Surgery – Instruments
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2004-02-10
Mulcahy, John (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
C606S205000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689122
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-145528, filed May 17, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an endoscopic instrument capable of being introduced into the human body through a forceps channel of an endoscope and used for medical treatment.
Conventionally, there is an endoscopic instrument
110
that comprises an elongated insert section
102
capable of being passed through a forceps channel
100
of an endoscope
101
, a treatment section
104
attached to the distal end of the insert section
102
, and an operating section
106
on the proximal end side of the insert section
102
, as shown in
FIG. 23. A
desired treatment is conducted as the distal treatment section
104
is operated by pushing or pulling an operating wire, which is movably passed through the insert section
102
, by means of the operating section
106
. In the insert section
102
of the endoscopic instrument
110
, as shown in
FIG. 24
, for example, a plastic tube
112
is located in a coil
108
that is formed of an element wire having a circular cross section, and a pair of operating wires
114
,
115
are passed through the tube
112
(cf. PCT National Publication No. 9-507420 (Symbiosis) or U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,727 (Symbiosis)).
In some endoscopic instruments such as biopsy forceps in which the distal treatment section
104
requires a force in carrying out treatment, a force of 10 kgf or more may be applied to the operating section
106
on the proximal end side. In this case, a similar force acts on the operating wires
114
,
115
that are passed through the coil
108
of the insert section
102
. In the endoscopic instrument (see
FIG. 24
) having the construction described in PCT National Publication No. 9-507420 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,727, therefore, the force that is directed toward the center of the curvature acts on the operating wires
114
,
115
when the operating section
106
is operated with the endoscope
101
curved, as shown in FIG.
23
. As shown in
FIGS. 24 and 25
, moreover, the plastic tube
112
, which is designed to smoothen the slide of the wires
114
,
115
, bites into the grooves
120
between the element wires of the coil
108
, so that the force of the operating section
106
cannot be efficiently transmitted to the distal treatment section. In this case, the wires
114
,
115
and the tube
112
are not fixed. Since the sliding resistance between the coil
108
and the tube
112
is higher than the resistance between the tube
112
and the wires
114
,
115
, however, the wires
114
,
115
and the tube
112
move as one body in the coil
108
when the wires
114
,
115
are slid. If the movement of the plastic tube
112
is prevented, therefore, the force that is transmitted to the operating wires
114
,
115
attenuates.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic instrument capable of efficiently transmitting an operating force to a treatment section without being influenced by the curved state of an endoscope.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following endoscopic instrument. The endoscopic instrument according to the invention comprises a flexible insert section capable of being passed through a forceps channel of an endoscope, an operating wire located in a bore of the insert section and movable in the axial direction of the insert section, an operating section connected to the proximal end side of the insert section and used to move the operating wire forward and backward, and a treatment section attached to the distal end of the insert section and adapted to be operated as the operating wire is moved forward and backward. The operating wire is composed of at least one wire member, a resin member is located on or adhered to at least a part of the outer surface of the operating wire, at least the inner surface of the insert section is formed of a metallic coil, and a micro-flat portion is provided at least on that surface portion of an element wire of the coil which faces the operating wire.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
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Mulcahy John
Olympus Corporation
Schopfer Kenneth G.
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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