# US 10,117,567 B2 · Endoscope

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- Number: US 10,117,567 B2
- Document ID: US10117567B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/252,767
- Filed: 2016-08-31
- Published: 2016-12-22
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-26
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Yasuhiro Okamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117567B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/0052: {Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles}
- A61B 1/00: Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes (examination of body cavities or body tracts using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/12; endoscopic instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/04); Illuminating arrangements therefor (for the eyes A61B3/00)
- A61B 1/005: Flexible endoscopes
- A61B 1/0057: {Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An endoscope includes a bending section being disposed in an insertion section, a plurality of towing members disposed in the insertion section and in an operation section from the bending section, a disk member turnably provided in the operation section and configured to turn to tow and loosen the plurality of towing members, the plurality of towing members being suspended in an outer circumference of the disk member, operation members turnably disposed in the operation section and configured to turn the disk member to bend the bending section, and a turning shaft configured to turnably axially support the disk member and the operation members with respect to the operation section in a position decentered to the distal end side by a predetermined distance d with respect to a center of the disk member in an initial state in which the bending section is linear.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoscope comprising:
an operation section provided on a proximal end side;
an insertion section extending to a distal end side from the operation section, a bending section being disposed in the insertion section;
a towing member disposed in the insertion section and in the operation section from the bending section;
a disk member turnably provided in the operation section and configured to turn to tow and loosen the towing member, the towing member comprising a wire extending from each of two sides of the disk member;
an operation member disposed in the operation section such that a center of the operation member and a center of the disk member coincide with each other, the operation member being configured to turn the disk member to bend the bending section; and
a turning shaft configured to turnably axially support the disk member and the operation member with respect to the operation section, the turning shaft being juxtaposed with the center of the disk member and the center of the operation member in a position decentered to the distal end side along a longitudinal direction of the operation section by a predetermined distance in an initial state in which the bending section is linear.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein, when the bending section is in the initial state, the center of the turning shaft and the center of the disk member and the operation member are juxtaposed along a center axis of the insertion section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
the disk member is a chain wheel, and
the towing member further comprises a chain that meshes with the chain wheel, where an end of each wire is connected to both ends of the chain.