STOPCOCK, PLUG FOR A STOPCOCK, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PLUG FOR A STOPCOCK

Abstract

In order to flush away local bleeding during surgery with a medical instrument, the instruments are commonly provided with a flushing device. In order to be able to control an inflow and outflow of a flushing liquid, the instruments have a stopcock. In order to achieve the sealing action of the stopcock, the plugs of the stopcock have to be formed with a very high degree of precision. The known production processes for such plugs are very cumbersome and cost-intensive. This provides a plug for a stopcock and a stopcock and a method for producing a plug, by way of which the stated problem is eliminated. This is achieved in that a plug, with a grip part and a cone part, is formed in one part and can be produced in a single process step.

Claims

1. Plug for a stopcock for producing and breaking a fluidic connection between at least two connection parts, wherein the plug can be mounted in a rotatable manner in an interior space of a housing of the stopcock and has, one behind the other in the direction of an axis of rotation, a cone part, which has a cone surface, and a grip part, which has a grip, wherein the cone part has a bore perpendicularly to the axis of rotation, and wherein the cone surface has webs which can be brought into sealing connection with an inner surface of the interior space of the housing, wherein the plug, with the cone part and the grip part, is formed in one part.

2. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 1, wherein the cone surface has at least two horizontal webs which extend annularly around the cone part, wherein one web is arranged above and one web is arranged below the bore.

3. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 1, wherein the cone surface has at least four vertical webs which extend, in each case adjacent to outlet openings of the bore, along the cone surface, wherein the webs are of straight or curved form and are arranged semicircularly around the bore.

4. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 2, wherein the cone surface has at least two horizontal webs and at least four vertical webs, wherein ends of the vertical webs each coincide with a horizontal web.

5. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 1, wherein the vertical webs have a width which corresponds at least to the diameter of the bore.

6. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 1, wherein the cone part, the grip part and the webs are produced in one part from the same material.

7. Plug for a stopcock according to claim 1, wherein the form of at least the vertical webs, has a particularly high degree of precision as a result of an embossing process.

8. Stopcock for producing and breaking a fluidic connection between at least two connection parts having a plug according to claim 1.

9. Method for producing a plug for a stopcock for producing and breaking a fluidic connection between at least two connection parts, wherein the plug can be mounted in a rotatable manner in an interior space of a housing of the stopcock and has, one behind the other in the direction of an axis of rotation, a cone part, which has a cone surface, and a grip part, which has a grip, wherein the cone part has a bore perpendicularly to the axis of rotation, and wherein the cone surface has webs which can be brought into sealing connection with an inner surface of the interior space of the housing according to claim 1, wherein the plug, with the cone part and the grip part, is produced in one part.

10. Method for producing a plug according to claim 9, wherein the plug, with the cone part and the grip part, is injection-moulded in one part and is embossed in a directly following process, wherein, as a result of the embossing, the cone surface and/or the webs acquire(s) a required degree of precision.

11. Method for producing a plug according to claim 9, wherein the injection moulding of the plug and the embossing of the webs are realized in a common process step, wherein the injection-moulded plug is embossed in the injection-moulding apparatus.

12. Method for producing a plug according to claim 9, wherein the webs are flattened by the embossing, wherein the webs acquire the required degree of precision as a result of the compression.

Description

[0017] One possible exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated schematically in the drawing. In the drawing:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an endoscope with a stopcock,

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a stopcock,

[0020] FIG. 3 shows an illustration of a plug,

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a further illustration of the plug as per FIG. 3, and

[0022] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of the plug as per FIG. 4 after an embossing process.

[0023] FIG. 1 highly schematically illustrates an endoscope 10. Said endoscope 10 has a stopcock 11. A liquid channel (not visible here) runs within a shaft part 12 of the endoscope 10 and passes, angled, by way of a main body 13, to an inlet connector 14. The stopcock 11 is arranged on the inlet connector 14 for the purpose of regulating the liquid flow through the liquid channel. A pump for feeding liquid into the liquid channel, for example, may be connected to the inlet connector 14.

[0024] The side view illustrated here shows the medical endoscope 10 in the orientation in which it is normally used during an operation. The endoscope 10 has at its proximal end an eyepiece 15 for observation of the operation area. In order for the operator to be able to securely hold the endoscope 10 during the operation, two grip pieces 16, 17 are fastened to the endoscope 10. The grip pieces 16, 17 are normally formed ergonomically in such a way that the operator can hold the endoscope 10 in one hand with the aid of the grip pieces 16, 17. The operator correspondingly has the other hand free in order, for example, to introduce passage instruments into a work channel of the instrument and to operate them.

[0025] FIG. 2 highly schematically illustrates one possible exemplary embodiment of the stopcock 11 according to the invention. Said stopcock 11 has a housing 18 and a plug 19, the cone part 20 of which plug is received in the housing 18. The housing 18 has two connection parts 21, 22, by way of which it can be coupled to the inlet connector 14 of the endoscope 10. It is also possible for connecting parts, such as further valves or the like, to be assigned to said two connection parts 21, 22.

[0026] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 5, above the cone part 20 along an axis of rotation 25 of the stopcock 11, the plug 19 has a grip 23 which comprises a grip part 24. The grip part 24 may, for this purpose, be ergonomically formed, so as to facilitate holding and movement by the user.

[0027] According to the invention, the plug 19 is formed in one part, that is to say the cone part 20 and the grip 23 form an integral constituent part of the plug 19. Consequently, the plug 19 described here proves to be advantageous in comparison with the known plugs since it is not assemblable from multiple constituent parts by way of for example adhesive bonding. On the one hand, this reduces the outlay in terms of assembly, and, on the other hand, the one-part design increases the stability of the plug 19.

[0028] By actuation of the grip 23 or by rotation of the plug 19 about the axis of rotation 25, a fluidic connection can be opened up or broken by the stopcock 11. For this purpose, the cone part 20 has a bore 26 which extends through the entire cone part 20 perpendicularly to the axis of rotation 25. The bore 26 has two openings 28, 29, which are situated in a cone surface 27 of the cone part 20. In the open position of the stopcock 11, the openings 28, 29 of the plug 19 are situated congruently together with the tubular connection parts 21, 22 of the housing 18. For the separation of the fluid channel, the plug 19 is rotated about the axis of rotation 25 in such a way that the two openings 28, 29 of the bores 26 no longer overlap.

[0029] In order that, in the open position of the fluid channel, the liquid passes only through the bore 26 and not between the cone surface 27 and the wall of the interior space of the housing 18 or in order that the stopcock 11, in the closed position, is actually also fluid-tight, the cone surface 27 has webs 30, 31, 32. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, the cone surface 27 is assigned above and below the bore 26 in each case one annular, horizontal web 30, 31. Owing to the cone shape, the upper web 30 has a larger diameter than the lower web 31. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 of the plug 19, these two webs 30, 31 are assigned four vertical webs 32. The ends of the vertical webs 32 extend to the horizontal webs 30, 31, so that the webs 30, 31, 32 have a common sealing surface 33. Said sealing surface 33 is formed in such a way that it coincides with the inner wall of the housing 18 and thereby forms a sealing action. In order that said seal meets even the highest requirements, it is necessary for the webs 30, 31, 32 or the sealing surface 33 to be produced with a high degree of precision. Furthermore, for sufficient stability, the webs 30, 31, 32 must have a high hardness. According to the invention, this is achieved in that the plug 19 is produced in one part by means of an injection-moulding process and is embossed directly after the injection moulding. Here, it is in particular the case that the webs 30, 31, 32 of the cone part 20 are embossed in such a way that they acquire the corresponding degree of precision and material hardness. Due to the fact that the embossing is carried out directly after the injection moulding, that is to say still within the injection-moulding apparatus, the production of the plug 19 is realized in a single step. The method according to the invention dispenses in particular with the removal of the injection-moulded plug 19 and the renewed clamping in an embossing apparatus. This combination of the injection moulding and the embossing thus allows the plug 19 to be produced very easily, quickly and inexpensively. Here, it is even possible for a multiplicity of the plugs 19 described here to be produced at the same time.

[0030] During the embossing process, all the webs 30, 31, 32 may be embossed to the same extent, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows a plug 19 after the injection-moulding process. In the directly following embossing process, the horizontal webs 30, 31 are embossed in such a way that they form a planar sealing surface 33 with the webs 32 (FIG. 5). During this embossing process, the vertical webs 32 may also be shaped. Ultimately, the webs 30, 31, 32 are embossed in such a way that a highly-precise sealing surface 33 with respect to the plug 19 is formed.

[0031] This multi-dimensional embossing subsequent to the injection-moulding process can be carried out particularly well for PEEK. However, use may also be made of other plastics which have a similar material property. Ultimately, it is likewise conceivable for further components of the stopcock 11 or of the hand-held medical instrument to be produced in the manner described here.

[0032] The further features, visible in FIGS. 3-5, of the plug 19 will not be discussed any further here since they are not relevant to the present invention. For a more detailed description in this respect, reference is made to the specified prior art.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0033] 10 Endoscope [0034] 11 Stopcock [0035] 12 Shaft part [0036] 13 Main body [0037] 14 Inlet connector [0038] 15 Eyepiece [0039] 16 Grip piece [0040] 17 Grip piece [0041] 18 Housing [0042] 19 Plug [0043] 20 Cone part [0044] 21 Connection part [0045] 22 Connection part [0046] 23 Grip [0047] 24 Grip part [0048] 25 Axis of rotation [0049] 26 Bore [0050] 27 Cone surface [0051] 28 Opening [0052] 29 Opening [0053] 30 Horizontal web [0054] 31 Horizontal web [0055] 32 Vertical web [0056] 33 Sealing surface