# US 11,998,170 B2 · Endoscope

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- Number: US 11,998,170 B2
- Document ID: US11998170B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/947,187
- Filed: 2022-09-19
- Published: 2023-01-19
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-07
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Inventors: Yasuhiko Morimoto; Satoru Okada; Tsuneo Fukuzawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998170B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/00098: {Deflecting means for inserted tools}
- A61B 1/00087: {Tools (A61B17/00234 takes precedence)}
- A61B 1/01: Guiding arrangements therefore
- A61B 1/018: for receiving instruments
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

There is provided an endoscope capable of suppressing the degradation of a distal-end-part body over time that is caused by the sandwiching of a treatment tool. An endoscope includes a distal-end-part body that is provided at a distal end of an insertion unit. The distal-end-part body includes an elevator-housing space-forming wall that forms an elevator-housing space opened in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the insertion unit, a lead-out portion that includes a treatment tool outlet opened into the elevator-housing space, and an elevator that is provided in the elevator-housing space so as to be rotatable about a rotating shaft between a standing position and a fallen position and includes a guide surface guiding a treatment tool. The elevator-housing space-forming wall includes an opening wall portion provided on an opening side of the elevator-housing space. An opposite wall portion, which is opposite to the guide surface in a case where the elevator is in the standing position, of the opening wall portion is made of a material harder than that of all other wall portions other than the opposite wall portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoscope comprising:
a distal-end-part body that is provided at a distal end of an insertion unit extending in a direction of a longitudinal axis,
wherein the distal-end-part body includes
an elevator-housing space-forming wall that forms an elevator-housing space opened in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis,
a lead-out portion that forms a distal end of a treatment tool-insertion channel inserted into and disposed in the insertion unit and includes a treatment tool outlet opened into the elevator-housing space, and
an elevator that is provided in the elevator-housing space so as to be rotatable about a rotating shaft between a standing position and a fallen position and includes a guide surface guiding a treatment tool led out of the treatment tool outlet,
the elevator-housing space-forming wall includes an opening wall portion provided on an opening side of the elevator-housing space, and
an opposite wall portion, which is opposite to the guide surface in a case where the elevator is in the standing position, of the opening wall portion is made of a material harder than that of all other wall portions other than the opposite wall portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1,
wherein a material of the opposite wall portion is metal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The endoscope according to claim 2,
wherein a material of the other wall portions is a resin.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1,
wherein a material of the opposite wall portion is ceramic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1,
wherein the opposite wall portion is made of the same material as an outlet-forming wall, which forms the treatment tool outlet, and is formed integrally with the outlet-forming wall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1,
wherein the opposite wall portion includes a contact surface that is to be in contact with a treatment tool led out of the treatment tool outlet in a case where the elevator is in the standing position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The endoscope according to claim 6,
wherein the opposite wall portion includes a convex portion that has a convex shape and protrudes toward a distal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and
the contact surface is formed of a surface including an apex of the convex portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The endoscope according to claim 7,
wherein the guide surface has a concave shape, and
the convex shape of the convex portion corresponds to the concave shape of the guide surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The endoscope according to claim 8,
wherein a gap between the guide surface and the convex portion is 0.5 mm or less in a state where the elevator is in the standing position.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The endoscope according to claim 1,
wherein the distal-end-part body includes an ultrasound transducer including an ultrasound vibrator, and
the elevator is disposed closer to a proximal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis than the ultrasound transducer.