Supply device and supply method

Abstract

A supplying device and a supplying method for more reliably cleaning the observation window of a rigid endoscope are provided. [Solution] The control unit 72 controls the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 and the gas supply unit 16 to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 supplies cleaning liquid to the supply pipe 64, causing the cleaning liquid to remain in the middle of the supply pipe 64, and then the gas supply unit 16 supplies gas to the supply pipe 64, thereby supplying a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the cover 22 as a cleaning fluid.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a supply device and a supply method for supplying a cleaning fluid to an observation window at the tip of a rigid endoscope. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in the medical field, endoscopes (flexible endoscopes), typified by gastroscopes, have come to be used in stomach examinations and surgeries. Furthermore, thoracoscopes are often used in surgeries performed by opening the chest, and laparoscopes are often used in surgeries performed by opening the abdomen (hereinafter referred to as laparoscopic surgery). Laparoscopic surgery has rapidly become popular due to its minimally invasive nature and favorable cosmetic results, and its proportion of all surgical operations, primarily for gastric and colon cancer surgeries, is increasing year by year. The thoracoscopes and laparoscopes mentioned above are called rigid endoscopes, and the tip of such rigid endoscopes is equipped with an objective lens for capturing images of the affected area and an observation window for protecting the objective lens.

[0003] During surgery using rigid endoscopes such as the thoracoscope and laparoscope, the observation window at the tip of the rigid endoscope frequently becomes dirty or cloudy with blood, fat, and the like. This necessitates a temporary interruption of the surgery to clean or sanitize the observation window, resulting in a significant decrease in surgical efficiency. More specifically, the only information required for surgery using a rigid endoscope is the image (visual) information obtained through the rigid endoscope. Clouding or contamination of the observation window with blood, fat, and the like during surgery hinders safe surgery. Therefore, during surgery, the rigid endoscope must be temporarily removed from the body for cleaning. However, the time required for this procedure extends the surgical time, placing a significant burden on the patient and potentially leading to unexpected complications.

[0004] To solve such problems, a technique has been disclosed in which cleaning water such as saline or gas for blowing away the cleaning water is supplied to the observation window of a rigid endoscope inside the patient's body, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6242560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] There is a demand for a technique for more reliably cleaning the observation window of a rigid endoscope.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a supplying device and a supplying method that more reliably cleans the observation window portion of a rigid endoscope. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The supply device of the present disclosure comprises: A supply device for supplying a cleaning fluid to a cover that covers a rigid endoscope having an observation window at its tip, a supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning fluid to the cover; a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply pipe; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the supply pipe; a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit; Equipped with The control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit so that the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies cleaning liquid to the supply pipe, causing the cleaning liquid to remain in the middle of the supply pipe, and then the gas supply unit supplies gas to the supply pipe, thereby performing a cleaning fluid supply operation to supply a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the cover as a cleaning fluid.

[0009] In the supply device of the present disclosure, The control unit may control the gas supply unit so that the gas supply unit also performs a gas supply operation of supplying gas to the cover by supplying gas to the supply pipe.

[0010] In addition, when performing a gas supply operation to supply gas to the cover, the control unit may control the gas supply unit to alternately repeat an operation of supplying gas to the supply pipe and an operation of stopping the supply of gas to the supply pipe.

[0011] The supply pipe includes a first supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cover, and a second supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a gas to the cover, the cleaning liquid supply unit is capable of supplying cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe, The gas supply unit may be capable of supplying gas to each of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe.

[0012] The supply device of the present disclosure comprises: Further comprising a cleaning fluid supply unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit are each provided in the cleaning fluid supply unit; the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe; the gas supply unit supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, The cleaning fluid supply unit may be provided with a cleaning liquid path that supplies cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, a gas path that supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, and a bypass path that connects the cleaning liquid path and the gas path and sends gas from the gas path to the cleaning liquid path.

[0013] The cleaning liquid supply unit has a first closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid path, The gas supply unit may have a second closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of gas in the gas path and a third closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid and gas in the bypass path.

[0014] The supply pipe includes a cleaning liquid supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cover, and a gas supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a gas to the cover, The cleaning liquid path is connectable to the cleaning liquid supply pipe, The gas path may be connectable to the gas supply pipe.

[0015] The supply device of the present disclosure comprises: A supply device for supplying a cleaning fluid to an observation window portion at the tip of a rigid endoscope, comprising: a supply pipe for supplying a cleaning fluid to the observation window portion; a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply pipe; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the supply pipe; a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit; Equipped with The control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies cleaning liquid to the supply pipe to cause the cleaning liquid to remain at a location along the supply pipe, and then the gas supply unit supplies gas to the supply pipe to supply a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the observation window as a cleaning fluid.

[0016] The supply method of the present disclosure includes: A method for supplying a cleaning fluid to a cover that covers a rigid endoscope having an observation window at its tip, comprising: a step of supplying a cleaning fluid to a supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning fluid to the cover, and causing the cleaning fluid to accumulate in a portion of the supply pipe; supplying a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the cover as a cleaning fluid by supplying gas to the supply pipe; The present invention is characterized by the following features.

[0017] In the supply method of the present disclosure, A gas supply operation may also be performed to supply gas to the cover by supplying gas to the supply pipe.

[0018] The supply method of the present disclosure includes: A method for supplying a cleaning fluid to an observation window at the tip of a rigid endoscope, comprising: a step of supplying a cleaning fluid to a supply pipe for supplying a cleaning fluid to the observation window portion and causing the cleaning fluid to accumulate in a middle portion of the supply pipe; supplying a mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas to the observation window as a cleaning fluid by supplying a gas to the supply pipe; The present invention is characterized by the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the supplying device and supplying method of the present disclosure, the observation window portion of a rigid endoscope can be cleaned more reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a base portion of a cleaning fluid supply unit in the system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the base portion shown in FIG. 2 taken along the arrow AA. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the configuration of a closing mechanism provided in the base portion shown in FIG. 2 and other figures. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a base portion shown in FIG. 2 and the like. [Figure 6]2 is a front view showing the configuration of a cartridge of a cleaning fluid supply unit in the system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a state in which the flow of cleaning fluid in the pathways in the system shown in FIG. 1 is not stopped by a closing mechanism. [Figure 9] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a state in which the flow of cleaning fluid in a path in the system shown in FIG. 1 is stopped by a closing mechanism. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation when a cleaning liquid is supplied to an observation window portion of a rigid endoscope in the system shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of supplying gas to an observation window portion of a rigid endoscope in the system shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 9 are diagrams showing a system equipped with a cleaning fluid supply unit according to this embodiment, and Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of supplying a cleaning fluid and a gas to an observation window of a rigid endoscope in the system of Figure 1. In this embodiment, the term "cleaning fluid" is used as a concept that includes all of cleaning fluid, gas, and a mixture of cleaning fluid and gas.

[0022] The system 10 according to this embodiment includes a rigid endoscope 20, a cover 22 that covers the rigid endoscope 20, a cleaning fluid supply unit 30 for supplying cleaning fluid to the cover 22, a cleaning fluid supply source 60 that supplies cleaning fluid such as saline to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30, and a gas supply source 62 such as a gas cylinder that supplies gas such as air to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30.

[0023] The rigid endoscope 20 is composed of a thoracoscope used in surgery performed by opening the chest, a laparoscope used in surgery performed by opening the abdomen, etc. An objective lens for imaging the affected area is provided at the tip of the rigid endoscope 20, and an observation window portion for protecting the objective lens is also provided.

[0024] During surgery using a rigid endoscope 20, such as the thoracoscope or laparoscope described above, the observation window at the tip of the rigid endoscope 20 frequently becomes dirty or cloudy with blood, fat, and the like. This necessitates a temporary interruption of the surgery to clean or sanitize the observation window, resulting in a significant decrease in surgical efficiency. More specifically, the only information required for surgery using the rigid endoscope 20 is the image (visual) information obtained by the rigid endoscope 20. Clouding of the observation window during surgery or contamination by blood, fat, and the like hinders the safe performance of surgery. Therefore, the rigid endoscope 20 must be temporarily removed from the body during surgery for cleaning. However, the time required for this procedure extends the surgical time, placing a significant burden on the patient and potentially leading to unexpected complications.

[0025] For this reason, in this embodiment, a cover 22 is attached to the outer surface of the rigid endoscope 20 so as to supply cleaning water such as saline solution or gas to blow away the cleaning water to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 inside the patient's body.

[0026] A cleaning fluid supply unit 30 that supplies cleaning fluid such as cleaning liquid or gas to the cover 22 of such a rigid endoscope 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG.

[0027] The cleaning fluid supply unit 30 includes a base portion 30a, a cartridge 30b detachably attached to the base portion 30a, and a control unit 70. A first supply pipe 64 and a second supply pipe 66 are provided between the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 and the cover 22, such that cleaning fluid is supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the cover 22 via the first supply pipe 64, and gas is supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the cover 22 via the second supply pipe 66. The cover 22 is provided with a cleaning fluid path that sends cleaning fluid sent from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the cover 22 via the first supply pipe 64 to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20, and a gas path that sends gas sent from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the cover 22 via the second supply pipe 66 to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20. The cleaning fluid path and the gas path may be integrally provided in the cover 22.

[0028] The cartridge 30b is provided with paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 that supply the cleaning fluid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the first supply pipe 64 and the second supply pipe 66. Details of these paths will be described later. The base portion 30a is also provided with a first closing mechanism 46, a second closing mechanism 48, and a third closing mechanism 50 that selectively stop the flow of the cleaning fluid in the first path 32, the fourth path 38, and the fifth path 40, respectively. Details of these closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 will also be described later.

[0029] A cleaning liquid such as physiological saline is supplied from a cleaning liquid supply source 60 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through a cleaning liquid supply pipe 61. A gas such as air is supplied from a gas supply source 62 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through a gas supply pipe 63.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the base portion 30a will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the base portion 30a of the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 in the system 10 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the base portion 30a shown in Figure 2, taken along the line AA. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the details of the configuration of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 provided on the base portion 30a shown in Figure 2 and other figures, and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the base portion 30a shown in Figure 2 and other figures.

[0031] 2 to 5, the base portion 30a is made of a substantially flat plate-shaped member, and three through-holes 46b, 48b, and 50b are formed to extend along the thickness direction of the flat plate-shaped member. Each of the through-holes 46b, 48b, and 50b is positioned to face the first path 32, the fourth path 38, and the fifth path 40 of the cartridge 30b when the cartridge 30b is attached to the base portion 30a. The base portion 30a is also provided with three closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50. Each of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 has a pusher 46a, 48a, and 50a and a reciprocating mechanism 46c, 48c, and 50c, such as an air cylinder, that reciprocates the pusher 46a, 48a, and 50a. The pushers 46a, 48a, 50a pass through the respective through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b and move in the thickness direction of the base portion 30a (the up-and-down direction in FIG. 3). More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tips of the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a are shaped like isosceles triangles, and rods 46d, 48d, 50d of the advancing and retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c are attached to the base ends of the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a. The advancing and retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c reciprocate the rods 46d, 48d, 50d in the up-and-down direction in FIG. 4, causing the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a to reciprocate in the up-and-down direction in FIG. 4. When the rods 46d, 48d, 50d are fully retracted, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a are completely housed within the through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b, and do not protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base 30a. On the other hand, when the rods 46d, 48d, 50d are fully extended, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a protrude outward from the through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b, and protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base 30a (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0032] Additionally, springs 46e, 48e, 50e are arranged in a compressed state around the rod 46d between the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a and the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c. The repulsive force of the springs 46e, 48e, 50e from their compressed states urges the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a upward in FIG. 4 (i.e., in the direction of projecting outward from the respective through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b).

[0033] 2 and 5, the base portion 30a is provided with a hook portion 30m, on which a cartridge 30b (described later) is hooked. Specifically, two approximately semicircular notches 30p and 30q are formed on the hook portion 30m. The protrusions 30r and 30s of the cartridge 30b fit into the notches 30p and 30q, respectively.

[0034] 2, 3, 5, etc., the base portion 30a is provided with a fastener 31 for fixing the cartridge 30b to the base portion 30a. The fastener 31 has a rotating portion 31c that rotates around a shaft 31a (see FIG. 3) provided on the base portion 30a, and a hook portion 31b provided at the tip of the rotating portion 31c. The base end of the fastener 31 is attached to the base portion 30a by a spring (not shown). As a result, the repulsive force from the spring in its compressed state constantly biases the fastener 31 in the counterclockwise direction around the shaft 31a in FIG. 3.

[0035] Next, the detailed configuration of the cartridge 30b will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a front view showing the configuration of the cartridge 30b of the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 in the system 10 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a rear view of the cartridge 30b shown in Figure 6. That is, Figure 7 is a view of the cartridge 30b shown in Figure 6 as seen from the back side.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 7, the cartridge 30b is provided with a plurality of paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Specifically, each of the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 is formed, for example, from a flexible tube. The first path 32 and the second path 34 are in communication with each other, and the third path 36 and the fourth path 38 are also in communication with each other. The tubes forming each of the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 are in contact with the cartridge 30b.

[0037] The first path 32 communicates with a cleaning liquid supply pipe 61, and cleaning liquid such as physiological saline supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source 60 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 61 enters the first path 32. A first check valve 42 is provided in the first path 32 near the connection point with the cleaning liquid supply pipe 61, and this first check valve 42 prevents the cleaning fluid from being sent from the first path 32 to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 61. The first supply pipe 64 communicates with the second path 34, and the cleaning fluid such as cleaning liquid is sent from the second path 34 to the first supply pipe 64.

[0038] The third path 36 is also connected to a gas supply pipe 63, so that gas such as air supplied from the gas supply source 62 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through the gas supply pipe 63 enters the third path 36. A second check valve 44 is provided in the third path 36 near the connection point with the gas supply pipe 63, so that the second check valve 44 prevents the cleaning fluid from being sent from the third path 36 to the gas supply pipe 63. The second supply pipe 66 is also connected to a fourth path 38, so that gas such as air is sent from the fourth path 38 to the second supply pipe 66.

[0039] 1 and 7, a fifth path 40 is provided between a connection point 35 between the first path 32 and the second path 34 and a connection point 39 between the third path 36 and the fourth path 38. That is, one end of the fifth path 40 is connected to each of the first path 32 and the second path 34, and the other end of the fifth path 40 is connected to each of the third path 36 and the fourth path 38.

[0040] As described above, the through-holes 46b, 48b, and 50b of the base portion 30a are positioned to face the first path 32, the fourth path 38, and the fifth path 40 of the cartridge 30b when the cartridge 30b is attached to the base portion 30a. The pushers 46a, 48a, and 50a are configured to protrude from the through-holes 46b, 48b, and 50b of the base portion 30a by the advancing and retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c. This allows the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 to selectively stop the flow of cleaning fluid through the first path 32, the fourth path 38, and the fifth path 40, respectively. This function will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state when the flow of cleaning fluid in each of the paths 32, 38, 40 in the system 10 shown in Figure 1 is not stopped by the closure mechanisms 46, 48, 50, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state when the flow of cleaning fluid in each of the paths 32, 38, 40 in the system 10 shown in Figure 1 is stopped by the closure mechanisms 46, 48, 50.

[0041] When the rods 46d, 48d, 50d are fully retracted by the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a are completely housed inside the through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b, and do not protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base portion 30a. In this case, as shown in Fig. 8, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a do not push the paths 32, 38, 40 (specifically, flexible tubes), allowing the cleaning fluid to pass through the hollow portions 32a, 38a, 40a of the tubes that form the paths 32, 38, 40.

[0042] On the other hand, when the rods 46d, 48d, 50d are fully extended by the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a protrude outward from the through-holes 46b, 48b, 50b, respectively, and protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base portion 30a. Here, the tubes constituting the paths 32, 38, 40 are in contact with the cartridge 30b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 , the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a push the paths 32, 38, 40 (specifically, flexible tubes), deforming the tubes constituting the paths 32, 38, 40. The hollow portions 32a, 38a, 40a of the tubes are blocked by the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a, preventing the cleaning fluid from passing through the tubes. This causes the flow of cleaning fluid in each of the paths 32, 38, 40 to be stopped by the closure mechanisms 46, 48, 50.

[0043] One edge of cartridge 30b is provided with two protrusions 30r, 30s, and is also formed with a notch 30c. Furthermore, the other edge of cartridge 30b facing the one edge is formed with a hooked portion 31e to which hooking portion 31b of fastener 31 is fastened. An inclined surface 31d is formed on the back side of hooked portion 31e. When attaching cartridge 30b to base portion 30a, after fitting protrusions 30r, 30s of cartridge 30b into cutouts 30p, 30q of base portion 30a, cartridge 30b is pushed toward base portion 30a, so that hooking portion 31b of fastener 31 comes into contact with inclined surface 31d of cartridge 30b. When cartridge 30b is pushed toward base portion 30a in this state, fastener 31 rotates clockwise about axis 31a in Fig. 3 against the force of a spring provided in fastener 31, and when cartridge 30b comes into contact with surface 30e of base portion 30a, hooking portion 31b of fastener 31 hooks onto hooked portion 31e of cartridge 30b, thereby fixing cartridge 30b to base portion 30a by fastener 31. On the other hand, when cartridge 30b is to be removed from base portion 30a, fastener 31 is rotated clockwise about axis 31a in Fig. 3 against the force of the spring provided in fastener 31, and hooking portion 31b of fastener 31 disengages from hooked portion 31e of cartridge 30b, allowing cartridge 30b to be removed from base portion 30a.

[0044] In this manner, in this embodiment, the fastener 31 allows the cartridge 30b to be easily attached to and detached from the base portion 30a.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the control unit 70 of the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 will be described. The control unit 70 has a control unit 72, which controls the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c. Specifically, when supplying cleaning fluid to the cover 22, the control unit 72 controls the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c so as to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which cleaning fluid sent from the cleaning fluid supply source 60 through the cleaning fluid supply pipe 61 to the first path 32 is supplied to the first supply pipe 64 for a certain period of time to cause the cleaning fluid to remain in the first supply pipe 64, and then gas sent from the gas supply source 62 through the gas supply pipe 63 to the third path 36 is supplied to the fifth path 40, and from the second path 34 to the first supply pipe 64, thereby supplying a mixture of cleaning fluid and gas to the cover 22. The control unit 72 also controls the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c so that the gas sent from the gas supply source 62 to the third path 36 by the gas supply pipe 63 is supplied from the fourth path 38 to the second supply pipe 66, thereby supplying the gas to the cover 22. At this time, the control unit 72 also controls the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c so that, when performing the gas supply operation of supplying gas to the cover 22, the control unit 72 alternately repeats an operation of supplying gas to the second supply pipe 66 and an operation of stopping the supply of gas to the second supply pipe 66. The method of controlling the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c by the control unit 72 will be described later.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first path 32, the second path 34, the third path 36, the fifth path 40, the first closing mechanism 46, the second closing mechanism 48, and the third closing mechanism 50 are combined to form a cleaning liquid supply unit 14 for supplying cleaning liquid to the first supply tube 64. The first path 32, the second path 34, the third path 36, the fourth path 38, the fifth path 40, the first closing mechanism 46, the second closing mechanism 48, and the third closing mechanism 50 are combined to form a gas supply unit 16 for supplying gas to the first supply tube 64 or the second supply tube 66. The cleaning liquid supply unit 14, the gas supply unit 16, the first supply tube 64, the second supply tube 66, and the control unit 72 are combined to form a supply device 12 for supplying cleaning fluid to a cover 22 that covers a rigid endoscope 20 having an observation window at its tip.

[0047] Next, a method of using the system 10 configured as described above will be described. First, when performing surgery in which the rigid endoscope 20 is inserted into the patient's body, the cover 22 is attached to the outer periphery of the rigid endoscope 20. Then, the rigid endoscope 20 with the cover 22 attached is inserted into the patient's body to perform the surgery.

[0048] If the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 becomes soiled or cloudy with blood, fat, or the like during surgery, the observation window is cleaned while the rigid endoscope 20 is inserted into the patient's body. More specifically, cleaning fluid is supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through the first supply pipe 64 to the cover 22, and the cleaning fluid is sent to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 via a cleaning fluid path provided in the cover 22. This operation will be explained in more detail using the flowchart shown in FIG. 10. The operation described below is performed by the control unit 72 controlling the advancing and retreating mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c.

[0049] In a normal state, the flow of cleaning fluid through each of the paths 32, 38, and 40 is stopped by the respective advancing and retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c. When a command to clean the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 with cleaning fluid is given to the control unit 70, the control unit 72 controls the first advancing and retracting mechanism 46c to open the first closing mechanism 46 for a first predetermined period (step ST1 in FIG. 10). Specifically, the first advancing and retracting mechanism 46c retracts the rod 46d. When the rod 46d is fully retracted, the pusher 46a is completely housed within the through-hole 46b and does not protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base portion 30a. This allows the cleaning fluid to pass through the inside of the tube that constitutes the first path 32 without the pusher 46a pushing the first path 32 (specifically, the flexible tube). The first predetermined period is the time during which the cleaning liquid sent from the cleaning liquid supply source 60 through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 61 to the first path 32 is sent from the second path 34 to the first supply pipe 64 and remains at an intermediate location in the first supply pipe 64, and is, for example, a time within a range of 0.01 to 1.0 seconds. In this way, a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid remains at an intermediate location in the first supply pipe 64.

[0050] Next, after the control unit 72 closes the first closing mechanism 46, the control unit 72 controls the third advancing / retracting mechanism 50c to open the third closing mechanism 50 for a second predetermined period (step ST2 in FIG. 10 ). Specifically, the third advancing / retracting mechanism 50c retracts the rod 50d. When the rod 50d is fully retracted, the pusher 50a is completely housed inside the through-hole 50b and does not protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base portion 30a. This prevents the pusher 50a from pressing the fifth path 40 (specifically, the flexible tube), allowing gas to pass through the tube that constitutes the fifth path 40. The second predetermined period is a time period during which the gas sent from the gas supply source 62 to the third path 36 by the gas supply pipe 63 can be sufficiently sent to the cover 22 by the first supply pipe 64, and is sufficiently longer than the first predetermined period. The second predetermined period is, for example, a time in the range of 1.0 to 10 seconds. In this manner, when the gas sent from the gas supply source 62 to the third path 36 via the gas supply pipe 63 is sent to the first supply pipe 64 via the fifth path 40 and the second path 34, the gas collides with and mixes with the cleaning liquid remaining in the first supply pipe 64, and this mixture of cleaning liquid and gas is sent from the first supply pipe 64 to the cover 22 as a cleaning fluid. In this manner, the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 is cleaned with the mixture of cleaning liquid and gas. Here, when the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 is cleaned with the mixture of cleaning liquid and gas, the gas mixed in the cleaning liquid can more reliably remove dirt such as blood and fat adhering to the observation window compared to when the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply pipe 61 from the cleaning liquid source 60. This is because fine air bubbles mixed in the cleaning liquid adsorb the dirt and allow it to be washed away together with the cleaning liquid. In this way, the operation of cleaning the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with the cleaning liquid is completed.

[0051] Thereafter, gas is supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 through the second supply pipe 66 to the cover 22, and the gas is discharged to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 via the gas path provided in the cover 22. As a result, the gas discharged from the observation window blows away the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20, making it possible to ensure visibility through the observation window. This operation will be described in more detail using the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0052] When the operation of cleaning the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with cleaning fluid is completed, the flow of cleaning fluid in each of the paths 32, 38, 40 is stopped by each of the advancing and retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c. When a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the operation of cleaning the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with cleaning fluid is completed, or when a command to blow off the cleaning fluid adhering to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with gas is given to the control unit 70, the control unit 72 controls the second advancing and retracting mechanism 48c to open the second closing mechanism 48 for only a third predetermined period of time (step ST11 in FIG. 11). Specifically, the rod 48d is retracted by the second advancing and retracting mechanism 48c. When the rod 48d is fully retracted, the pusher 48a is completely housed within the through-hole 48b and does not protrude upward from the surface 30e of the base portion 30a. This prevents the pusher 48a from pushing the third path 36 (specifically, a flexible tube), allowing gas to pass through the tube that constitutes the third path 36. The third predetermined period is a time period during which gas sent from the gas supply source 62 via the gas supply pipe 63 to the third path 36 can be sufficiently sent from the fourth path 38 to the second supply pipe 66 and to the cover 22, and is, for example, within a range of 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. Next, the control unit 72 controls the second advancing / retreating mechanism 48c to close the second closing mechanism 48 for a fourth predetermined period (step ST12 in FIG. 11). The fourth predetermined period is a time period longer than the third predetermined period, and is, for example, within a range of 0.2 to 2.0 seconds. This opening and closing operation of the second closing mechanism 48 is repeated until the second closing mechanism 48 opens a predetermined number of times ("NO" in step ST13 of FIG. 11). The predetermined number of times is, for example, within a range of 2 to 100 times. After the opening and closing operation of the second closing mechanism 48 has been performed until the second closing mechanism 48 opens the predetermined number of times ("NO" in step ST13 of FIG. 11), the control unit 72 controls the second advancing and retreating mechanism 48c so that the second closing mechanism 48 closes. In this way, the operation of blowing away the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with gas is completed.

[0053] In addition, when performing the operation of blowing away cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 with gas, if the gas sent from the gas supply source 62 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 via the gas supply pipe 63 is continuously supplied to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 via the second supply pipe 66, the gas will be continuously sent to the inside of the patient's chest or abdomen, which will be a great burden on the patient. In contrast, by intermittently sending the gas sent from the gas supply source 62 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 via the gas supply pipe 63 to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 via the second supply pipe 66, the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 can be sufficiently blown away with gas, and the total amount of gas sent to the inside of the patient's chest or abdomen is reduced, thereby easing the burden on the patient. Furthermore, if the same amount of gas as that required to blow away the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 by intermittently supplying gas to the observation window and thereby ensure visibility through the observation window is continuously supplied to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20, the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window cannot be sufficiently blown away, and sufficient visibility through the observation window cannot be ensured.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the operation of blowing away the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 with gas is completed, the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 supplies the cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe 64, so that the cleaning liquid can be retained in advance at a location along the first supply pipe 64. In this case, when a command to clean the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 with cleaning liquid is given to the control unit 70, even if the operation shown in step ST1 of Fig. 10 is not performed in the cleaning process of the next observation window, a mixture of cleaning fluid and gas can be sent to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 simply by performing the operation shown in step ST2 of Fig. 10, thereby enabling the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 to be removed more quickly.

[0055] Next, the operation of replacing the cartridge 30b in the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 will be described. For example, after a surgical procedure is completed, the cartridge 30b is replaced according to the following procedure. Specifically, the fastener 31 is rotated clockwise around the axis 31a in FIG. 3 against the force of the spring provided in the fastener 31. This disengages the hooking portion 31b of the fastener 31 from the hooked portion 31e of the cartridge 30b, allowing the cartridge 30b to be removed from the base portion 30a. After the old cartridge 30b is removed from the base portion 30a, a new cartridge 30b is attached to the base portion 30a. Specifically, the protrusions 30r and 30s of the new cartridge 30b are fitted into the notches 30p and 30q of the base portion 30a, and the cartridge 30b is then pushed toward the base portion 30a. This causes the hooking portion 31b of the fastener 31 to come into contact with the inclined surface 31d of the cartridge 30b. In this state, when cartridge 30b is pushed toward base portion 30a, fastener 31 rotates clockwise about axis 31a in Fig. 3 against the force of a spring provided in fastener 31. Then, when cartridge 30b comes into contact with surface 30e of base portion 30a, hooking portion 31b of fastener 31 gets caught on hooked portion 31e of cartridge 30b, and fastener 31 fixes cartridge 30b to base portion 30a.

[0056] According to the supply device 12 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the supply device 12 for supplying cleaning fluid to the cover 22 that covers the rigid endoscope 20 having an observation window at its tip includes supply pipes 64, 66 connected to the cover 22 for supplying the cleaning fluid to the cover 22, a cleaning liquid supply unit 14 for supplying cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe 64, a gas supply unit 16 for supplying gas to the second supply pipe 66, and a control unit 72 that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 and the gas supply unit 16. The control unit 72 controls the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 and the gas supply unit 16 to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 supplies cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe 64 to cause the cleaning liquid to accumulate in the first supply pipe 64, and then the gas supply unit 16 supplies gas to the first supply pipe 64 to supply a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the cover 22 as cleaning fluid. With this supply device 12, by supplying a mixture of cleaning fluid and gas to the cover 22 as a cleaning fluid, it is possible to more reliably remove dirt such as blood and fat adhering to the observation window. This is because fine air bubbles mixed in the cleaning fluid adsorb the dirt and allow it to be washed away together with the cleaning fluid. Furthermore, with this supply device 12, by supplying cleaning fluid to the first supply pipe 64 using the cleaning fluid supply unit 14 and causing the cleaning fluid to accumulate in advance somewhere along the first supply pipe 64, when a command to clean the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 with cleaning fluid is given to the control unit 70, the mixture of cleaning fluid and gas can be sent to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 simply by opening the third closing mechanism 50 for the second predetermined period during the next observation window cleaning process, thereby enabling the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 to be cleaned more quickly. In this embodiment, it is not necessarily required to supply cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe 64 using the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 and allow the cleaning liquid to accumulate in advance at a location along the first supply pipe 64 in preparation for cleaning the next observation window portion.

[0057] Furthermore, in the supply device 12 of this embodiment, as described above, the control unit 72 controls the gas supply unit 16 so that the gas supply unit 16 also performs a gas supply operation of supplying gas to the second supply pipe 66, thereby supplying gas to the cover 22. This allows the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window to be blown away by the gas supplied to the second supply pipe 66 by the gas supply unit 16, thereby ensuring a clear field of view from the observation window.

[0058] At this time, the control unit 72 controls the gas supply unit 16 so that, when performing the gas supply operation of supplying gas to the cover 22, the operation of supplying gas to the second supply pipe 66 and the operation of stopping the supply of gas to the second supply pipe 66 are alternately repeated. In this case, the cleaning liquid adhering to the observation window of the rigid endoscope 20 is sufficiently blown away by the gas, and the total amount of gas sent into the patient's chest and abdomen is also reduced, thereby reducing the burden on the patient.

[0059] Furthermore, in the supply device 12 of this embodiment, as described above, the first supply pipe 64 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cover 22 and the second supply pipe 66 for supplying the gas to the cover 22 are each connected to the cover 22, the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 is capable of supplying the cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe 64, and the gas supply unit 16 is capable of supplying the gas to each of the first supply pipe 64 and the second supply pipe 66. However, this embodiment is not limited to this aspect. For example, the supply device 12 may have a single supply pipe instead of two supply pipes (the first supply pipe 64 and the second supply pipe 66), and the cleaning liquid and the gas may each be sent to the cover 22 through this supply pipe.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, the supply device 12 of this embodiment may further include the cleaning fluid supply unit 30, and the cleaning liquid supply section 14 and the gas supply section 16 may each be provided in the cleaning fluid supply unit 30. In this case, the cleaning liquid supply section 14 supplies the cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the first supply pipe 64, and the gas supply section 16 supplies the gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the first supply pipe 64 and the second supply pipe 66. The cleaning fluid supply unit 30 is also provided with paths 32, 34 (cleaning fluid paths) that supply the cleaning fluid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the first supply pipe 64, paths 36, 38 (gas paths) that supply the gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the second supply pipe 66, and a path 40 (bypass path) that connects the paths 32, 34 and the paths 36, 38 and sends the gas from the path 36 serving as the gas path to the path 34 serving as the cleaning fluid path. With this configuration, the cleaning fluid and the gas can be reliably sent from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to each of the supply pipes 64, 66, respectively.

[0061] In this case, the cleaning liquid supply unit 14 has a first closing mechanism 46 that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid in the first path 32 as a cleaning liquid path, and the gas supply unit 16 has a second closing mechanism 48 that selectively stops the flow of gas in the fourth path 38 as a gas path and a third closing mechanism 50 that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid and gas in the fifth path 40 as a bypass path. In this case, these closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 make it possible to selectively send cleaning liquid and gas from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to each supply pipe 64, 66, respectively.

[0062] As described above, the first supply pipe 64 for supplying cleaning liquid to the cover 22 and the second supply pipe 66 for supplying gas to the cover 22 are each connected to the cover 22, and the second path 34 as a path for cleaning liquid can be connected to the first supply pipe 64, and the fourth path 38 as a path for gas can be connected to the second supply pipe 66.

[0063] The cleaning fluid supply unit 30 of this embodiment configured as described above is connected to supply pipes 64, 66 for supplying cleaning fluid to an observation window provided at the tip of the rigid endoscope 20, and includes a base 30a and a cartridge 30b that is detachably attached to the base 30a, and the cartridge 30b is provided with paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 that supply cleaning fluid sent to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 from the outside to the supply pipes 64, 66, and the base 30a is provided with closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 that selectively stop the flow of cleaning fluid in the paths 32, 38, and 40. Because the cartridge 30b is detachably attachable to the base 30a in this way, a disposable cartridge can be used as the cartridge 30b. Here, when the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 is used for a long period of time, there is a risk that the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 provided in the cartridge 30b will become dirty, or that the paths 32, 38, and 40 will become worn or damaged due to the opening and closing operations of the paths 32, 38, and 40 by the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50. However, by replacing the cartridge 30b, it is possible to prevent problems caused by dirt or wear of the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. Furthermore, when valves such as globe valves or gate valves are simply installed in the paths 32, 38, and 40 of tubes or the like, there is a risk that dirt from inside the valves will get into the paths 32, 38, and 40 over a long period of time, and the cleaning fluid or the like with this dirt attached will be sent into the patient's body. In contrast, in the present embodiment, by separating the base portion 30a on which the closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 are provided from the cartridge 30b on which the paths 32, 38, 40 are provided, it is possible to prevent dirt from inside the closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 from being sent into the paths 32, 38, 40 even when the closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 are used for a long period of time, thereby preventing cleaning solution and the like on which this dirt has adhered from being sent into the patient's body. As described above, by making the cartridge 30b detachable from the base portion 30a, new paths 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 can always be used, thereby improving hygiene issues.

[0064] As described above, in the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 of this embodiment, the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 are configured from the paths 32 and 34 (cleaning liquid paths) that supply the cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the first supply pipe 64, the paths 36 and 38 (gas paths) that supply the gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the second supply pipe 66, and the fifth path 40 (bypass path) that connects the cleaning liquid path and the gas path and sends the gas from the gas path to the cleaning liquid path. The closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 include a first closing mechanism 46 that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid in the first path 32 as the cleaning liquid path, a second closing mechanism 48 that selectively stops the flow of gas in the fourth path 38 as the gas path, and a third closing mechanism 50 that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid and gas in the fifth path 40 as the bypass path. In this case, these closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 allow selective delivery of cleaning liquid and gas from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to the supply pipes 64, 66, respectively.

[0065] As described above, the first supply pipe 64 for supplying cleaning liquid to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 and the second supply pipe 66 for supplying gas to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20 are provided, and the second path 34 as a cleaning liquid path can be connected to the first supply pipe 64, and the fourth path 38 as a gas path can be connected to the second supply pipe 66. In this case, cleaning liquid and gas can be reliably sent from the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 to each supply pipe 64, 66, respectively.

[0066] In the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 of this embodiment, as described above, each of the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 includes a flexible tube, and each of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 selectively stops the flow of cleaning fluid through the tube by pressing and deforming the tube from the outside. In this case, each of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 can adjust the flow of cleaning fluid through each of the paths 32, 38, and 40 by pressing and deforming the tube from the outside.

[0067] In this case, each closing mechanism 46, 48, 50 has a pusher 46a, 48a, 50a that moves toward and away from a tube provided in the cartridge 30b attached to the base portion 30a, and an advancing / retracting mechanism 46c, 48c, 50c that moves the pusher 46a, 48a, 50a toward and away from the tube. In this case, the advancing / retracting mechanism 46c, 48c, 50c moves the pusher 46a, 48a, 50a toward and away from the tube, thereby adjusting the flow of the cleaning fluid in each path 32, 38, 40.

[0068] Furthermore, springs 46e, 48e, 50e are provided between the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a and the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c, so that the springs 46e, 48e, 50e push the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a toward the tubes. In this case, even if a malfunction occurs in the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c and the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c are no longer able to press the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a against the tubes to stop the flow of cleaning fluid in the paths 32, 38, 40, the springs 46e, 48e, 50e can press the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a toward the tubes to stop the flow of cleaning fluid in the paths 32, 38, 40. Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs in the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, and 50c, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid or gas sent from the cleaning liquid supply source 60 or the gas supply source 62 to the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 from being unintentionally sent to the cover 22 of the rigid endoscope 20.

[0069] As described above, in the cleaning fluid supply unit 30 of this embodiment, the base portion 30a is provided with a fastener 31 for fixing the cartridge 30b to the base portion 30a. The fastener 31 includes a rotating portion 31c that rotates around an axis 31a provided on the base portion 30a, a hook portion 31b provided at the tip of the rotating portion 31c, and a spring (not shown) provided at the base end of the rotating portion 31c and attached to the base portion 30a. The cartridge 30b can be attached to the base portion 30a by rotating the rotating portion 31c against the biasing force of the spring via the hook portion 31b. This configuration allows the cartridge 30b to be fixed to the base portion 30a by the fastener 31, and also allows the cartridge 30b to be easily removed from the base portion 30a by rotating the rotating portion 31c of the fastener 31 about the axis 31a.

[0070] The supply device and cleaning fluid supply unit according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

[0071] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the supply device and cleaning fluid supply unit supply cleaning fluid such as cleaning liquid or gas to the cover 22 attached to the rigid endoscope 20, but the present embodiment is not limited to such an embodiment. The supply device and cleaning fluid supply unit are not necessarily limited to those that supply cleaning fluid such as cleaning liquid or gas to the cover 22, as long as they can supply cleaning fluid such as cleaning liquid or gas to the observation window portion of the rigid endoscope 20.

[0072] That is, as another aspect of the present embodiment, a supply device for supplying cleaning fluid to the observation window portion at the tip of rigid endoscope 20 may include a supply pipe for supplying cleaning fluid to the observation window portion, a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying cleaning liquid to the supply pipe, a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the supply pipe, and a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit. In this case, the control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which the cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply pipe by the cleaning liquid supply unit to cause the cleaning liquid to accumulate in the supply pipe, and then the gas supply unit supplies gas to the supply pipe to supply a mixture of cleaning liquid and gas to the observation window portion as cleaning fluid.

[0073] Furthermore, the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 provided in the cartridge 30b are not limited to being made of a flexible material such as a tube. The paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 provided in the cartridge 30b may be made of a material other than a tube, as long as the flow of the cleaning fluid can be selectively stopped by the closing mechanisms 46, 48, and 50 provided in the base portion 30a. In another aspect of the present embodiment, for example, an elastic plate-like member may be attached to the cartridge 30b, and through-holes may be provided in this plate-like member as the paths 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40. In this case, the pushers 46a, 48a, 50a may be moved toward the plate-like member by the advancing / retracting mechanisms 46c, 48c, 50c of each closing mechanism 46, 48, 50, and the through holes serving as the paths 32, 38, 40 at positions corresponding to each pusher 46a, 48a, 50a may be deformed and blocked, thereby stopping the flow of cleaning fluid in each path 32, 38, 40.

[0074] Furthermore, each of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 is not limited to having a pusher 46a, 48a, 50a that moves toward and away from a tube provided in the cartridge 30b attached to the base portion 30a, and an advancing / retracting mechanism 46c, 48c, 50c that moves the pusher 46a, 48a, 50a toward and away from the tube. Various configurations of the closing mechanisms 46, 48, 50 can be used as long as they can stop the flow of the cleaning fluid in the paths 32, 38, 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10 Systems 12 Feeding device 14 Cleaning liquid supply unit 16 Gas supply section 20 Rigid endoscope 22 Cover 30 Cleaning fluid supply unit 30a base part 30b cartridge 30c notch 30e surface 30m hook 30p, 30q cutout 30r, 30s convex part 31 Fasteners 31a axis 31b Hook part 31c Rotating part 31d sloped surface 31e Hooked part 31g fastener 32 Route 1 32a Hollow part 34 Route 2 35 Connection points 36 Route 3 38 Route 4 38a Hollow part 39 Connection points 40 Route 5 40a hollow part 42 First check valve 44 Second check valve 46, 48, 50 1st closing mechanism 46a, 48a, 50a Pusher 46b, 48b, 50b through hole 46c, 48c, 50c 1st advancement / retraction mechanism 46d, 48d, 50d rod 46e, 48e, 50e springs 60 Cleaning fluid supply source 61 Cleaning fluid supply pipe 62 Gas supply source 63 Gas supply pipe 64 1st supply pipe 66 2nd supply pipe 70 Control Unit 72 Control Unit

Claims

1. A supply device for supplying a cleaning fluid to a cover that covers a rigid endoscope having an observation window at its tip, a supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning fluid to the cover; a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply pipe; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the supply pipe; a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit; Equipped with the control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit so that, in the step of cleaning the observation window unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply pipe to cause the cleaning liquid to accumulate in a middle portion of the supply pipe, and then the gas supply unit supplies gas to the supply pipe to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation to supply a mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas as a cleaning fluid to the cover; Further comprising a cleaning fluid supply unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit are each provided in the cleaning fluid supply unit; the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe; the gas supply unit supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, The cleaning fluid supply unit is provided with a cleaning liquid path that supplies cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, a gas path that supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, and a bypass path that connects the cleaning liquid path and the gas path and sends gas from the gas path to the cleaning liquid path.

2. The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the gas supply unit so that the gas supply unit also performs a gas supply operation of supplying gas to the cover by supplying gas to the supply pipe.

3. The supply device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the gas supply unit to alternately repeat an operation of supplying gas to the supply pipe and an operation of stopping the supply of gas to the supply pipe when performing a gas supply operation of supplying gas to the cover.

4. the supply pipe includes a first supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cover, and a second supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a gas to the cover; the cleaning liquid supply unit is capable of supplying cleaning liquid to the first supply pipe, The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas supply unit is capable of supplying gas to each of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe.

5. the cleaning liquid supply unit has a first closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid path; The supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the gas supply unit has a second closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of gas in the gas path and a third closing mechanism that selectively stops the flow of cleaning liquid and gas in the bypass path.

6. the supply pipe includes a cleaning liquid supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a cleaning liquid to the cover, and a gas supply pipe connected to the cover for supplying a gas to the cover; The cleaning liquid path is connectable to the cleaning liquid supply pipe, 2. The supply device according to claim 1, wherein the gas passage is connectable to the gas supply pipe.

7. A supply device for supplying a cleaning fluid to an observation window portion at the tip of a rigid endoscope, comprising: a supply pipe for supplying a cleaning fluid to the observation window portion; a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply pipe; a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the supply pipe; a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit; Equipped with the control unit controls the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit so as to perform a cleaning fluid supply operation in which, in the step of cleaning the observation window unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid to the supply pipe to cause the cleaning liquid to accumulate in a middle portion of the supply pipe, and then the gas supply unit supplies gas to the supply pipe to supply a mixture of the cleaning liquid and the gas as a cleaning fluid to the observation window unit; Further comprising a cleaning fluid supply unit, the cleaning liquid supply unit and the gas supply unit are each provided in the cleaning fluid supply unit; the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe; the gas supply unit supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, The cleaning fluid supply unit is provided with a cleaning liquid path that supplies cleaning liquid sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, a gas path that supplies gas sent from the outside to the cleaning fluid supply unit to the supply pipe, and a bypass path that connects the cleaning liquid path and the gas path and sends gas from the gas path to the cleaning liquid path.

Images