Access assembly for receiving an endoscope

Abstract

The present application relates to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, comprising a tubular body, a proximal seal, a distal seal, a vacuum suction and one or more fluid supply channels. The proximal seal and the distal seal are sealing to the proximal end and the distal end of the tubular body, respectively. The vacuum suction is connected to a vacuum suction source and a cavity of the access assembly, respectively. Each fluid supply channel comprises a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a fluid line in fluid communication with both. The fluid line is arranged on the inner wall of the tubular body and formed by the enclosure of at least part of the inner wall of the tubular body by a resilient sheet, the fluid line extending at least partially in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical devices, in particular to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, and more particularly to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope that internally contains an inflatable flow channel. BACKGROUND

[0002] Minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as endoscopic surgery, can reduce the invasiveness of the surgical procedure. Endoscopic surgery involves surgery through a body wall, for example, to view and / or operate on ovaries, uterus, gall bladder, intestines, kidneys, appendix, etc. There are many common endoscopic surgical methods, including, by way of example, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, gastroenteroscopy, and laryngobronchoscopy. In these methods, a puncture cone is used to create an incision in the patient's body surface through an access assembly to the target location, and the endoscopic surgery is performed through the incision. After the puncture is formed, the access assembly extends through the incision into the body cavity and remains in the body cavity, while the puncture cone is withdrawn from the access assembly to provide access for endoscopic surgical tools. A camera or endoscope is inserted through the access assembly to allow visual inspection and magnification of the body cavity. The surgeon can then perform diagnosis and / or treatment at the surgical site with the aid of specialized instruments designed to fit through the additional cannula, such as forceps, graspers, cutters, applicators, etc.

[0003] In use, the lens of the endoscope can become covered with condensate, tissue, blood, other bodily fluids, etc. within the body cavity. It is therefore difficult to keep the lens of the endoscope clean during the procedure. Conventionally, the surgeon, such as an endoscope operator, withdraws the endoscope from the incision in the patient's body via the access assembly and cleans the lens with pre-prepared normal saline at body temperature, then wipes the endoscope body with an antiseptic such as iodine and reinserts it into the incision in the patient's body via the access assembly. The time required to clean the lens during the procedure can increase the total time of the surgery and the amount of time the patient needs to remain anesthetized, and since the endoscope is repeatedly withdrawn and inserted into the incision in the patient's body, this can result in an increased risk of infection and increased recovery time. While there are currently some access assemblies that are capable of flushing the lens of the endoscope with liquid within the body cavity, these access assemblies are not widely accepted and used by most surgeons because they directly drain the flushing liquid with condensate, tissue, blood, and other bodily fluids, etc. into the patient's body cavity.

[0004] To avoid removing the endoscope for cleaning during surgery without having the cleaning fluid enter the patient's body cavity, the lens of the endoscope can be cleaned by spraying fluid inside the access assembly. Fluid from an external source needs to be delivered to the spray location through a fluid line. Since increasing the external dimensions of the access assembly would undesirably increase the incision, such fluid line needs to be provided inside the access assembly. However, during the puncture procedure, the diameter of the puncture cone used (e.g., 12.7 mm) is often only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the access assembly (e.g., 13.0 mm). Accordingly, the fluid line is required to occupy only a small fraction of the inner diameter of the access assembly during the puncture procedure. However, if the cross-sectional area of the fluid line is too small, it will cause excessive resistance when cleaning the lens of the endoscope with the sprayed fluid, such that it affects the fluid flow rate and the effectiveness of the cleaning, or places excessive demands on the pressurization capability of the fluid source. Notably, the diameter of the endoscope (e.g., 10.0 mm) is often smaller than the diameter of the puncture cone, which means that the fluid flow passage is allowed to occupy a relatively larger space inside the access assembly during the use of the endoscope to view the surgical field or clean the lens of the endoscope. It is seen that there is a need in the art for an improved access assembly for an endoscope that allows a relatively larger puncture device to pass while allowing a better spray fluid cleaning effect on the lens of the endoscope. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application relates to an endoscope access assembly for receiving an endoscope. The access assembly can include a tubular body, a proximal seal, a distal seal, a vacuum suction, and one or more fluid supply channels. The tubular body can be configured to extend along a longitudinal axis of the access assembly and to receive the endoscope. The proximal seal can be sealingly connected with a proximal end of the tubular body, and the distal seal can be sealingly connected with a distal end of the tubular body, wherein an inner wall of the tubular body, a distal surface of the proximal seal, and a proximal surface of the distal seal collectively define a lumen of the access assembly. The lumen of the access assembly defines an environment that is at least partially sealed from an outside (such as air, a body cavity of a patient) to create a pressure differential between the lumen and the outside. The vacuum suction can be configured to be connected with a vacuum source and the lumen of the access assembly, respectively. Each of the one or more fluid supply channels can include a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid conduit fluidly connecting the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The fluid supply channel can receive a fluid from outside the access assembly and fluidly discharge a gas, such as CO2, outside the lumen of the access assembly (e.g., into a body cavity of a patient) or a liquid, such as saline, inside the lumen of the access assembly to clean a lens of the endoscope. The fluid conduit can be disposed on the inner wall of the tubular body and at least partially surrounded by the elastic sheet and the inner wall of the at least partial tubular body and extend at least partially in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The fluid conduit is at least partially sealed from other portions of the lumen of the access assembly to create a pressure differential between the lumen and the fluid conduit to control the deformation and bending direction of the elastic sheet of the fluid conduit.

[0006] In some embodiments, the elastic sheet is configured to have a first state and a second state. When the pressure inside the lumen of the access assembly is not lower than the pressure inside the fluid conduit, the elastic sheet is in the first state. At this time, the elastic sheet bends radially outward toward the inner wall of the tubular body in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body. Thus, the elastic sheet at least partially avoids the space inside the tubular body, thereby facilitating the passage of a larger diameter tool (such as a puncture cone). When the pressure inside the lumen of the access assembly is lower than the pressure inside the fluid conduit, the elastic sheet is in the second state. At this time, the elastic sheet at least partially elastically deforms to bend radially inward away from the inner wall of the tubular body, such that the cross-sectional area of the fluid conduit in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body increases. The increased cross-sectional area of the fluid conduit reduces the resistance of the fluid passing through the fluid conduit to increase the flow rate of the fluid when the pressure of the fluid source remains unchanged, thereby enhancing the cleaning force of the fluid on the distal end of the endoscope or the speed of discharging the gas, such as CO2, into the body cavity of the patient.

[0007] In some embodiments, the one or more fluid supply passages include a first fluid supply passage including a first fluid inlet for receiving a first fluid, a first fluid outlet, and a first fluid conduit fluidly connecting the first fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet, the first fluid outlet being located within the cavity of the access assembly. The first fluid supply passage can be used to expel a liquid fluid, such as saline, into the cavity of the access assembly for cleaning the lens of the endoscope.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first fluid outlet is located on the inner wall of the tubular body. In this case, the distal seal can be formed separately from the first fluid conduit and can not have any fluid outlet, and a liquid fluid, such as saline, can be expelled from the inner wall of the tubular body (e.g., at a location proximate to the distal end) for cleaning the lens of the endoscope.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first fluid outlet is located on the proximal surface of the distal seal. In this case, the distal seal can be integrally formed with the first fluid conduit, and a liquid fluid, such as saline, can be flowed via the first fluid conduit to the first fluid outlet located on the proximal surface of the distal seal for cleaning the lens of the endoscope. Since the liquid fluid can be proximally ejected from the proximal surface of the distal seal, the cleaning effect of the access assembly having the first fluid outlet according to this embodiment can not be affected by the orientation angle of the access assembly (such as upright, tilted, horizontal, at least partially inverted, etc.).

[0010] In some embodiments, the one or more fluid supply passages further include a second fluid supply passage including a second fluid inlet for receiving a second fluid, a second fluid outlet, and a second fluid conduit fluidly connecting the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet, the second fluid outlet being located outside the cavity of the access assembly. The second fluid conduit can be used to expel a gaseous fluid, such as CO2, outside the access assembly, such as into a body cavity of a patient.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second fluid outlet can be an opening at the distal end of the second fluid conduit to expel the second fluid, such as CO2, from the inside of the tubular body at the distal end to the outside of the access assembly, such as into a body cavity of a patient. It can be appreciated that the opening at the distal end of the second fluid conduit is outside the cavity of the access assembly, as will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In other embodiments, the second fluid outlet can be an aperture formed on the outer wall of the tubular body to expel the second fluid from the outside of the tubular body.

[0012] In some embodiments, two or all of the elastic sheet of the first fluid conduit, the elastic sheet of the second fluid conduit and the distal seal are integrally formed from a medical grade elastic material, so that they can be conveniently installed as a whole in one go to the tubular body.

[0013] In some embodiments, the central angle of the circle formed by the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body can be between 10° and 180°. In some embodiments, the central angle of the circle formed by the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body can be 90°. When the included angle between the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit is small, the inside of the tubular body can accommodate a device with a larger diameter (such as a puncture cone, an endoscope), but a certain distance needs to be reserved between the two in order to provide sufficient width for the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit, and facilitate the connection of the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet to the corresponding fluid sources.

[0014] In some embodiments, a sealing body is provided on the elastic sheet, and the sealing body is configured to sealingly connect the edge of the side of the elastic sheet facing the inner wall of the tubular body to the inner wall of the tubular body to form the fluid conduit.

[0015] In some embodiments, the sealing body includes a glue groove arranged at the edge of the elastic sheet and a sealant filled in the glue groove, and the sealant is used to sealingly paste the edge of the side of the elastic sheet facing the inner wall of the tubular body to the inner wall of the tubular body to form the fluid conduit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the tubular body can have one or more grooves extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis along the inner wall of the tubular body and respectively configured to at least partially accommodate at least part of the corresponding fluid conduit of the one or more fluid supply passages. By accommodating at least part of the fluid conduit in the groove on the inner wall of the tubular body, the space occupied by the fluid conduit inside the tubular body can be further reduced to facilitate the accommodation of a device with a larger diameter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an access assembly for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2A is Figure 1 is a top view of the access assembly for an endoscope in the fluid conduit contracted state in

[0019] Figure 2B is Figure 1 is a top view of the access assembly for an endoscope in the fluid conduit expanded state in

[0020] Figure 3Ais a schematic view of a first side view angle of a combination of a flexible piece of a first fluid line, a flexible piece of a second fluid line, and a distal seal of an access assembly for an endoscope according to embodiments of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3B is a schematic view of a second side view angle of a combination of a flexible piece of a first fluid line, a flexible piece of a second fluid line, and a distal seal shown in Figure 3A

[0022] Figure 4A is a schematic top view showing an access assembly for an endoscope containing two fluid supply passages according to embodiments of the present application in a fluid line collapsed state; and

[0023] Figure 4B is a schematic top view showing an access assembly for an endoscope containing two fluid supply passages according to embodiments of the present application in a fluid line inflated state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] An access assembly having inflatable flow channels for cleaning the lens of an endoscope intraoperatively is described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals in each of several views designate like or corresponding elements. As used herein, the term "distal" refers to the direction of the endoscope, portions of the access assembly, or components thereof, that are further from an operator (e.g., a physician), such as Figure 1 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B generally shown below), e.g., "distally" is the direction of insertion of the endoscope, "distal end" is the end of the direction of insertion of the endoscope; while the term "proximal" refers to the direction of the endoscope, portions of the access assembly, or components thereof, that are closer to the operator, such as Figure 1 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B generally shown above), e.g., "proximally" is the direction of withdrawal of the endoscope, "proximal end" is the end of the direction of withdrawal of the endoscope. Additionally, the term "endoscope" is used interchangeably in general with laparoscopes, arthroscopes, gastroenteroscopes, bronchoscopes, etc., for any other device used to view a body cavity of a patient through a small diameter incision or cannula. As used herein, the term "fluid" is intended to refer to a substance having fluidity, including but not limited to liquids (such as pure liquids, solutions, gels, suspensions, slurries), gases, gas-liquid two-phase flow mixtures, plasmas, fluidized solid particles, etc. As used herein, the term "about" is intended to refer to a quantity that is nearly constant and that can vary slightly while still falling within the range of the present disclosure. In using numerical ranges, "about" is intended to mean that the value can vary ±10% and still fall within the range of the present disclosure, unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0025] ​According to the present disclosure, a larger diameter puncture needle is allowed to pass through the access assembly for an endoscope during puncture. At the same time, the lens of the endoscope is efficiently cleaned in real time during surgery without the need to remove the endoscope from the access assembly as a whole. This is further described in detail as follows.

[0026] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an access assembly 100 for an endoscope 200 according to embodiments of the present application. The access assembly 100 can include a tubular body 110, a proximal seal 130, a distal seal 150, a vacuum suction 190, and one or more fluid supply passages 170. The tubular body 110 can be configured to extend along a longitudinal axis Z-Z’ of the access assembly 100 and to receive the endoscope 200, and can have an overall cylindrical inner and outer shape. As used in this application, “tubular body” can also include a conical portion proximal thereto to facilitate handling and engagement with the proximal seal 130, as shown in Figure 1 .

[0027] The proximal seal 130 can be configured to seal to the proximal end of the conical portion of the tubular body 110 and to the sidewall 220 of the endoscope 200 when passed therethrough. The distal seal 150 can be configured to seal the distal end of the tubular body 110. The inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, the distal-facing surface of the proximal seal 130, and the proximal-facing surface of the distal seal 150 collectively define a lumen of the access assembly 100 to form an internal space generally isolated from the external air proximal to the access assembly 100 and the patient’s body cavity distal thereto. In turn, the patient’s body cavity pressure can be made higher than the lumen of the access assembly 100 by artificial pneumoperitoneum or the like to prevent passage of matter within the lumen of the access assembly 100 through the distal seal 150 into the patient’s body cavity. In some embodiments, the distal seal 150 can be configured to partially open and form a seal against the sidewall 220 of the endoscope 200 when passed therethrough to maintain isolation of the patient’s body cavity from the lumen of the access assembly 100 when viewing the surgical field with the endoscope 200. In some embodiments, the distal seal 150 can include a plurality of seal petals that are openable and closable to achieve the sealing effect described above. In some embodiments, the distal seal 150 can be sealed unidirectionally. In other words, the distal seal 150 can allow fluid (such as CO2 for artificial pneumoperitoneum) to pass from the outside of the access assembly 100 (such as the patient’s body cavity) into the lumen of the access assembly 100 under the action of a pressure differential directed from the outside of the access assembly 100 to the lumen of the access assembly 100, but not allow fluid to exit from the lumen of the access assembly 100 to the outside of the access assembly 100 (such as the patient’s body cavity) under the action of a pressure differential directed from the lumen of the access assembly 100 to the outside of the access assembly 100.

[0028] The vacuum port 195 of the vacuum suction member 190 can be connected with a vacuum suction source to provide suction force, and the vacuum port 195 can be connected to a suction port 191 arranged inside the cavity of the access assembly 100 via a vacuum line 193 so as to discharge cleaning fluid, dirt, gas and the like from the cavity. In an embodiment, the vacuum suction port 191 is directly connected with the vacuum suction source. Each of the one or more fluid supply passages 170 can include a fluid input port 171 for receiving fluid from a fluid source, a fluid discharge port 173 for discharging fluid into the cavity of the access assembly 100, and a fluid line 175 fluidly connecting the fluid input port 171 with the fluid discharge port 173. The fluid supply passage 170 can receive fluid from outside the access assembly 100 and discharge a gaseous fluid such as CO2 into a patient cavity, or discharge a liquid fluid such as saline into the cavity of the access assembly 100 to clean the lens of the endoscope 200. The respective fluid line 175 of the fluid supply passage 170 can be arranged on the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 and include a resilient sheet and a seal body, as will be described later with reference to Figures 2A-3B which is further described.

[0029] Figure 2A is Figure 1 a top view of the access assembly 100 for the endoscope 200 in a fluid line 175 contracted state. The resilient sheet 176 of the fluid line 175 can extend in the longitudinal axis Z-Z’ direction along at least a portion of the inner wall of the tubular body 110 and can be configured to at least partially bend radially outwardly toward the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110. The seal body (not shown in Figures 2A-2B ) can be arranged at a periphery of the side of the resilient sheet 176 facing the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 and can be configured to seal the periphery of the side of the resilient sheet 176 facing the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 to the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 of the access assembly 100 to enclose the fluid line 175 between the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 of the access assembly 100 and the resilient sheet 176. The fluid line 175 is at least partially sealed relative to other portions of the cavity of the access assembly 100 so as to facilitate a pressure difference between the cavity and within the fluid line 175 to control the deformation and bending direction of the resilient sheet 176 of the fluid line 175 to change between the first state and the second state.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the pressure inside the cavity of the access assembly 100 is not lower than the pressure within the fluid line 175, the resilient sheet 176 is in the first state, bending radially outwardly toward the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body 110 (as shown in Figure 2AAs shown, the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 is bent radially outward, causing the fluid conduit 175 to be in a constricted state. In this case, the fluid conduit 175 occupies only a small portion (e.g., 0.1–0.3 mm) of the inner diameter d (e.g., 13.0 mm) within the tubular body 110, so as to allow the passage of tools with a larger diameter D1 (not shown, e.g., a puncture cone with a diameter of 12.7 mm).

[0031] Figure 2B yes Figure 1 The image shows a top view of the access component 100 for the endoscope 200 in the expanded state of the fluid line 175. As an example, during surgery, when the lens of the endoscope 200 is obstructed by smoke, condensates, tissue, blood, and other bodily fluids within the patient's body cavity, affecting the surgical field of view, the access component 100 according to this application can be used to perform an intraoperative cleaning process without having to remove the entire endoscope 200 from the access component 100. During the cleaning process, the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 is first retracted proximally into the cavity of the access component 100, such as... Figure 1 As indicated by arrow A. In this case, the tubular body 110, proximal seal 130, and distal seal 150 seal each other to form a cavity isolated from the outside, to accommodate at least the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 therein. At this time, by suctioning the cavity of the access assembly 100 via the vacuum suction member 190 and / or supplying pressurized fluid to the fluid line 175 via the fluid inlet 171 of the fluid supply passage 170, the pressure in the fluid line 175 is made greater than the pressure in the cavity of the access assembly 100. In this case, due to this pressure difference, the elastic sheet 176 of the fluid line 175 is... Figure 2A The first state shown transforms into the second state, that is, it transforms from radially outward bending toward the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 into... Figure 2B The inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, as shown, bends radially inward, thereby increasing the cross-section of the fluid conduit 175 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z-Z' of the inlet assembly 100 (e.g., Figure 2B The cross-sectional area shown is [notation missing]. The increased cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid conduit 175 reduces resistance to fluid flow through it. With the fluid source pressure constant, this increases the fluid velocity, thereby enhancing the flushing force on the distal end of the endoscope or the speed at which gases such as CO2 are expelled into the patient's body cavity. Alternatively, with the fluid velocity constant, the reduced resistance decreases the requirement for pressurization of the fluid source. In this case, common operating room equipment such as saline infusion bottles can be used as the fluid source, eliminating the need for an additional pressure source such as a pump. It is understood that the elastic sheet 176 can be made of a medical-grade material with a lower elastic modulus than the tubular body 110, so that it can deform under lower pressure differentials without significantly affecting the shape of the tubular body 110.

[0032] Notably, since the diameter of the endoscope 200 (such as 10.0 mm) is often smaller than the diameter of the puncture cone (such as 12.7 mm), the additional space (such as 0.8-1 mm) within the tubular body 110 occupied by the inflated fluid conduit 175 does not affect the movement of the endoscope 200 in the case where the access assembly 100 accommodates the endoscope 200.

[0033] During the cleaning process, the overall path of travel of the fluid from the fluid source is shown as a series of dashed arrows F in Figure 1 . First, the fluid input port 171 receives the fluid from the fluid source and directs the fluid to the fluid conduit 175. Then, the fluid flows in the fluid conduit 175 in a direction from proximal to distal to the fluid outlet port 173 and is ejected from the fluid outlet port 173 into the cavity of the access assembly 100 to clean the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200. Thereafter, the mixture of the fluid and the cleaned-off dirt is suctioned from the suction port 191 within the cavity of the access assembly 100 under the negative pressure suction of the vacuum suction source connected to the vacuum port 195 to exit the access assembly in turn via the vacuum conduit 193 and the vacuum port 195.

[0034] After the cleaning is completed, the fluid supply to the fluid input port 171 from the fluid source can be stopped, and then the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 is re-extended through the distal end seal 150 outside the access assembly 100, for example, into the body cavity of the patient, for viewing the surgical field. After the fluid supply from the fluid source is stopped, and before or after the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 is extended, the suction of the vacuum suction source can be stopped. In either case, the residual negative pressure within the cavity of the access assembly 100 can ensure that the cleaning fluid and dirt do not pass through the distal end seal 150 to the outside of the access assembly 100, for example, into the cavity of the patient. In some embodiments, during the extension of the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 through the distal end seal 150, the distal end seal 150 can at least partially scrape off the liquid on the distal end 240 (such as the lens) of the endoscope 200 and form a liquid film, thereby improving the field of view clarity and prolonging the anti-fogging time.

[0035] In some embodiments, the one or more fluid supply pathways described above can include a first fluid supply pathway and a second fluid supply pathway. The first fluid supply pathway can include a first fluid input port (not shown) for receiving a first fluid, a first fluid outlet port (not shown), and a first fluid conduit 175 fluidly connecting the first fluid input port and the first fluid outlet port, as described below with reference to Figure 4A and Figure 4BIn a more detailed description. Similarly, the second fluid supply passage may include a second fluid inlet (not shown), a second fluid outlet (not shown), and a second fluid conduit 175' that fluidly connects the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet, as referenced below. Figure 4A and Figure 4B More detailed description.

[0036] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram of the first side view of the assembly of the first fluid conduit 175 elastic sheet 176 (front view), the second fluid conduit 175' elastic sheet 176' (side view), and the distal seal 150 of the access assembly 100 for an endoscope 200 according to an embodiment of this application, to show the front view of the elastic sheet 176 according to the embodiment. Figure 3B yes Figure 3A The diagram shows a second side view of the assembly of the access component 100 of the endoscope 200, including the elastic sheet 176 (side view) of the first fluid line 175, the elastic sheet 176' (front view) of the second fluid line 175', and the distal seal 150, to show the front view of the elastic sheet 176' according to the embodiment.

[0037] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, two or all three of the elastic sheet 176 of the first fluid conduit 175, the elastic sheet 176' of the second fluid conduit 175', and the distal seal 150 can be integrally formed from (e.g., medical-grade) elastic material to form an assembly, allowing for convenient one-time integral installation into the interior of the tubular body 110. In some embodiments, specially designed tooling (not shown) can be used to support the portions of the assembly to extend from the distal end of the tubular body 110 and seal to the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110. In other embodiments, the elastic sheet and / or seal can have a certain stiffness along the longitudinal axis Z-Z' direction, thereby facilitating insertion into the distal end of the tubular body 110 without affecting the radial deformation of the elastic sheet. In other embodiments, two or all three of the elastic sheet 176 of the first fluid conduit 175, the elastic sheet 176' of the second fluid conduit 175', and the distal seal 150 can also be formed separately and each installed into the interior of the tubular body 110. Understandably, in this case, the elastic sheet 176, elastic sheet 176' and distal seal 150 can be used more flexibly with tubular bodies 110 of different lengths and / or two fluid lines 175, 175' having different central angles with the central axis of the access assembly as the center.

[0038] In some embodiments, the first fluid discharge outlet 173 of the first fluid supply passage can be located within the cavity of the access assembly 100 to discharge the first fluid from the first fluid source into the cavity of the access assembly 100. In some other embodiments, the first fluid discharge outlet 173 of the first fluid supply passage can be located on the proximal surface of the distal seal 150. In some embodiments, the first fluid discharge outlet 173 on the proximal surface of the distal seal 150 can be directed proximally along the longitudinal axis Z-Z’ of the access assembly 100. When the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 is retracted proximally into the cavity of the access assembly 100, the distal end 240 (such as the lens) of the endoscope 200 can be cleaned with the first fluid ejected from the first fluid discharge outlet 173 in the proximal direction (as indicated by arrow B in Figure 3A Fig. 6). It can be appreciated that in this case, since the first fluid is ejected in the proximal direction, the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 does not have to be aligned at a certain position along the longitudinal axis Z-Z’ for the cleaning operation, thus improving the ease of the cleaning operation. Moreover, in this case, the cleaning effect is not affected by the orientation angle of the access assembly 100 (such as upright, tilted, horizontal, at least partially inverted, etc.) since the first fluid ejected in the proximal direction is always able to be ejected onto the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200.

[0039] Although the first fluid discharge outlet 173 is shown as being located on the proximal surface of the distal seal 150 in Figure 1 and Figure 3A , embodiments according to the present application are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the first fluid discharge outlet can be located on the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, for example at a position of the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 proximal to the distal end. In this case, when the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 is retracted proximally into the cavity of the access assembly 100 and aligned along the longitudinal axis Z-Z’ near the position of the first fluid discharge outlet, the distal end 240 (such as the lens) of the endoscope 200 can be cleaned with the first fluid ejected from the first fluid discharge outlet. In this case, the distal seal 150 can be formed separately from the first fluid line 175 (not shown) and does not have to be designed with any fluid discharge outlet.

[0040] As an example, the first fluid can be a liquid such as normal saline, and can be maintained at a similar temperature as the patient's body cavity, so that the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200 after cleaning is also maintained at the temperature, thereby avoiding condensation of water mist. Alternatively, the first fluid can also be a gas-liquid two-phase mixture such as normal saline and a gas such as CO2, which is mixed in advance before being input into the first fluid input port. Due to the discontinuity of the liquid phase in the gas-liquid two-phase mixture, a pulsed flushing effect can be generated on the distal end 240 of the endoscope 200, thereby improving the cleaning effect. Alternatively, the first fluid can also be a normal saline solution such as a surfactant, to improve the cleaning effect on oily dirt.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 1, the second fluid supply passage can be formed by a second fluid supply channel 175' and a second fluid discharge channel 177' formed in the tubular body 1 10. The second fluid supply channel 175' can be formed in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10, and can be covered by the elastic sheet 176' to be contained in the corresponding range of the second fluid passage 175' formed by the elastic sheet 176' and the corresponding portion of the inner wall 1 12. The second fluid discharge channel 177' can be formed in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10, and can be covered by the elastic sheet 176' to be contained in the corresponding range of the second fluid passage 175' formed by the elastic sheet 176' and the corresponding portion of the inner wall 1 12. Figure 3B As shown, the second fluid discharge port 173' of the second fluid supply passage can be an opening formed at the distal end of the elastic sheet 176', for example at the periphery of the distal end seal 150. When the assembly is installed in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10, the second fluid discharge port 173' can be located in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10 and outside the cavity of the access assembly 100. In this case, the second fluid discharge port 173' can be used to discharge a gas such as CO2from the second fluid source to the outside of the access assembly 100 (as shown by arrow C in FIG. 1 1 ), for example to the patient's body cavity, to form an artificial pneumoperitoneum. Figure 3B As shown, the second fluid discharge port 173' of the second fluid supply passage can be an opening formed at the distal end of the elastic sheet 176', for example at the periphery of the distal end seal 150. When the assembly is installed in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10, the second fluid discharge port 173' can be located in the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10 and outside the cavity of the access assembly 100. In this case, the second fluid discharge port 173' can be used to discharge a gas such as CO2from the second fluid source to the outside of the access assembly 100 (as shown by arrow C in FIG. 1 1 ), for example to the patient's body cavity, to form an artificial pneumoperitoneum.

[0042] In some other embodiments, the second fluid discharge port 173' of the second fluid supply passage can also be an aperture (not shown) located on the side wall of the tubular body 1 10, for example penetrating the side wall of the tubular body 1 10 at a location near the distal end of the tubular body 1 10. It can be understood that the corresponding position of the aperture on the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10 is covered by the elastic sheet 176' to be contained in the corresponding range of the second fluid passage 175' formed by the elastic sheet 176' and the corresponding portion of the inner wall 1 12. In this case, the second fluid discharge port 173' can also be used to discharge the second fluid to the outside of the access assembly 100 through the side wall of the tubular body 1 10.

[0043] It can be understood that during the puncture process, the elastic sheet 176' can be pressed towards the inner wall 1 12 of the tubular body 1 10 by a puncture tool with a larger diameter. In the above embodiment using an opening formed at the distal end of the elastic sheet 176' as the second fluid discharge port 173', the elastic sheet 176' can be pressed to close the opening, thereby stopping the discharge of the second fluid. Figure 3BIn the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the second fluid discharge port 173' is formed by an opening in the distal end of the elastic sheet 176' and is located near the distal end of the access assembly 100. In this embodiment, the second fluid discharge port 173' can be advantageously avoided from being blocked by the elastic sheet 176' being squeezed during the puncturing process, so that the second fluid such as CO2 can be reliably provided during the puncturing process. In contrast, in the embodiment where the aperture in the outer wall of the tubular body 110 is used as the second fluid discharge port 173', the location of the second fluid discharge port 173' can be more flexibly arranged, and does not necessarily have to be located near the distal end of the access assembly 100.

[0044] In some embodiments, the seal 177, 177' of the fluid conduit 175, 175' can include a glue groove around the periphery of the elastic sheet 176, 176' and a sealant filled in the glue groove for adhering and sealing the periphery of the elastic sheet 176, 176' to the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, so as to form the fluid conduit 175, 175' between the inner wall 112 and the elastic sheet 176, 176'. In other embodiments, the seal 177, 177' can include a rib of elastic material protruding on the periphery of the elastic sheet 176, 176' for being embedded and sealed into a correspondingly shaped sealing groove on the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, so as to form the fluid conduit 175, 175' between the inner wall 112 and the elastic sheet 176, 176'. In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the distal seal 150 can also be circumferentially surrounded by a seal for sealing the outer periphery of the distal seal 150 to the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 at the distal end. It can be appreciated that in the embodiment where the opening formed at the distal end of the elastic sheet 176' is used as the second fluid discharge port 173' (as shown in FIG. 1), the seal 177' is broken at the location of the opening to leave the discharge port for the second fluid to pass through. In contrast, in the embodiment where the aperture in the outer wall of the tubular body 110 is used as the second fluid discharge port 173', the seal 177' can completely surround the periphery of the elastic sheet 176'. Figure 3B

[0045] Figure 4A FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing an access assembly 100 for an endoscope 200 according to an embodiment of the present application, which contains two fluid supply channels, in a deflated state of the fluid conduits 175, 175'. Figure 4B FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing the access assembly for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present application, which contains two fluid supply channels, in an inflated state of the fluid conduits 175, 175'. The two fluid conduits are formed by the elastic sheets 176, 176' and the corresponding portions of the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, as shown in the dashed boxes 175, 175' in Figure 4A and 4B Figure 4A and 4B ​​The top view illustrates an embodiment where the tubular body 110 is cylindrical. The projection of the cylindrical inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 in this top view is circular, and O represents the center of this circle, which is the projection of the longitudinal axis Z-Z' of the access component 100 in this top view. D2 and D2' represent the maximum diameter of the tool that can be accommodated within the tubular body 110 in the contracted and expanded states of the fluid conduits 175 and 175', respectively. Angle θ represents the circumferential angle between the first fluid conduit 175 and the second fluid conduit 175' about the longitudinal axis in this top view.

[0046] like Figure 4A As shown, when the pressure within the cavity of the access component 100 (including the interior of the tubular body 110) is not less than (i.e., greater than or equal to) the pressure within the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175', the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175' may initially be in a contracted state. As an example, this may include a situation where the cavity of the access component 100, the first fluid line 175, and the second fluid line 175' are substantially under ambient pressure. Alternatively, in embodiments where the distal seal 150 achieves the unidirectional seal as described above, this may also include a situation where the cavity of the access component 100 is at least partially pressurized by pressure from, for example, an artificial pneumoperitoneum of a patient, to a pressure higher than the pressure within the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175'. In this case, the elastic tabs of the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175' are in a first state, each radially outwardly bent toward the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110, thus occupying less space within the tubular body 110. In the contracted state of the fluid conduit, while the inner diameter of the tubular body 110 (e.g., 13.0 mm) remains unchanged, the tubular body 110 can accommodate tools with a larger diameter D2 (e.g., a puncture cone with a diameter of 12.7 mm).

[0047] like Figure 4B As shown, when the pressure inside the cavity of the access component 100 (including the inside of the tubular body 110) is less than the pressure inside the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175', the elastic sheets 176 and 176' of the first fluid line 175 and the second fluid line 175' can be deformed into a second state, so as to bend radially inward away from the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110.

[0048] In some embodiments, the central angle between the first fluid conduit 175 and the first fluid conduit 175' with the center axis of the access assembly as the center can be between 10° and 180°, for example 30° to 150°, for example 45° to 135°, for example 60° to 120°, for example 90°. It can be appreciated that, given the inner diameter of the tubular body 110 and the radial dimension of the first fluid conduit 175, the second fluid conduit 175', in the contracted state and in the expanded state, based on simple geometry, when the included angle θ between the first fluid conduit 175 and the first fluid conduit 175' is smaller, the inner portion of the tubular body 110 can accommodate devices with larger diameters D2 / D2' (such as a puncture cone, an endoscope). However, a certain distance also needs to be reserved between the two fluid conduits 175, 175' in order to provide sufficient width for both and facilitate the connection of the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet (not shown) to the respective fluid sources.

[0049] In some embodiments, the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 can have a recess 114 thereon, as shown by the dashed box 114 of Figure 4A and Figure 4B In some embodiments, the recess 114 can extend in the longitudinal axis direction along the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 and is configured to accommodate at least a portion of the respective fluid conduit 175 of the fluid supply passage. This portion of the fluid conduit 175 can be embedded in the recess 114, thereby further reducing the space occupied by the fluid conduit 175 within the tubular body 110 in the contracted / expanded state in order to accommodate tools with larger diameters D2 / D2'. Although Figure 4A and Figure 4B only one recess 114 matching the fluid conduit 175 is illustrated, embodiments according to the present application are not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the inner wall 112 of the tubular body 110 can have recesses respectively matching some or all of the plurality of fluid conduits thereon.

[0050] It is to be understood that various modifications can be made to the disclosed methods and systems. Accordingly, the above description is not intended as limiting, but rather a description of aspects of the present disclosure. Other modifications that one of ordinary skill in the art, having the benefit of the above description, can make without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, any and all features described with respect to one aspect can be incorporated into another aspect.

Claims

1. An access component for receiving an endoscope, characterized in that, The access component includes: A tubular body configured to extend along the longitudinal axis of the access component and for receiving the endoscope; A proximal seal is connected to the proximal end of the tubular body in a sealing connection. A distal seal is sealingly connected to the distal end of the tubular body, wherein the inner wall of the tubular body, the distal surface of the proximal seal, and the proximal surface of the distal seal together define the cavity of the access assembly. A vacuum suction component, configured to be connected to both a vacuum suction source and the cavity of the access component; and One or more fluid supply passages, each of the one or more fluid supply passages including a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid conduit fluidly communicating the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the fluid conduit being disposed on the inner wall of the tubular body, and the fluid conduit being formed by an elastic sheet surrounding at least a portion of the inner wall of the tubular body, and the fluid conduit extending at least partially in the longitudinal axis direction. The elastic sheet is configured to have a first state and a second state, wherein when the pressure inside the cavity of the access component is not lower than the pressure inside the fluid pipeline, the elastic sheet is in the first state, and the elastic sheet is radially outwardly bent toward the inner wall of the tubular body in a section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body. When the pressure inside the cavity of the access component is lower than the pressure inside the fluid conduit, the elastic sheet is in the second state, and the elastic sheet at least partially elastically deforms into a radially inward bending away from the inner wall of the tubular body, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid conduit in a section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body.

2. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The one or more fluid supply passages include a first fluid supply passage, which includes a first fluid inlet for receiving a first fluid, a first fluid outlet, and a first fluid conduit for fluidly communicating the first fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet, wherein the first fluid outlet is located within the cavity of the access component.

3. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first fluid outlet is located on the inner wall of the tubular body, or the first fluid outlet is located on the proximal surface of the distal seal.

4. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that, The one or more fluid supply passages further include a second fluid supply passage, the second fluid supply passage including a second fluid inlet for receiving a second fluid, a second fluid outlet, and a second fluid conduit for fluidly communicating the second fluid inlet and the second fluid outlet, the second fluid outlet being located outside the cavity of the access component.

5. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second fluid outlet is an opening located at the distal end of the second fluid conduit or an orifice formed on the outer wall of the tubular body.

6. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The elastic sheet of the first fluid line, the elastic sheet of the second fluid line, and the distal seal are made of an elastic material integrally molded.

7. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The central angle between the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body is between 10° and 180°.

8. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 7, characterized in that, The central angle between the first fluid conduit and the second fluid conduit in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body is 90°.

9. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic sheet is provided with a sealing body, and the sealing body is configured to seal the edge of the elastic sheet to the inner wall of the tubular body to form the fluid conduit.

10. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 9, characterized in that, The sealing body includes a groove disposed on the edge of the elastic sheet and a sealant filled in the groove. The sealant is used to seal the edge of the elastic sheet facing the inner wall of the tubular body to the inner wall of the tubular body to form the fluid conduit.

11. The access component for receiving an endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tubular body has one or more grooves on its inner wall, the grooves extending along the longitudinal axis and respectively configured to at least partially accommodate corresponding fluid conduits of the one or more fluid supply passages.

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