# US 2023/0404378 A1 · Endoscope and endoscope system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0404378 A1 - Document ID: US20230404378A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/239,296 - Filed: 2023-08-29 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-02 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Kazuya SASAGUCHI; Soichi IKUMA; Eijiro SATO; Hiroki KAZUNO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230404378A1 ## CPC - A61B 1/015: Control of fluid supply or evacuation - A61B 1/00094: {Suction openings} - A61B 1/018: for receiving instruments - A61B 1/307: for the urinary organs, e.g. urethroscopes or cystoscopes - A61B 17/2202: {the ultrasound transducer being inside patient's body at the distal end of the catheter} - A61B 18/26: for producing a shock wave, e.g. laser lithotripsy - A61B 17/22012: {in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement (for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245)} - A61B 2017/22079: {with suction of debris} - A61B 2018/00166: {Multiple lumina} - A61B 2018/00511: {Kidney} - A61B 2018/00982: {combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes} - A61B 2218/007: Aspiration - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An endoscope includes an insertion portion that is inserted into a subject, and a suction channel that suctions a liquid along with a crushed calculus. The suction channel includes a channel main body, which is inserted in the insertion portion, and a small-diameter channel portion that is provided on a distal end side of the channel main body and has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the channel main body. The suction channel is configured to satisfy the relational expression R1/R2>1.27, where R1 represents the inner diameter of the channel main body and R2 represents the inner diameter of the small-diameter channel portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endoscope, comprising: an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject; and a suction channel that comprises a channel main body inserted in the insertion portion, and a small-diameter channel portion which is provided on a distal end side of the channel main body, includes a channel opening in a distal end face of the insertion portion, and has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the channel main body, the suction channel being configured to suction, from the channel opening, a liquid along with a crushed calculus, wherein the suction channel is configured to satisfy the following relational expression: R1/R2>1.27, where R1 represents an inner diameter of the channel main body and R2 represents an inner diameter of the small-diameter channel portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the suction channel is configured to further satisfy the following relational expression: R1/R2>1.36. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the suction channel also serves as a treatment instrument channel; and the suction channel is configured to satisfy the following relational expression: R1−R3≥2(R2−R4), with respect to a treatment instrument including a treatment instrument main body that is inserted into the channel main body and has an outer diameter R3, and a distal-end-side shaped portion that is inserted into the small-diameter channel portion and has an outer diameter R4. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein in the treatment instrument, the distal-end-side shaped portion has a larger diameter than the treatment instrument main body, and R4>R3 is satisfied. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the treatment instrument can move in the suction channel in an axial direction of the insertion portion so that the treatment instrument main body is inserted into the small-diameter channel portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein in the treatment instrument, the distal-end-side shaped portion has a same outer diameter as an outer diameter of the treatment instrument main body, and R4=R3 is satisfied; and the relational expression is expressed as R1−R3≥2(R2−R3). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the suction channel comprises a suction tube connector for connecting a suction tube that is connected to a suction pump. ### Claim 8 An endoscope system, comprising: an endoscope that comprises an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject, and a suction channel that comprises a channel main body inserted in the insertion portion, and a small-diameter channel portion which is provided on a distal end side of the channel main body, includes a channel opening in a distal end face of the insertion portion, and has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the channel main body, the suction channel being configured to suction, from the channel opening, a liquid along with a crushed calculus; and a calculus crushing device that comprises a probe configured to protrude from the insertion portion and crush the calculus, and a generator configured to supply energy to the probe, wherein the suction channel is configured to satisfy the following relational expression: R1/R2>1.27, where R1 represents an inner diameter of the channel main body and R2 represents an inner diameter of the small-diameter channel portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The endoscope system according to claim 8, wherein the suction channel is configured to further satisfy the following relational expression: R1/R2>1.36. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The endoscope system according to claim 8, wherein the endoscope system further comprises a pump configured to suction the liquid or cause the liquid to flow backward, along with the calculus through the suction channel, the suction channel also serves as a treatment instrument channel, the endoscope system further comprises a treatment instrument configured to be inserted in the suction channel, extend from the channel opening, and crush the calculus, the treatment instrument includes a treatment instrument main body, which is inserted into the channel main body, and a distal-end-side shaped portion that is inserted into the small-diameter channel portion, the suction channel and the treatment instrument are configured to satisfy the following relational expression: R1−R3≥2(R2−R4), where R3 represents an outer diameter of the treatment instrument main body and R4 represents an outer diameter of the distal-end-side shaped portion, and the pump suctions the liquid along with the calculus from between the small-diameter channel portion and the distal-end-side shaped portion, through the channel opening. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the treatment instrument includes a laser probe configured to crush the calculus by irradiation with laser. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The endoscope system according to claim 10, further comprising a liquid feeding channel that is inserted into the insertion portion and conveys a liquid, wherein the pump suctions the liquid that is discharged from the liquid feeding channel into the subject and is perfused into the subject, along with the crushed calculus through the suction channel.