US 8,821,385 B2Granted

Endoscope and helical rotation member attached to insertion unit of this endoscope

AssigneeOlympus Medical Systems Corp.

InventorKimihiko Naito

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Abstract

An insertion apparatus includes insertion unit, a rotation drive mechanism, a first rotation member which is arranged inside the insertion unit and rotates by the rotation drive mechanism, a second rotation member which is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the insertion unit and is adjacent to the first rotation member, and a helical rotation member which is rotatable in accordance with rotation of the second rotation member. The insertion apparatus include a magnetic force generation mechanism which generates a magnetic force that enables the first rotation member and the second rotation member to be attracted to and coupled and enables the second rotation member to rotate follow rotation of first rotation member. The magnetic force generation mechanism is arranged at a tubular end portion of the first rotation member and a tubular end portion of the second rotation member adjacent to the end portion.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An endoscope comprising:

an insertion unit which is inserted into a lumen and has a longitudinal axis;
a rotation drive mechanism which is arranged inside the insertion unit;
a tubular first rotation member which is arranged inside the insertion unit, coupled with the rotation drive mechanism, and rotates around the longitudinal axis by the rotation drive mechanism;
a tubular second rotation member which is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the insertion unit in such a manner that the second rotation member is adjacent to the first rotation member and a central axis of the first rotation member and a central axis of the second rotation member are coaxially arranged each other, and rotates around the longitudinal axis;
a helical rotation member comprising:
a tubular main body portion which allows the insertion unit to be inserted therethrough and is rotatable around the longitudinal axis in accordance with rotation of the second rotation member;
and a fin portion which is arranged on an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion and helically arranged around the longitudinal axis;
and
a magnetic force generation mechanism which is arranged in each of the first rotation member and the second rotation member and generates a magnetic force that enables the first rotation member and the second rotation member to be attracted to and coupled with each other and a magnetic force which enables the second rotation member to rotate in accordance with rotation of the first rotation member when the first rotation member rotates in a state that the first rotation member and the second rotation member are attracted to each other,
wherein the magnetic force generation mechanism is arranged at a tubular end portion of the first rotation member and a tubular end portion of the second rotation member adjacent to the end portion of the first rotation member.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/017,405Filed 4 Sep 2013 · continuation
Priority: JP 2012-06444821 Mar 2012
Published: US 2014/0058203 A127 Feb 2014
Granted: 2 Sep 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

A61B 1/0016
Holding or positioning arrangements: using motor drive units
A61B 1/00045
Provided with output arrangements: display arrangement
A61B 1/00075
Insertion part of the endoscope body: with externally roughened shaft
A61B 1/0008
Insertion part of the endoscope body: characterised by distal tip features