Patent Publication Number: US-2018049625-A1

Title: Endoscope

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation application of PCT/JP2016/078633 filed on Sep. 28, 2016 and claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2016-011465 filed in Japan on Jan. 25, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an endoscope, a bending portion of which is bent in linkage with a tilting operation to an operation lever. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, in order to observe a part inside a subject where observation is difficult, such as inside of a living body or inside of a structure, an endoscope that can be inserted into the subject is widely utilized in a medical field or an industrial field, for example. 
     An insertion portion of such an endoscope is provided with a bending portion for improving insertability and observability inside a subject. The bending portion is bent by a bending operation device provided in an operation portion. 
     As the bending operation device, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-321612, the bending operation device of a joystick type configured to bend a bending portion by a tilting operation to an operation lever is widely known. 
     In such a conventional joystick type bending operation device, in order to secure watertightness inside an endoscope while allowing a tilting action of a bending lever projecting to an outside of an operation portion, an outer side of the operation lever is watertightly covered with an exterior cover formed of an elastic member such as rubber. 
     Incidentally, for the endoscope of this kind, a leak test for determining whether or not watertightness of the inside is secured is performed before cleaning is performed after use. The leak test is generally performed by applying a positive pressure to the inside of the endoscope manually by a user or automatically by an endoscope cleaning apparatus through a ventilation portion provided in the endoscope. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An endoscope according to one aspect of the present invention includes: an operation portion provided on a proximal end side of an insertion portion including a bending portion; an operation lever portion provided in the operation portion, the operation lever portion including an operation shaft and being capable of adjusting a bending angle of the bending portion in linkage with a tilting action; a sliding body disposed so as to be freely movable back and forth in an axial direction of the operation shaft; a flexible exterior cover watertightly fixed to the operation portion so as to cover an outer periphery of the sliding body and the operation shaft, the flexible exterior cover being deformable by fluctuation of an internal pressure of the operation portion; and a return member configured to return the sliding body to a side of the operation portion when the internal pressure of the operation portion is depressurized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating an appearance configuration of an endoscope as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a right side view illustrating an appearance configuration of an operation portion of the endoscope as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view illustrating the configuration of the bending operation lever portion in a state in which a positive pressure is applied during a leak test as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion of a first modification as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion of a second modification as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the bending operation lever portion of the second modification as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a right side view illustrating an appearance configuration of an operation portion of an endoscope of a third modification as one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a structure configured to lock/unlock a sliding body by a lock lever of the third modification as one aspect of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating a structure configured to lock/unlock a sliding body by a lock lever of a fourth modification as one aspect of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Hereinafter, a preferable mode of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the respective drawings used in following description, a scale is made different for each component in order to turn the individual components to such sizes that the components can be recognized on the drawings, and the present invention is not limited only to quantities of the components, shapes of the components, ratios of the sizes of the components, and relative positional relationships of the individual components described in the drawings. In addition, in the following description, upper and lower directions in a view toward a paper surface of the drawing are sometimes described as an upper part and a lower part of the component. 
     First, an endoscope as one aspect of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. 
     Note that  FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating an appearance configuration of the endoscope,  FIG. 2  is a right side view illustrating an appearance configuration of an operation portion of the endoscope,  FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion, and  FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view illustrating the configuration of the bending operation lever portion in a state in which a positive pressure is applied during a leak test. 
     An endoscope  1  according to an embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  is an electronic endoscope, and is configured including an insertion portion  2  formed in an elongated tube shape, an operation portion  3  connected to a proximal end of the insertion portion  2 , a universal cord  4  which is an endoscope cable extended from the operation portion  3 , and an endoscope connector  5  disposed at a distal end of the universal cord  4 . 
     The insertion portion  2  of the endoscope  1  is configured by a flexible tubular member for which a distal end portion  6 , a bending portion  7  and a flexible tube portion  8  are connected in order from a distal end side. 
     Inside the distal end portion  6  of the insertion portion  2 , though not illustrated here, an objective optical system, an image pickup unit with a built-in image sensor of CCD, CMOS or the like, an illumination optical system configured to radiate illumination light transmitted by a light guide bundle, a channel pipe configured to connect and hold a treatment instrument channel, and the like are disposed. 
     The bending portion  7  of the insertion portion  2  is configured so as to be actively bent in an entire circumferential direction around an insertion axis O including up-down/right-left directions, according to operation input of a user who is an operator or the like to the operation portion  3 . 
     The flexible tube portion  8  of the insertion portion  2  is configured by a flexible tubular member that can be passively bent. Through an inside of the flexible tube portion  8 , an image pickup cable, the light guide bundle, a treatment instrument insertion channel, and an air/water feeding tube are inserted (none is illustrated). 
     The operation portion  3  of the endoscope  1  is configured including a bend preventing portion  11  connected to the flexible tube portion  8  in a state of covering the proximal end of the flexible tube portion  8 , an insertion portion rotation dial  12  capable of freely adjusting a rotating position around the insertion axis O of the insertion portion  2  provided on a proximal end side of the bend preventing portion  11 , a grasping portion  13  that is connected to the proximal end side of the insertion portion rotation dial  12  and can be grasped by a hand of the user or the like, and an operation portion main body  14  connected to the proximal end side of the grasping portion  13 . 
     Note that, in the present embodiment, a direction around the insertion axis O as a longitudinal axis in the operation portion  3  or the like is defined with the state in which the user or the like is grasping the grasping portion  13  as a reference, and specifically, front-back/right-left directions (a front surface, a back surface, left and right side faces, and the like) with the user or the like grasping the grasping portion  13  as the reference are defined in the operation portion  3 . 
     The grasping portion  13  is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical shape to the insertion axis O, and can be grasped by the user or the like similarly by either left or right hand. 
     On the front surface on the distal end side of the grasping portion  13 , a treatment instrument insertion portion  15  is provided. The treatment instrument insertion portion  15  is configured including a treatment instrument insertion opening  16  configured to insert various kinds of treatment instruments not illustrated. 
     Inside the operation portion  3 , to the treatment instrument insertion opening  16 , the treatment instrument insertion channel is communicated through a branching member (neither is illustrated). In addition, to/from the treatment instrument insertion portion  15 , a disposable forceps plug not illustrated, which is a lid member for closing the treatment instrument insertion opening  16 , for example, is freely attachable and detachable. 
     The operation portion main body  14  is configured by a hollow member forming a roughly partially spherical shape swollen mainly to right and left sides and front on the proximal end side of the grasping portion  13 . On a front surface side of the operation portion main body  14 , operation buttons  20  for executing a suction function, various kinds of optical system functions, and the like of the endoscope  1  are disposed. 
     The operation buttons  20  are configured including a disposable suction valve  22  for example freely detachably mounted on the operation portion main body  14 , and two button switches  23  to which an arbitrary function, a release button for example, can be selectively allocated from various kinds of functions regarding the endoscope  1 , for example. 
     Note that the suction valve  22  is configured including a suction button  24  as an operation input member, and a tube connection portion  25  to which a suction tube extended from an endoscope suction device that is an external device not illustrated is connected. 
     On a back surface side of the operation portion main body  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a bending operation lever portion  30  as bending operation means for performing a bending operation to the bending portion  7  is disposed. 
     From one side portion (a left side portion, for example) of the operation portion main body  14 , the universal cord  4  is extended through a cable bend preventing portion  17 . 
     Here, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , left and right shapes of the operation portion main body  14  are a swollen shape bilaterally symmetrical to the insertion axis O, and on left and right side faces on the distal end side of the operation portion main body  14 , a guiding recessed portion  18  configured to guide a pointing finger or the like of the user or the like grasping the grasping portion  13  to the operation buttons  20  is formed respectively. 
     The universal cord  4  is a composite cable through which various kinds of signal lines including the image pickup cable reaching the operation portion  3  from the side of the distal end portion  6  through the inside of the insertion portion  2  and extended from the operation portion  3  further, the light guide bundle and the air/water feeding tube into which air/water feeding fluid is made to flow (none is illustrated) are inserted. 
     The endoscope connector  5  provided on an end portion of the universal cord  4  includes an electric connector portion  5   a  provided on a side face portion, and a light source connector portion  5   b  connected with a light source device which is an external device not illustrated. 
     Note that, to the electric connector portion  5   a,  a connector of an electric cable extended from a video processor which is an external device not illustrated is freely detachably connected. In addition, at the light source connector portion  5   b,  a light guide connector portion  5   c  housing the light guide bundle is disposed. 
     Next, the configuration of the bending operation lever portion  30  provided in the operation portion main body  14  will be described in more detail, based on  FIG. 3 . 
     The bending operation lever portion  30  provided on the back surface side of the operation portion main body  14  is configured by a lever of a so-called joystick type that can be tilted in all directions including the up-down/right-left directions, for example. 
     On a projecting end portion of the bending operation lever portion  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a finger contact portion  31  with which a thumb or the like of the user or the like can be brought into contact is provided. Note that the bending operation lever portion  30  is provided such that the user or the like can operate the finger contact portion  31  by the thumb of the hand grasping the grasping portion  13 . 
     For the bending operation lever portion  30 , a rod-like sliding body  37  in a roughly columnar shape which is a sliding portion is connected to a watertight holder portion  36  connected to the finger contact portion  31 , and the sliding body  37  is housed so as to be freely movable back and forth along an axial (longitudinal axis) direction of a roughly cylindrical operation shaft  32  which is a lever shaft. 
     Note that, to the operation shaft  32  and the watertight holder portion  36  to which the sliding body  37  is connected, a tension spring  38 , end portions of which are fixed to respectively formed outward flanges  32   a  and  36   a,  is interposed so as to extrapolate an upper part of the operation shaft  32 , and the state in which the sliding body  37  is housed inside the operation shaft  32  is maintained by tension stress of the tension spring  38 . 
     That is, the tension spring  38  configures a return member configured to impart the tensile stress to the sliding body  37  to return to the side of the operation portion main body  14  of the operation portion  2  along the axial (longitudinal axis) direction of the operation shaft  32 . 
     Then, the bending operation lever portion  30  is provided with an exterior cover  33  as a waterproof boot for watertightly sealing a periphery of the watertight holder portion  36 , the sliding body  37  and the operation shaft  32  and forming a sealed space inside the endoscope  1 . 
     Note that, inside the operation portion  3 , a bending operation mechanism not illustrated is connected to the operation shaft  32  of the bending operation lever portion  30 . The bending operation lever portion  30  can bend the bending portion  7  in an arbitrary direction through a pulling action of each pulling wire by the bending operation mechanism. 
     The exterior cover  33  of the bending operation lever portion  30  is configured by a resin material which is an elastic member of soft rubber or the like, an inner peripheral edge portion of which close to the finger contact portion  31  watertightly covers an outer side of the operation shaft  32 , and an outer peripheral edge portion of which is watertightly fixed to the operation portion main body  14  of the operation portion  3 . 
     Specifically describing, for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the exterior cover  33  is configured by a doughnut-like member forming a meandering shape on a cross section, for which a mountain fold portion  33   a  and a valley fold portion  33   b  are formed at a middle portion from an outer peripheral side to an inner peripheral side. 
     For the exterior cover  33 , seal rings  34  and  35  forming a thick bead shape are respectively and integrally formed at peripheral end portions on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side. 
     Of the seal rings  34  and  35 , the seal ring  34  on the inner peripheral side close to the finger contact portion  31  is brought into press contact with the finger contact portion  31  by the watertight holder portion  36 , and thus watertightness is held from the finger contact portion  31  to the watertight holder portion  36 , the sliding body  37  and the operation shaft  32 . 
     On the other hand, of the seal rings  34  and  35 , the seal ring  35  on the outer peripheral side on the side of the operation portion main body  14  is brought into press contact and fixed by a non-illustrated cover holder including a plurality of holder rings provided in the operation portion main body  14 , and thus the watertightness is held. 
     In this way, the bending operation lever portion  30  projected from the operation portion main body  14  to be moved is provided in the state in which the watertightness is held from a position close to the finger contact portion  31  to the operation portion main body  14 . 
     In the endoscope  1  of the present embodiment configured as above, a positive pressure is applied to the inside and pressurization is performed during a leak test for determining whether or not the watertightness is secured inside during cleaning after use or the like, and thus an internal pressure rises. 
     At the time, in the bending operation lever portion  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the sliding body  37  connected through the watertight holder portion  36  to the finger contact portion  31  is extended from the operation shaft  32  where the sliding body  37  is housed against the tensile stress of the tension spring  38 , and the finger contact portion  31  is moved in a direction of separating from the operation portion main body  14  of the operation portion  3 . 
     Therefore, in response to the rise of the internal pressure, the mountain fold portion  33   a  and the valley fold portion  33   b  are eliminated and the exterior cover  33  is deformed so as to be swollen in a so-called dome shape. That is, the exterior cover  33  is prevented from being folded even when the internal pressure rises during the leak test. 
     Note that, in the endoscope  1 , the internal pressure is depressurized to a negative pressure after the leak test. At the time, by the tensile stress of the tension spring  38 , the sliding body  37  is housed inside the operation shaft  32  and returned to the state during the use. 
     By such a configuration, in the endoscope  1 , since a folded part of the exterior cover  33  is not generated even when automatic cleaning is performed by an endoscope cleaning apparatus configured to perform the leak test during a cleaning process, need of manually performing cleaning again is eliminated, and troublesome time and labor can be prevented. 
     Thus, the endoscope  1  of the present embodiment can be configured without the need of time and labor in cleaning by preventing the exterior cover  33  covering the outer side portion of the bending operation lever portion  30  from being folded in the state in which the positive pressure is applied to the inside during a leak test process, even when used in the endoscope cleaning apparatus configured to execute a series of processes from the leak test to the cleaning. 
     Note that, without being limited to execution of the cleaning in the endoscope cleaning apparatus configured to execute a series of processes from the leak test to the cleaning, of course the endoscope  1  may be manually cleaned, or may be cleaned using the endoscope cleaning apparatus which does not perform the leak test during a cleaning process. 
     Note that, even when the tensile stress of the tension spring  38  is imparted, since the sliding body  37  is freely movable back and forth to the operation shaft  32 , the bending operation lever portion  30  described in the embodiment described above is structured such that the finger contact portion  31  is slid to be freely projected and sunk even during the use of the endoscope  1 . 
     In this way, the endoscope  1  is not easy to use during the use when the finger contact portion  31  of the bending operation lever portion  30  is freely projected and sunk, it is preferable to include a structure of fixing the finger contact portion  31  during the use. 
     Therefore, as illustrated in following modifications, some lock mechanisms configured to restrict back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  and fix the sliding body  37  in the state of being moved to the side of the operation portion  3  such that the finger contact portion  31  of the bending operation lever portion  30  is not freely projected are illustrated. 
     First Modification 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion of the first modification. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , for the bending operation lever portion  30 , a lock groove  32   b  which is an L-shaped groove portion is formed on the operation shaft  32 , and a lock pin  36   b  to engage in the lock groove  32   b  is provided on the sliding body  37  connected through the watertight holder portion  36  to the finger contact portion  31 . 
     In the bending operation lever portion  30 , when the finger contact portion  31  is sunk, by inserting and removing the lock pin  36   b  to/from a part orthogonal to the operation shaft  32  of the lock groove  32   b  by turning around the axis of the sliding body  37 , the state of locking the sliding body  37  and the state of unlocking the sliding body  37  in freely slidable state can be switched. 
     In this way, the bending operation lever portion  30  can be freely switched between the time of the use when the finger contact portion  31  is prevented from being freely projected, and the time of the cleaning during which the leak test or the like is performed when the finger contact portion  31  is slid and freely projected and sunk. 
     Second Modification 
       FIG. 6  is a partial sectional view illustrating a configuration of a bending operation lever portion of the second modification, and  FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the bending operation lever portion. Note that, in the drawings describing the bending operation lever portion  30  here, the exterior cover  33  is not illustrated and is omitted. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , the bending operation lever portion  30  is a so-called knock type delivery lock mechanism portion, and is configured including a roughly cylindrical exterior portion  41 , a knock rod  42 , a rotor  43 , a spring retainer  44  in a roughly columnar shape, a coil spring  45 , and a bearing  46 . 
     The exterior portion  41  includes an opening portion  41   a  at one end, and a non-illustrated groove is formed on an inner peripheral surface. The knock rod  42  is housed inside the exterior portion  41  such that a rod-like operation rod body  42   a  is projected from the opening portion  41   a  of the exterior portion  41 , and is operated so as to be projected and sunk to/from the exterior portion  41 . 
     In addition, the knock rod  42  includes a plurality of projection portions  42   b  moved straight along the groove (not illustrated) of the exterior portion  41  at an outer peripheral portion, and a recessed and projected portion  32   c  is formed on a surface on an opposite side of the operation rod body  42   a.    
     Note that the knock rod  42  is connected to the watertight holder portion  36  by being screwed or the like, and is connected to the finger contact portion  31  through the watertight holder portion  36 . 
     The rotor  43  includes a rod body  43   a  that is inserted into the knock rod  42 , turned and held, and a cam  43   b  for being in contact with the recessed and projected portion  42   c  and rotated according to projection/sinking of the knock rod  42  is formed at the outer peripheral portion. That is, the cam  43   b  is brought into contact with the recessed and projected portion  42   c  of the knock rod  42  and the rotor  43  is axially rotated. 
     For the spring retainer  44 , an outward flange  44   a  is formed in the middle of the outer peripheral portion. The outward flange  44   a  is brought into contact with one end of the coil spring  45 , and receives energizing force at one part. Note that the bearing  46  is connected to the opening portion of the exterior portion  41  by being screwed or the like. 
     That is, an operation shaft here is configured by the portions from the knock rod  42  projected from the exterior portion  41  and connected through the watertight holder portion  36  to the finger contact portion  31  to the bearing  46  closing the opening portion of the exterior portion  41 . 
     In the bending operation lever portion  30  configured in this way, when the knock rod  42  is depressed by an operator, the rotor  43  is rotated in a predetermined direction, and the cam  43   b  is hooked to a projected portion formed on an inner surface of the exterior portion  41  and including a V-shaped end face not illustrated in accordance with the rotating position. 
     At the time, the rotor  43  pressurizes the spring retainer  44 , and is restrained in the state of compressing the coil spring  45 . Thus, the bending operation lever portion  30  is turned to the state in which a portion of the knock rod  42  is sunk in the exterior portion  41 , and the finger contact portion  31  is turned to the state of being moved to the side of the operation portion main body  14 . In the state, the endoscope  1  is ready to be used. 
     Then, in the bending operation lever portion  30 , when the finger contact portion  31  is depressed by the operator from the state in which a portion of the knock rod  42  is sunk in the exterior portion  41 , the rotor  43  is rotated further in the predetermined direction, and the cam  43   b  is detached from the V-shaped end face (not illustrated) formed at the projected portion of the exterior portion  41 . 
     At the time, the rotor  43  receives the energizing force of the coil spring  45  through the spring retainer  44  and is returned, and the knock rod  42  is turned to the state of being projected from the exterior portion  41 . Thus, the finger contact portion  31  is turned to the state of being moved in a direction of separating from the operation portion main body  14 . In this state, the time of the cleaning during which the leak test or the like is performed for the endoscope  1  comes. 
     That is, the bending operation lever portion  30  includes a knock type delivery lock mechanism portion adopted in a knock type ball-point pen or the like, and is freely switched between the time of the use when the finger contact portion  31  is moved to the side of the operation portion main body  14  and the time of the cleaning during which the leak test or the like is performed when the finger contact portion  31  is moved in the direction of separating from the operation portion main body  14 . 
     Third Modification 
       FIG. 8  is a right side view illustrating an appearance configuration of an operation portion of an endoscope of the third modification, and  FIG. 9  is a conceptual diagram illustrating a structure configured to lock/unlock a sliding body by a lock lever. 
     The operation portion  3  of the endoscope  1  is provided with a lock lever  39  as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , and the sliding body is locked/unlocked by turning the lock lever as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     Specifically, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , when the lock lever  39  is turned, a lock pin  51  is moved back and forth in linkage with turning of a lock shaft  39   a.    
     Then, a lock state in which the back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  to the operation shaft  32  not illustrated here is restricted by the lock pin  51  being fitted to a peripheral groove  37   a  formed on the sliding body  37 , and an unlock state in which the sliding body  37  is freely movable back and forth to the operation shaft  32  by the lock pin  51  being detached from the peripheral groove  37   a  are switched. 
     In this way, the endoscope  1  is freely switched between the time of the use when the back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  is restricted by a turning operation of the lock lever  39  and the finger contact portion  31  is prevented from being freely projected, and the time of the cleaning during which the leak test or the like is performed when the sliding body  37  is freely movable back and forth, the finger contact portion  31  is slid and freely projected and sunk. 
     Note that the structure to fit the lock pin  51  in order to restrict the back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  is not limited to the peripheral groove  37   a,  and various shapes such as D cut or a hole portion may be applied. 
     Fourth Modification 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating a structure configured to lock/unlock a sliding body by a lock lever of the fourth modification. Note that, in the present modification, a different configuration of locking/unlocking the sliding body  37  by the turning operation of the lock lever  39  in the third modification is illustrated. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , a bevel gear  52  is provided on an end portion of the lock shaft  39   a  of the lock lever  39 , and a lock plate  53  disposed so as to be roughly orthogonal to the bevel gear  52  and provided with a gear groove in a bevel gear shape formed to be engaged with the bevel gear  52  and turned is provided. 
     The lock plate  53  includes a hole portion  53   a  in a D cut shape formed at a center, and is disposed at the peripheral groove  37   a  of the sliding body  37 . Note that the lock plate  53  is freely turnably held by a turning holding member not illustrated. 
     The sliding body  37  is in the D cut shape on the cross section with a plane  37   b  formed in the longitudinal axis direction of an outer peripheral portion to be a lower side here than the peripheral groove  57   a.  Note that the cross section D cut shape of the sliding body  37  and the D cut shape of the hole portion  53   a  of the lock plate  53  are similar shapes. 
     In the endoscope  1  configured in this way, when the lock lever  39  is turned, the lock plate  53  is turned in linkage with the turning of the bevel gear  52 . 
     Then, at a turning position of the lock plate  53  where the D cut shapes of the hole portion  53   a  of the lock plate  53  and the sliding body  37  do not coincide, the lock plate  53  is brought into contact and hooked to the peripheral groove  37   a  formed on the sliding body  37 , and thus the lock state of restricting the back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  to the operation shaft  32  not illustrated here is attained. 
     On the other hand, at the turning position of the lock plate  53  where the D cut shapes of the hole portion  53   a  of the lock plate  53  and the sliding body  37  coincide, the sliding body  37  is freely insertable through the hole portion  53   a,  and the unlock state in which the sliding body  37  is freely movable back and forth to the operation shaft  32  is attained. 
     Even in such a configuration, similarly to the third modification, the endoscope  1  is freely switched between the time of the use when the back and forth movement of the sliding body  37  is restricted by the turning operation of the lock lever  39  and the finger contact portion  31  is prevented from being freely projected, and the time of the cleaning during which the leak test or the like is performed when the sliding body  37  is freely movable back and forth, the finger contact portion  31  is slid and freely projected and sunk. 
     Note that the invention described in the above-described embodiment is not limited to the embodiment and the modifications and can be variously modified without departing from the scope in an implementation phase in addition. Further, the above-described embodiment includes the inventions in various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations in a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. 
     For example, even when some constituent elements are deleted from the entire constituent elements indicated in the embodiment, in the case in which the described problem can be solved and the described effect can be obtained, the configuration from which the constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as the invention. 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide the endoscope that can prevent an exterior cover covering an outer side portion of an operation lever from being folded in the state in which a positive pressure is applied to the inside in a leak test process, does not need the time and labor of a manual leak test, and does not choose a model of an automatic endoscope cleaning apparatus, even when used in the endoscope cleaning apparatus configured to execute a series of processes from the leak test to the cleaning.