| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic endoscope in which a balloon can be attached and detached easily to and from the front end part of an inserting section, because the number of elastic rings required for attaching and detaching the balloon becomes one, and, in addition, the elastic rings hardly come off from the front end part of the inserting section and, at the same time, deaerating water only flows to the surface provided with an ultrasonic probe of the front and rear surfaces of the front end part of the inserting section, but does not flows to the opposite surface. SOLUTION: In this ultrasonic endoscope, the ultrasonic probe is provided at the front end of the inserting section by positioning the probe on the front or rear surface side of the front end with respect to a virtual plane including the extended direction of the inserting section and is covered with a fingerstall-shaped rubber balloon into which a liquid is sealed. An annular locking groove composed of a single closed-curve surrounding the ultrasonic probe when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the virtual plane is provided at the front end of the inserting section and the mouth section of the rubber balloon is put in the annular locking groove. Then the mouth section of the balloon is locked to the locking groove by putting an elastic ring on the outside of the mouth section. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI |
