Endoscope

Abstract

An air and water supplying device for an endoscope, having air supplying tubes connecting an air pump and an endoscope provided with an air and water switching valve. A water storing tank is provided with a compressed air receiving inlet and a cleaning water delivering outlet, and a water supplying tube connects the endoscope and the water supplying tank to supply air and water to the top end part of said endoscope. An inlet receives the compressed air in the air pump in a water supplying path made up of the water supplying tube and a water pumping-up tube in the water storing tank in such a manner that the particular inlet is normally closed by an operating valve mechanism provided therefore. When the particular inlet is opened by the operating valve mechanism, the compressed air introduced into the particular inlet causes to discharge the water left in the water supplying path. The air and water switching valve, in three embodiments also provides positive switching without contaminating feed back while eliminating the second valve mechanism. Selective air pressure application is achieved by means of an air regulator employed in the cylinder and adjustable by rotation of the piston. Suction control independent of operator finger position on the piston is also provided to achieve variable suction rates dependent on the amount of piston depression.