Surgery – Endoscope – Having auxiliary channel
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-20
2003-07-22
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having auxiliary channel
C600S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06595915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Art
This invention relates to an endoscopic insertion instrument for medical use, and more particularly to a jet nozzle to be connected to a wash fluid feed passage for washing an observation window on a distal end face of the insertion instrument.
2. Prior Art
Illustrated in
FIG. 8
is a typical endoscope in general use in medical fields. In that figure, indicated at
1
is a manipulating head assembly, at
2
an insertion instrument, and at
3
a universal cable. Along with an illumination window or windows, an observation window
4
is provided on a rigid tip end section
2
a
of the insertion instrument
2
. An optical objective lens system is disposed on the inner side of the observation window
4
, and an image sensor device such as a solid-state image sensor or the like is located at the focus of the optical objective lens system. Fitted in the observation window
4
is a cover glass which also functions as a foremost lens element of the objective lens system. When the endoscopic insertion instrument
2
is introduced into a body cavity of a patient, it is very likely for the surface of the foremost lens element to be smeared by deposition of body fluids or other contaminants. Deposition of such contaminants on the lens surface results in restrictions of the view field and therefore in insufficient examination of an intracavitary portion under observation.
Thus, a device for washing an endoscopic observation window is necessary for washing the exterior surface of the observation window and removing contaminants therefrom whenever a view through the observation window
4
is smeared by deposition of contaminants during examination of a body cavity. For washing the observation window
4
, wash water is spurted toward the lens surface under a predetermined pressure to wash away contaminants, and then compressed air is blasted on the lens surface to purge water droplets.
For these purposes, the observation window washing device is equipped with an air pump
5
and a water tank
6
. A compressed air pipe
7
from the air pump
5
is connected to the universal cable
3
. Further, a tank pressurizing air pipe
8
is branched off the compressed air pipe
7
, and connected to the water tank
6
which receives a supply of water through a wash water feed pipe
9
. In this instance, the tank pressurizing air pipe
8
is opened above the surface of water in the tank
6
, while the wash water feed pipe
9
is opened under the water surface, preferably in the vicinity of the bottom of the water tank
6
. Compressed air pipe
7
and the water pipe
9
are extended into the manipulating head assembly
1
by way of the universal cable
3
and connected to a air/water feed valve
10
which is provided on the manipulating head assembly
1
.
Connected from the air/water feed valve
10
are an air feed pipe
11
and a water feed pipe
12
, which are jointed together in a fore end portion of the insertion instrument
2
into an air/water junction pipe
13
. The air/water junction pipe
13
is communicated with a fluid passage
14
which is bored in the rigid tip end section
2
a
. The fluid passage
14
is opened in a distal end face of the rigid tip end section
2
a
, and provided with a spout nozzle
15
at its open end. A wash fluid, consisting of water and compressed air flowing through the fluid passage
14
, is turned and spurted toward the observation window
4
by the spout nozzle
15
under a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the spout nozzle
15
is provided with a mouth end which is turned toward the observation window
4
.
The air/water feed valve
10
can be manipulated by a finger of a hand which grips the manipulating head assembly
1
. Normally, communication between the wash water pipe
9
and the water feed pipe
12
is blocked, while the compressed air pipe
7
is connected to the air feed pipe
11
and at same time communicated with the atmosphere through an atmospheric passage (not shown) which is provided in the air/water feed valve
10
. Thus, at this time, the air/water feed is in a suspended state. Since the compressed air pipe
7
is in communication with the atmosphere, the pump
5
is substantially in an unloaded state. As soon as the atmospheric passage is blocked by a finger or the like, the air pump
5
turns into a loaded state and starts to compress air. Resulting compressed air is supplied to the jet nozzle
15
from the compressed air pipe
7
through the air feed pipe
11
and the compressed air pipe
8
. At the same time, the air pressure is led into the wash water tank
6
through the compressed air pipe
8
to pressurize the wash water tank
6
. However, no wash water is supplied to the jet nozzle
15
because the communication between the wash water pipe
9
and the water feed pipe
12
is still blocked by the air/water feed valve
10
.
Upon pushing in the air/water feed valve
10
from the position shown in the drawing, communication between the compressed air pipe
7
and the air feed pipe
11
is blocked while communication between the wash water pipe
9
and the water feed pipe
12
is opened. Further, compressed air from the air pump
5
is introduced into the wash water tank
6
through the tank pressurizing pipe
8
to pressurize the wash water tank
8
, whereupon wash water is supplied to the fluid passage
14
under a predetermined pressure through the wash water pipe
9
and the water feed pipe
12
. As a result, wash water is spurted toward the observation window
4
from the jet nozzle
15
.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, the prior art jet nozzle
15
is constituted, for example, by a tubular body portion
15
a,
and a jet spout passage portion
15
b
which is turned approximately through 90 degrees from the tubular body portion
15
a
and terminated with an injecting nozzle hole
15
c
at its fore distal end. In this instance, the jet spout passage portion
15
b
is a flat passage. The passage of the jet spout passage portion can be formed simply by bending an intermediate portion of the tubular body portion
15
a
through 90 degrees in a flattened shape. However, in the case of the particular example shown, a lower side portion of the jet spout passage portion
15
is removed to spurt a fluid toward the surface of the rigid tip end section
2
a.
A wash fluid including wash water and/or compressed air, which is spurted out through the nozzle hole
15
c
of the jet nozzle
15
, should be precisely directed toward and distributed over the entire surfaces of the observation window
4
. In addition, a wall portion of the jet nozzle
15
should not block a view field through the observation window
4
. In order to fulfill these requirements, the nozzle hole
15
c
needs to be located at a certain distance from the observation window
4
. Accordingly, position of the jet nozzle
15
and direction of the jet spout passage portion
15
b
on the rigid tip end section
2
a
of the insertion instrument
2
are determined depending upon the position of the observation window
4
itself. Besides, the jet nozzle
15
is also restricted by the position of an illumination window or windows. In a case where the jet nozzle
15
is located in the proximity of an illumination window, it is likely that illumination light is reflected off the jet nozzle and directed toward the observation window
4
as harmful light to endoscopic observation images. Therefore, the jet nozzle
15
should be located at a distance from an illumination window. Of course, the position of an illumination window is determined depending upon the position of the observation window
4
. Namely, in order to distribute illumination light uniformly over the entire view field which is obtained through the observation window
4
, illumination windows need to be located in positions on the right and left sides and in the proximity of the observation window
4
.
The position of the observation window
4
on the rigid tip end section
2
a
of the insertion instrument
2
is limited by relations with its view field. More specifically, normally the proximal en
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Ram Jocelyn
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