IP Library Granted Patent US 12667240
Granted Patent B2
US 12667240 · App. 18/644,034 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Endoscope

Inventors: Yasuhiko Morimoto (Kanagawa, JP); Satoru Okada (Kanagawa, JP); Tsuneo Fukuzawa (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
A61B1/00098A61B1/00087A61B1/018
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12667240
App. No.
18/644,034
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An endoscope including an insertion unit, a treatment tool insertion channel, a treatment tool outlet, an elevator, and a plurality of wall is provided. The insertion unit has a soft part, a bendable part, and a distal end part arranged in order from a proximal end side toward a distal end side in a direction of a longitudinal axis. The treatment tool insertion channel is inserted into the insertion unit. The treatment tool outlet is connected to a distal end of the treatment tool insertion channel. The elevator is rotatable about a rotating shaft between a standing position and a fallen position, and includes a guide surface guiding a treatment tool led out of the treatment tool outlet. The plurality of walls encloses a space in which the elevator is housed, wherein a first wall, which is opposite to the guide surface in a case where the elevator is in the standing position, among the plurality of walls is made of a material harder than at least a second wall among the plurality of walls.

Claims (42)

1 . An endoscope comprising:

an insertion unit that has a soft part, a bendable part, and a distal end part arranged in order from a proximal end side toward a distal end side in a direction of a longitudinal axis;

a treatment tool insertion channel that is inserted into the insertion unit;

a treatment tool outlet that is connected to a distal end of the treatment tool insertion channel;

an elevator that is rotatable about a rotating shaft between a standing position and a fallen position and includes a guide surface guiding a treatment tool led out of the treatment tool outlet;

a plurality of walls that encloses a space in which the elevator is housed, wherein a first wall, which is opposite to the guide surface in a case where the elevator is in the standing position, among the plurality of walls is made of a material harder than at least a second wall among the plurality of walls; and

a resin body case built-in with a standing unit, in which the elevator is disposed and the treatment tool outlet is provided,

wherein the first wall includes a first contact surface that is to be in contact with the treatment tool led out of the treatment tool outlet in a case where the elevator is in the standing position, and the standing unit includes a second contact surface that faces oppositely to the first contact surface and is to be in contact with the elevator in a case where the elevator is in the fallen position.

2 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second wall is opposite to the first wall, and the first wall is disposed closer to the proximal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis than the second wall and is made of a material harder than the second wall.

3 . The endoscope according to claim 2 ,

wherein the second wall constitutes a part of the resin body case.

4 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second wall is one of a plurality of side walls extending along the direction of the longitudinal axis among the plurality of walls.

5 . The endoscope according to claim 4 ,

wherein the side walls constitute parts of the resin body case.

6 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the standing unit and the first wall are formed integrally.

7 . The endoscope according to claim 6 ,

wherein the elevator is made of metal.

8 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the standing unit and the first wall are formed separately.

9 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first wall is made of metal or ceramic.

10 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first wall includes a convex portion that has a convex shape and protrudes toward the distal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and

the first contact surface is formed of a surface including an apex of the convex portion.

11 . The endoscope according to claim 10 ,

wherein the guide surface that has a concave shape corresponding to a shape of the convex portion.

12 . The endoscope according to claim 11 ,

wherein a gap between the guide surface and the convex portion is 0.5 mm or less in a state where the elevator is in the standing position.

13 . The endoscope according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an ultrasound transducer including ultrasound vibrators,

wherein the elevator is disposed closer to the proximal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis than the ultrasound transducer.

14 . The endoscope according to claim 13 , further comprising:

an observation window disposed on the proximal end side of the ultrasound transducer in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

15 . The endoscope according to claim 14 ,

wherein the observation window is disposed closer to the proximal end side in the direction of the longitudinal axis than the first wall.

16 . The endoscope according to claim 14 ,

wherein the observation window is offset from the standing unit in a direction away from a center line of the elevator and toward a lateral side of the distal end part.

17 . The endoscope according to claim 1 ,

wherein the resin body case forms an outer wall of the distal end part and houses the elevator, and the first wall is built-in the resin body case and is made of ceramic.