US 12,465,203 B2
Bending operation mechanism for endoscope, and endoscope
Keisuke Hatano, Fuchu (JP)
Assigned to OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/717,418.
Application 17/717,418 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2019/040323, filed on Oct. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0233057 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 1/005 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/0057 (2013.01) [A61B 1/0052 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bending operation mechanism for use with an endoscope, the bending operation mechanism comprising:
an operation lever;
a wire pulling member connected to the operation lever and including first and second arms tiltable along with tilt of the operation lever about a fixed axis;
first and second pulling wires extending from the first and second arms, respectively, and configured to move with tilt of the wire pulling member;
a tubular member having an opening configured for insertion of a button, the tubular member being disposed in a region between the first and second arms in a direction extending between the first and second arms; and
first and second pulleys corresponding to the first and second arms, respectively, the first and second pulleys receiving the first and second pulling wires, respectively,
wherein a rotation shaft of each of the first and second pulleys is inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the fixed axis such that a first side of each of the first and second pulleys that is closer to the first and second arms, respectively, is closer to the fixed axis than a second side of each of the first and second pulleys that is further from the first and second arms, respectively; and
the first side and the second side are on a same surface of each of the first and second pulleys.