Endoscope, insertion portion of endoscope, and method for manufacturing insertion portion
AssigneeOlympus Corporation
InventorKatsumi Oyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope includes: an insertion portion formed using a first resin material and having a fusion surface, the first resin material having a melting point of a first temperature; a bending portion formed using a second resin material having a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the bending portion being interposed in the insertion portion at a predetermined position and being bendable in a predetermined direction; and an elastic member formed into a tubular shape by using a third resin material different from the first resin material, the elastic member being configured to cover the bending portion, an end portion of the elastic member being fused to the fusion surface.
Claims19
An insertion portion for use with an endoscope, the insertion portion comprising:
- a distal end portion comprising:
- a first component having a first fusion surface formed of a first resin material, the first resin material having a melting point of a first temperature;
- and
- a second component formed of a second resin material, the second resin material being transparent;
- a bending portion formed of a material having a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the bending portion having a unitary body having a plurality of slits arranged longitudinally in a predetermined direction so as to be bendable in the predetermined direction;
- and
- an elastic tube formed of a third resin material different from the first resin material and different from the second resin material, the elastic tube configured to cover the bending portion, an end portion of the elastic tube being heat fused to the first fusion surface,
- wherein the second component is integrally formed as an optical member comprising at least a portion of a lens and an illumination window.
An insertion portion for use with an endoscope, the insertion portion comprising:
- a distal end portion comprising:
- a first component having a first fusion surface formed of a first resin material having a melting point of a first temperature;
- and
- a second component formed of a second resin material, the second resin material being transparent;
- a bending portion formed of a material having a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the bending portion having a unitary body having a plurality of slits arranged longitudinally in a predetermined direction so as to be bendable in the predetermined direction, the bending portion being continuously provided on a proximal end side of the distal end portion;
- an elastic tube covering the bending portion, the elastic tube formed of a third resin material different from the first resin material and having a melting point of a third temperature, an end portion of the elastic tube being heat fused to the distal end portion;
- and
- a flexible tube continuously provided on a proximal end side of the bending portion,
- wherein the second component is integrally formed as an optical member comprising at least a portion of a lens and an illumination window.
A method for manufacturing an insertion portion of an endoscope, the method comprising:
- forming a first component of a distal end portion from a first resin material, the first component having a fusion surface having a melting point of a first temperature and forming a second component of the distal end portion from a transparent second resin material;
- forming a bending portion using a material having a melting point of a second temperature higher than the first temperature, the bending portion having a unitary body having a plurality of slits arranged longitudinally in a predetermined direction so as to be bendable in the predetermined direction, and causing the bending portion to be continuously provided on a proximal end side of the distal end portion;
- causing a flexible tube to be continuously provided on a proximal end side of the bending portion;
- forming an elastic tube having a first end and a second end;
- and
- heat fusing the first end of the elastic tube to the fusion surface of the distal end portion, the elastic tube being formed using a third resin material having a melting point of a third temperature and being different from the first resin material,
- wherein the second component is integrally formed as an optical member comprising at least a portion of a lens and an illumination window of the endoscope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.