BIPOLAR HIGH-FREQUENCY TREATMENT TOOL FOR ENDOSCOPE

Abstract

A bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for an endoscope comprising a flexible sheath having a multi-lumen tube which is rotatable about an axis of the flexible sheath and is formed to have a pair of guide lumens, a pair of high-frequency electrodes which are arranged to be movable at a tip end of the flexible sheath and are adapted to be electrically insulated from each other, a pair of operating wires which are made of an electrically conductive material but are adapted to be electrically insulated from each other, wherein each of the pair of operating wires is respectively arranged in each of the guide lumens, and wherein the pair of high-frequency electrodes is rotated as the pair of operating wires is rotated and as the multi-lumen tube is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath accordingly, is provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an entire configuration of a bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for an endoscope with high-frequency electrodes according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for the endoscope with the high-frequency electrodes thereof being closed according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for the endoscope with the high-frequency electrodes thereof being open according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a connecting portion of a flexible sheath and an operating unit of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for the endoscope with high-frequency electrodes thereof being open according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for the endoscope with high-frequency electrodes thereof being open and rotated according to the first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for an endoscope with high-frequency electrodes thereof being protruded outward according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for the endoscope with high-frequency electrodes thereof being retracted inward according to the second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of a bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for an endoscope with high-frequency electrodes thereof being protruded outward according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A bipolar high-frequency treatment tool for an endoscope, comprising; a flexible sheath having a multi-lumen tube which is adapted to be rotatable about an axis of the flexible sheath and is formed to have a pair of guide lumens extending in an axial direction of the flexible sheath throughout an entire length of the flexible sheath;a pair of high-frequency electrodes which are arranged to be movable at a tip end of the flexible sheath and are adapted to be electrically insulated from each other;a pair of operating wires which are made of an electrically conductive material to conduct high-frequency electric current from a power source to the pair of high-frequency electrodes but are adapted to be electrically insulated from each other,wherein each of the pair of operating wires is respectively arranged in each of the guide lumens; andwherein the pair of high-frequency electrodes is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath as the pair of operating wires is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath by a rotating force applied to proximal portions of the operating wires and as the multi-lumen tube is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath inside the flexible sheath accordingly.

2. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of operating wires is arranged to be movable in the axial direction of the flexible sheath inside each of the pair of guide lumens of the multi-lumen tube.

3. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 2, wherein the flexible sheath is provided with an operating unit at a proximal end thereof, the operating unit being rotatable about the axis of the flexible sheath with respect to a rotatable member which is attached to interconnect the operating unit and the flexible sheath;wherein the proximal portions of the operating wires extending from a proximal end of the multi-lumen tube are fixed to the operating unit so that the proximal portions of the operating wires are rotated integrally with the operating unit as the operating unit is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath with respect to the rotatable member.

4. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 3, wherein the proximal portions of the pair of operating wires extending from the proximal end of the multi-lumen tube are provided with enhancing covers respectively.

5. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein the flexible sheath is provided with an operating unit at a proximal end thereof, the operating unit being rotatable about the axis of the flexible sheath with respect to a rotatable member which is attached to interconnect the operating unit and the flexible sheath;wherein the proximal portions of the operating wires extending from a proximal end of the multi-lumen tube are fixed to the operating unit so that the proximal portions of the operating wires are rotated integrally with the operating unit as the operating unit is rotated about the axis of the flexible sheath with respect to the rotatable member.

6. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 5, wherein the proximal portions of the pair of operating wires extending from the proximal end of the multi-lumen tube are provided with enhancing covers respectively.

7. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of operating wires is coated with an electrically insulating coating material at a portion that extends from a distal end of the multi-lumen tube to one of the bipolar high-frequency electrodes.

8. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 7, wherein each of the pair of operating wires is configured with a core wire and a plurality of peripheral wires which are twisted around the core wire;wherein solely the core wire of the at least one of the pair of operating wires is coated with the electrically insulating coating material and the plurality of peripheral wires are removed from the at least one of the pair of operating wires in the portion in which the at least one of the pair of operating wires is coated with the electrically insulating coating material.

9. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein the flexible sheath is provided with a frame to hold the high-frequency electrodes at the tip end thereof; andwherein the frame is adapted to be rotatable integrally with the pair of high-frequency electrodes with respect to the flexible sheath about the axis of the flexible sheath when the high-frequency electrodes are rotated by the rotating force applied to the proximal portions of the operating wires.

10. The bipolar high-frequency treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein the pair of high-frequency electrodes is adapted to be protrusible and retractable from the tip end of the flexible sheath, andwherein the multi-lumen tube is formed to be shorter than the length of the flexible sheath for an amount which is equivalent to an amount of the high-frequency electrodes to be retracted inside the flexible sheath.