Assist tool for inserting a treatment tool into an endoscope, and a treatment tool to be used in the same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an assist tool for easily and safely inserting/extracting a treatment tool into/from a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope, without the treating tool buckling.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a treatment tool that is to be used in the assist tool.
In order attain the above objects, an assist tool, which is used to insert a treatment tool used with an endoscope, includes a treatment tool port, an endoscope-connecting portion, and a flexible tube.
The treatment tool port is used for inserting the treatment tool into the flexible tube.
The endoscope-connecting portion connects the assist tool to the treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope.
The flexible tube connects the treatment tool port to the endoscope-connecting portion.
The treatment tool port is formed in an end portion on an operator-side of the assist tool.
The endoscope-connecting portion is formed at a tip end of the assist tool.
A slit continuously elongates from the treatment tool port to at least a portion of the flexible tube that is located in a vicinity of the endoscope-connecting portion.
The slit may be formed by splitting the flexible tube along an axial direction thereof.
Also, the slit may be gradually widened toward an end on the side of the treatment tool port.
At least one of the treatment tool port and the endoscope-connecting portion may be configured by attaching another component to the flexible tube.
Alternatively, at least one of the treatment tool port and the endoscope-connecting portion may be configured by the flexible tube itself, or both the treatment tool port and the endoscope-connecting portion may be configured by the flexible tube itself.
The treatment tool for an endoscope according to the present invention includes a flexible shaft, a slit-passing arm and a finger hold.
The flexible shaft is inserted into and extracted from a treatment tool insertion channel of an endoscope.
The slit-passing arm is laterally protruded from a vicinity of an operator-side end portion of the flexible shaft, and is formed thinly as seen in an axial direction of the flexible shaft