Snake bone structure and endoscope

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of medical supplies, and discloses a snake bone structure and an endoscope with the snake bone structure, the snake bone structure comprises a tail end joint and a plurality of snake bone joints which are hinged in sequence from top to bottom, a front notch is formed between the front sides of every two vertically adjacent snake bone joints, a rear notch is formed between the rear sides of every two vertically adjacent snake bone joints, and the tail end joint is connected with the tail end joint. The two vertically adjacent snake joints can swing in the left-right axial direction; the tail end joint is annular, the upper end of the tail end joint is hinged to the lowest snake joint, a big-end-down stepped hole is formed in the tail end joint, the lower end of the stepped hole is used for installation of an insertion pipe, and a soldering tin hole communicated with the lower end of the stepped hole is formed in the lower end of the tail end joint. The tail end joint and the insertion pipe can be directly welded together through soldering tin, and redundant soldering tin between the snake joint and the insertion pipe can be filled in the soldering tin hole, so that the connection firmness between the snake joint and the insertion pipe is ensured, and the risk of falling of the insertion pipe is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of medical supplies technology, and in particular to a snake bone structure and endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] The snake-bone structure is a key component of the endoscope, enabling precise control of the probe's direction and angle, allowing it to enter the body's natural openings. The snake-bone structure is relatively complex, and its manufacturing and assembly processes are also intricate. Current snake-bone structures require a specially designed adapter and adhesive to connect to the insertion tube. The adapter mechanism demands high precision, resulting in numerous assembly steps and increased difficulty. Furthermore, the adhesive connection method increases the risk of detachment. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a snake-bone structure, which is relatively simple in structure and has a reliable connection with the insertion tube.

[0004] This invention also proposes an endoscope having the above-mentioned snake-bone structure.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a snake-bone structure includes a terminal segment and a plurality of snake-bone segments that are hinged vertically. The snake-bone segments are annular, with a front notch between the front sides of two adjacent snake-bone segments and a rear notch between the rear sides of two adjacent snake-bone segments, so that the two adjacent snake-bone segments can swing around the left-right axis. The terminal segment is annular, with its upper end hinged to the lowermost snake-bone segment. The terminal segment has a stepped hole that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The lower end of the stepped hole is used for installing an insertion tube. The lower end of the terminal segment has a solder hole that communicates with the lower end of the stepped hole. The solder hole is used to accommodate solder for soldering the snake-bone segments and the insertion tube.

[0006] It has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0007] The front and rear notches prevent interference between the two adjacent serpentine segments when they swing around the left and right axis. The end segment and the insertion tube can be directly soldered together without the need for a transition structure. The end segment has a simple structure, and excess solder between the serpentine segment and the insertion tube can be filled in the solder hole, ensuring a reliable connection between the serpentine segment and the insertion tube and reducing the risk of the insertion tube falling off.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, it also includes a bendable net sleeve, which is fitted onto a plurality of snake-bone joints that are hinged one above the other in sequence.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer diameter of the distal sac is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom, the lower end of the mesh sleeve is fitted onto the upper end of the distal sac, and the outer circular surface of the mesh sleeve is flush with the outer circular surface of the lower end of the distal sac.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the front side of the upper end face of the snake segment is in a state of being lower in front and higher in back, and the front side of the lower end face of the snake segment is in a state of being higher in front and lower in back, and the front side of the upper end face of the snake segment and the front side of the lower end face of the snake segment form the front notch.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, upper ear plates are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper end face of the snake segment, and lower ear plates are provided on both the left and right sides of the lower end face of the snake segment. The upper ear plate of the snake segment is hinged to the lower ear plate of the other snake segment.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, on the same serpentine segment, one of the upper ear plate and the lower ear plate is closer to the central axis of the serpentine segment than the other, so that the upper ear plate and the lower ear plate are misaligned.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a groove for accommodating the lower ear plate is formed on the outer side of the upper ear plate.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the front side of the snake joint is provided with two front openings, and the area between the two front openings is a front transverse piece. The front transverse piece is recessed toward the central hole of the snake joint, and the front side of the snake joint and the front transverse piece form a front limiting hole for the cable to pass through.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a weld opening is provided at the lower end of the end segment, and the weld opening is used for welding equipment to weld the protective tube sleeved on the cable to the lower end of the end segment.

[0016] An endoscope according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a handle, an insertion tube, a probe disposed at one end of the insertion tube, and a snake-bone structure according to the first aspect of the present invention described above, wherein the handle is connected to the other end of the insertion tube via the snake-bone structure.

[0017] It has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The endoscope has all the beneficial effects of the snake bone structure described in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the snake bone segment structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a left-side view of the snake joint in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a top view of the snake bone segment according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Icon labels:

[0028] Insert tube 10;

[0029] Snake joint 100; upper ear plate 110; lower ear plate 120; front transverse plate 130; front limiting hole 140; rear transverse plate 150; rear limiting hole 160;

[0030] Terminal segment 200; solder hole 210; weld joint 220;

[0031] Netting 300. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0033] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicate the directional or positional relationship based on the directional or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0034] In the description of this utility model, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0035] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0036] Reference Figures 1 to 4 This utility model discloses a snake bone structure, including a terminal segment 200 and a plurality of snake bone segments 100 that are hinged together vertically. The snake bone segments 100 are annular and have a central axis and a central hole. The central axis is also the center of the central hole. The wall thickness of each region of the snake bone segments 100 is uniform.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 A front notch is formed between the front sides of two adjacent snake segments 100, and a rear notch is formed between the rear sides of two adjacent snake segments 100, so that the two adjacent snake segments 100 can swing around the left and right axis, thereby enabling the overall structure formed by multiple snake segments 100 that are hinged in sequence to bend forward and backward.

[0038] The front and rear notches prevent interference between two adjacent serpentine segments 100 when they swing around the left and right axis. The height of the front and rear notches limits the angle at which the serpentine segments 100 swing around the left and right axis. The greater the height of the front and rear notches, the greater the angle at which the serpentine segments 100 swing around the left and right axis.

[0039] It is understandable that the two snake joints 100, which are set one above the other, are connected by a hinge shaft with the axis of the hinge shaft in the left and right direction. The hinge shaft limits the swing of the snake joint 100 around the left and right axis.

[0040] The distal segment 200 is annular and also has a central axis and a central hole. The wall thickness of each region of the distal segment 200 is uniform. The upper end of the distal segment 200 is hinged to the lowermost serpentine segment 100, so that the distal segment 200 swings on the lowermost serpentine segment 100.

[0041] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3The distal segment 200 has a stepped hole that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The lower end of the stepped hole is used for the installation of the insertion tube 10. The lower end of the distal segment 200 has a solder hole 210 that communicates with the lower end of the stepped hole. The solder hole 210 is used to accommodate the solder for soldering the snake segment 100 and the insertion tube 10. The distal segment 200 and the insertion tube 10 can be directly soldered together without the need for a transition structure. The structure of the distal segment 200 is simple. Excess solder between the snake segment 100 and the insertion tube 10 can be filled in the solder hole 210, ensuring a reliable connection between the snake segment 100 and the insertion tube 10 and reducing the risk of the insertion tube 10 falling off.

[0042] The main components of the snake bone structure include snake bone segments 100 and end segments 200. Multiple snake bone segments 100 can be hinged together in sequence to obtain a flexible mechanism of the required length. The flexible mechanism can be connected to an end segment 200 to connect the main components of the snake bone structure. The number of components used is small, and the assembly steps are simple and few, which helps to reduce production costs and improve production efficiency.

[0043] It is conceivable that the serpentine segment 100, the terminal segment 200, and the area on the insertion tube 10 used for connection with the terminal segment 200 can all be made of metal. The serpentine segment 100 and the terminal segment 200 are both integrally molded structures.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the snake bone structure also includes a flexible mesh sleeve 300, which is fitted onto a plurality of snake bone segments 100 that are hinged one above the other. The mesh sleeve 300 serves to protect the snake bone segments 100 and prevent the snake bone segments 100 from scratching human tissue.

[0045] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the terminal segment 200 is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The lower end of the mesh sleeve 300 is fitted onto the upper end of the terminal segment 200, and the outer circular surface of the mesh sleeve 300 is flush with the outer circular surface of the lower end of the terminal segment 200, making the outer surface of the entire snake bone structure smoother and more aesthetically pleasing.

[0046] This can be understood as follows: the distal segment 200 includes an upper end and a lower end, with the outer diameter of the upper end being smaller than that of the lower end, thus forming a step between the upper and lower ends. The wall thickness of the mesh sleeve 300 is equal to the difference in outer diameter between the upper and lower ends.

[0047] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, the front side of the upper end face of the snake segment 100 is lower in the front and higher in the rear, while the front side of the lower end face of the snake segment 100 is higher in the front and lower in the rear, forming a front notch. Similarly, the rear side of the upper end face of the snake segment 100 is higher in the front and lower in the rear, while the rear side of the lower end face of the snake segment 100 is lower in the front and higher in the rear, forming a rear notch. This ensures that the height of the front notch gradually decreases and the height of the rear notch gradually increases along the front-rear direction, allowing two adjacent snake segments 100 to swing forward and backward.

[0048] It can be inferred that the front side of the upper end face of the snake joint 100 is a sloped surface with a lower front and a higher rear, while the rear side of the upper end face of the snake joint 100 is a sloped surface with a higher front and a lower rear. The front and rear sides of the upper end face of the snake joint 100 are symmetrical along the vertical direction, and the hinge axes are both located in the plane containing the front and rear sides of the upper end face of the snake joint 100. Similarly, the front side of the lower end face of the snake joint 100 is a sloped surface with a higher front and a lower rear, while the rear side of the lower end face of the snake joint 100 is a sloped surface with a lower front and a higher rear. The front and rear sides of the lower end face of the snake joint 100 are symmetrical along the vertical direction, and the hinge axes are both located in the plane containing the front and rear sides of the lower end face of the snake joint 100. The front side of the upper end face of the snake joint 100 and the front side of the lower end face of the snake joint 100 are symmetrical about the horizontal plane, and the rear side of the upper end face of the snake joint 100 and the rear side of the lower end face of the snake joint 100 are symmetrical about the horizontal plane.

[0049] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, upper ear plates 110 are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper end face of the snake segment 100, and lower ear plates 120 are provided on both the left and right sides of the lower end face of the snake segment 100. The upper ear plate 110 of the snake segment 100 is hinged to the lower ear plate 120 of the other snake segment 100, thereby completing the hinge between the two snake segments 100.

[0050] It is conceivable that on the same snake joint 100, the two upper ear plates 110 have the same structure. The upper ear plate 110 is provided with a first connecting hole in the left-right direction. The two first connecting holes on the two upper ear plates 110 are coaxial. The two lower ear plates 120 have the same structure. The lower ear plate 120 is provided with a second connecting hole in the left-right direction. The two second connecting holes on the two lower ear plates 120 are coaxial. A hinge shaft is engaged with a first connecting hole and a second connecting hole. A hinge shaft passes through a first connecting hole and a second connecting hole simultaneously.

[0051] Reference Figures 4 to 6In some embodiments, on the same serpentine segment 100, one of the upper ear plate 110 and the lower ear plate 120 is closer to the central axis of the serpentine segment 100 than the other, so that the upper ear plate 110 and the lower ear plate 120 are misaligned, which makes the assembly between the upper ear plate 110 and the lower ear plate 120 more compact.

[0052] In some embodiments, the outer side of the upper ear plate 110 is formed with a groove to accommodate the lower ear plate 120, the lower ear plate 120 is located in the groove, and the upper ear plate 110 and the lower ear plate 120 are as close as possible to the outside of the snake joint 100, so that the outer surface of the snake joint 100 is smoother.

[0053] Reference Figures 4 to 6 In some embodiments, the front side of the snake joint 100 has two front openings, and the area between the two front openings on the front side of the snake joint 100 is a front cross plate 130. The front cross plate 130 is recessed toward the central hole of the snake joint 100. The front side of the snake joint 100 and the front cross plate 130 form a front limiting hole 140 for the cable to pass through, and the front limiting hole 140 serves to limit the cable.

[0054] Similarly, the rear side of the snake joint 100 has two rear openings. The area between the two rear openings on the rear side of the snake joint 100 is a rear transverse piece 150. The rear transverse piece 150 is recessed toward the central hole of the snake joint 100. The rear side of the snake joint 100 and the rear transverse piece 150 form a rear limiting hole 160 for another cable to pass through. The rear limiting hole 160 serves to limit the other cable. The bending of the snake structure can be achieved by two cables.

[0055] Understandably, the cable is a steel cable, and the zipper jacket is equipped with a protective tube, which is a corrugated pipe.

[0056] In some embodiments, the lower end of the end segment 200 is provided with a weld opening 220, which is used by welding equipment to weld the protective tube fitted on the cable to the lower end of the end segment 200. The welding equipment fills the weld opening 220 with solder, which connects the protective tube to the inner wall of the lower end of the end segment 200.

[0057] The protective tube is fixed to the inner wall of the lower end of the terminal segment 200, which allows the central hole of the snake segment 100 and the central hole of the terminal segment 200 to be provided for other components as much as possible.

[0058] This utility model also discloses an endoscope, including a handle, an insertion tube 10, a probe disposed at one end of the insertion tube 10, and the aforementioned snake bone structure, wherein the handle is connected to the other end of the insertion tube 10 through the snake bone structure.

[0059] The endoscope has all the beneficial effects of the snake bone structure described in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0060] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above 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.

[0061] Of course, this utility model is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of this utility model. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A snake-bone structure, characterized in that, include: Multiple snake segments (100) are hinged vertically. The snake segments (100) are ring-shaped. A front notch is formed between the front sides of two adjacent snake segments (100) and a rear notch is formed between the rear sides of two adjacent snake segments (100) so that the two adjacent snake segments (100) can swing around the left and right axis. The distal segment (200) is annular, and its upper end is hinged to the lowermost serpentine segment (100). The distal segment (200) has a stepped hole that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The lower end of the stepped hole is used for the installation of the insertion tube (10). The lower end of the distal segment (200) has a solder hole (210) that communicates with the lower end of the stepped hole. The solder hole (210) is used to accommodate solder for soldering the serpentine segment (100) and the insertion tube (10).

2. The snake-bone structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a bendable net sleeve (300) that is fitted onto a plurality of snake-bone joints (100) that are hinged one above the other.

3. The snake-bone structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the distal sacrum (200) is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. The lower end of the mesh sleeve (300) is fitted onto the upper end of the distal sacrum (200), and the outer circular surface of the mesh sleeve (300) is flush with the outer circular surface of the lower end of the distal sacrum (200).

4. The snake-bone structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front side of the upper end face of the snake segment (100) is in a state of being lower in front and higher in back, and the front side of the lower end face of the snake segment (100) is in a state of being higher in front and lower in back. The front side of the upper end face of the snake segment (100) and the front side of the lower end face of the snake segment (100) form the front notch.

5. The snake-bone structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end face of the snake bone segment (100) is provided with upper ear plates (110) on both the left and right sides, and the lower end face of the snake bone segment (100) is provided with lower ear plates (120) on both the left and right sides. The upper ear plate (110) of the snake bone segment (100) is hinged to the lower ear plate (120) of the other snake bone segment (100).

6. The snake-bone structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: On the same serpentine segment (100), one of the upper ear plate (110) and the lower ear plate (120) is closer to the central axis of the serpentine segment (100) than the other, so that the upper ear plate (110) and the lower ear plate (120) are misaligned inside and outside.

7. The snake-bone structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer side of the upper ear plate (110) has a groove for accommodating the lower ear plate (120).

8. The snake-bone structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front side of the snake joint (100) has two front openings, and the area between the two front openings is a front cross plate (130). The front cross plate (130) is recessed toward the central hole of the snake joint (100). The front side of the snake joint (100) and the front cross plate (130) form a front limiting hole (140) for the cable to pass through.

9. The snake-bone structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the end segment (200) is provided with a weld opening (220), which is used for welding equipment to weld the protective tube sleeved on the cable to the lower end of the end segment (200).

10. An endoscope, characterized in that, It includes a handle, an insertion tube (10), a probe disposed at one end of the insertion tube (10), and a snake-bone structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the handle is connected to the other end of the insertion tube (10) through the snake-bone structure.

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