Surgery – Endoscope – Having auxiliary channel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-07-03
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having auxiliary channel
C600S159000, C604S167010, C604S167020, C604S167030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an endoscopic forceps stopper for preventing the leakage of pressure from the inlet of a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope.
Endoscopic forceps stoppers are usually equipped with a passage blocking valve that is made of an elastic material. A slit is generally formed through the passage blocking valve so that the valve can be elastically open upon the insertion of a treatment tool.
Endoscopic forceps stoppers must fulfill two requirements: 1) when no treatment tool is used, the stopper must be closed by itself to prevent the leakage of pressure from the inlet of a treatment tool insertion channel; and 2) when a treatment tool is inserted into the channel, the stopper must be elastically spread open to permit the passage of the treatment tool while preventing the pressure leakage.
However, in practical applications, it is difficult to prevent pressure leakage fully irrespective of whether a treatment tool is used or not. The slightest wear of the stopper around the slit due to the repeated insertion and removal of the treatment tool will lead to extensive pressure leakage when the treatment tool is not used. A detachable sealing cap must be further attached to the stopper to ensure that no pressure leakage will occur when no treatment tool is used, but the addition of the detachable sealing cap involves cumbersome steps to handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic forceps stopper that does not use a cap or any other sealing device, and which yet is capable of positively preventing the pressure leakage when no treatment tool is used and effectively suppressing the pressure leakage when a treatment tool is used.
An endoscopic forceps stopper according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed as follows: A pair of generally semicircular, passage blocking valves that are made of an elastic material are provided in such a way as to block the passage leading to the inlet of a treatment tool insertion channel. The diameters of the two blocking valves abut to interfere with each other. The abutting surfaces of the two blocking valves are closed in a normal state but are spread apart from each other elastically by the insertion of a treatment tool. The endoscopic forceps stopper can dispense with a sealing cap and yet it is capable of positive prevention of pressure leakage when no treatment tool is used while ensuring effective suppression of pressure leakage when a treatment tool is being passed.
The pair of generally semicircular, passage blocking valves may be provided in such a state that the end faces of their diameter are deformed by abutting against each other. The pair of generally semicircular, passage blocking valves may be provided in such a state that their diameters partly overlap each other.
At least one of said pair of passage blocking valves may be detachably provided.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 10-102489 (filed on Apr. 14, 1998), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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patent: 5385552 (1995-01-01), Haber et al.
patent: 6093176 (2000-07-01), Dennis
patent: 7-255665 (1995-10-01), None
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Ram Jocelyn
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