Pneumatic soft robot for assisting detection of enteroscope

Abstract

The pneumatic soft robot comprises a front air bag, a corrugated pipe and a rear air bag which are sequentially and coaxially connected, the front air bag, the corrugated pipe and the rear air bag are all provided with independent ventilation air paths, and the front air bag and the rear air bag can achieve radial volume expansion by means of inflation. Therefore, anchoring in the small intestine is achieved, and the corrugated pipe can stretch out and draw back in the axial direction by means of air inflation. Different from a previous intestinal tract detection pneumatic robot, the core idea of the invention is that the small intestine is dragged by using the pneumatic robot, the robot does not need to crawl in the small intestine, a traditional enteroscope outer sleeve operation mode can be replaced, and medical personnel can conveniently carry out related detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular relates to a pneumatic soft robot for assisting intestinal endoscopy. Background Art

[0002] Enteroscopy is an endoscopic examination method used to diagnose small intestinal diseases. The detection process is usually completed using a capsule endoscope or a balloon-assisted enteroscopy. Capsule endoscopy often has problems such as missed detection and high price, making it difficult to promote on a large scale. Traditional enteroscopy is divided into single-balloon enteroscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy. Both need to be used with an outer sleeve. For double-balloon enteroscopy, there are balloons on the outer sleeve and the enteroscope, while the balloon of the single-balloon enteroscopy is only on the sleeve. Both require manual operation by the doctor. In the small intestine, the enteroscope and the outer sleeve cooperate with each other to achieve the entire endoscopy process by pulling the small intestine and putting it on the enteroscope. However, both require manual advancement by the doctor, which is difficult to operate. It is difficult to achieve complete small intestinal detection, and the doctor needs to have a high level of technical skills and experience to be competent. At the same time, both the enteroscope and the outer sleeve have greater rigidity. In the curved small intestine, the advancement is easily restricted, causing discomfort to the patient or causing intestinal damage. Therefore, a soft enteroscopy-assisted robot was invented, which does not require the cooperation of an outer sleeve and can automatically drag the small intestine.

[0003] The application of pneumatic soft robots in intestinal inspection is an emerging technology developed in recent years. It mainly uses pneumatic drive systems to make robots soft, deformable and controllable, so as to perform inspections and treatments in narrow and curved intestines efficiently and with low invasiveness. Pneumatic soft robots control their morphological changes by inflating or exhausting air, thereby changing the stiffness and shape of the robot body. This enables the robot to smoothly pass through the intestine and perform more flexible operations. The design of the pneumatic drive system makes the robot highly flexible and able to adapt to the complex curves and narrow passages in the intestine. At the same time, pneumatic soft robots are low in cost, can be used once, and are safer and more hygienic. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned defects, the present invention provides a pneumatic soft robot for assisting small intestine endoscopic examination, which can drag the small intestine to the small intestine endoscope without the use of a cannula and is safer.

[0005] A pneumatic soft robot for assisting small intestine endoscopy detection comprises a front airbag, a bellows and a rear airbag which are coaxially connected in sequence, wherein the front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are all equipped with independent ventilation air paths, the front airbag and the rear airbag can achieve radial volume expansion by means of inflation, thereby achieving anchoring in the small intestine, and the bellows can achieve axial expansion and contraction by means of inflation, thereby pulling the small intestine to the small intestine endoscopy.

[0006] Preferably, the front airbag and the rear airbag are spherical or ellipsoidal, with a smooth front end and a rear end connected to the bellows.

[0007] Preferably, anti-skid particles are distributed on the outer ring of the front airbag and / or the rear airbag.

[0008] Preferably, the pneumatic soft robot includes at least three ventilation connectors connected to an extracorporeal pump, which are respectively connected to the rear airbag airway, the bellows airway and the front airbag airway, and are used to supply air to the rear airbag, the bellows and the front airbag.

[0009] Preferably, the rear airbag is provided with two completely penetrating airways, namely the bellows airway and the front airbag airway, and one incompletely penetrating airway, namely the rear airbag airway; a ventilation hose directly connected to the front airbag is provided in the bellows, and the ventilation hose is connected to the front airbag airway.

[0010] Preferably, the rear balloon has a groove for accommodating an enteroscope.

[0011] Preferably, one end of the bellows is connected to the rear airbag, and the other end is connected to the front airbag, and the rear airbag is connected to the small enteroscope. When the rear airbag is inflated and anchored and the bellows is inflated, it extends forward along the small enteroscope, pushing the front airbag forward; when the front airbag is inflated and anchored and the bellows is deflated, the bellows contracts, and the front airbag drives the small intestine to drag and move backward.

[0012] Preferably, the front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are all made of silicone.

[0013] The present invention also discloses a working method of a pneumatic soft robot for assisting small enteroscopic detection. Based on the above-mentioned pneumatic soft robot, the small enteroscope is connected to the rear airbag. The pneumatic soft robot realizes a peristalsis-like movement by sequentially ventilating and expanding the rear airbag, bellows and front airbag, and sequentially exhausting and contracting the bellows, rear airbag and front airbag, in alternating cycles, thereby pulling the small intestine to the small enteroscope.

[0014] Preferably, the working method comprises the following steps: S1, placing the pneumatic soft robot and the enteroscope together in the small intestine, and in an initial state, the front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are not inflated;

[0015] S2, the rear airbag is inflated and anchored in the small intestine; S3, the bellows is inflated, pushing the front airbag forward along the small intestine; S4, the front airbag is inflated after reaching the position and anchored in the small intestine; S5, the rear airbag and the bellows are deflated and contracted, dragging the front airbag and the small intestine toward the enteroscope; S6, the front airbag is deflated and contracted, returning to the initial state.

[0016] Compared with the existing small intestine endoscopy detection technology, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0017] (1) The pneumatic soft robot disclosed in the present invention is made of silicone material, which is soft as a whole and safer when in contact with the intestine. The unique design of silicone combined with bellows can adapt to the complex curved structure of the small intestine and achieve painless endoscope insertion;

[0018] (2) The pneumatic soft robot disclosed in the present invention is placed on the enteroscope, which reduces the force exerted by the enteroscope on the small intestine and further protects the small intestine from being damaged by the enteroscope;

[0019] (3) Compared with the traditional single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy detection process, the pneumatic soft robot disclosed in the present invention avoids the use of an outer tube and can assist the enteroscope to be anchored at a certain position, making it easier for doctors to perform related surgical operations;

[0020] (4) The pneumatic soft robot disclosed in the present invention can more conveniently put the small intestine on the small intestine endoscope, thereby achieving a safer and more efficient small intestine endoscope detection process. In addition, the soft robot has a low production cost and can be used once, which is safer and more hygienic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a pneumatic soft robot according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a rear airbag according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a bellows according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pneumatic soft robot according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0026] Figure 5 The present invention is a pneumatic soft robot motion gait diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Figure markings: 1-colonoscope, 2-ventilation connector, 3-rear airbag, 4-bellows, 5-front airbag, 6-rear airbag airway, 7-bellows airway (rear airbag part), 8-front airbag airway (rear airbag part), 9-bellows airway (bellows part), 10-front airbag airway (bellows part), 11-reference point, 12-intestinal schematic diagram, 13-inner wall of rear airbag, 14-inner wall of bellows, 15-inner wall of front airbag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The embodiment of the present invention provides a pneumatic soft robot for assisting small enteroscopic detection. It is specially designed for assisting small enteroscopic detection and can be abstracted into three chambers, namely the front airbag, bellows and rear airbag structures that are coaxially connected in sequence. Each component - the front airbag, bellows and rear airbag - is a hollow structure in the middle, through which the enteroscope passes. The rear airbag is fixed on the enteroscope, and each component is equipped with an independent ventilation airway to ensure that the airflow between the parts does not interfere with each other. The deformation of the chamber is controlled by filling or extracting gas through the airway through three ventilation joints, which can achieve anchoring in the small intestine, guide the small enteroscope into the scope, and efficiently complete the small intestine detection.

[0030] Specifically,

[0031] The front airbag 5 and the rear airbag 3: are respectively located at the front and rear ends of the robot's forward direction, and are radially expanded by inflation to provide support on the inner wall of the small intestine, providing a stable anchoring effect inside the small intestine. In this embodiment, the shape of the front airbag 5 and the rear airbag 3 is similar to a sphere or ellipsoid, with a relatively smooth front end and a rear end connected to the bellows 4. Preferably, in order to help the robot anchor in the small intestine, anti-slip particles are evenly distributed on the outer ring of the front airbag 5 and the rear airbag 3. When in use, the robot needs to be put on the colonoscope 1 to assist the colonoscope 1 in performing small intestine detection, so the rear airbag 3 is provided with a groove for accommodating the colonoscope 1 (and the connection part between the rear airbag 3 and the colonoscope 1 is thicker), and the rear airbag 3 is an annular air groove as a whole.

[0032] Bellows 4: One end is connected to the rear airbag 3, and the other end is connected to the front airbag 5. It can be inflated to achieve axial expansion and contraction (and the bellows 4 can move on the enteroscope 1 to extend the moving distance), so as to achieve the forward and backward expansion and contraction of the enteroscope 1 in the small intestine. Due to its own softness, the bellows 4 can automatically extend along the intestinal extension direction when inflated, and retract in the direction of the intestine when deflated, which enhances the flexibility and adaptability of the robot.

[0033] The robot also includes at least three ventilation connectors 2 for supplying air to the rear airbag 3, the bellows 4 and the front airbag 5. In this embodiment, the front airbag 5, the rear airbag 3 and the bellows 4 are independently connected to the front airbag airway, the rear airbag airway 6 and the bellows airway, and each airway extends a ventilation connector 2 at the end surface of the rear airbag 3 to be connected to an external air pump.

[0034] like Figure 2As shown, it is a cross section of the rear airbag 3 of the present invention. Two completely penetrating airways are arranged in the rear airbag 3 to supply air to the bellows 4 and the front airbag 5, and one incompletely penetrating airway supplies air to the rear airbag 3. Specifically, the rear airbag airway 6 supplies air to the rear airbag 3, the bellows airway (rear airbag part) 7 and the front airbag airway (rear airbag part) 8 supply air to the bellows 4 and the front airbag 5 respectively, and the bellows airway (rear airbag part) 7 and the front airbag airway (rear airbag part) 8 both penetrate the rear airbag 3 and extend the ventilation joint 2 outward. Figure 3 As shown, it is a cross section of the bellows 4 of the present invention. A ventilation hose is arranged inside the bellows 4 to realize air supply to the front airbag 5. Specifically, the bellows airway (bellows part) 9 is connected to the bellows airway (rear airbag part) 7 in the rear airbag 3 to realize air supply to the bellows 4. The front airbag airway (bellows part) 10 is connected to the front airbag airway (rear airbag part) 8 in the rear airbag 3 to supply air to the front airbag 5. Figure 4 As shown, in the actual manufacturing process, the inner wall 13 of the rear airbag and the inner wall 14 of the bellows are designed to be the thickest so as to accommodate the airway. Three airways are set on the inner wall of the rear airbag (to supply air to the rear airbag, bellows and front airbag respectively), and two airways are set on the inner wall of the bellows (connected to the airway set on the inner wall of the rear airbag, for supplying air to the bellows and the front airbag); and the inner wall 15 of the front airbag is the thinnest, and only one airway is required (the airway is integrated with the inner wall). In addition, the rear airbag can be selected to be integrally formed with the external expansion layer, or it can be separately manufactured and then assembled. This design not only optimizes the internal structure, but also improves the overall manufacturing flexibility and assembly convenience.

[0035] When working, the rear airbag 3 of the pneumatic soft robot is anchored to the enteroscope 1 and delivered to the inside of the small intestine through the enteroscope 1. The rear airbag 3 and the front airbag 5 are inflated through the ventilation joint 2 to produce radial deformation. When they come into contact with the inner wall of the intestine, a certain anchoring force is generated. The magnitude of the anchoring force can be controlled by controlling the amount of inflation. After the bellows 4 is inflated through the ventilation joint 2, axial expansion and contraction are generated. The extension and contraction degree of the bellows 4 is controlled by the amount of inflation, and the front airbag 5 is driven to move at the same time.

[0036] Preferably, considering the physical and chemical stability, biocompatibility and environmental protection of the robot, the rear airbag 3, the bellows 4 and the front airbag 5 are all made of silicone.

[0037] The robot disclosed in the present application can move stably in the complex small intestine environment, while the material and shape of the robot ensure the safety and effectiveness of the operation.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] This embodiment discloses a working method of a pneumatic soft robot for assisting intestinal endoscopic examination in Embodiment 1: the pneumatic soft robot is expanded through orderly inflation of the rear airbag, bellows and front airbag, coordinated with the sequential exhaust and contraction of the bellows, rear airbag and front airbag, alternatingly, and the movement form imitates the peristaltic movement of earthworms, achieving smooth and continuous forward movement inside the intestine.

[0040] When performing enteroscopy, the robot's rear airbag is placed on the enteroscope and enters the human small intestine along with the enteroscope. The simplified schematic diagram of the robot during operation is shown below: Figure 5 As shown, the colonoscope 1, the reference point 11, and the small intestine diagram 12, the robot movement process is:

[0041] a. Place the robot together with the enteroscope in the small intestine;

[0042] b. The balloon is then inflated and anchored in the small intestine;

[0043] c. The bellows is inflated to push the front airbag forward along the small intestine;

[0044] d. The front balloon is inflated to anchor the small intestine;

[0045] e. The rear airbag and bellows are deflated and contracted, dragging the front airbag and the small intestine toward the enteroscope;

[0046] f. The front airbag is deflated and shrinks, returning to the initial state a.

[0047] Repeating the BF process can enable the robot to move in the small intestine and pull the small intestine onto the enteroscope, making it easier for medical staff to conduct inspections. The difference between the inflation and deflation of the bellows can be roughly regarded as the length of the small intestine being dragged. At the same time, during the operation, the front and rear air bags can be supplied with air to achieve the anchoring effect of the enteroscope inside the small intestine, stabilize the enteroscope, and facilitate the operation. After the operation, the robot is pulled out of the human body together with the enteroscope.

[0048] Because the overall structure of the robot is soft, it can passively conform to the curvature of the intestine during the expansion and elongation process, thereby dragging the curved intestine onto the small intestine endoscope, making it easier for doctors to detect.

[0049] Different from the previous pneumatic robots for intestinal inspection, the core idea of ​​the present invention is to use the pneumatic robot to drag the small intestine. The robot itself does not need to crawl in the small intestine. It can replace the traditional enteroscope overtube operation method, making it convenient for medical staff to perform related inspections.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic soft robot for assisting small intestinal endoscopy, characterized in that: It includes a front airbag, a bellows and a rear airbag which are coaxially connected in sequence. The front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are all equipped with independent ventilation air paths. The front airbag and the rear airbag can achieve radial volume expansion by means of inflation, thereby achieving anchoring in the small intestine. The bellows can achieve axial expansion and contraction by means of inflation, thereby pulling the small intestine to the enteroscope.

2. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front airbag and the rear airbag are spherical or ellipsoidal, with smooth front ends and rear ends connected to the bellows.

3. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Anti-skid particles are distributed on the outer circles of the front airbag and the rear airbag.

4. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pneumatic soft robot includes at least three ventilation joints connected to an extracorporeal pump, which are respectively connected to the rear airbag airway, the bellows airway and the front airbag airway, and are used to supply air to the rear airbag, the bellows and the front airbag.

5. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rear airbag is provided with two completely penetrating airways, namely the bellows airway and the front airbag airway, and an incompletely penetrating airway, namely the rear airbag airway; the bellows is provided with a ventilation hose directly connected to the front airbag, and the ventilation hose is connected to the front airbag airway.

6. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear air bag has a groove for accommodating a small intestine endoscope.

7. The pneumatic soft robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the bellows is connected to the rear airbag, and the other end is connected to the front airbag. The rear airbag is connected to the small enteroscope. When the rear airbag is inflated and anchored and the bellows is inflated, it extends forward along the small enteroscope, pushing the front airbag forward; when the front airbag is inflated and anchored and the bellows is deflated, the bellows contracts, and the front airbag drives the small intestine to drag and move backward.

8. The pneumatic soft robot according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are all made of silicone.

9. A working method of a pneumatic soft robot for assisting small intestinal endoscopy, characterized in that: Based on the pneumatic soft robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, the small intestine endoscope is connected to the rear airbag, and the pneumatic soft robot realizes peristalsis-like movement through the alternating cycles of sequential ventilation and expansion of the rear airbag, bellows and front airbag, and sequential exhaust and contraction of the bellows, rear airbag and front airbag, thereby pulling the small intestine to the small intestine endoscope.

10. The working method of the pneumatic soft robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, placing the pneumatic soft robot and the enteroscope together in the small intestine, and in an initial state, the front airbag, the bellows and the rear airbag are not inflated; S2, the posterior balloon is inflated and anchored in the small intestine; S3, the bellows is inflated, pushing the front balloon forward in the direction of the small intestine; S4, the anterior balloon is inflated after reaching the position and anchored in the small intestine; S5, the rear airbag and bellows are deflated and contracted, dragging the front airbag and the small intestine toward the enteroscope; S6, the front airbag is deflated and shrinks, returning to the initial state.

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