Medical treatment endoscope

Abstract

The medical treatment endoscope according to the present invention includes a sheath having a flexibility; at least one arm member having a bending part that projects out from a front end of the sheath and performs bending actions; an open/close mechanism which directs the arm member from a direction along a central axis of the sheath to a direction deviated from the central axis of the sheath, and from a direction deviated from the central axis of the sheath to a direction along the central axis of the sheath; and a viewing device and an illuminating member that are disposed to the front end side of the sheath.

1 . A treatment instrument comprising:
 a sheath capable of a bending operation;   an arm section protruding from the tip of the flexible sheath and being capable of the bending operation;   an operation stick allowing an operator to carry out the bending operation of the arm section;   a first rotation mechanism which is joined to the operation stick and bends the arm section;   a second rotation mechanism which is joined to the operation stick and bends the arm section; and   a second rotation mechanism which is joined to the operation stick and bends the arm section in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of the arm section bent by the first rotation mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an operation section provided with the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism; and   an operation section which is distant from the operation section for carrying out the bending operation of the sheath.   
     
     
         3 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism each have a rotative shaft rotating in accordance with a tilting direction and a tilting amount of the operation stick; and   the rotative shaft is offset from a position at which a force is input when the operator carries out the tilting operation for the operation stick.   
     
     
         4 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 3 , wherein the rotative shaft is disposed at a point which substantially corresponds to the barycenter or the longitudinal center of the operation stick. 
     
     
         5 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second rotation mechanism has a rotative shaft rotating in accordance with the tilting direction and the tilting amount of the operation stick; and   a joint position of the second rotation mechanism and the operation stick is offset from the rotative shaft.   
     
     
         6 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 5 , further comprising a roller bearing is disposed at a joint position of the second rotation mechanism and the operation stick. 
     
     
         7 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism each have a rotative shaft rotating in accordance with the tilting direction and the tilting amount of the operation stick;   a rotative member is fixed to the rotative shaft;   a wire joined to the rotative member is configured to bend the arm section; and   the joint position between the operation stick and the first rotation mechanism or the second rotation mechanism, the rotative member, and a torque limiter for intermittently connecting the torque transmitted from the operation stick to the rotative member are disposed in an axial line direction.   
     
     
         8 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism each have a rotative shaft rotating in accordance with the tilting direction and the tilting amount of the operation stick;   a rotative member is fixed to the rotative shaft;   a wire joined to the rotative member is configured to bend the arm section; and   a clutch is provided to the rotative shaft, restricts the rotation corresponding to a rotation torque input from the rotative member, and tolerates the rotation corresponding to a rotation torque input from the operation stick.   
     
     
         9 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 8 , wherein the clutch has a spring, and is provided with a pin which engages in the rotational direction after the spring is deformed by a predetermined amount and which transfers the rotation. 
     
     
         10 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the arm section comprises a pair of arm sections, and each arm section has the operation stick, the first rotation mechanism, and the second rotation mechanism; and the pair of the operation sticks are diagonally disposed at a predetermined angle so as to open relative to the operator. 
     
     
         11 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising a viewing unit for observing a tip farther than the flexible sheath. 
     
     
         12 . The treatment instrument according to  claim 11 , wherein the sheath is a flexible.