(19)
(11) EP 2 356 934 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
Note: Bibliography reflects the latest situation

(15) Correction information:
Corrected version no 1 (W1 A1)

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
16.11.2011 Bulletin 2011/46

(43) Date of publication:
17.08.2011 Bulletin 2011/33

(21) Application number: 11003869.2

(22) Date of filing: 18.11.2003
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A61B 1/00(2006.01)
 A61B 1/005(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT RO SE SI SK TR

(30) Priority: 18.11.2002 JP 2002334266

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
03811528.3 / 1563784

(71) Applicant: Olympus Corporation
Tokyo 151-0072 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Aono, Susumu
    Hachioji-shi Tokyo 192-0374 (JP)
  • Nihei, Toshiyuki
    Hino-shi Tokyo 192-0063 (JP)
  • Matsumoto, Jun
    Shibuya-ku Tokyo 151-0072 (JP)
  • Kagawa, Ichiro
    Hachioji-shi Tokyo 192-0372 (JP)
  • Endo, Hiroshi
    Hachioji-shi Tokyo 192-0916 (JP)

(74) Representative: Gunzelmann, Rainer 
Wuesthoff & Wuesthoff Patent- und Rechtsanwälte Schweigerstraße 2
81541 München
81541 München (DE)

 
Remarks:
This application was filed on 11-05-2011 as a divisional application to the application mentioned under INID code 62.
 


(54) Endoscope coping with autoclave sterilization


(57) An insertion portion 2 of an endoscope 1 is configured by sequentially connecting a distal end section 20, a bending section 30, and a flexible tube section 60. The distal end section 20 is composed of a main body 23 and a front end cover 24. Both end portions of bending rubber 31 covering a bending tube 40 constituting the bending section 30 are wrapped with threads 32 and 33, respectively. These threads 32 and 33 crush the bending rubber 31 radially inward. Consequently, the inner perimeter surface of the bending rubber 31 is brought into the state of being intimate contact with the outer surfaces of the distal end section 20, the bending tube 40, and a joint tube 52, so as to be fixed watertight. When these threads 32 and 33 are wound around the bending rubber 31, the winding is carried out with a predetermined amount of force in order that the thickness of the bending rubber 31 becomes within 40 percent to 95 percent of the thickness of the bending rubber in the natural state and, thereby, thread-wrapped portions 34 and 35 are formed.