1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing instrument for an insertion device provided with a treatment instrument swing base on the distal side thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a treatment instrument having various functions, such as a forceps, extends from an aperture section which is made on the distal side from an endoscope body through a channel of an insertion portion. An aperture section is also provided in a part of the circumferential surface side of the distal end of the insertion portion, and there is known a swing mechanism which bends, in a desired direction, the movement direction of the treatment, instrument extending from this aperture section. A swing base for the treatment instrument (or a treatment instrument swing base) is known as a typical swing mechanism. This swing base can rise by the operation of an operation lever provided on an operation portion side, to change the movement direction of a treatment instrument such as a forceps in a desired direction.
If the insertion portion is inserted into a body cavity, bodily fluids and resected living tissues, for example, enter from the aperture section portion in which the swing base is disposed, and adhere to a swing base body and its peripheral part. After the end of a treatment, washing and sterilization of an endoscope are indispensable to prevent infectious diseases. Because of the complicated structure, washing work to completely remove unnecessary objects is troublesome, which is addressed by washing that uses a washing instrument.
For example, a technique regarding the washing of the inside of the distal end of an insertion portion of an endoscope is suggested in Patent Literature 1: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 08-196505. A hole which communicates with a receiving chamber and which is an attachment opening to attach a washing instrument, to is formed in the front surface of the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope. A connection portion of the washing instrument which is attached to this hole has a flow path to supply and suck a washing liquid, and the washing liquid is supplied to and sucked from the inside of the receiving chamber through this flow path to decontaminate the inside of the receiving chamber.
In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 08-196505, a cover member which covers the entire distal end to make it difficult for the connection portion to come off is suggested as another example. In this cover member, the connection portion which is plugged into the hole that is the attachment opening is formed to protrude in the inner bottom surface of the cover member. That is, if the entire distal end is covered with the cover member, the connection portion having the flow path is attached in a state where the connection portion is in the hole, and the washing liquid is supplied and sucked. In this cover member, a drain opening is also formed at a position corresponding to the aperture section of the receiving chamber.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds