Patent ID: 8529439
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An endoscopic system comprising: an endoscope main body in which an air-feed piping, a liquid-feed piping and a suction piping are inserted, said endoscope main body having an insertion part that is insertable into an abdominal cavity; an imaging unit which is connectable to and separable from the endoscope main body; a branch member which is provided in a proximal end portion of the insertion part of the endoscope main body, said branch member having an opening for freely inserting and removing the imaging unit into and from the insertion part of the endoscope main body, when the imaging unit is connected to or separated from the endoscope main body; a peripheral equipment which has a light source unit for generating illumination light for photographic shooting, and an image display unit for displaying an image captured by the imaging unit; a piping connector which is provided in the endoscope main body through a universal cord in which the air-feed piping, the liquid-feed piping and the suction piping are inserted, wherein said piping connector is connectable to the imaging unit, has a peripheral equipment side connector to connect to the peripheral equipment, and is adapted to connect the air-feed piping, liquid-feed piping and suction piping inserted into the universal cord, to the peripheral equipment, by connecting to the peripheral equipment through the peripheral equipment side connector; a universal cord connector which is provided on a piping connector side of the universal cord, and which is adapted to connect to the piping connector; a separate imaging connector which is provided on a piping connector side of the imaging unit, and which is adapted to connect to the piping connector; a wiring connector which is branched from the piping connector, and which is adapted to connect electrical wiring in the imaging unit and electrical wiring in the endoscope main body, to the peripheral equipment; and a guide tube which is disposed inside the insertion part, the guide tube having a distal end portion fixed to a distal end portion of the insertion part and a proximal portion disposed in the insertion part to connect to the opening of the branch member; wherein, when the imaging unit is connected to the endoscope main body, the imaging unit is inserted into the insertion part from the opening of the branch member and guided by the guide tube to the distal end portion of the insertion part from the opening of the branch member; and wherein, when the imaging unit is separated from the endoscopic main body, the imaging unit is guided by the guide tube to the opening from the distal end portion of the insertion part and removed from the insertion part.