Surgical instrument having working channels, each having a profile edge

Abstract

A surgical instrument, such as an ureteroscope. The surgical instrument including an elongated shaft tube with at least two working channels arranged in an interior of the shaft tube. In at least a distal end area of the shaft tube, the at least two working channels, in cross-section, each have a profile edge.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising: an elongated shaft tube; and at least two working channels arranged in an interior of the shaft tube; wherein, at least in a distal end area of the shaft tube, the at least two working channels, in cross-section, each comprise a profile edge; the shaft tube comprises a contact surface corresponding to each of the at least two working channels, each contact surface comprising a planar contact surface section and a curved contact surface section; and each of the planar contact surface sections and the curved contact surface sections are interconnected to corresponding surfaces of the at least two working channels by solder.

2. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two working channels comprise a first contact surface facing a second contact surface of the other of the at least two working channels.

3. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the first and second contact surfaces are planar.

4. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the first and second contact surfaces are complimentary in shape.

5. The surgical instrument according to claim 2, wherein the first and second contact surfaces are interconnected.

6. The surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the first and second contact surfaces are interconnected by being soldered together.

7. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the first and second working channels each comprise a lumen, wherein a cross-section of the lumen of the first working channel is different in size from a cross-section of the lumen of the second working channel.

8. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein, at least in the distal end area, the shaft tube, in cross-section, is formed in a polygonal shape.

9. The surgical instrument according to claim 8, wherein the shaft tube wherein the polygonal shape is a triangular polygonal shape.

10. The surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the at least two working channels and the shaft tube are each formed as metal tubes.

11. An ureteroscope comprising: an elongated shaft tube; and at least two working channels arranged in an interior of the shaft tube; wherein, at least in a distal end area of the shaft tube, the at least two working channels, in cross-section, each comprise a profile edge; the shaft tube comprises a contact surface corresponding to each of the at least two working channels, each contact surface comprising a planar contact surface section and a curved contact surface section; and each of the planar contact surface sections and the curved contact surface sections are interconnected to corresponding surfaces of the at least two working channels by solder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features will become apparent from the description of embodiments together with the claims and the included drawings. Embodiments can fulfill individual characteristics or a combination of several characteristics.

(2) The embodiments are described below, without restricting the general idea using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings, wherein we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to the disclosure of all details that are not explained in greater detail in the text.

(3) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a side view of a ureteroscope;

(4) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a cross-section through the shaft tube along the line A-A in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) In the drawings, the same or similar types of elements and/or parts are provided with the same reference numbers so that a re-introduction is omitted.

(6) FIG. 1 shows schematically a rigid ureteroscope 10. It has a shaft part 1, on the proximal end of which a main body 2 is fastened with eyepiece 3 and insertion part 4. The shaft part 1 has an exterior shaft tube 5 determining the outer periphery.

(7) Two inner working channels 6 and 7 are arranged inside the shaft part 1 (see FIG. 2), through which instruments are inserted. Furthermore, an optical fiber 13 (see FIG. 2) and an optical channel with optics 12 (see FIG. 2) are arranged in the space between the working channels 6 and 7 and the shaft tube 5 so that an image of a lens arranged on the distal end of the shaft part 1 is transmitted to the eyepiece 3.

(8) The working channels 6 and 7 respectively surround a lumen, through which an instrument 9 can be pushed through the insertion part 4 into one of the working channels 6, 7. In the example shown, the instrument 9 is a laser lithotripter, the proximally provided laser generator of which is not shown. Another instrument can also be inserted into the other, free working channel.

(9) The space between the inner working channels 6 and 7 and the shaft tube 5 is filled up among other things with an optical fiber (not shown), which is made e.g. of optical fibers and serves to illuminate the observation field. On the proximal end, the optical fiber is lead out of the main body 2 via an optical fiber connection 11. There, an optical fiber connection channel can be connected to a light source (not shown).

(10) The length of the shaft part 1 of an ureteroscope is for example 400 to 500 mm. The outer diameter of the shaft part 1, i.e. the outer diameter of the outer shaft tube 5, is approximately 4 mm at a maximum.

(11) As can be seen from the schematic representation in FIG. 2, the shaft tube 5 has a triangular polygonal shape in cross-section, wherein the triangular, asymmetrical polygonal shape has rounded corners 15.1, 15.2, 15.3. Optics 12 and an optical fiber 13 are arranged in the shaft tube 5, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the shaft tube 5 from the proximal to the distal end.

(12) The working channels 6, 7 are each formed in cross-section with a profile edge 16 or respectively 17, whereby the cross-sections of the working channels 6 and 7 are teardrop-shaped. The profile edges 16, 17 of the working channels 6, 7 are interfacing and arranged across from each other. Furthermore, the cross-sections of the working channels 6 and 7 thereby comprise interfacing, planar contact surfaces 18 and 19, which are interconnected by soldering or the like. The cross-sections of the working channels 6, 7 only comprise the profile edges 16, 17 in the distal area. The profile edges 16, 17 of the working channels 6, 7 can be formed for example by drifting the cross-sectional shape.

(13) The teardrop shape of the cross-sections of the working channels 6, 7 is adjusted to the respective contour of the corners 15.1, 15.2, in which the working channels are arranged so that the working channels 6, 7 with their outer bearing surfaces 20, 21 for the corners 15.1, 15.2 are each connected or respectively soldered with a shaft tube contact surface 14.1, 14.2 facing the bearing surfaces 20, 21. The shaft tube contact surfaces 14.1, 14.2 comprise both planar shaft tube contact surface sections and curved shaft tube contact surface sections, which are connected with the working channels 6, 7.

(14) While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(15) 1 Shaft part

(16) 2 Main body

(17) 3 Eyepiece

(18) 4 Insertion part

(19) 5 Shaft tube

(20) 6 Working channel

(21) 7 Working channel

(22) 9 Instrument

(23) 10 Ureteroscope

(24) 11 Fiber-optic connection

(25) 12 Lens system

(26) 13 Optical fiber

(27) 14.1, 14.2 Shaft tube contact surface

(28) 15.1, 15.2, 15.3 Corner

(29) 16 Profile edge

(30) 17 Profile edge

(31) 18 Contact surface

(32) 19 Contact surface

(33) 20 Bearing surface

(34) 21 Bearing surface