Tip assembly and endoscope

Abstract

The utility model relates to a tip assembly and an endoscope. The tip assembly comprises a shell, a nozzle structure, a fluid pipe and an occupying part. A first chamber and a second chamber which are isolated from each other are arranged in the shell; the far end of the shell is provided with a far-end wall, the far-end wall comprises a first part corresponding to the first cavity and a second part corresponding to the second cavity, and the second part is provided with a nozzle communicating port; the nozzle structure comprises a main body wall and a connecting wall, the connecting wall is connected with the second part and protrudes out of the second part, and the main body wall is connected with the side, protruding out of the second part, of the connecting wall and is opposite to the nozzle communicating opening; a nozzle outlet is formed in one side, close to the first part, of the nozzle structure; the fluid pipe and the occupying part are both located in the second cavity, and an outlet of the fluid pipe faces the main body wall; the occupying part is located on the side, close to the first cavity, of the fluid pipe. The far end of the occupying part and the main body wall are oppositely arranged in a spaced mode so as to form a flow guide channel. The tip assembly can improve the cleaning effect and improve the cleaning efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a tip assembly and an endoscope. Background Art

[0002] An endoscope is a commonly used medical device. The distal end of an endoscope has a tip assembly. This assembly includes a housing, a camera module, an illumination module, a liquid pipe, a gas pipe, and other components. The housing includes a distal wall and a circumferential outer wall, which together form an inner cavity. The inner cavity of the housing includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The camera module and illumination module are located within the first chamber. During operation, the camera module captures images through the portion of the distal wall corresponding to the first chamber.

[0003] The liquid pipe and gas pipe are arranged side by side within the second chamber. A nozzle structure is provided in the portion of the distal wall corresponding to the second chamber. Liquid flowing out of the liquid pipe and gas flowing out of the gas pipe are ejected through the nozzle structure, thereby spraying onto the outer surface of the portion of the distal wall corresponding to the first chamber, achieving a cleansing effect and ensuring the normal operation of the camera module.

[0004] In the prior art, the outlet of the gas pipe (compared to the outlet of the liquid pipe) is located near the outlet of the nozzle structure. The outlet of the gas pipe is oriented perpendicular to the distal wall and toward the distal side of the tip assembly. The outlet of the nozzle structure is oriented approximately parallel to the distal wall. As a result, the direction of gas flowing out of the gas pipe outlet, when ejected through the nozzle structure, is a composite of the directions of the gas pipe outlet and the nozzle structure outlet, tilted toward the distal side of the tip assembly. This prevents the gas from fully contacting the portion of the distal wall corresponding to the first chamber, resulting in poor cleaning effectiveness and low efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a tip component and an endoscope for the tip component of the endoscope in the prior art, in which the gas flowing out of the gas tube cannot fully contact the part of the distal wall corresponding to the first chamber when ejected through the nozzle structure, resulting in poor cleaning effect and low efficiency.

[0006] A tip assembly includes: a housing, a nozzle structure, a fluid tube, and a placeholder;

[0007] The housing has a first chamber and a second chamber isolated from each other, the first chamber is used to accommodate the camera module; the distal end of the housing has a distal wall, the distal wall includes a first portion corresponding to the first chamber and a second portion corresponding to the second chamber, the second portion is provided with a nozzle communication port;

[0008] The nozzle structure includes a main body wall and a connecting wall, the connecting wall being connected to the second portion and protruding from the second portion, the connecting wall extending along the circumferential edge of the nozzle communication opening, the main body wall being connected to a side of the connecting wall protruding from the second portion and opposite to the nozzle communication opening; a nozzle outlet is provided on a side of the nozzle structure close to the first portion;

[0009] The fluid tube and the placeholder are both located in the second chamber, with the outlet of the fluid tube facing the main body wall; the placeholder is located on the side of the fluid tube close to the first chamber; the distal end of the placeholder is opposite to and spaced from the main body wall to form a flow guide channel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the placeholder and the outer wall of the fluid tube are respectively sealed with the side wall of the second chamber, and the placeholder and the fluid tube are sealed with each other.

[0011] In one embodiment, the distal end of the placeholder protrudes from the distal end of the fluid tube.

[0012] In one embodiment, the proximal end of the nozzle outlet extends to the edge of the nozzle communication opening, and the distal end of the placeholder is flush with the outer surface of the first portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, the place-occupying portion is a solid rod-shaped structure, and the distal end surface of the place-occupying portion is a plane.

[0014] In one embodiment, the front-end assembly further includes a gas tube and a liquid tube, one end of the gas tube and one end of the liquid tube are respectively connected to the proximal end of the fluid tube.

[0015] In one embodiment, the front-end assembly further comprises a three-way structure having a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel, wherein one end of the second channel and one end of the third channel are respectively connected to one end of the first channel;

[0016] The proximal end of the fluid tube is communicated with the first channel; the second channel is communicated with one end of the gas tube; and the third channel is communicated with one end of the liquid tube.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first channel is located at the distal end of the second channel and the third channel, and the second channel and the third channel are arranged in parallel.

[0018] In one embodiment, the nozzle structure and the housing are integrally formed.

[0019] An endoscope comprises the tip assembly described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0020] The aforementioned tip assembly and endoscope utilize a placeholder within the second chamber to occupy the space on the side of the fluid tube near the first chamber, thereby forming a flow guide channel between the distal end of the placeholder and the main body wall, and the flow guide channel is located between the outlet of the fluid tube and the nozzle outlet. The flow direction of the flow guide channel is roughly parallel to the distal wall. In this way, the cleaning liquid (or gas) flowing out of the outlet of the fluid tube, under the guidance of the flow guide channel, flows in a direction roughly parallel to the outer surface of the distal wall. As a result, when the cleaning liquid (or gas) is ejected through the nozzle outlet, it can be ejected in a direction roughly parallel to the distal wall to the outer surface of the first part, thereby allowing the cleaning liquid (or gas) to fully contact the outer surface of the first part, thereby improving the cleaning effect and enhancing the cleaning efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a front end assembly according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the shell and nozzle structure of the tip component.

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of another view of the structure shown.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Bottom view of the structure shown.

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of area A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 1 The structure shown is a schematic diagram without the placeholder, fluid pipe, and tee structure installed.

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of area B in the middle.

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 100, housing; 110, circumferential outer wall; 120, distal end wall; 121, first portion; 122, second portion; 123, nozzle communication port; 101, first chamber; 102, second chamber;

[0030] 200, camera module;

[0031] 300, nozzle structure; 310, main body wall; 320, connecting wall; 301, nozzle outlet;

[0032] 400, fluid pipe;

[0033] 500, placeholder; 501, flow guide channel;

[0034] 610, gas tube; 620, liquid tube;

[0035] 700, tee structure; 710, first channel; 720, second channel; 730, third channel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the present application, and that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0037] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0038] In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited.

[0039] In the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and the like should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or it can be integrated; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise explicitly limited. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] In the present application, unless specifically stated and limited otherwise, a first feature is "on" or "under" a second feature if the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature is "over", "above" and "on top of" the second feature if the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature is "under", "below" and "underneath" the second feature if the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0041] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed" or "set" on another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there can be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation.

[0042] For the convenience of description, the present application adopts the terms "distal end", "proximal end", "distal side" and the like, wherein the "distal end" refers to the end of the distal end assembly into which the components of the distal end assembly enter the patient's body first during actual use; on the contrary, the "proximal end" refers to the end of the distal end assembly into which the components of the distal end assembly enter the patient's body later than the distal end. The "distal side" refers to the side of the distal end away from the proximal end.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 In combination Figure 2 , an embodiment of the present application provides a distal end assembly, comprising: a shell 100, a nozzle structure 300, a fluid pipe 400 and a placeholder 500.

[0044] In combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the shell 100 comprises a circumferential outer wall 110 and a distal end wall 120 fixedly connected, the circumferential outer wall 110 extends along the circumference of the shell 100, and the distal end wall 120 is located at the distal end of the circumferential outer wall 110. The circumferential outer wall 110 and the distal end wall 120 enclose an inner cavity of the shell 100. The inner cavity of the shell 100 comprises a first chamber 101 and a second chamber 102 which are isolated from each other. The first chamber 101 is used to accommodate a camera module 200.

[0045] The distal end wall 120 comprises a first part 121 corresponding to the first chamber 101 and a second part 122 corresponding to the second chamber 102. That is, the first part 121 is the cavity wall at the distal end of the first chamber 101, and the second part 122 is the cavity wall at the distal end of the second chamber 102.

[0046] In combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 The second part 122 is provided with a nozzle communication port 123. The nozzle structure 300 comprises a main body wall 310 and a connecting wall 320. The connecting wall 320 is connected with the second part 122 and protrudes from the second part 122, and the connecting wall 320 extends along the circumferential edge of the nozzle communication port 123. The main body wall 310 is connected with one side of the connecting wall 320 which protrudes from the second part 122, and is opposite to the nozzle communication port 123. The nozzle structure 300 is provided with a nozzle outlet 301 on the side close to the first part 121.

[0047] Recombination Figure 7 The fluid pipe 400 and the occupying part 500 are both located in the second chamber 102, and the outlet of the fluid pipe 400 faces the main body wall 310. The occupying part 500 is located on the side of the fluid pipe 400 close to the first chamber 101. The distal end of the occupying part 500 is oppositely and spacedly arranged with the main body wall 310 to form a flow guide channel 501.

[0048] The first chamber 101 is used for accommodating the camera module 200, and the first part 121 is the cavity wall of the distal end of the first chamber 101. Therefore, the outer surface of the first part 121 needs to be cleaned to meet the normal work of the camera module 200.

[0049] Since the nozzle structure 300 is provided with the nozzle outlet 301 on the side close to the first part 121, and the occupying part 500 is located on the side of the fluid pipe 400 close to the first chamber 101, the flow guide channel 501 formed between the distal end of the occupying part 500 and the main body wall 310 is located between the outlet of the fluid pipe 400 and the nozzle outlet 301. When it is needed to clean the outer surface of the first part 121, the cleaning liquid (or gas) can be introduced into the proximal end of the fluid pipe 400, so that the cleaning liquid (or gas) is sprayed out through the outlet of the fluid pipe 400, the flow guide channel 501 and the nozzle outlet 301 in sequence, and then the outer surface of the first part 121 is cleaned.

[0050] The outlet of the fluid pipe 400 faces the main body wall 310 (i.e. faces the distal side of the distal assembly). The nozzle outlet 301 is arranged on the side of the nozzle structure 300 close to the first part 121, and faces the first part 121 which is substantially parallel to the distal wall 120.

[0051] Because the distal end of the placeholder 500 and the main body wall 310 are positioned opposite and spaced apart from each other, the flow guide channel 501 formed therebetween extends generally parallel to the outer surface of the distal wall 120. As a result, the cleaning liquid (or gas) flowing out of the outlet of the fluid tube 400, guided by the flow guide channel 501, flows in a direction generally parallel to the outer surface of the distal wall 120. Consequently, when the cleaning liquid (or gas) is ejected through the nozzle outlet 301, it is ejected in a direction generally parallel to the distal wall 120 onto the outer surface of the first portion 121. This ensures that the cleaning liquid (or gas) fully contacts the outer surface of the first portion 121, improving cleaning effectiveness and efficiency.

[0052] In conventional tip assemblies, the gas and liquid pipes are arranged side by side within the second chamber, with the gas pipe located on the side of the liquid pipe closest to the first chamber. Consequently, the gas pipe outlet (compared to the liquid pipe outlet) is located closer to the nozzle outlet of the nozzle structure. As a result, the direction of gas flowing from the gas pipe outlet, when ejected through the nozzle structure, is the combined direction of the gas pipe outlet and the nozzle outlet, tilted toward the distal end of the tip assembly.

[0053] Compared to the prior art, the tip assembly of the present embodiment employs a placeholder 500 within the second chamber 102 to occupy the space on the side of the fluid tube 400 near the first chamber 101. This forms a flow channel 501 between the distal end of the placeholder 500 and the main body wall 310. The flow channel 501 is located between the outlet of the fluid tube 400 and the nozzle outlet 301. The flow direction of the flow channel 501 is generally parallel to the distal wall 120. As a result, the cleaning liquid (or gas) flowing out of the outlet of the fluid tube 400, guided by the flow channel 501, flows in a direction generally parallel to the outer surface of the distal wall 120. Consequently, when the cleaning liquid (or gas) is ejected through the nozzle outlet 301, it is ejected in a direction generally parallel to the distal wall 120 onto the outer surface of the first portion 121. This allows the cleaning liquid (or gas) to fully contact the outer surface of the first portion 121, improving cleaning effectiveness and efficiency.

[0054] It can be understood that since the embodiment of the present application adopts the placeholder 500 and the fluid tube 400 to occupy the second chamber 102, replacing the gas tube and the liquid tube in the second chamber in the prior art, the embodiment of the present application does not need to change the structure of the second chamber 102 on the basis of achieving improved cleaning effect and improved cleaning efficiency, so that (compared to the prior art) the structure of the shell 100 can be unchanged, and the original shell mold can be used. Therefore, the production and processing process is modified little, and production is convenient.

[0055] Optionally, the placeholder 500 is a solid structure to ensure that when the cleaning liquid (or gas) flows through the guide channel 501, it can flow between the distal end surface of the placeholder 500 and the main body wall 310, thereby effectively playing a guiding role.

[0056] Optionally, the distal end surface of the placeholder 500 is a plane and parallel to the outer surface of the distal wall 120 .

[0057] In one embodiment, the outer wall of the placeholder 500 and the outer wall of the fluid tube 400 are respectively sealed with the side wall of the second chamber 102 , and the placeholder 500 and the fluid tube 400 are sealed with each other.

[0058] refer to Figure 3 The second chamber 102 includes two generally cylindrical chamber units that are arranged side by side and connected. When the placeholder 500 and the fluid tube 400 are placed in the second chamber 102, the outer wall of the placeholder 500 and the outer wall of the fluid tube 400 are respectively sealed against the side wall of the second chamber 102, and the placeholder 500 and the fluid tube 400 are sealed against each other. This ensures that there is no gap between any two of the outer walls of the placeholder 500, the outer walls of the fluid tube 400, and the side wall of the second chamber 102. This ensures that the cleaning liquid (or gas) flowing out of the outlet at the distal end of the fluid tube 400 flows through the guide channel 501 to the nozzle outlet 301, and does not flow between any two of the aforementioned three parts within the second chamber 102.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 7 In one embodiment, the distal end of the spacer 500 protrudes beyond the distal end of the fluid tube 400. As a result, after the cleaning fluid (or gas) flows out of the outlet of the fluid tube 400, it first flows toward the main body wall 310 and then changes direction to flow along the flow guide channel 501, thereby achieving a better flow guidance effect, allowing the flow direction of the cleaning fluid (or gas) to be fully guided by the flow guide channel 501.

[0060] Combine Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the proximal end of the nozzle outlet 301 extends (at Figure 5 The distal end of the placeholder 500 is flush with the outer surface of the first portion 121.

[0061] In this way, when the cleaning liquid (or gas) flows out from the guide channel 501 to the nozzle outlet 301, it flows along the distal end face of the occupier 500 to the outer surface of the first part 121, so that the spray direction of the cleaning liquid (or gas) when it is sprayed out from the nozzle outlet 301 is almost parallel to the outer surface of the first part 121, and the cleaning liquid (or gas) flows along the outer surface of the first part 121, thereby more fully contacting the outer surface of the first part 121, thereby achieving a better cleaning effect.

[0062] refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the front-end assembly further includes a gas tube 610 and a liquid tube 620. One end of the gas tube 610 and one end of the liquid tube 620 are respectively connected to the proximal end of the fluid tube 400. When cleaning with a cleaning fluid is required, the cleaning fluid can be introduced into the liquid tube 620, and the cleaning fluid will flow out through the liquid tube 620, the fluid tube 400, the guide channel 501, and the nozzle outlet 301 in sequence. After the cleaning fluid is cleaned, a drying gas can be introduced into the gas tube 610, and the drying gas will flow out through the gas tube 610, the fluid tube 400, the guide channel 501, and the nozzle outlet 301 in sequence, thereby drying any residual cleaning fluid on the outer surface of the first portion 121.

[0063] refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the front-end component further includes a three-way structure 700, which has a first channel 710, a second channel 720 and a third channel 730, and one end of the second channel 720 and one end of the third channel 730 are respectively connected to one end of the first channel 710.

[0064] The proximal end of the fluid tube 400 is in communication with the first channel 710 , the second channel 720 is in communication with one end of the gas tube 610 , and the third channel 730 is in communication with one end of the liquid tube 620 .

[0065] During assembly, the proximal end of the fluid tube 400 can be inserted into the first channel 710, one end of the gas tube 610 can be inserted into the second channel 720, and one end of the liquid tube 620 can be inserted into the third channel 730. In this way, the three-way structure 700 facilitates the communication between the gas tube 610 and the liquid tube 620 and the proximal end of the fluid tube 400.

[0066] refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the first channel 710 is located at the far side of the second channel 720 and the third channel 730, and the second channel 720 and the third channel 730 are arranged in parallel, with a compact structure.

[0067] refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the front-end component further includes a camera module 200 and a lighting module (not shown), and the camera module 200 and the lighting module are respectively located in the first chamber 101.

[0068] In one embodiment, the nozzle structure 300 and the housing 100 are integrally formed. Specifically, the nozzle structure 300 and the housing 100 can be integrally formed by injection molding.

[0069] An embodiment of the present application further provides an endoscope, comprising the tip assembly of any one of the above embodiments.

[0070] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0071] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A front-end component, characterized in that: include: Shell, nozzle structure, fluid tube and placeholder; The housing has a first chamber and a second chamber isolated from each other, and the first chamber is used to accommodate the camera module; The distal end of the housing has a distal wall, the distal wall includes a first portion corresponding to the first chamber and a second portion corresponding to the second chamber, and the second portion is provided with a nozzle communication port; The nozzle structure includes a main body wall and a connecting wall, the connecting wall being connected to the second portion and protruding from the second portion, the connecting wall extending along the circumferential edge of the nozzle communication opening, the main body wall being connected to a side of the connecting wall protruding from the second portion and opposite to the nozzle communication opening; a nozzle outlet is provided on a side of the nozzle structure close to the first portion; The fluid tube and the placeholder are both located in the second chamber, with the outlet of the fluid tube facing the main body wall; the placeholder is located on the side of the fluid tube close to the first chamber; the distal end of the placeholder is opposite to and spaced from the main body wall to form a flow guide channel.

2. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The outer wall of the place-occupying portion and the outer wall of the fluid tube are respectively sealed with the side wall of the second chamber, and the place-occupying portion and the fluid tube are sealed with each other.

3. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The distal end of the placeholder protrudes from the distal end of the fluid tube.

4. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The proximal end of the nozzle outlet extends to the edge of the nozzle communication port, and the distal end of the placeholder is flush with the outer surface of the first part.

5. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The place-occupying portion is a solid rod-shaped structure, and the distal end surface of the place-occupying portion is a plane.

6. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a gas tube and a liquid tube, one end of the gas tube and one end of the liquid tube are respectively communicated with the proximal end of the fluid tube.

7. The tip assembly according to claim 6, wherein: It also includes a three-way structure, the three-way structure having a first channel, a second channel and a third channel, one end of the second channel and one end of the third channel are respectively connected to one end of the first channel; The proximal end of the fluid tube is communicated with the first channel; the second channel is communicated with one end of the gas tube; and the third channel is communicated with one end of the liquid tube.

8. The tip assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The first channel is located distal to the second channel and the third channel, and the second channel and the third channel are arranged in parallel.

9. The tip assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle structure and the housing are integrally formed.

10. An endoscope, characterized in that: The method comprises the tip assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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