US 12,144,490 B2
Endoscope
Yoshitsugu Hosogoe, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to HOYA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/632,072
Filed by HOYA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 25, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/048774
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 1, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/140964, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-002242 (JP), filed on Jan. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0273162 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 1/005 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/005 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00078 (2013.01); A61B 1/0055 (2013.01); A61B 1/0057 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An endoscope comprising:
a hardness adjustment cable that is arranged in an insertion portion and includes a hardness adjustment sheath, a hardness adjustment wire inserted in the hardness adjustment sheath, and a coupling tool coupling the hardness adjustment sheath and the hardness adjustment wire;
a retainer fixed to the hardness adjustment wire on an operation unit side of the hardness adjustment cable;
a cam mechanism that is coupled to the retainer when tension is applied to the hardness adjustment wire, the cam mechanism including a cam ring and a driven body that moves in a longitudinal direction of the insertion portion in conjunction with rotation of the cam ring;
a sheath fixing unit coupled to the hardness adjustment sheath on the operation unit side of the hardness adjustment cable, the sheath fixing unit including a sheath receiver fixed to the hardness adjustment sheath; and
a cylindrical guide frame that is arranged between the insertion portion and an operation unit and that holds the cam mechanism and the sheath fixing unit such that the cam mechanism and the sheath fixing unit are independently movable of each other in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion, wherein:
the guide frame is inserted through the cam ring,
the retainer is coupled to the driven body, and
the sheath fixing unit further includes a sheath fixing ring through which the guide frame is inserted and to which the sheath receiver is fixed.