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US 2003/0191366 A1Published application
Disassembly of endoscope having adhesively bonded parts
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorKouta Ishibiki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope comprises a plurality of members constituting the endoscope, and parts-bonded sections each having at least members thereof bonded together using an adhesive. The temperatures of thermal destruction at which the adhesives included in the parts-bonded sections are thermally destroyed are made equal to or higher than the maximum temperature attained during a high-pressure steam sterilization process. At the same time, the temperatures of thermal destruction are made equal to or lower than the heat-resistance temperatures above which members bonded using the adhesives or members located near the bonded members included in the parts-bonded sections fail to resist heat.
Claims33
An endoscope comprising:
- a first part having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second part having a second heat-resistance temperature;
- an adhesive for bonding together the first part and the second part, the adhesive having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature;
- and
- a third part having a third heat-resistance temperature and located near a bonded section of the first part and the second part using the adhesive;
- wherein the first part constitutes a flexible insertion member of the endoscope which is inserted into a subject;
- and
- the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than either one of the first heat-resistance temperature of the first part, the second heat-resistance temperature of the second part and the third heat-resistance temperature of the third part.
5 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a first part having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second part having a second heat-resistance temperature;
- an adhesive for bonding together the first part and the second part, the adhesive having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature;
- and
- a third part having a third heat-resistance temperature and located near a bonded section of the first part and the second part using the adhesive;
- wherein the first part is a channel tube provided in the endoscope through which fluid is fed or a therapeutic instrument is passed;
- and
- the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than either one of the first heat-resistance temperature of the first part, the second heat-resistance temperature of the second part and the third heat-resistance temperature of the third part.
5 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a first part having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second part having a second heat-resistance temperature;
- an adhesive for bonding together the first part and the second part, the adhesive having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature;
- and
- a third part having a third heat-resistance temperature and located near a bonded section of the first part and the second part using the adhesive;
- wherein the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than at least the third heat-resistance temperature of the third part.
3 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a first part having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second part having a second heat-resistance temperature;
- an adhesive for bonding together the first part and the second part, the adhesive having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature;
- and
- a third part having a third heat-resistance temperature and located near a bonded section of the first part and the second part using the adhesive;
- wherein at least one of the first part, the second part and the third part is a resin part made of a resin material;
- and
- the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than a heat-resistance temperature of the resin material of the resin part.
5 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a first part having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second part having a second heat-resistance temperature, the second part being more durable than the first part in normal use of the endoscope;
- and
- an adhesive for bonding together the first part and the second part, the adhesive having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature;
- wherein the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than at least the second heat-resistance temperature of the second part.
2 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a first means constituting a portion of the endoscope and having a first heat-resistance temperature;
- a second means constituting a portion of the endoscope and having a second heat-resistance temperature;
- and
- an adhesive means for bonding together the first means and the second means, the adhesive means having a characteristic of being thermally destroyed at a predetermined temperature,
- wherein the predetermined temperature of thermal destruction at which the adhesive means is thermally destroyed is equal to or higher than a maximum temperature the endoscope is subjected to during a high-pressure steam sterilization, and equal to or lower than the lower one of the heat-resistance temperature of the first means and the second heat-resistance temperature of the second means.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.