US 8,998,800 B2Granted

Endoscope

AssigneeOlympus Medical Systems Corp.

InventorYutaka Masaki

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An endoscope has a bending portion operation apparatus at an operation portion, the bending portion operation apparatus being for bending and operating a bending portion, and the bending portion operation apparatus includes a dial for bending operation which bends the bending portion by pivoting about a shaft, a portion of the dial for bending operation provided at the operation portion being protruded at a position where the dial for bending operation is operated with a thumb grasping the operation portion, and an auxiliary dial for bending operation which has a meshing portion meshing with the dial for bending operation and a protruding portion protruding at a position where the auxiliary dial for bending operation is operable with a finger other than the thumb, an operation input entered at the protruding portion with the finger other than the thumb being transmitted to the bending operation dial via the meshing portion.

An endoscope comprising:

a bending portion which is bendable and provided at an insertion portion;
a dial for bending operation which is rotatable for a bending operation of the bending portion, the dial for bending operation being provided to protrude from an outer surface of an operation portion which is provided on a proximal end side of the insertion portion, the dial for bending operation having a plurality of operation-side meshing teeth on an outer circumference;
an auxiliary dial for bending operation which is rotatable for rotating the dial for bending operation, the auxiliary dial for bending operation being provided to protrude from the outer surface of the operation portion;
and
a plurality of auxiliary-side meshing teeth which are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the auxiliary dial for bending operation and transmit rotation of the auxiliary dial for bending operation to the dial for bending operation, a diameter of arrangement of the plurality of auxiliary-side meshing teeth being smaller than a diameter of arrangement of the plurality of operation-side meshing teeth of the dial for bending operation;
wherein
the bending portion is bendable in upward and downward directions and leftward and rightward directions,
the dial for bending operation includes:
a dial for upward and downward bending operation which is arranged on a first shaft provided at the operation portion, is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise about the first shaft, and bends the bending portion in the upward direction or the downward direction by being rotated in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction;
and
a dial for leftward and rightward bending operation which is arranged on a second shaft parallel to the first shaft, is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise about the second shaft, and bends in the leftward direction or the rightward direction by being rotated in one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction;
and
the auxiliary dial for bending operation includes:
an auxiliary dial for upward and downward bending operation which is arranged on a third shaft confronting the first shaft, is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise about the third shaft, and bends the bending portion in the upward direction or the downward direction by being rotated in one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction;
and
an auxiliary dial for leftward and rightward bending operation which is arranged on a fourth shaft confronting the second shaft, is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise about the fourth shaft, and bends in the leftward direction or the rightward direction by being rotated in one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction.

13 more elements

Facts

Application

13/904,679Filed 29 May 2013 · continuation

Priority

JP 2011-13258614 Jun 2011

Published

US 2013/0303855 A114 Nov 2013

Granted

7 Apr 2015

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A61B 1/0052
With controlled bending of insertion part: constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
A61B 1/00042
Provided with input arrangements for the user: for mechanical operation
A61B 1/0016
Holding or positioning arrangements: using motor drive units
G02B 23/2476
Instruments or systems for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes: non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

Claims7