Ultrasonic endoscope
An ultrasonic endoscope comprising an insertion portion including a distal hard portion. The insertion portion comprises an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the distal hard portion and a treatment equipment lead-out hole, a slant surface on which an endoscopic viewing section is formed, the slant surface being provided in a position rear of the treatment equipment lead-out hole and a balloon removably arranged in a fit area on the ultrasonic transducer. The distal hard portion comprises a balloon-fit groove between an arrangement region of the ultrasonic transducer and an opening of the treatment equipment lead-out hole. The balloon has an end including a retaining ring that fits in the balloon-fit groove. The distal hard portion further comprises a treatment equipment guide member that slidably guides the treatment equipment across an arrangement area of the balloon-fit groove and up to a position on a beginning side of a scanning range of the ultrasonic transducer.
1. An ultrasonic endoscope comprising an insertion portion including a distal hard portion,
the insertion portion comprising:
an ultrasonic transducer arranged in the distal hard portion;
a treatment equipment lead-out hole that allows a treatment equipment to project in a direction toward an obliquely forward from a rear point of the ultrasonic transducer;
a slant surface on which an endoscopic viewing section is formed, the slant surface being provided in a position rear of the treatment equipment lead-out hole; and
a balloon removably arranged in a fit area on the ultrasonic transducer;
wherein the distal hard portion comprises a balloon-fit groove between an arrangement region of the ultrasonic transducer and an opening of the treatment equipment lead-out hole;
the balloon has an end including a retaining ring that fits in the balloon-fit groove; and
the distal hard portion further comprises a treatment equipment guide member that slidably guides the treatment equipment, projecting out of the treatment equipment lead-out hole, across an arrangement area of the balloon-fit groove and up to a position on a beginning side of a scanning range of the ultrasonic transducer,
wherein the treatment equipment guide member is allowed to rotatively displace between
a treatment equipment guide position, wherein the treatment equipment guide member covers the balloon-fit groove and
a groove-open position, wherein the treatment equipment guide member is spaced from the balloon-fit groove in order to install the balloon, and
the distal hard portion comprises a stopper that positions the treatment equipment guide member in the treatment equipment guide position.
2. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1 ,
wherein the treatment equipment guide member comprises a support portion that supports the treatment equipment guide member in a direction abutting against the stopper, and
the support portion is structured to release, by manual operation, from supporting the treatment equipment guide member to the groove-open position.
3. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment equipment which is projected from the treatment equipment lead-out hole shoots in the scanning range of the ultrasonic transducer.
4. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment equipment which is projected from the treatment equipment lead-out hole is guided by the treatment equipment guide member until passing the retaining ring of the balloon.
5. The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim 1 ,
wherein the treatment equipment guide member extends up to a point coincident with a delimitation of the scanning range of the ultrasonic transducer,
a front area of the insertion portion includes the ultrasonic transducer and the balloon,
a rear area of the insertion portion includes the treatment equipment lead-out hole, the viewing window and the illuminating window, and
the ultrasonic transducer and the viewing window sandwich the transducer equipment lead-out hole.