Puncture instrument for punctured high frequency treatments

Claim 1

A puncture instrument to be introduced into a body cavity of a patient by way of an instrument channel of an ultrasound endoscope and penetrated into an intracorporeal portion for a high frequency treatment and for sucking out a body fluid under observation, which comprises: an ultrasound scanning device for said ultrasound endoscope, said scanning device including a transducer mounted on distal end of said ultrasound endoscope; a guide tube insertable into the body cavity of a patient through said instrument channel of said ultrasound endoscope; a puncture needle member including an elongated flexible body portion slidably received in said guide tube, a puncture needle head provided contiguously at a fore end of said elongated flexible body portion, a passage formed axially and internally through said flexible body portion of said puncture needle member and leading to an opening formed in said puncture needle head, and a high frequency electrode provided in said puncture needle head at least in a partly exposed state and connected to a wiring cable passed through said passage, said high frequency electrode including an aperture which communicates with said passage; a needle manipulator connected to a proximal end portion of said flexible body portion to move said puncture needle head back and forth between a retracted position within said guide tube and a protruded position extending out of said guide tube for penetration into a target intracorporeal portion to be treated; and a suction device connected to a proximal end portion of said passage to generate a suction force therein.