| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope capable of preventing its flexible tube from rupturing when the endoscope is exposed to a high temp. or negative pressure environment, for example at the time of pasteurization with high pressure steam. SOLUTION: A flexible tube 13 of an endoscope is composed of a spiral tube 15, a meshing tube 16, and a skin 17 made of soft elastomer. A fold stop 21 is formed from rubber and installed in such a way as fastening the external surface of the skin 14. An aeration hole 18 to put an inner hole 13a in communication with the outside is formed in the flexible tube 13 covered with the fold stop 20. The outside opening of the aeration hole 18 is blocked with the fold stop 20. When the air in the internal space of this endoscope 1 dilates, the air passes through the hole 18 and presses the fold stop 20, which generates a gap between the inside surface of the fold stop 20 and the outside surface of the flexible tube 13, and through this gap, air leaks to the outside so that the tube 13 is kept in a constant dilated condition.
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