Endoscope having a bendable tube connected to a forward end member adapted to be inserted into a hollow body portion to be inspected and controlled from a control housing and an elongated flexible tube connecting the bendable tube and the control housing. The flexible tube has a thin tubular synthetic resin layer having a tubular net-like braid of non-metallic fibers embedded therein and another thin tubular synthetic resin layer having a tubular net-like braid of metallic fibers embedded therein, the superimposed resin layers coaxially covering the flexible core of the flexible tube, and the bendable tube comprises a tubular, knitted net-like braid of crimped synthetic fibers closely enveloping a bendable tubular core and a pliable resin tube closely enveloping the braid, thus providing adequate wall thickness for the flexible tube and the bendable tube while retaining sufficient flexibility and twist-resisting property.
Disclosed is a construction of a flexible tube, which is applied to an insertion section of an endoscope, adapted to be inserted into the body cavity. The flexible tube comprises a spiral tube formed by transforming a belt-shaped metal member into a spiral, a braid formed of fibers intertwined like a net, and fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the spiral tube, and a sheath covering the outer peripheral surface of the braid, and having a multilayer structure composed of inner and outer layers, at least for part of its length. The inner layer is a tube member which is formed of a high-polymer material, and is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the braid. The outer layer is formed by applying a molten high-polymer material to the outer peripheral surface of the tube member, for cross-linking.
A bending tube extends between the flexible tube and the distal end portion of an endoscope, and is subject to a bending control from the control unit of the endoscope for swinging the distal end portion in a desired direction. The bending tube comprises a braided structure and an outer framework. The resulting construction permits the bending tube to bend freely in all directions and prevents the outer shell from being damaged by the framework and also increases the interior space of the bending tube.
An endoscope is equipped with a tube consisting of at least two layers and having a passage through which forceps or catheter is inserted. One layer constituting an inner layer is made of a relatively rigid material whose frictional coefficient is small. The other layer constituting an outer layer is made of a flexible or pliable material and is thicker than the inner layer.
A flexible tube device has a flexible tube one end of which is connected to a distal end and the other end of which is connected to a control unit, a central tube formed by coiling a metal strip and provided within and coaxially with the flexible tube, and an adjusting mechanism provided within the control unit to control the pliability of the flexible tube from the outside by varying the diameter of the central tube.
A flexible tube assembly for an endoscope consisting of a core tube formed by spirally winding an elastic metal band with a layer of material little permeable to X-rays coated on said core tube and a flexible sheath concentrically surrounding said core tube.
