Linkage assembly component

Abstract

To provide connecting member parts that can reduce a risk of being largely deformed or damaged by excessive force partially concentrated when receiving the force such as pushing pull or rotation in operation.SOLUTION: Connecting member parts having a following configuration are provided. (1) The connecting member parts are characterized in that the member parts are formed by connecting multiple child parts, and the connection of at least one pair of child parts 101, 102 has a connecting member structure connected by a spiral engagement structure where the paired child parts have one or more pawl shapes 100. (2) The connecting member parts as claimed in (1) are characterized in that the paired child parts connected by the spiral engagement structure having one or more pawl shapes are formed of metallic materials different in composition, respectively. (3) The connecting member parts as claimed in (1) or (2) are characterized in that the spiral engagement structure is covered by a resin tube 103.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting component formed by combining two or more sub-components.

Background Art

[0002] Among medical devices inserted into the body, such as catheters, for performing treatment, there are some that have components with a hollow tubular shape for inserting and removing a guide wire and various surgical instruments, or a wire shape for operations. Since the performance required for the hollow tube and wire-shaped components varies depending on various types of treatment, even for a single hollow tube or wire-shaped component, the performance and functions required may differ depending on the position, such as the tip, central part, and end part. Therefore, conventionally, a technique for obtaining a connecting component by joining sub-components made of different materials by welding, brazing, adhesion, etc. is known. However, when trying to obtain a small-diameter component used in a medical device by joining a plurality of sub-components, it is difficult to obtain sufficient joining strength due to insufficient cross-sectional area used for joining the sub-components. Therefore, for example, a technique (see Patent Document 1) using a sub-component provided with a spiral cut to increase the area used for joining the sub-components is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the connecting components as described in Patent Document 1, when pushing, pulling, or rotating to operate the medical device, a force acts in a direction that causes slipping and displacement at the connecting portion between the sub-components. Therefore, if there is no or insufficient fixing by adhesion or brazing, there are problems such as changes in the tube diameter and length, or the adhesion or brazing being damaged and unable to withstand the force that attempts to cause large deformation. When the connecting component is deformed while operating the medical device for treatment, the position and posture of the medical device may deviate from the target, or the blood vessels or digestive tract may be compressed by the deformed connecting component, etc., which may damage the periphery of the treatment area. Also, when the inner diameter of the tubular connecting component becomes thin, there is a risk that the treatment device or chemical solution to be passed through the inner diameter may become clogged, or the specimen to be collected cannot be aspirated, etc., and the treatment purpose may not be achieved. And if the joint is damaged due to receiving a large deformation stress, there is a risk of leading to serious accidents such as broken pieces remaining in the body of the patient being treated.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connecting sub-assembly component that is excellent in operability and can reduce the concern about contamination of the surrounding environment by broken pieces by reducing the risk of partial concentration of excessive force and large deformation or breakage when receiving forces such as pushing, pulling, and rotation during operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention provides a connecting sub-assembly component having the following configuration. [1] A sub-assembly component in which a plurality of sub-components are connected, characterized in that the connection between at least a pair of sub-components has a connecting sub-assembly structure in which the paired sub-components are connected by a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes. [2] The connecting sub-assembly component according to [1], characterized in that the paired sub-components connected by a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes are each made of a metal material with a different composition. [3] The connecting sub-assembly part according to [1] or [2], characterized in that the helical engagement structure is coated with resin.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, even when a force such as pushing, pulling, or rotation is applied during operation, deformation and dimensional changes inside and outside the parts can be suppressed, so that it is possible to provide a connecting sub-assembly part with excellent operability and reliability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] The modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below. The connecting assembled sub-component of the present invention is a hollow tube or a wire-shaped component formed by connecting a plurality of sub-components, and the connection between at least a pair of sub-components has a connecting assembled structure in which the paired sub-components are connected by a spiral engagement structure having one or more anti-slip shapes.

[0010] The connecting assembly component of the present invention is such that mating sub-components having a spiral meshing structure with one or more anti-slip shapes are connected to each other. When forces such as pushing, pulling, or rotation are applied, it can suppress the phenomenon that the connection part between the sub-components shifts, causing a change in the dimensions inside and outside the connecting assembly component, or damage to the joint part accompanying such deformation. The anti-slip shape is provided to restrict the meshing positions of the mating sub-components from shifting, and the shape, size, installation frequency, and combinations thereof of the anti-slip can be appropriately set according to the use and size of the connecting assembly component. Since the restraint of the meshing structure can be adjusted according to the shape and installation frequency of the anti-slip, for example, the installation frequency of the anti-slip can be increased in the part where rigidity is desired in the connecting assembly component, and the installation frequency of the anti-slip can be decreased in the part where flexibility is desired. To impart rigidity to the connecting assembly component, it is preferable that there is one or more anti-slip shapes per 100 mm length of the length L of the connecting assembly structure connected by the spiral meshing structure, more preferably there are five or more anti-slip shapes, and even more preferably there are ten or more anti-slip shapes.

[0011] As the stop shape, polygons, arcs, irregular shapes, or combinations thereof can be used. When the stop shape has an acute angle such as a quadrilateral, it is a preferable aspect for giving rigidity to the connecting assembly part because the restraint of the meshing structure by the stop shape can be enhanced. On the other hand, when the stop shape is a triangle, stress concentration occurs at its apex, making it easy to induce breakage or displacement. Therefore, it is a preferable aspect that the polygon has four or more sides. Also, when the stop shape is an arc or a polygon with an obtuse angle, it is a preferable aspect for giving flexibility to the connecting assembly part because the restraint of the meshing structure by the stop shape can be relaxed. Therefore, by selecting the stop shape, it is possible to provide a highly rigid portion and a highly flexible portion within a single connecting assembly part. To facilitate alignment and its correction when assembling the stop structure, it is a preferable aspect to provide a stop shape that is a polygon or an arc shape composed of an obtuse angle with an interior angle of 90° or more at at least one end of the meshing structure. It is an even more preferable aspect to provide a stop shape that is a polygon or an arc shape composed of an obtuse angle with an interior angle of 90° or more at both ends of the meshing structure. When the meshing structure has a polygonal stop shape at its end, it is more preferable that the interior angle of the polygon is 100° or more, and even more preferable that it is 120° or more.

[0012] In order to realize hollow tubes and wire-shaped components with performance requirements varying according to position, it is a preferred embodiment that the paired sub-components with a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes are made of different materials. For example, they can be made of metals with different compositions, metals and resins, or resins with different compositions to obtain different properties. As metals, widely used stainless steels such as Fe-18Cr-8Ni and Fe-18Cr-12Ni-2.5Mo, shape memory alloys showing superelastic properties such as Ni-44Ti, α+β titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, β titanium alloys such as Ti-12Mo-Zr-2Fe, Ti-13Nb-13Zr, Ti-15Mo-2.5Nb-0.2Si, Ti-16Nb-9.5Hf, Ti-15Mo, and alloys of cobalt and nickel such as Co-20Cr-15Ni-7Mo, Co-20Cr-15W-10Ni, Ni-35Co-20Cr-10Mo can be combined and used. It is one of the preferred embodiments that the paired sub-components with a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes are a combination of Ni-44Ti having superelastic properties and shape memory properties and widely used Fe-18Cr-8Ni. Also, when the paired sub-components with a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes are made of metals with different compositions, in order to suppress dissimilar metal corrosion, it is a preferred embodiment that at least the surface of one of the sub-components is covered with an oxide film and / or a nitride film.

[0013] The connecting component parts of the present invention are connected in a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes. By adjusting the area ratio of the component parts that form the meshing structure, it is possible to control deformation when receiving forces such as pushing, pulling, or rotation during operation. For example, in order to suppress deformation at both ends of the meshing structure, in the part of the component parts that form the meshing structure, since it is preferable to make the base side thicker than the tip side, the width Wt of the spiral part excluding the anti-slip shape at the tip of the spiral part and the width We of the spiral part excluding the anti-slip shape at the end of the spiral part are preferably such that Wt < We. In order to make the deformation smooth, it is a preferable aspect to gradually change the area ratio of the component parts. In order to clearly control the deformation, it is a preferable aspect to change the area ratio of the component parts step by step.

[0014] In the connecting component parts of the present invention, the width of the spiral part used for the meshing structure can be designed according to the characteristics required for the connecting component parts. For example, if the width of the spiral part used for the meshing structure is narrow, the connecting component parts are likely to break. Therefore, the width W of the spiral part excluding the anti-slip shape is preferably 0.1D or more, more preferably 0.5D or more, and even more preferably 1D or more with respect to the outer diameter D of the connecting component parts. Also, for the same reason, the width Wn at the narrowest position including the anti-slip shape is preferably 0.1D or more, more preferably 0.3D or more, and even more preferably 0.5D or more. On the other hand, if the width of the spiral part used for the meshing structure is too large with respect to the outer diameter of the connecting component parts, it is likely to deform when a force is applied to the meshing structure and it becomes difficult to maintain a hollow tube or wire-like structure. Therefore, the width W of the spiral part excluding the anti-slip shape is preferably 3D or less, and even more preferably 2D or less with respect to the outer diameter D of the connecting component parts.

[0015] In the connecting assembly component of the present invention, the sub-components are alternately arranged in the length direction of the connecting assembly component, and the width of the sub-components with respect to the length direction of the connecting assembly component can be designed according to the characteristics required for the connecting assembly component. For example, when considering the balance between the deformation and strength of the connecting assembly component, it is preferable that the width Z of the sub-components with respect to the length direction of the connecting assembly component is 0.1D or more and 10D or less with respect to the outer diameter D of the connecting assembly component, and more preferably 0.5D or more and 5D or less. Also, considering a connecting assembly component composed of sub-component A and sub-component B, the physical properties of the connecting assembly structure can be adjusted by changing the ratio ZA / ZB of the width ZA of sub-component A and the width ZB of sub-component B with respect to the length direction of the connecting assembly component. For example, in order to suppress stress concentration and deformation or breakage at both ends of the connecting assembly structure, it is a preferable aspect that the connecting assembly structure on the sub-component A side has ZA>ZB, and the sub-component B side of the connecting assembly structure has ZA<ZB.

[0016] In the connecting assembly component of the present invention, the height of the tooth stop shape used for the meshing structure can be designed according to the characteristics required for the connecting assembly component. For example, if the height of the tooth stop shape is too small, the connecting assembly component is likely to deform when a force is applied to it. Therefore, it is preferable that the height H of the tooth stop shape is 0.1W or more with respect to the width W of the spiral part excluding the tooth stop shape, and more preferably 0.3W or more. On the other hand, if the height of the tooth stop shape is too large with respect to the width of the spiral part used for the meshing structure, the connecting assembly component is likely to break. Therefore, it is preferable that the height H of the tooth stop shape is 1W or less with respect to the width W of the spiral part excluding the tooth stop shape, and more preferably 0.5W or less.

[0017] The connecting assembly component of the present invention has a spiral meshing structure with one or more anti-slip shapes, and the paired sub-components are connected to each other. When subjected to forces such as pushing, pulling, or rotation, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon that the connecting part between the sub-components shifts and the pipe diameter or length of the connecting assembly component changes, and it can be used without brazing, welding, or adhesion. In such a usage method, when using the connecting assembly component, it is one of the preferred embodiments because the brazing, adhesive, etc. at the joint part will not fall off due to damage. On the other hand, in order to make the connecting assembly component stronger, brazing, welding, or adhesion can be applied to part or all of the meshing structure. Since the connecting assembly component of the present invention has one or more anti-slip shapes in the meshing structure, the deviation and deformation of the meshing structure are suppressed, so even if brazing, welding, or adhesion is applied, damage is less likely to occur at the joint part.

[0018] It is a preferred embodiment that the connecting assembly component of the present invention is a hollow tubular component because it can suppress the tubular structure from becoming dysfunctional due to deformation or fracture. Further, the connecting assembly component of the present invention can form a wire-shaped component by combining a core material with the hollow meshing structure formed by the sub-components, or having a meshing structure in which one of the sub-components is integrated with the core material.

[0019] In the connecting assembly component of the present invention, in order to suppress the stress from concentrating on a part of the spiral meshing structure and deforming / fracturing when forces such as pushing, pulling, or rotation are applied, it is a preferred embodiment that the spiral meshing structure is coated with resin. Also, when performing treatment using a hollow connecting assembly component, in order to prevent body fluid from entering the inside of the connecting assembly component or prevent the leakage of the chemical solution or test body fluid transported inside the connecting assembly component, it is a preferred embodiment that at least the connecting part between the paired sub-components is coated with a resin tube containing PVDF, FEP, PE, PEBA, PTFE, etc.

[0020] The connecting assembly component of the present invention is, for example, a short Ni-44Ti tweezer component A with a delicate tip processed at the tip for specimen collection, chemical solution injection, needle tip detection, etc., and a long Fe-18Cr-8Ni tweezer component B with a complex slit pattern processed to have appropriate flexibility. It can be made into a shape or combination such as a connecting component obtained by connecting them in a spiral meshing structure, and can be suitably used for catheters and endoscopes for treating internal diseases by passing through blood vessels, digestive tracts, etc. The configuration and structure of the connecting assembly component, and the material and structure of each sub-component can be appropriately designed according to the application. The outer diameter D of the connecting assembly component assumed when used for the above application is 0.01 mm to 30 mm, and it is often used in the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. Also, the thickness T of the resin coating covering the spiral meshing structure in this application is often used in the range of 0.001 mm to 3 mm.

Example

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to examples, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a morphological example of the connecting assembly component of the present invention. Sub-component A and sub-component B are connected by a meshing structure and are covered with a resin tube.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a connecting assembly structure 10 having an engagement structure with a length of 30 mm and having 11 square-shaped detent shapes with a width of 0.61 mm and a height of 0.24 mm, which is obtained by connecting a Ni-44Ti sub-component A with an outer diameter of φ0.5 mm and an inner diameter of φ0.4 mm having a spiral portion with a width of 0.77 mm excluding the detent shape used for the engagement structure shown in Figure 3 and an Fe-18Cr-8Ni sub-component B with an outer diameter of φ0.5 mm and an inner diameter of φ0.4 mm having a spiral portion with a width of 0.77 mm excluding the detent shape used for the engagement structure shown in Figure 4. With respect to the length direction of the connecting assembly component, the sub-component A and the sub-component B are alternately arranged at intervals of 1 mm width excluding the detent shape. Figure 5 is a developed plane schematic diagram of the sub-component A in Figure 3, and Figure 6 is a developed plane schematic diagram of the sub-component B in Figure 4. Figures 7 and 8 are developed plane schematic diagrams showing morphological examples of the sub-component A and the sub-component B having an arc-shaped detent shape. The connecting assembly component of the present invention can be obtained by following a process according to the shape and material of the sub-component. For example, a process example using the above sub-component A and sub-component B will be described below. First, after passing a mandrel made of Ni-44Ti through the inner diameter of the sub-component B, the tip of the spiral portion of the sub-component A is aligned with the end of the spiral portion of the sub-component B, and the sub-component A is wound around the sub-component B to assemble the spiral portions together to form a connecting assembly structure having an engagement structure, and a hollow connecting assembly component can be obtained by extracting the mandrel. Further, a mandrel is passed through the inner diameter of the cleaned connecting assembly component, and after covering it with an ultrathin PTFE heat-shrinkable tube with a minimum inner diameter of 0.9 mm and heating and shrinking it, a connecting assembly component coated with a resin tube with a resin film thickness T of 0.03 mm can be obtained by extracting the mandrel.

[0023] Figs. 9 to 11 are developed views showing exemplary forms of the meshing structure of paired sub-components. By meshing sub-component A and sub-component B with a tooth-stop shape, it is possible to prevent large deformation even when receiving forces from various directions. Fig. 12 is a developed view showing an exemplary form of the meshing structure of paired sub-components in which the area ratio gradually changes, and Fig. 13 is a developed view showing an exemplary form of the meshing structure of paired sub-components in which the area ratio changes stepwise. Figs. 14 to 15 are developed views showing exemplary forms of the sub-component portions forming a spiral meshing structure, Fig. 16 is a developed view showing an exemplary form of one of the sub-components forming a meshing structure in which the area ratio of the sub-components gradually changes, and Fig. 17 is a developed view showing an exemplary form of one of the sub-components forming a meshing structure in which the area ratio of the sub-components changes stepwise.

Industrial Applicability

[0024] The connecting assembly sub-component of the present invention can suppress dimensional changes inside and outside the component even when receiving forces such as pushing, pulling, and rotation, so it is excellent in operability and can be suitably used for catheters, endoscopes, etc. that perform the treatment of internal diseases by passing through blood vessels, digestive tracts, etc.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1: Connecting assembly sub-component 10: Connecting assembly structure 11: Meshing structure 100: Tooth-stop shape 101: Sub-component A 102: Sub-component B 103: Resin tube 201: Length L of the connecting assembly structure 202: Outer diameter D of the connecting assembly sub-component 203: Width ZA of sub-component A in the length direction of the connecting assembly sub-component 204: Width W of the spiral portion excluding the tooth-stop shape 205: Width Wn at the narrowest position including the tooth-stop shape 206: Height H of the tooth-stop shape

Claims

1. It is an assembled component formed by connecting a plurality of sub-components, and the connection between at least a pair of sub-components is The paired sub-components are connected by a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes, having a connected assembled structure, the outer diameter D of the connected assembled component is 0.01 mm to 30 mm, and the width Z of the sub-component is 0.1D or more and 10D or less with respect to the outer diameter D of the connected assembled component. The connected assembled component is characterized by this.

2. The paired sub-components connected by a spiral meshing structure having one or more anti-slip shapes are each made of a metal material with a different composition. The connected assembled sub-component according to Claim 1, characterized by this. sub-component.

3. The spiral meshing structure is coated with resin. The connected assembled component according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The height H of the anti-slip shape is 0.1W or more and 1W or less with respect to the width W of the spiral part excluding the anti-slip shape. The connected assembled component according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized by this.

5. The anti-slip shape at at least one end of the meshing structure is an anti-slip shape that is a polygonal shape or an arc shape composed of an obtuse angle with an inner angle of 90° or more. The connected assembled component according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by this.

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