Traction rope far-end fixing structure and endoscope
By employing a traction rope distal fixation structure in the endoscope, with the distal end of the traction rope located inside the notch and welded to the outside, the problem of radial space occupation is solved, improving the performance of the endoscope and reducing production costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-20
AI Technical Summary
In existing endoscopes, the traction rope is welded to the inside of the active bending section, occupying radial space. This limits the selection and layout of the camera module and instrument tube, making operation difficult and production costs high.
The traction rope is fixed at the far end using a structure where the far end of the traction rope is located inside the gap of the active bending section. It is welded to the outside of the active bending section through a metal sleeve to reduce the radial space occupied. The connection and fixation are achieved by observing and operating from the outside of the gap.
The reduced traction rope footprint in the radial space of the active bending section provides more layout space, offering more room for camera modules and instrument tubes, and reducing welding difficulty and production costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224008362U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of endoscope technology, and in particular to a traction rope distal fixation structure and an endoscope. Background Technology
[0002] An endoscope is a medical device that inserts its endpiece into the human body, allowing doctors to observe internal tissues through a camera module at the distal end of the endpiece. This helps doctors determine the location of lesions and the structural characteristics of the tissues within those lesions. An endoscope consists of an operating handle and an endpiece. In operation, the lever on the operating handle rotates a traction wheel, adjusting the orientation of the active bending section of the endpiece and thus the direction of the distal module, enabling functions such as fixed-point observation.
[0003] In related technologies, the active bending section is usually formed by riveting together multiple pivot units or by cutting a tubular component as a whole. The active bending section usually has a camera module, light source, instrument tube and traction rope arranged in the radial space at its far end. The far end of the traction rope is usually welded to the active bending section. On the one hand, when the radial space at the far end of the active bending section is fixed, welding the traction rope to the inside of the active bending section will occupy the radial space of the active bending section, which makes the selection and layout of the camera module and instrument tube more limited. On the other hand, welding the traction rope to the inside of the active bending section has the characteristics of high operation difficulty and high production cost. Utility Model Content
[0004] This utility model discloses a traction rope distal fixing structure and an endoscope to solve the above-mentioned technical problems existing in related technologies.
[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0006] This application provides a distal end fixing structure for a traction rope, the distal end fixing structure for the traction rope comprising:
[0007] An active bending section, wherein the active bending section is a tubular component, and a radially penetrating notch is provided at the distal end of the active bending section;
[0008] A traction rope, the distal portion of which is located within the notch.
[0009] Furthermore, the traction rope includes a traction rope body and a metal sleeve, wherein the traction rope body is formed by twisting at least two traction wires together, and the metal sleeve is sleeved on the distal end of the traction rope body.
[0010] Furthermore, the metal sleeve is stamped and fixed to the traction rope body.
[0011] Furthermore, a stamping recess is formed on the metal sleeve, the stamping recess axially penetrating the distal end face of the metal sleeve, and the portions of the active bending section on both sides of the notch are engaged within the stamping recess.
[0012] Furthermore, the portions of the active bending segment on both sides of the notch are recessed radially inward towards the active bending segment.
[0013] Furthermore, along a first direction, the width of the notch gradually decreases, the first direction being the direction in which the active bending segment extends from its proximal end to its distal end.
[0014] Furthermore, a limiting piece is also stamped on the active bending section, and the traction rope is limited and engaged with the limiting piece along a first direction, which is the direction in which the active bending section extends from its proximal end to its distal end.
[0015] Furthermore, the active bending section is also provided with an opening area that communicates with the notch, the traction rope extends outward from the opening area, and the distal end of the traction rope is attached to the outside of the active bending section.
[0016] Furthermore, the active bending section is stamped with a retaining strip in the opening area, and the proximal end of the metal sleeve axially passes through the retaining strip and extends to the inner wall of the active bending section.
[0017] Secondly, embodiments of this application also disclose an endoscope, which includes the aforementioned distal fixation structure for the traction rope.
[0018] The technical solution adopted in this utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects:
[0019] The traction rope distal fixation structure and endoscope of this application, under the condition that the radial space of the active bending section is fixed, based on the fact that the distal part of the traction rope is located in the notch, the traction rope can occupy the radial space corresponding to the side wall of the active bending section, and even the radial space outside the side wall of the active bending section, thereby reducing the traction rope's occupation of the radial space in the active bending section, thus providing more space for the arrangement of other components in the active bending section. For example, a larger camera module can often accommodate a higher resolution sensor to provide higher quality images, or a larger instrument tube diameter can accommodate a larger size medical instrument to increase the flexibility of surgical operation, thereby optimizing the performance of the endoscope.
[0020] Meanwhile, part of the traction rope is exposed outside the active bending section through a notch. The portions of the active bending section on both sides of the notch abut against the outer periphery of the traction rope. The connection between the active bending section and the traction rope can be directly observed from the outside of the active bending section. When connecting and fixing the two, the operator or welding robot can directly weld from the outside of the active bending section to achieve the connection and fixation between the active bending section and the traction rope. Compared with the traditional method of welding and fixing the far end of the traction rope to the inside of the active bending section, this method can effectively reduce the difficulty of welding the far end of the traction rope to the far end of the active bending section and reduce the production cost of the endoscope. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the active bending segment according to an embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the traction rope according to an embodiment of this application;
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the distal fixing structure of the traction rope according to an embodiment of this application.
[0026] In the diagram: 100, active bending section; 110, notch; 120, opening area; 130, locking strip; 140, limiting piece; 150, fan blade; 200, traction rope; 210, traction rope body; 220, metal sleeve; 221, stamping indentation. Detailed Implementation
[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of this utility model will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.
[0028] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.
[0029] This application discloses a distal fixation structure for a traction rope and an endoscope, as described below in conjunction with the attached diagram. Figures 1 to 4 The present application provides a detailed description of the traction rope distal fixation structure and endoscope provided in the embodiments of this application through specific implementation methods and application scenarios.
[0030] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 This application discloses a distal fixation structure for a traction rope, applied to an endoscope. The disclosed distal fixation structure for a traction rope includes an active bending section 100 and a traction rope 200. The active bending section 100 is a tubular structure. For example, the active bending section 100 can be formed by riveting multiple tubular pivot units together, or it can be integrally formed by laser cutting a metal tube. The traction rope 200 can be inserted into the active bending section 100, and the distal end of the traction rope 200 is connected and fixed to the distal end of the active bending section 100. When the traction rope 200 is subjected to traction force and pulls the active bending section 100, the entire active bending section 100 can bend.
[0031] In this embodiment, both the active bending section 100 and the traction rope 200 can be made of metal. The distal end of the traction rope 200 can be connected and fixed to the active bending section 100 by welding. Specifically, the distal end of the active bending section 100 can be a pivot unit or a connector connecting the pivot unit. The camera module and light source can be located in the pivot unit at the distal end of the active bending section 100 or in the connector, i.e., the camera module and light source are located inside the distal end of the active bending section 100. The distal end of the active bending section 100 is provided with a notch 110 that radially penetrates the side wall of the active bending section 100. When the distal end of the traction rope 200 is connected to the distal end of the active bending section 100, a portion of the traction rope 200 is located within the notch 110.
[0032] In the distal fixation structure of the traction rope in this embodiment, given a fixed radial space in the active bending section 100, since the distal portion of the traction rope 200 is located within the notch 110, the traction rope 200 can encroach on the radial space corresponding to the sidewall of the active bending section 100, and even encroach on the radial space outside the sidewall of the active bending section 100. This reduces the occupancy of the traction rope 200 on the radial space within the active bending section 100, thereby providing more space for the arrangement of other components (such as camera modules, light sources, and instrument tubes) within the active bending section 100. For example, a larger camera module can often accommodate a higher resolution sensor, thereby providing higher quality images, which helps doctors or operators to more accurately identify lesion sites or surgical details, and / or, a larger instrument tube diameter can accommodate larger medical instruments, such as surgical forceps, scissors, etc., thereby increasing the diversity and flexibility of operation.
[0033] Meanwhile, a portion of the traction rope 200 is exposed outside the active bending section 100 through the notch 110. The portions of the active bending section 100 on both sides of the notch 110 abut against the outer periphery of the traction rope 200. The connection between the active bending section 100 and the traction rope 200 can be directly observed from the outside of the active bending section 100. When connecting and fixing the two, the operator or welding robot can directly weld from the outside of the active bending section 100 to achieve the connection and fixation between the active bending section 100 and the traction rope 200. Compared with the traditional method of welding and fixing the far end of the traction rope 200 to the inside of the active bending section 100, this method can effectively reduce the difficulty of welding the far end of the traction rope 200 to the far end of the active bending section 100 and reduce production costs.
[0034] In related technologies, the traction rope 200 is usually formed by twisting multiple traction wires. By twisting multiple traction wires, the overall strength and durability of the traction rope 200 can be effectively improved, allowing the traction rope 200 to withstand greater tension and reducing the risk of breakage.
[0035] In this case, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The traction rope 200 in this embodiment includes a traction rope body 210 and a metal sleeve 220. The traction rope body 210 can be formed by twisting at least two traction ropes together. The metal sleeve 220 is sleeved on the distal end of the traction rope body 210. Exemplarily, the metal sleeve 220 can be a stainless steel tube, an aluminum tube, or a copper tube. The metal sleeve 220 and the traction rope body 210 can be connected and fixed by stamping. On the one hand, the metal sleeve 220 can provide additional protection for the traction rope body 210, helping to reduce the risk of damage to the traction rope body 210 due to wear, cutting, or pressure. On the other hand, the metal sleeve 220 can tightly wrap around the distal end of the traction rope body 210 to prevent the traction wire from loosening and falling off, that is, to avoid the phenomenon of wire breakage, thereby maintaining the integrity of the traction rope 200 and the stable traction function. At the same time, in this embodiment of the application, the traction rope 200 is welded to the active bending section 100 through the metal sleeve 220. Compared with the requirement that the traction rope body 210 and the active bending section 100 need to be welded to each traction wire accurately and firmly to the active bending section, the welding process is greatly simplified and the operation difficulty is reduced.
[0036] In the embodiments of this application, the distal end of the traction rope 200 can be inserted into the notch 110 from the inside of the active bending section 100 or from the outside of the active bending section 100. It is understood that, regardless of whether the traction rope 200 is inserted into the notch 110 from the inside or the outside, the width of the notch 110 should be smaller than the diameter of the metal sleeve 220, so as to avoid the entire metal sleeve 220 from detaching when passing through the notch 110. That is to say, when the traction rope 200 and the active bending section 100 are pre-fixed before welding, the metal sleeve 220 can be held against the notch 110. Compared to the method of inserting the traction rope 200 into the notch 110 from the inside, inserting the traction rope 200 into the notch 110 from the outside provides the operator with a larger operating space. The operator can directly observe the positional relationship between the traction rope 200 and the notch 110, thus being able to adjust the position and angle of the traction rope 200 more freely, ensuring that the traction rope 200 can accurately enter the notch 110 and fit tightly, effectively avoiding assembly errors caused by obstructed vision or limited operating space.
[0037] In one optional embodiment, the active bending section 100 is further provided with an opening area 120 communicating with the notch 110. The opening area 120 is distributed on the proximal side of the notch 110. The distal end of the metal sleeve 220 inserted into the active bending section 100 can be passed out from the opening area 120. The metal sleeve 220 is inserted into the notch 110 from the outside of the active bending section 100. When the metal sleeve 220 is inserted into the notch from the outside, it is convenient for the operator to apply a certain pressure from the outside to make the metal sleeve 220 and the part of the active bending section 100 on both sides of the notch 110 fit tightly, thereby ensuring the convenience of welding work and the stability of welding.
[0038] In this embodiment of the application, for ease of writing, the portion of the active bending section 100 formed on both sides of the notch 110 is defined as fan blades 150. In a further technical solution, the portion of the active bending section 100 on both sides of the notch 110 is recessed radially inward. In this way, when the distal end of the traction rope 200 is inserted into the notch 110 from the outside of the active bending section 100, the two fan blades 150 can play a certain positioning role for the metal sleeve 220 in the radially inward direction. Furthermore, this method allows the main body of the metal sleeve 220 to be located outside the distal end of the active bending section 100, resulting in a larger inner space at the distal end of the active bending section 100. This provides more space for the installation of other components (camera module, instrument tube, etc.), thereby optimizing the performance of the endoscope.
[0039] In this embodiment, the width of the notch 110 gradually decreases along the first direction, which is the direction in which the active bending section 100 extends from its proximal end to its distal end. That is to say, the proximal portion of the fan blade 150 is more concave inward, while the distal portion of the fan blade 150 is less concave inward. In this way, when the traction rope 200 is threaded through, the proximal portion of the fan blade 150 can provide more clearance space for the metal sleeve 220, making it easier for the metal sleeve 220 at the distal end of the traction rope 200 to enter the area where the notch 110 is located. This avoids the proximal side of the fan blade 150 blocking the distal end of the metal sleeve 220, preventing the metal sleeve 220 from moving into place. As the metal sleeve 220 is continuously pushed in, the fan blade 150 can guide the metal sleeve 220.
[0040] For further technical solutions, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 and Figure 4The active bending section also has a retaining strip 130 stamped in the aforementioned opening area 120. The retaining strip 130 is recessed inward along the radial direction of the active bending section 100. The distal end of the metal sleeve 220 extends to the notch 110, and the proximal end of the metal sleeve 220 axially passes through the retaining strip 130 and extends to the inner wall of the active bending section 100. The retaining strip 130 can apply a radially outward constraint to the metal sleeve 220, while the inner wall of the active bending section 100 on the proximal side of the retaining strip 130 can apply a radially inward constraint to the metal sleeve 220. In this way, based on the constraint forces applied to the metal sleeve 220 by the retaining strip 130 and the inner wall of the active bending section 100 in opposite directions, when the metal sleeve 220 is welded to the active bending section 100, the metal sleeve 220 can maintain a relatively stable position and posture. This can prevent the welding stress generated at the welding point from causing the metal sleeve 220 to warp or move arbitrarily, thereby ensuring the certainty of the posture and position of the metal sleeve 220 after welding, preventing the proximal end of the metal sleeve 220 from detaching from the active bending section 100 and tilting outward, and ensuring that the metal sleeve 220 extends along the axial direction of the active bending section 100.
[0041] As described above, the metal sleeve 220 can be connected and fixed to the traction rope body 210 by stamping. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 and Figure 4 When the metal sleeve 220 and the traction rope body 210 are stamped together, a stamping recess is formed on the metal sleeve 220. In a further technical solution, when the two are stamped together, the stamping recess 221 axially penetrates the distal end face of the metal sleeve 220. When the traction rope 200 is inserted and pushed, the portions of the active bending section 100 on both sides of the notch 110 (i.e., the fan blades 150) can slide into and be locked in the stamping recess 221. In this way, along the circumferential direction of the active bending section 100, the fan blades 150 can be limited and matched with the inner wall of the stamping recess 221. This matching method can prevent the metal sleeve 220 from rotating around its own axis and also prevent the metal sleeve 220 from detaching from the active bending section 100 in the radial direction. During the welding operation, no additional pressing force is required to make the metal sleeve 220 fit with the active bending section 100 and maintain a relatively fixed positional relationship, thereby ensuring the convenience of the welding operation.
[0042] In a further technical solution, a limiting piece 140 is also stamped on the active bending section 100. Along the first direction, the distal end of the traction rope 200 is limited and engaged with the limiting piece 140. The first direction is the extension direction of the active bending section 100 from its proximal end to its distal end. When the traction rope 200 is inserted, the distal end of the metal sleeve 220 can abut against the limiting piece 140 to achieve the pre-positioning of the traction rope 200 in the axial direction, avoiding excessive movement of the traction rope 200 and causing the metal sleeve 220 to not correspond to the notch 110. Furthermore, when the limiting piece 140 is stamped on the active bending section 100, it is easy to control the aforementioned fan blade 150 from radially inward indentation.
[0043] In this embodiment of the application, the aforementioned limiting piece 140 may be formed by cutting the side wall of the active bending section 100. For example, there may be two limiting pieces 140 that extend approximately circumferentially along the active bending section 100. The two limiting pieces 140 are distributed on both sides of the notch 110 and are arranged opposite to each other. The limiting piece 140 may deform in the radial direction of the active bending section 100 when compressed, so as to abut against the distal end face of the traction rope 200 to preposition the traction rope 200.
[0044] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.
[0045] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.
Claims
1. A traction rope distal end fixing structure, used in an endoscope, characterized in that, include: Active bending section (100), the active bending section (100) is a tubular member, and the distal end of the active bending section (100) is provided with a notch (110) that radially penetrates the active bending section (100). The traction rope (200) has a distal portion located within the notch (110).
2. The traction rope distal end fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction rope (200) includes a traction rope body (210) and a metal sleeve (220), wherein the traction rope body (210) is formed by twisting together at least two traction wires, and the metal sleeve (220) is sleeved on the distal end of the traction rope body (210).
3. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to claim 2, characterized in that, The metal sleeve (220) is stamped and fixed to the traction rope body (210).
4. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to claim 3, characterized in that, A stamping recess (221) is formed on the metal sleeve (220), the stamping recess (221) axially penetrates the distal end face of the metal sleeve (220), and the active bending section (100) is partially engaged in the stamping recess (221) on both sides of the notch (110).
5. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The portion of the active bending segment (100) on both sides of the notch (110) is recessed radially inward.
6. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Along a first direction, the width of the notch (110) gradually decreases, the first direction being the direction in which the active bending segment (100) extends from its proximal end to its distal end.
7. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, A limiting piece (140) is also stamped on the active bending section (100). Along a first direction, the traction rope (200) is limited and engaged with the limiting piece (140). The first direction is the direction in which the active bending section (100) extends from its proximal end to its distal end.
8. The distal end fixing structure of the traction rope according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that, The active bending section (100) is also provided with an opening area (120) that communicates with the notch (110), the traction rope (200) extends outward from the opening area (120), and the distal end of the traction rope (200) is attached to the outside of the active bending section (100).
9. The traction rope distal end fixing structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The active bending section (100) has a retaining strip (130) stamped in the opening area (120), and the proximal end of the metal sleeve (220) axially passes through the retaining strip (130) and extends to the inner wall of the active bending section (100).
10. An endoscope, characterized in that, Includes the distal end fixing structure of the traction rope as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.