Spray device for an endoscope

Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Flow deflecting or rotation controlling means – Fluid rotation inducing means upstream of outlet

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C239S463000, C239S590000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06354519

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spray device for an endoscope which is inserted into a treatment tool insertion channel of the endoscope to spray a liquid in a body cavity and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows the distal end of a conventional spray device. The spray device can be inserted into and pulled out of a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope (not shown). The conventional spray device is provided with a flexible liquid transfer tube
91
which is made of an elastic material, and a spray nozzle
99
which is connected to the distal end of the liquid transfer tube
91
. The spray nozzle
99
is provided, in front of the opening of the distal end of the liquid transfer tube
91
, with a spiral member
92
. The spiral member
92
is provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof with a spiral groove
93
. The spray nozzle
99
is further provided with an end cap
94
. The end cap
94
is provided at the front end thereof with an orifice
96
and is snugly fitted onto a tubular nozzle body
98
and covers the spiral member
92
in a manner so as to close the entire peripheral opening of the spiral groove
93
, so that the spiral groove
93
functions as a liquid guide channel through which liquid runs from the liquid transfer tube
91
to the orifice
96
. The rear end (the right end as viewed on
FIG. 1
) of the end cap
94
is fixedly fitted on the front end of the tubular nozzle body
98
of the spray nozzle
99
, while the distal end of the liquid transfer tube
91
(with respect to the user) is fixedly fitted on the rear end of the nozzle body
98
. The spray nozzle
99
is provided, in the end cap
94
between an inner end surface
97
of the end cap
94
and a front end surface (left end surface as viewed in
FIG. 1
) of the spiral member
92
, with a liquid whirling chamber
95
. An inlet and an outlet of the spiral groove (spiral channel)
93
are provided the front end of the nozzle body
98
and the liquid whirling chamber
95
, respectively. The liquid whirling chamber
95
is shaped so that the liquid which spurts from the outlet of the spiral groove
93
whirls about the axis of the spray nozzle
99
(i.e., the axis of the liquid transfer tube
91
) in the liquid whirling chamber
95
. The axial center of the orifice
96
is coincident with that of the liquid whirling chamber
95
. The inner end surface
97
of the end cap
94
, which defines the front inner surface of the liquid whirling chamber
95
, is formed as a circular conical surface which tapers inwards from the front end surface of the spiral member
92
to the orifice
96
(i.e., from right to left as viewed in FIG.
1
).
Due to such a structure of a conventional spray device, the liquid (e.g., a medicinal liquid or a coloring liquid) which is transmitted via the liquid transfer tube
91
from the proximal end thereof spurts from the orifice
96
as a spray, having a certain spray angle, via the spiral groove
93
and the liquid whirling chamber
95
while whirling in the liquid whirling chamber
95
.
The spray distribution becomes wider as the direction of the flow of the liquid spurting from the orifice
96
is closer to a circumferential direction about the axis of the spray nozzle
99
. The liquid which whirls within the liquid whirling chamber
95
runs to the orifice
96
while gradually changing the direction of the flow due to the reaction force that the liquid receives from the inner end surface
97
when the liquid whirls along the inner end surface
97
.
FIG. 2
shows the direction of the flow of the liquid which whirls within the liquid whirling chamber
95
along the inner end surface
97
thereof in the conventional spray device. The closer the flow is to the orifice
96
, the greater the angle of the direction of the flow with respect to a circumferential direction about the axis of the spray nozzle
99
(the axis of the orifice
96
) becomes, since the inner end surface
97
is formed as a circular conical surface. In the particular case shown in
FIG. 2
, the following condition is satisfied:
&thgr;1<&thgr;2<&thgr;3<&thgr;4.
Accordingly, with such a conventional spray device, it is difficult to spray the liquid on, for example, a target inner part of the body, with a sufficient spray distribution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a spray device for an endoscope which can spray a liquid on, for example, a target inner part of the body, with a sufficient spray distribution.
To achieve the object mentioned above, according to the present invention, a spray device used for an endoscope is provided, the spray device having a liquid transfer tube and a spray nozzle connected to a distal end of the liquid transfer tube, the spray nozzle including at least one spiral guide channel positioned in front of the distal end of the liquid transfer tube; a liquid whirling chamber positioned in front of the at least one spiral guide channel to be connected to an outlet thereof; and an orifice formed at a center of a front inner surface of the liquid whirling chamber. The front inner surface includes a concave surface, and the front inner surface is formed so that the orientation of a tangential plane lying on a point on the front inner surface becomes closer to the orientation of a plane normal to the axis of the spray nozzle as the point on the front inner surface approaches the axis of the spray nozzle.
In an embodiment, the concave surface is formed as a spherical surface.
In another embodiment, the concave surface is formed as a series of at least two circular conical surfaces which have different diameters and different taper angles with respect to the axis of the spray nozzle.
Preferably, the spray nozzle further includes a spiral member on which at least one spiral groove is formed; and an end cap on which the orifice is formed and which is snugly fitted on the spiral member in a manner so as to close an entire peripheral opening of the at least one spiral groove to define the at least one spiral guide channel.
The liquid whirling chamber is defined between the end cap and the spiral member, wherein an inner end surface of the end cap defines the front inner surface of the liquid whirling chamber
20
.
Preferably, the liquid whirling chamber is shaped so that a liquid which spurts from an outlet of the at least one spiral guide channel whirls about the axis of the spray nozzle in the liquid whirling chamber, an axial center of the orifice being coincident with that of the liquid whirling chamber.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a spray nozzle is provided, which is to be fixed to a distal end of a liquid transfer tube that is inserted into and pulled out of a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope, the spray nozzle including at least one spiral guide channel positioned in front of the distal end of the liquid transfer tube so that an inlet of the at least one spiral guide channel is connected to the distal end of the liquid transfer tube; a liquid whirling chamber positioned in front of the at least one spiral guide channel to be connected to an outlet thereof; and an orifice provided at a center of a front inner surface of the liquid whirling chamber. The front inner surface includes a concave surface; and the concave surface is formed so that the orientation of a tangential plane lying on a point on the front inner surface changes as the point of the tangential plane on the front inner surface approaches the axis of the spray nozzle.
In an embodiment, the front inner surface is formed as a spherical surface.
In another embodiment, the front inner surface is formed as a series of at least two circular conical surfaces which have different diameters and different taper angles with respect to the axis of the spray nozzle.
The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-324934 (filed on Nov. 16, 1999) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

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