Insertion portion rigidity changeable catheter and operation method of endoscope system

Abstract

An insertion portion rigidity changeable catheter with a balloon has an insertion portion including a coil-shaped member which is extensible and contractible, with a compression length set to be a predetermined length, and a sheath which is a tube body with flexibility having a fluid conduit, includes a sheath main body surrounded by the coil-shaped member, and a sheath end portion provided at one end side of the sheath main body, and having a contact surface which one end surface of the coil-shaped member contacts, has one opening of the fluid conduit in the sheath end portion and has another opening of the fluid conduit at another end side of the sheath main body, an inflatable/deflatable balloon which is inflated by being supplied with a fluid via the one opening of the fluid conduit to expand to a diameter larger than an outside diameter of the sheath end portion, and is deflated by the fluid being discharged via the one opening to be brought into close contact with an outer circumferential face of the sheath end portion, and an operation section which is fixedly provided at another end side of the sheath, and includes an operation section main body including a fluid supply and discharge apparatus connection portion which is directly or indirectly connected to a fluid supply and discharge apparatus which performs supply of the fluid into the balloon via the fluid conduit, or discharge, and a slide member which is slidably disposed in an inner surface side of the operation section main body, and is disposed at another end side of the operation section main body by an elastic force of the coil-shaped member, wherein the fluid supply and discharge apparatus connection portion is fixed to the operation section main body, and the slide member is provided to freely advance and retract with respect to the fluid supply and discharge apparatus connection portion.