# US 8,771,171 B2 · Endoscope, and treatment instrument for endoscope

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- Number: US 8,771,171 B2
- Document ID: US8771171B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/622,824
- Filed: 2012-09-19
- Published: 2013-07-18
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-16
- Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
- Applicants: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
- Inventors: Yoshio Onuki; Kiyotaka Matsuno; Tatsutoshi Hashimoto; Tsutomu Okada; Kazuo Banju; Ken Shigeta; Naoki Iwanaga; Shotaro Takemoto; Ayano Ishioka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771171B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/00042: {for mechanical operation}
- A61B 1/00075: {with externally roughened shaft}
- A61B 1/00098: {Deflecting means for inserted tools}
- A61B 1/00114: {Electrical cables in or with an endoscope}
- A61B 1/00121: {Connectors, fasteners and adapters, e.g. on the endoscope handle}
- A61B 1/00128: {mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes}
- A61B 1/00135: {Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion}
- A61B 1/00154: {using guiding arrangements for insertion}
- A61B 1/005: Flexible endoscopes
- A61B 1/0052: {Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles}
- A61B 1/0057: {Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires}
- A61B 1/0125: {Endoscope within endoscope}
- A61B 1/018: for receiving instruments
- A61B 1/051: {Details of CCD assembly}
- A61B 1/12: with cooling or rinsing arrangements
- A61B 1/128: {provided with means for regulating temperature}
- A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)}
- A61B 17/0469: {Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery}
- A61B 17/062: Needle manipulators
- A61M 25/0136: {Handles therefor}
- A61M 25/0147: {with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires}
- A61B 1/00045: {Display arrangement}
- A61B 1/00094: {Suction openings}
- A61B 1/0055: {Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements}
- A61B 1/015: Control of fluid supply or evacuation
- A61B 2017/0034: {adapted to be inserted through a working channel of an endoscope}
- A61B 2017/2905: {flexible}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

A medical instrument system includes an elongated member having an inner space in a direction of a longitudinal axis, an insertion section installed at the inner space and having a bending section capable of being bent, a manipulation section configured to manipulate the bending section, a first manipulation member transmitting a driving force of the bending section in accordance with the manipulation by the manipulation section, a second manipulation member arranged in the direction of a longitudinal axis, a connecting section having a first connecting section and a second connecting section and capable of connecting the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member, and a switching mechanism having a first acting section and a second acting section and switching between a connection state and a release state in accordance with a relative movement between the elongated member and the insertion section.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical instrument system comprising:
an elongated member having a longitudinal axis and an inner space in a direction of the longitudinal axis, the elongated member formed in the direction of the longitudinal axis;
an insertion section arranged in the inner space so as to freely move in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the insertion section having a bending section capable of being bent;
a manipulation section configured to manipulate the bending section;
a first manipulation member connected to the manipulation section, the first manipulation member transmitting a driving force to the bending section in accordance with a manipulation by the manipulation section;
a second manipulation member connected to the bending section, the second manipulation member arranged in the direction of the longitudinal axis;
a connecting section having a first connecting section installed at the first manipulation member and a second connecting section installed at the second manipulation member, the connecting section capable of detachably connecting the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member; and
a switching mechanism having a first acting section configured to connect the first connecting section and the second connecting section to each other, the switching mechanism having a second acting section configured to release the first connecting section and the second connecting section from each other, the switching mechanism switching between a connection state in which the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member are connected by the connecting section and a release state in which a connection of the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member is released, wherein
the switching mechanism transitions between the release state and the connection state by relative axial movement between the elongated member and the insertion section,
in the connection state, as a proximal end of the bending section protrudes from the elongated member, the first connecting section and the second connecting section are connected to each other due to engagement between a protrusion disposed on the insertion section and the first acting section disposed on the elongated member, and the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member freely move in the direction of the longitudinal axis with respect to the direction of the longitudinal axis in accordance with the manipulation by the manipulation section, and
in the release state, as at least a portion of the bending section is disposed in the inner space of the elongated member, the connection of the first connecting section and the second connecting section is released by an action of the second acting section, and the first manipulation member freely moves in the direction of the longitudinal axis with respect to the second manipulation member and the elongated member in accordance with the manipulation by the manipulation section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The medical instrument system according to claim 1, wherein
the switching mechanism has the protrusion extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member and the protrusion is configured to freely protrude from and retract into the insertion section,
the first acting section is a restricting surface formed at the elongated member,
in the connection state, as the insertion section is disposed at a position at which the proximal end of the bending section protrudes from the elongated member, the protrusion is pressed against the restricting surface and a state in which the protrusion is pushed into the inner space is maintained, and
in the release state, as at least a portion of the bending section is disposed in the inner space of the elongated member, the restricting surface and the protrusion are deviated from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis and the protrusion protrudes from the insertion section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The medical instrument system according to claim 2, wherein
the connecting section is composed of a plunger of a solenoid,
the protrusion is connected to an electrical switch, and
when the protrusion is pushed thereinto, the plunger is actuated to connect the first manipulation member and the second manipulation member.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The medical instrument system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a pulley to which the connecting section is connected;
a break member configured to form a lock state in which the pulley is not capable of moving with respect to a main body of the manipulation section; and
a lock lever configured to be manipulated so as to set and release the lock state,
wherein the lock lever is manipulated to set the lock state only when the protrusion is pushed thereinto.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The medical instrument system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a pulley to which the connecting section is connected; and
a bending manipulation section detachably attached to the pulley via an electromagnetic clutch, the bending manipulation section capable of rotation-manipulating the pulley,
wherein the protrusion is connected to an electrical switch, and
when the protrusion is pushed thereinto, the electromagnetic clutch is actuated to connect the pulley and the bending manipulation section.