Electric wire connection structure, electric wire connection method, medical appliance, and manufacturing method of medical appliance

Abstract

To provide an electric wire connection structure capable of easily connecting a plurality of electric wires with a substrate, an electric wire connection method, a medical appliance, and a manufacturing method of the medical appliance.SOLUTION: In an electric wire connection structure where core wires 21 of a plurality of insulation electric wires 2 each including the core wire 21 and an insulation coating 22 are connected to a plurality of pads 62 provided in a substrate 6, the plurality of insulation electric wires 2 is arranged side by side in a predetermined arrangement direction D and disposed in parallel with each other and in a portion of each electric wire in a length direction, the core wire 21 is exposed by removing the insulation coating 22. The core wires 21 in the exposed portions are each connected to the plurality of pads 62. In the insulation electric wire 2 in a part of the plurality of insulation electric wires 2, the core wire 21 is exposed in a portion where the insulation coatings 22 of both the other neighboring insulation electric wires 2 in the arrangement direction D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric wire connection structure, an electric wire connection method, a medical device, and a method for manufacturing a medical device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, medical catheter cables inserted into the human body for examination or treatment include those in which multiple electric wires are housed together in a tubular jacket. The multiple electric wires are led out of the jacket at the end of the catheter cable and connected to, for example, a substrate. Patent documents 1 and 2 have proposed connection structures between such multiple electric wires and a substrate.

[0003] In the device described in Patent Document 1, multiple coaxial lines are divided into multiple groups stacked in the thickness direction of a substrate, and the central conductors of the coaxial lines in each group are connected to multiple contact conductors provided on the surface of the substrate. The lengths of the coaxial lines are different for each group, and the central conductors are connected to the contact conductors of the substrate at the respective tips of the coaxial lines.

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 2, in order to improve workability when connecting a core wire made of a twisted wire to a connection land on a circuit board, the core wire from which the insulating material outer sheath has been removed is inserted into a metal tube, and the connection land on the circuit board is joined to the metal tube and core wire by diffusion bonding or ultrasonic bonding while pressing against the metal tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-82042 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 105391 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Medical catheter cables are being made thinner to reduce the burden on the human body, and for example, ultra-thin wires equivalent to AWG46 are used as described in Patent Document 1. However, as the wires become thinner, the difficulty of connecting them to the circuit board increases.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire connection structure, an electric wire connection method, a medical device, and a method for manufacturing a medical device, which are capable of easily connecting a plurality of electric wires to a board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electric wire connection structure in which the core wires of a plurality of insulated electric wires, each having an insulating coating covering the core wire, are connected to a plurality of pads provided on a substrate, the plurality of insulated electric wires being arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction and parallel to one another, the insulating coating being removed along part of each of the longitudinal directions to expose the core wire, the core wires at the exposed parts being connected to the plurality of pads, respectively, and some of the plurality of insulated electric wires have the core wire exposed in parts where the insulating coating of adjacent insulated electric wires on both sides in the arrangement direction has not been removed.

[0009] Furthermore, for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electric wire connection method for connecting core wires of a plurality of insulated electric wires, each having an insulating coating covering the core wire, to a plurality of pads provided on a substrate, the electric wire connection method comprising: an alignment step of arranging the plurality of insulated electric wires parallel to each other along a predetermined arrangement direction; an insulating coating removal step of removing the insulating coating from a portion of the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of insulated electric wires to expose the core wire; and a connection step of arranging the plurality of insulated electric wires so that the arrangement direction is parallel to the substrate and connecting the exposed core wires to the plurality of pads, respectively, wherein in the insulating coating removal step, the core wires of some of the plurality of insulated electric wires are exposed in portions where the insulating coatings of other insulated electric wires on either side of them in the arrangement direction are not removed.

[0010] Furthermore, for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a medical device comprising: a catheter cable having a plurality of insulated wires each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a substrate having a plurality of pads to which the core wires of the plurality of insulated wires are connected, one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable being inserted into a human body, and each of the core wires of the plurality of insulated wires and the plurality of pads being connected by the above-mentioned wire connection structure.

[0011] Furthermore, for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a medical device comprising a catheter cable having a plurality of insulated wires each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire, and a substrate having a plurality of pads to which the core wires of the plurality of insulated wires are connected, one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable being inserted into a human body, wherein the core wires of the plurality of insulated wires are connected to the plurality of pads by the above-mentioned wire connecting method. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the electric wire connection structure, the electric wire connection method, the medical device, and the method for manufacturing the medical device of the present invention, it is possible to easily connect a plurality of electric wires to a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1A is an explanatory view showing a state in which a multi-electrode catheter is used as an example of a medical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a catheter cable. [Diagram 2] 13(a) and 13(b) are perspective views showing some of the insulated wires and the substrate within the handle. [Diagram 3] 2(a) to 2(c) are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA, BB, and CC in FIG. 2(b). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of insulated electric wires are gripped by first and second jigs. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing lower gripping tools of the first and second jigs. [Figure 6] 1(a) to 1(c) are explanatory views showing an alignment step, and FIG. 1(d) is an explanatory view showing an insulating coating removal step. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an electric wire connection structure according to a comparative example. [Figure 8] 1A is a configuration diagram showing an electric wire connection structure according to Modification 1. FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a substrate according to Modification 1. [Figure 9] 10(a) is a configuration diagram showing an electric wire connection structure according to Modification 2. FIG. 10(b) is a plan view showing a board according to Modification 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] [Embodiment Mode] Fig. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a multi-electrode catheter is used as an example of a medical instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of a catheter cable.

[0015] The multi-electrode catheter 1 has a catheter cable 10 and a handle 11 that is operated by an operator such as a doctor. One longitudinal end of the catheter cable 10 is housed in the handle 11, and the other longitudinal end is inserted into the body of a subject P for examination or treatment. In Fig. 1(a), the portion of the catheter cable 10 that is inserted into the body of the subject P is shown by a dashed line.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the catheter cable 10 includes a wire bundle 20 consisting of a plurality of insulated wires 2, a bind tape 3 wound around the outer periphery of the wire bundle 20, a shield conductor 4 arranged around the outer periphery of the bind tape 3, and a tubular jacket 5 arranged around the outer periphery of the shield conductor 4. The jacket 5 is made of, for example, fluororesin, and houses the wire bundle 20, the bind tape 3, and the shield conductor 4. In this embodiment, ten insulated wires 2 are bundled together to form the wire bundle 20. Note that a fibrous or string-like intervening member may be disposed between the plurality of insulated wires 2 inside the bind tape 3.

[0017] The insulated wire 2 has a core wire 21 made of a metal with good electrical conductivity such as copper, and an insulating coating 22 that covers the core wire 21. In this embodiment, the insulated wire 2 is an enameled wire, and the core wire 21 made of a single wire with a circular cross section is covered with an insulating coating 22 made of a resin composition such as polyurethane. The diameter of the core wire 21 is, for example, 0.02 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less. In this embodiment, the core wire 21 corresponds to AWG48 according to the AWG (American Wire Gauge) standard, and the conductor diameter is 0.032 mm. The thickness of the insulating coating 22 is, for example, 0.008 mm.

[0018] The multiple insulated electric wires 2 are led out from the jacket 5 inside the handle 11. A console cable 12 thicker than the catheter cable 10 is led out from the handle 11, and the handle 11 is connected to a console (not shown) by this console cable 12. The console is an information processing device equipped with a microprocessor, memory, etc., and, for example, amplifies a signal sent from the subject P's body via the multiple insulated electric wires 2, and outputs an image signal for displaying on a display the internal condition of the subject P obtained from the amplified signal.

[0019] The handle 11 houses a board having a plurality of pads to which the core wires 21 of a plurality of insulated electric wires 2 are connected. A signal sent from the body of the subject P is relayed by this board and sent to the console via the console cable 12. Next, a description will be given of an electric wire connection structure in which the core wires 21 of the plurality of insulated electric wires 2 are connected to a plurality of pads on the board.

[0020] 2(a) and (b) are perspective views showing a portion of the substrate 6 and the insulated wires 2 housed in the handle 11. Fig. 2(a) shows a state in which the insulated wires 2 and the substrate 6 are arranged opposite each other, and Fig. 2(b) shows a state in which the core wires 21 of the insulated wires 2 are connected to the pads 62 of the substrate 6. Figs. 3(a) to 3(c) are cross-sectional views of the lines AA, BB, and CC in Fig. 2(a).

[0021] The substrate 6 has a plurality of pads 62 provided on one main surface 61a of a flat base material 61 made of an insulating material such as polyimide. The plurality of pads 62 are rectangular metal foils adhered to one main surface 61a of the base material 61. The substrate 6 is provided with wiring patterns extending from the plurality of pads 62, through holes penetrating the base material 61 in the thickness direction, and the like, but these are not shown in Figures 2(a) and (b).

[0022] The multiple insulated wires 2 are arranged in parallel to each other with their front and rear portions including the connection points with the multiple pads 62 aligned along a predetermined alignment direction parallel to the substrate 6. In Figures 2(a) and (b) , this alignment direction D is indicated by a double-headed arrow. Also, the multiple insulated wires 2 have the insulating coating 22 removed from a portion in the longitudinal direction thereof to expose the core wire 21, and the core wire 21 in this exposed portion is connected to the multiple pads 62, respectively.

[0023] Some of the insulated electric wires 2 have exposed core wires 2 at portions where the insulating coatings 22 of the other insulated electric wires 2 adjacent thereto in the arrangement direction D have not been removed. In the present embodiment, exposed portions 23 where the core wires 21 are exposed are alternately arranged in a staggered pattern along the arrangement direction D at first positions P1 and second positions P2 spaced apart by a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction D (longitudinal direction of the insulated electric wires 2). More specifically, five insulated electric wires 2 with exposed core wires 21 at the first positions P1 and five insulated electric wires 2 with exposed core wires 21 at the second positions P2 are alternately arranged along the arrangement direction D.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the intervals I0 between the multiple insulated electric wires 2 in the arrangement direction D are smaller than the outer diameter OD of the insulated electric wires 2. The intervals I0 are, for example, 20 to 80% of the outer diameter OD of the insulated electric wires 2. As described above, when the outer diameter of the core wire 21 is 0.032 mm (32 μm) and the thickness of the insulating coating 22 is 0.008 mm (8 μm), the outer diameter OD of the insulated electric wires 2 is 0.048 mm (48 μm). Note that relative positional deviation between each insulated electric wire 2 and the board 6 in the arrangement direction D is permitted within a range in which the exposed core wire 21 and the pad 62 face each other in the thickness direction of the board 6. When the intervals I0 between the multiple insulated electric wires 2 in the arrangement direction D are not uniform, it is sufficient that the average value of the intervals I0 is smaller than the outer diameter OD of the insulated electric wires 2.

[0025] 3(a), the interval I1 between two adjacent pads 62 in the arrangement direction D at a first position P1 in the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 2 is larger than the outer diameter OD of the insulated wire 2. Also, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the interval I2 between two adjacent pads 62 in the arrangement direction D at a second position P2 in the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 2 is larger than the outer diameter OD of the insulated wire 2.

[0026] 2(a), a pad-free region 63 having a predetermined width W in the longitudinal direction of the insulated wires 2 is provided between the pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the first position P1 are connected and the pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the second position P2 are connected. The width W is a dimension that can prevent the occurrence of a solder bridge as shown in FIG. 7, which will be described later, between the pads 62 that sandwich the pad-free region 63.

[0027] In the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 2, the exposed portion 23 is formed at a portion excluding the tip end portion of each of the multiple insulated wires 2. In other words, at the tip end portion of the insulated wire 2, the core wire 21 is covered with the insulating coating 22. The tip end portion of the insulated wire 2 is a portion that is held by a jig described later when connecting the exposed core wire 21 to the pads 62 of the board 6. Next, a wire connecting method for connecting the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 to the multiple pads 62 of the board 6 will be described.

[0028] This wire connection method includes an alignment process in which multiple insulated wires 2 are aligned parallel to one another along alignment direction D, an insulating coating removal process in which the insulating coating 22 is removed from part of the longitudinal direction of each of the multiple insulated wires 2 to expose the core wires 21, and a connection process in which the multiple insulated wires 2 are arranged so that the alignment direction D is parallel to the substrate 6 and the exposed core wires 21 are connected to multiple pads 62, respectively.

[0029] 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of insulated wires 2 are held by first and second jigs 7, 8. The first and second jigs 7, 8 have lower gripping tools 71, 81 and upper gripping tools 72, 82, respectively, and a plurality of insulated wires 2 are held between the lower gripping tools 71, 81 and the upper gripping tools 72, 82.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the lower gripping tools 71, 81 of the first and second jigs 7, 8. The lower gripping tool 71 of the first jig 7 has a plurality of grooves 711 for holding a plurality of insulated electric wires 2 at equal intervals. The lower gripping tool 81 of the second jig 8 also has the same number of grooves 811. As shown in FIG. 5, the shape of the grooves 711, 811 as viewed from the longitudinal direction of the plurality of insulated electric wires 2 is, for example, V-shaped. The upper gripping tools 72, 82 of the first and second jigs 7, 8 have a flat surface facing the lower gripping tools 71, 81, and hold a plurality of insulated electric wires 2 between them. The upper gripping tools 72, 82 may also have grooves similar to those of the lower gripping tools 71, 81.

[0031] 6(a) to (c) are explanatory views showing the alignment step. Fig. 6(a) shows the first stage of the alignment step. In this first stage, the jacket 5 at one end of the catheter cable 10 is removed together with the bind tape 3 and the shield conductor 4 to expose the wire bundle 20, and the insulated wires 2 are housed in each of the multiple grooves 711, 811 of the lower gripping tools 71, 81 of the first and second jigs 7, 8.

[0032] In a second stage of the alignment process, as shown in Fig. 6(b), multiple insulated electric wires 2 are clamped between lower gripping tools 71, 81 and upper gripping tools 72, 82. The first jig 7 grips the leading end of each of the multiple insulated electric wires 2, and the second jig 8 grips the multiple insulated electric wires 2 on the jacket 5 side of the first jig 7. In the example shown in Fig. 6(b), the second jig 8 grips the multiple insulated electric wires 2 at a position adjacent to the first jig 7.

[0033] In the third stage of the alignment process, as shown in Fig. 6(c), while the first jig 7 holds the leading end of each of the insulated electric wires 2, the second jig 8 is moved toward the jacket 5 to widen the gap between the first jig 7 and the second jig 8. This allows the insulated electric wires 2 to be held at two positions, one at the leading end in the longitudinal direction and the other at a distance from the leading end in the longitudinal direction. When moving the second jig 8, the gripping force of the second jig 8 is adjusted to a value that allows the second jig 8 to slide along the longitudinal direction of the insulated electric wires 2 without the insulated electric wires 2 coming out of the grooves 811 of the lower gripping tool 81.

[0034] 6(d) is an explanatory diagram showing the insulating coating removal step. In the insulating coating removal step, the core wires 21 of some of the insulated wires 2 among the multiple insulated wires 2 are exposed in portions where the insulating coatings 22 of the other insulated wires 2 adjacent thereto in the arrangement direction D have not been removed. In this embodiment, the core wires 21 of the ten insulated wires 2 are exposed in portions where the insulating coatings 22 of the other insulated wires 2 adjacent thereto in the arrangement direction D have not been removed, except for two insulated wires 2 at both ends in the arrangement direction D. As a result, the exposed portions of the core wires 21 are formed in a staggered pattern.

[0035] The method for removing the insulating coating 22 is not particularly limited, but for example, the insulating coating 22 can be removed from a portion of the insulated wire 2 in the longitudinal direction by irradiating it with laser light. In the insulating coating removal step, the insulating coating 22 may be removed from the entire circumference of the insulated wire 2, or only the portion of the insulating coating 22 facing the pad 62 may be removed. Even in this case, the core wire 21 can be connected to the pad 62. However, if the insulating coating 22 is removed from the entire circumference of the insulated wire 2, it becomes easier to connect the core wire 21 and the pad 62 in the connection step, and it becomes easier to check the connection state between the core wire 21 and the pad 62.

[0036] In the connecting step, the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 are connected to the multiple pads 62 between two positions in the longitudinal direction of the insulated wires 2 held by the first and second jigs 7 and 8. The core wires 21 and the pads 62 may be connected by soldering, but the core wires 21 and the pads 62 may also be connected by a conductive adhesive. When connecting the core wires 21 and the pads 62 by soldering, for example, the core wires 21 can be connected to the pads 62 by bringing the core wires 21 into contact with cream solder that has been applied to the pads 62 in advance, and then heating and melting the cream solder in this state.

[0037] 3(a) and (b) show the case where the core wire 21 and the pad 62 are connected by solder 9. The heat resistance temperature of the insulating coating 22 is higher than the melting point of the solder 9, and therefore, when the core wire 21 of the insulated wire 2 is soldered, even if the molten solder comes into contact with the insulating coating 22 of another insulated wire 2 adjacent to that insulated wire 2, the insulating coating 22 does not melt.

[0038] 3(a) and 3(b), a portion having the insulating coating 22 of the insulated wire 2 connected to the pad 62 at the second position P2 is disposed between two pads 62 adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction D at the first position P1. Also, a portion having the insulating coating 22 of the insulated wire 2 connected to the pad 61 at the first position P1 is disposed between two pads 62 adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction D at the second position P2. By interposing the insulating coating 22 of the insulated wire 2 between the two pads 62 adjacent to each other along the arrangement direction D, it is possible to prevent the flow of molten solder and suppress the occurrence of a solder bridge (short circuit).

[0039] In the connecting step, the core wires 21 of the insulated wires 2 are connected to the pads 62, respectively, while tension is applied to the insulated wires 2 in the longitudinal direction. Applying tension to the insulated wires 2 can prevent the core wires 21 and the pads 62 from becoming misaligned due to slack in the insulated wires 2.

[0040] (Comparative Example) 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a comparative example in which the core wires 21 of a pair of insulated wires 2 arranged in parallel to each other are exposed at positions aligned in the arranging direction of the pair of insulated wires 2 and soldered to pads 62 of a substrate 60. When the core wires 21 are soldered in this manner, the interval between adjacent pads 62 becomes narrow, and solder bridges are likely to occur as shown in FIG.

[0041] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the embodiment described above, the portions of the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 exposed from the insulating coating 22 are not adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D, so that the intervals I1, I2 between the pads 62 in the arrangement direction D can be made larger than the outer diameter OD of the insulated wires 2, making it easier to prevent the occurrence of solder bridges. This makes it easy to connect the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 to the pads 62. Furthermore, the connection between the core wires 21 and the pads 62 can be automated rather than being limited to manual work.

[0042] (Variation 1) Fig. 8(a) is a configuration diagram showing an electric wire connection structure according to Modification 1. Fig. 8(b) is a plan view showing a board 6A of the electric wire connection structure according to Modification 1. In the above embodiment, the connection structure in which the core wires 21 of the ten insulated electric wires 2 are connected to the pads 62 of the board 6 has been described, but in Modification 1, the core wires 21 of the eleven insulated electric wires 2 are connected to the pads 62 of the board 6A. In the above embodiment, the case in which the core wires 21 are exposed at the first position P1 and the second position P2 in the longitudinal direction of the multiple insulated electric wires 2 has been described, but in Modification 1, the core wires 21 are exposed at the first position P1, the second position P2, and the third position P3 in the longitudinal direction of the multiple insulated electric wires 2.

[0043] 8(a), of the eleven insulated electric wires 2, four insulated electric wires 2 have their core wires 21 exposed from the insulating coating 22 at a first position P1, the other three insulated electric wires 2 have their core wires 21 exposed from the insulating coating 22 at a second position P2, and the remaining four insulated electric wires 2 have their core wires 21 exposed from the insulating coating 22 at a third position P3. At the first position P1, the second position P2, and the third position P3, the multiple insulated electric wires 2 are arranged parallel to one another so that the exposed portions of the core wires 21 are not adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D.

[0044] 8(b), the substrate 6A is provided with pads 62 in the same number as the insulated wires 2, corresponding to the positions at which the core wires 21 are exposed. Non-pad-forming regions 63 having a predetermined width W are provided between the multiple pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the first position P1 are connected and the multiple pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the second position P2 are connected, and between the multiple pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the second position P2 are connected and the multiple pads 62 to which the core wires 21 exposed at the third position P3 are connected.

[0045] In this first modification, similarly to the above embodiment, the portions of the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 exposed from the insulating coating 22 are not adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction D, so that the intervals between the pads 62 in the arrangement direction D can be increased, making it easier to prevent the occurrence of solder bridges. This makes it easier to connect the core wires 21 of the multiple insulated wires 2 to the pads 62.

[0046] In the electric wire connection structure according to the first modified example, the multiple insulated wires 2 are aligned parallel to one another through the same alignment process, insulating coating removal process, and connection process as in the above-described embodiment, and parts of the insulating coating 22 are removed to expose the core wires 21, which are then connected to the pads 62. The same applies to the second modified example described below.

[0047] (Variation 2) Fig. 9(a) is a configuration diagram showing an electric wire connection structure according to Modification 2. Fig. 9(b) is a plan view showing a board 6B of the electric wire connection structure according to Modification 2. In the above embodiment, the case where the pads 62 of the same size are arranged in a staggered pattern at the first position P1 and the second position P2 has been described, but in Modification 2, multiple types of pads (narrow pads 621 and wide pads 622) having different widths in the arrangement direction D are provided on the board 6B. In Modification 2, the core wires 21 of six insulated wires 2 are connected to the narrow pads 621 and wide pads 622 of the board 6B.

[0048] Like the pads 62 of the substrate 6 in the above embodiment, the narrow pads 621 are formed to have a width approximately equal to the outer diameter of the insulated wires 2. The wide pads 622 are formed to have a width approximately twice that of the narrow pads 621. The substrate 6B is provided with one narrow pad 621 and one wide pad 622 at positions corresponding to first positions P1 and second positions P2 of the multiple insulated wires 2 in the longitudinal direction.

[0049] Of the six insulated electric wires 2, three insulated electric wires 2 have their core wires 21 exposed at the first position P1, and the other three insulated electric wires 2 have their core wires 21 exposed at the second position P2. Of the three insulated electric wires 2 whose core wires 21 are exposed at the first position P1, the core wire 21 of one insulated electric wire 2 is connected to the narrow pad 621, and the core wires 21 of the other two insulated electric wires 2 are connected together to the wide pad 622. Of the three insulated electric wires 2 whose core wires 21 are exposed at the second position P2, the core wire 21 of one insulated electric wire 2 is connected to the narrow pad 621, and the core wires 21 of the other two insulated electric wires 2 are connected together to the wide pad 622.

[0050] The insulated wire 2 having the core wire 21 connected to the wide pad 622 is used, for example, to supply power to an electronic device (e.g., a CCD camera) that is inserted into the human body. The insulated wire 2 having the core wire 21 connected to the narrow pad 621 is used, for example, as a signal line that transmits a signal for transmitting an input signal to an electronic device or an output signal from an electronic device.

[0051] Even in this variant example 2, the exposed portion of the core wire 21 of an insulated electric wire 2 having a core wire 21 connected to a narrow pad 621 is not adjacent to the exposed portion of the core wire 21 of another insulated electric wire 2 in the arrangement direction D, so that, as in the above embodiment, it is possible to easily connect the core wires 21 of multiple insulated electric wires 2 to the narrow pads 621 and wide pads 622 of the substrate 6B.

[0052] (Summary of the embodiment and modifications) Next, the technical ideas grasped from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described by using the reference numerals and the like in the embodiment and modified examples. However, the reference numerals and the like in the following description do not limit the components in the claims to the members and the like specifically shown in the embodiment.

[0053] [1] An electric wire connection structure in which the core wires (21) of a plurality of insulated electric wires (2), each having a core wire (21) and an insulating coating (22) covering the core wire (21), are connected to a plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) provided on a substrate (6, 6A, 6B), in which the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated electric wires (2) are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction (D) and are arranged parallel to one another, the insulating coating (22) is removed in part of each of the longitudinal directions to expose the core wires (21), and the core wires (21) of the exposed parts are connected to the plurality of pads (2), respectively, and the core wires (21) of some of the plurality of insulated electric wires (2) are exposed at parts where the insulating coatings (22) of the other insulated electric wires (2) adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction (D) have not been removed.

[0054] [2] The electric wire connection structure according to [1] above, wherein an interval (I0) between the multiple insulated electric wires (2) in the arrangement direction (D) is smaller than an outer diameter (OD) of the insulated electric wires (2).

[0055] [3] The electric wire connection structure according to [2] above, wherein the core wire (21) has an outer diameter of 0.1 mm or less.

[0056] [4] The electric wire connection structure according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the exposed portions of the core wires (21) are alternately arranged along the arrangement direction (D) at first positions (P1) and second positions (P2) having a predetermined interval (W) in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction (D).

[0057] [5] The electric wire connection structure according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the exposed portion of the core wire (21) is formed in a portion excluding the tip end portion of each of the plurality of insulated electric wires (2).

[0058] [6] A wire connecting method for connecting the core wires (21) of a plurality of insulated electric wires (2) having a core wire (21) and an insulating coating (22) covering the core wire (21) to a plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) provided on a substrate (6, 6A, 6B), the method comprising: an aligning step of arranging the plurality of insulated electric wires (2) in parallel with each other along a predetermined arranging direction; and an insulating coating removing step of removing the insulating coating (22) in a portion of the longitudinal direction of each of the plurality of insulated electric wires (2) to expose the core wire (21). and a connecting step of arranging the multiple insulated electric wires (2) so that the arrangement direction (D) is parallel to the board (6, 6A, 6B) and connecting the exposed core wires (21) to the multiple pads (62, 621, 622), respectively, wherein in the insulating coating removing step, the core wires (21) of some of the multiple insulated electric wires (2) are exposed in portions where the insulating coatings (22) of other insulated electric wires (2) adjacent thereto in the arrangement direction (D) are not removed.

[0059] [7] The electric wire connecting method according to [6] above, wherein in the connecting step, the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated electric wires (2) are connected to the plurality of pads (62, 621, 622), respectively, while applying longitudinal tension to the plurality of insulated electric wires (2).

[0060] [8] The wire connecting method described in [7] above, wherein in the aligning step, the multiple insulated wires (2) are held at their longitudinal ends and at two positions spaced apart from the longitudinal ends, and in the connecting step, the core wires (21) of the multiple insulated wires (2) are connected to the multiple pads (62, 621, 622), respectively, between the two positions.

[0061] [9] A medical device (multi-electrode catheter 1) comprising: a catheter cable (10) having a plurality of insulated wires (2) each having a core wire (21) and an insulating coating (22) covering the core wire (21); and a substrate (6, 6A, 6B) having a plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) to which the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated wires (2) are connected, wherein one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable (10) is inserted into a human body, wherein the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated wires (2) are connected to the plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) of the substrate (6, 6A, 6B) by the wire connection structure described in any one of [1] to [6] above.

[0062]

[10] A method for manufacturing a medical device (multi-electrode catheter 1) comprising: a catheter cable (10) having a plurality of insulated wires (2) each having a core wire (21) and an insulating coating (2) covering the core wire (21); and a substrate (6, 6A, 6B) having a plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) to which the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated wires (2) are connected, wherein one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable (10) is inserted into a human body, wherein the core wires (21) of the plurality of insulated wires (2) are connected to the plurality of pads (62, 621, 622) by the wire connecting method described in any one of [6] to [8] above.

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the embodiments described above. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

[0064] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a multi-electrode catheter 1, which is a type of medical instrument. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to, for example, an endoscope, or may be applied to equipment other than a medical instrument. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1...Multi-electrode catheter (medical device) 10...Catheter cable 2...insulated wire 21...core wire 22...insulating coating 6,6A,6B...substrate 62...Pad 621...Narrow pad 622…Wide pad

Claims

1. 1. An electric wire connection structure in which core wires of a plurality of insulated electric wires, each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire, are connected to a plurality of pads provided on a substrate, the plurality of insulated electric wires are arranged in parallel to each other, and the insulating coating is removed from a portion of each of the insulated electric wires in a longitudinal direction to expose the core wire, and the exposed portion of the core wire is connected to the plurality of pads, respectively; the exposed core wire portion is formed such that the length in the longitudinal direction is shorter than the length of each of the pads at a portion of each of the insulated electric wires excluding the tip end thereof, Some of the insulated electric wires have exposed core wires at portions of the other insulated electric wires adjacent thereto in an arrangement direction of the plurality of insulated electric wires, where the insulating coatings have not been removed. Wire connection structure.

2. the exposed portion of the core wire is connected to each of the plurality of pads so as to overlap the entire exposed portion of the core wire. The electric wire connection structure according to claim 1 .

3. The plurality of insulated electric wires are arranged at intervals of 20% to 80% of the outer diameter of the insulated electric wires along the arrangement direction. The electric wire connection structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The outer diameter of the core wire is 0.1 mm or less. The electric wire connection structure according to claim 3 .

5. The exposed portions of the core wires are alternately arranged along the arrangement direction at first positions and second positions having a predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction. The electric wire connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. 1. A wire connecting method for connecting core wires of a plurality of insulated wires, each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire, to a plurality of pads provided on a substrate, comprising: an aligning step of gripping the plurality of insulated electric wires at a tip end portion in a longitudinal direction and at two positions spaced apart from the tip end portion in the longitudinal direction and arranging the plurality of insulated electric wires in parallel to each other; an insulating coating removal step of removing the insulating coating from a portion of each of the plurality of insulated wires in a longitudinal direction by a length shorter than a length of each of the plurality of pads to expose the core wire; a connecting step of arranging the plurality of insulated electric wires in parallel with the substrate and connecting the exposed core wires to the plurality of pads, In the insulating coating removing step, the core wires of some of the insulated electric wires are exposed at portions of other insulated electric wires on both sides thereof in an arrangement direction of the plurality of insulated electric wires where the insulating coatings are not removed, In the connecting step, the core wires of the plurality of insulated electric wires are connected to the plurality of pads between the two positions. Wire connection method.

7. In the connecting step, the core wires of the insulated electric wires are connected to the pads, respectively, while tension is applied to the insulated electric wires in a longitudinal direction. The electric wire connecting method according to claim 6.

8. A medical device comprising: a catheter cable including a plurality of insulated electric wires each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a substrate having a plurality of pads to which the core wires of the plurality of insulated electric wires are connected, wherein one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable is inserted into a human body, The core wires of the insulated wires are connected to the pads of the board by the wire connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Medical equipment.

9. A method for manufacturing a medical device comprising: a catheter cable having a plurality of insulated electric wires each having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a substrate having a plurality of pads to which the core wires of the plurality of insulated electric wires are connected, wherein one of both longitudinal ends of the catheter cable is inserted into a human body, the method comprising the steps of: The core wires of the plurality of insulated electric wires are connected to the plurality of pads by the electric wire connecting method according to claim 6 or 7. A method for manufacturing a medical device.

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