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal 6, forming a sealing area between them. The thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal 6 quickly resets under its own elasticity and restores the sealing state, further ensuring the sealing of the water channel, with no air bubbles in the water, and improving the cleaning effect of the endoscope lens.
[0043] When the pressing part of the pressing rod is released, the spring, under its own elastic restoring force, pushes the pressing rod to slide backward along the outer shell axis to the initial position, quickly achieving automatic reset. At this time, the third side opening 13 of the pressing rod then moves behind the second side opening 11 of the middle seal 5, and is once again wrapped by the elastic inner wall of the middle seal 5 to form a sealing structure. The connection path of the water channel is cut off, and the water supply stops immediately.
[0044] At the same time, the fourth side opening 14 of the pressing rod moves back and realigns with the first side opening 9 of the central seal 5, and the air supply channel is restored to connectivity. If the end blockage of the hollow section of the pressing rod is released, the gas will resume natural flow. If the blockage continues, the high-pressure air supply state will be maintained, and one water and gas control cycle will be completed.
Claims
1. A detachable endoscope with a water vapor button, characterized in that, The device includes a housing, a pressing rod, and an elastic reset component. The housing is equipped with an elastic sealing structure. The pressing rod has a double-hollow structure that is not interconnected and can slide along the axial direction of the housing. The elastic reset component abuts against the housing and the pressing rod at both ends and is always in a compressed state. By sliding the pressing rod in conjunction with the deformation of the elastic sealing structure, the water and air channels can be independently opened and closed, and the original water and air outlets of the valve seat can be blocked to construct new water and air channels.
2. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the pressing rod is in the natural reset state, the third side opening (13) of the pressing rod is located behind the second side opening (11) of the middle seal and is wrapped by the elastic inner wall of the middle seal (5) to form a sealing structure, cutting off the communication between the water inlet (16) and water inlet channel (17) of the endoscope water vapor valve seat and the second groove (10), and the water channel remains sealed.
3. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the pressing rod is in the natural reset state, the fourth side port (14) of the pressing rod is aligned with the first side port (9) of the central seal (5). The gas input from the air inlet (18) of the endoscope water vapor valve seat enters the hollow rear section of the pressing rod in sequence through the air inlet channel, side hole (12), first groove (8), first side port (9), and fourth side port (14), and is discharged from the hollow rear section channel (19) of the pressing rod. If it is necessary to achieve directional air delivery of the endoscope lens, the end opening of the hollow rear section of the pressing rod is blocked. The internal pressure of the hollow rear section of the pressing rod gradually increases. When the pressure exceeds the sealing range of the rear sealing thin-walled cylindrical structure, the gas exerts an outward thrust on the inner wall of the thin-walled cylindrical structure, causing the thin-walled cylindrical structure to undergo elastic deformation and expand, losing the sealing effect. At this time, the fifth side port of the pressing rod is connected to the water vapor outlet, and the gas flows to the water vapor outlet in sequence through the fifth side port (15) and the deformation gap of the rear sealing thin-walled cylindrical structure.
4. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the pressing rod is pressed, the third side opening (13) of the pressing rod moves forward and aligns with the second side opening (11). The water entering through the inlet (16) of the endoscope water vapor valve seat flows through the inlet channel (17), the third side opening (13), the second side opening (11), and the second groove (10) in sequence to the water vapor outlet (20).
5. The split-type endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fourth side opening (14) of the pressing rod moves forward and is offset from the first side opening (9), forming a complete elastic sealing area between the two, cutting off the communication path between the air inlet (18), air inlet channel, first groove (8) of the endoscope water vapor valve seat and the hollow channel of the rear section of the pressing rod.
6. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fifth side opening (15) of the pressing rod moves forward and is offset from the thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal, forming a sealing area between them. The thin-walled cylindrical structure of the rear seal is reset under its own elastic action.
7. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic sealing structure includes a front seal (4), a middle seal (5), and a rear seal (6); the front seal (4) is fixed to the front end of the base (7), and the middle seal (5) and the rear seal (6) are fixed inside the base (7).
8. The split-type endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 7, characterized in that, The elastic sealing structure achieves sealing through an interference fit with the pressing rod and the endoscope water vapor valve seat.
9. The detachable endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 8, characterized in that, The inner and / or outer walls of each elastic sealing structure of the outer shell are provided with annular grooves.
10. The split-type endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 9, characterized in that, The location and size of the annular groove satisfy the following: in the natural reset state and when the pressing rod is pressed to the predetermined position, both sides of each fluid passage on the side wall of the pressing rod retain a complete seal.
11. The split-type endoscope with a water vapor button according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the outer shell is inserted into the endoscope water vapor valve seat, the front seal (4) and the sealing ring (3) respectively seal and block the original water outlet and air outlet of the valve seat.