Endoscopic instrument

Abstract

The invention relates to an endoscopic instrument having a handle and an endoscope shaft (8) that extends distally starting from the handle (6), having a spacer element (16) that extends distally starting from the handle (6) in the peripheral region of the endoscope shaft (8) and is mounted linearly movably in the handle (6). The invention also relates to an endoscopic system comprising such an endoscopic instrument.

Description

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an endoscopic instrument and an endoscopic system comprising such an endoscopic instrument.

[0002] From DE 10 2012 220 651 B4, an endoscopic system is known which comprises an endoscope and a working sleeve. An endoscope intermediate piece is arranged between the endoscope and the working sleeve, the length of which is axially adjustable. This allows the endoscope to be positioned axially within the working sleeve. The intermediate piece is a separate, loose component, which complicates assembly and handling.

[0003] The object of the invention is to provide an easier-to-handle endoscopic instrument which enables axial positioning of the instrument in a working shaft.

[0004] This problem is solved by an endoscopic instrument having the features specified in claim 1 and by an endoscopic system having the features specified in claim 12. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the accompanying figures.

[0005] The endoscopic instrument has a handle and an endoscope shaft extending distally from the handle. The handle is designed for grasping, holding, and manipulating the endoscope. The handle can be used in the usual manner. The endoscope shaft has illumination and / or irrigation / suction connections and openings to working channels, and in particular a viewing opening into an optic or connections for a camera system or similar. In the endoscope shaft, at least one working channel, irrigation channels, illumination devices, and image transmission systems, such as an optic shaft, are arranged in a known manner. According to the invention, a spacer element is provided which extends distally from the handle in the circumferential region of the endoscope shaft. That is, the spacer element is arranged in the circumferential region of the endoscope shaft. Preferably, the spacer element can be arranged on several circumferential sides of the endoscope shaft or can completely surround the endoscope shaft. According to the invention, the spacer element is mounted in the handle so as to be linearly movable. The mounting is preferably located inside the handle.The spacer element is located in an area of ​​the handle that is surrounded externally by a structure or wall. It is preferably connected to the handle in a way that does not require, and preferably does not allow, separation of the handle and spacer element during normal use. This simplifies handling of the instrument, as there are fewer individual parts. The spacer element serves to axially position the endoscopic instrument within the working shaft when it is inserted. For this purpose, the spacer element preferably rests against a contact surface at the proximal end of the working shaft.

[0006] Preferably, the spacer element is mounted in the handle so that it can be moved linearly, allowing the distance between the spacer element and the distal end of the endoscope shaft to be varied. This means that the spacer element can be moved back and forth axially within its mounting in the handle, so that the distal end of the spacer element projects from the handle to varying degrees, thereby also changing the The distance to the distal end of the endoscope shaft changes. When the spacer element is in contact with a working shaft, the distal end of the endoscope shaft is positioned relative to the distal end of the working shaft.

[0007] The spacer element preferably has a contact surface designed to engage with the proximal axial end of a working shaft. This contact surface is further preferably formed by the distal end face of the spacer element and preferably extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft. This contact surface allows the spacer element to engage with the proximal end of the working shaft, where a corresponding counter-contact surface is present. This counter-contact surface is formed, for example, by the proximal end face or end surface of the working shaft.

[0008] The spacer element is particularly preferably designed as a spacer sleeve that completely surrounds the endoscope shaft. The spacer sleeve advantageously has a circular cross-section, and its central axis extends parallel to or along the longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft. The spacer element or spacer sleeve is linearly movable along its longitudinal axis; that is, its mounting in the handle is designed to allow linear movement of the spacer sleeve along its longitudinal axis. In the spacer sleeve configuration, the contact surface described above is preferably an annular contact surface formed by the distal end of the spacer sleeve and preferably extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spacer element.

[0009] According to another possible embodiment of the invention, the spacer element has a thread which engages with a mating element. The thread in the handle engages in such a way that the spacer element can be moved linearly by rotation via the thread engagement between the thread and mating thread. The thread is arranged so that its central axis or axis of rotation extends parallel to or along the longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft, allowing the spacer element to be moved back and forth parallel to the endoscope shaft by rotation within the thread. If the spacer element is designed as a spacer sleeve, the axis of rotation of the thread is preferably identical to the central axis or longitudinal axis of the spacer sleeve, so that the entire spacer sleeve can be rotated within the thread and shifts linearly according to the thread pitch.

[0010] The thread is preferably designed as an internal thread inside the spacer sleeve. This protects the thread within the spacer sleeve. The thread can be designed as a multi-start thread to achieve the greatest possible stroke with fewer turns.

[0011] The mating thread is preferably formed as an external thread, preferably on the outer circumference of the endoscope shaft or on a distal section of the handle adjoining the proximal end of the endoscope shaft. The longitudinal axis of the mating thread extends parallel to or along the longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft. This means that the mating thread does not necessarily have to be concentric with the longitudinal axis of the endoscope shaft, but can be offset radially by a certain amount. This is particularly advantageous if the endoscope shaft is not guided centrally in the working sleeve and / or if the endoscope shaft does not have a circular cross-section. The mating thread can be arranged in the handle such that it is separated from the spacer sleeve and / or Parts of the outer wall of the handle are covered, thus protecting it from damage and / or contamination. Furthermore, this prevents the risk of injury to the user, for example, from pinching.

[0012] According to a further preferred embodiment, the spacer sleeve has a gripping area on its outer circumference, preferably in the region of its distal end. This gripping area can be designed, for example, as knurling, projections, or similar features. The gripping area preferably has sections designed as flattened areas and / or projections that do not extend exactly in the circumferential direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the spacer sleeve. This allows the gripping area to be grasped and a torque to be transmitted to the spacer sleeve via this area to rotate it in the thread. The arrangement of the gripping area at the distal end has the advantage that the spacer sleeve can be gripped securely in all possible axial positions.

[0013] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle has a wall or wall structure that surrounds a receiving space open towards the distal end of the handle, into which the spacer element engages or in which the spacer element is mounted. In this way, the wall structure can securely surround, in particular, the part of the spacer element that is received in the handle and surround or cover the bearing area of ​​the spacer element, for example, an external thread inside the handle.

[0014] The opening of the receiving chamber, directed towards the distal end of the handle, allows the spacer element to extend out of the handle and, in particular, to varying distances. The handle is moved outwards, depending on its axial positioning.

[0015] The spacer element is thus preferably movable linearly in and out of the recording space such that it projects to varying degrees distally, particularly with respect to the distal end of the handle. In a fully retracted position, where the spacer element is in its most proximal position, it is largely located within the recording space surrounded by the wall structure, or within the handle itself. In its most distal axial position, the spacer element projects further beyond the distal end of the wall structure, i.e., it is maximally extended out of the recording space.

[0016] The wall structure preferably has openings. These openings or through-holes are preferably numerous and are more preferably arranged in a substantially uniform manner across the wall surface or surface of the wall structure. This particularly preferably creates a grid structure with a multitude of openings. The openings form a perforation that allows for thorough rinsing of the receiving space and, in particular, of the thread in which the spacer element is mounted. Simultaneously, the wall structure can be shaped in such a way that the hand can optimally grip this area of ​​the handle as well.

[0017] In addition to the endoscopic instrument described above, the invention comprises an endoscopic system with such an endoscopic instrument as described above. Besides the endoscopic instrument, the endoscopic- The system features a working shaft into which the endoscopic instrument can be inserted from the distal end, such that the spacer element comes into contact with the proximal end of the working shaft. By axially shifting the spacer element, the endoscope shaft can be positioned differently within the working shaft. The further the spacer element, for example, a spacer sleeve, is moved into the interior of the handle, the closer the entire handle is to the proximal end of the working shaft, thus shifting the endoscope shaft and its distal end further distally relative to the working shaft. The distal end of the endoscope shaft can extend to varying degrees from the distal end of the working shaft, depending on how far the spacer element is moved out of the handle.

[0018] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. These show: Figure 1 shows a side view of an endoscope system according to the invention in a first positioning of the spacer element, Figure 2 shows a side view of the endoscope system according to Figure 1 in a second axial positioning of the spacer element, Figure 3 shows a side view of the endoscopic instrument in the endoscope system according to Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a detailed view of the distal end of the handle of the endoscopic instrument in the first axial position according to Figures 1 and 3, and Figure 5 shows a detailed view of the distal end of the handle in the second axial positioning of the spacer element according to Figure 2.

[0019] The endoscopic system shown here as an example comprises a working shaft 2 and an endoscopic instrument 4 arranged therein, as shown in Figure 3. The endoscopic instrument 4 has a handle 6 at its proximal end and an endoscope shaft 8 extending distally from the handle 6. The endoscope shaft has, in the usual manner, a working channel, one or more irrigation channels, an image transmission system, and / or, for example, light guides or LEDs for illumination. The working channel is open towards the proximal end of the handle 6. An insertion port 10 is formed there, through which instruments can be inserted into the interior of the endoscope shaft 8. At least one irrigation / suction port 12 is also arranged on the handle, which is connected to an irrigation channel inside the endoscope shaft 8.In this embodiment, the working shaft 2 also has a rinsing / suction port 14, which is connected to the interior of the working shaft 2, so that the free space between the inner circumference of the working shaft 2 and the outer circumference of the endoscope shaft 8 can also serve as a rinsing channel.

[0020] According to the invention, the handle 6 has an integrated spacer element in the form of a spacer sleeve 16, which can be moved out of the handle 6 to varying distances in the distal direction. The spacer sleeve 16 has a thread 17 on its inner circumference, which extends into a mating thread 18 on the outer circumference of a section of the handle 6 that adjoins the endoscope shaft 8 proximally. The spacer sleeve 16 has a grip area 20 at its distal end, by which the spacer sleeve 16 can be grasped and placed on the The counter-thread 18 can be turned. Simultaneously, it moves axially forward or backward in the direction of its rotational and longitudinal axis X2, depending on the direction of rotation. In this embodiment, the rotational and longitudinal axis X2 of the spacer sleeve 16 is offset parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the endoscope shaft 8.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the section with the mating thread 18 in the handle 6 is located inside a receiving chamber 23, which is surrounded or defined by a wall structure 22. The wall structure 22 has a multitude of openings 24, so that the wall structure 22 is perforated overall or formed in the form of a grid structure. The openings 24 make it possible to flush the receiving chamber 23 and, in particular, to hygienically clean the area of ​​the mating thread 18. At the same time, the wall structure 22 is designed to be rigid and has a shape that allows the handle to be gripped securely even in this area. The receiving chamber 23 formed inside by the wall structure 22 is open towards its distal end. The opening is an annular gap between the inner circumference of the wall structure 22 and the outer circumference of the endoscope shaft 8.Through this annular opening, the spacer sleeve 16 extends distally from the handle 6 parallel to the longitudinal axis X. The distance S by which the distal end 26 of the spacer sleeve 16 projects relative to the distal end 28 of the handle 6 can be changed by axially moving the spacer sleeve 16 by rotating the thread 17 on the mating thread 18. In the views according to Figures 1, 3, and 4, the spacer sleeve 16 is in a distal position in which the distance S is at its maximum. In the position shown in Figures 2 and 5, the spacer sleeve 16 is completely displaced into the interior of the handle, i.e., into the receiving space 23, so that the distance S is at its minimum.

[0022] The distal end of the spacer sleeve 16 forms a contact surface 26, which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X and the longitudinal axis X2. When the endoscopic instrument 4 is inserted into the working shaft 2, this contact surface 26 comes into contact with a counter-contact surface formed by the proximal end of the working shaft 2. Thus, by changing the distance S, the amount by which the endoscope shaft 8 protrudes from the distal end of the working shaft 2 can be altered. When the spacer sleeve 16 is fully extended from the handle 6, i.e., when the distance S is at its maximum, the distal end 30 of the endoscope shaft 8 is in a position where it protrudes minimally beyond the distal end 32, as shown in Figure 1. When the spacer sleeve 16 is fully moved into the handle 6, i.e., the distance S is minimal, the distal end 30 of the endoscope shaft 8 protrudes further towards the distal end 32 of the working shaft 2, i.e.,The endoscopic instrument 4 with the working shaft 8 is positioned further distally within the working shaft 2. Because the grip area 20 is located at the distal end of the spacer sleeve 16, it can be easily grasped in any axial position, and the axial positioning of the endoscope shaft 8 within the working shaft 2 can be easily changed during use of the endoscopic system by rotating the spacer sleeve 16. Reference symbol list 2 Workforce 4 endoscopic instruments 6 handle 8 Endoscope shaft 10 Import opening 12, 14 flushing / suction connections 16 Spacer sleeve 17 threads 18 counter threads 20 Grip area 22 Wall structure 23 Recording Room 24 perforations 26 distal end, contact surface 28 distal end of the handle 30 distal end of the endoscope shaft 32 distal end of the working shaft X Longitudinal axis X2 Longitudinal axis, axis of rotation s Distance

Claims

Claims: An endoscopic instrument comprising a handle and an endoscope shaft (8) extending distally from the handle (6), characterized by a spacer element (16) extending distally from the handle (6) in the circumferential region of the endoscope shaft (8) and being linearly movable within the handle (6). An endoscopic instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer element (16) is linearly movable such that the distance of the spacer element (16) from the distal end of the endoscope shaft (8) is variable. An endoscopic instrument according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spacer element (16) has a contact surface configured to engage with a proximal axial end of a working shaft (2).An endoscopic instrument according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacer element is designed as a spacer sleeve (16) circumferentially surrounding the endoscope shaft (8). An endoscopic instrument according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacer element (16) has a thread (17) which engages with a mating thread (18) in the handle (6) such that the spacer element (16) is linearly movable by rotating the thread (17). An endoscopic instrument according to claim 5, characterized in that the thread (17) is designed as an internal thread inside the spacer sleeve (16). An endoscopic instrument according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the mating thread (18) is designed as an external thread, preferably on the outer circumference of the endoscope shaft (8). An endoscopic instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spacer sleeve (16) has a grip area (20) on its outer circumference, preferably in the region of its distal end. An endoscopic instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (6) has a wall structure (22) which surrounds a receiving chamber (23) open towards the distal end of the handle (6), into which the spacer element (16) engages.Endoscopic instrument according to claim 9, characterized in that the spacer element (16) is linearly movable out of and into the receiving space (23) such that it projects to varying degrees in the distal direction (X).

1. Endoscopic instrument according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the wall structure (22) has openings (24) and is preferably designed as a grid structure. Endoscopic system comprising an endoscopic instrument (4) according to one of the preceding claims and a working shaft (2) in which the endoscopic instrument (4) can be inserted from the distal end in such a way that the spacer element (16) comes into contact with the proximal end of the working shaft (2).

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