Eustachian tube endoscope

Abstract

The invention discloses an Eustachian tube endoscope, and belongs to the field of medical appliances, the Eustachian tube endoscope comprises an endoscope body assembly and a guide assembly, the endoscope body assembly comprises a handle and a flexible bendable endoscope tube, and the handle is connected to the rear end of the endoscope tube; an image sensor is arranged in the front end of the endoscope tube, the front end face of the image sensor is exposed on the front end face of the endoscope tube, the image sensor is connected with a power supply and signal line, and the power supply and signal line is located in the endoscope tube and extends into the handle. A lighting optical fiber is arranged in the mirror tube, the front end face of the lighting optical fiber is exposed on the front end face of the mirror tube, and the rear end extends into the handle; the guide assembly comprises a guide tube and a guide tube fixing piece, the guide tube is made of a hard material and is provided with a bent structure, and a guide channel allowing the mirror tube to penetrate through is formed in the guide tube; and the guide tube fixing piece comprises a bayonet clamped on the periphery of the guide tube and a nose clip clamped on the nose wing of the patient. The endoscope tube is thinner, operation is more flexible, the endoscope tube can enter an auditory tube cavity conveniently, and high-quality image quality is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of medical instruments, in particular to a Eustachian tube endoscope. Background Art

[0002] The Eustachian tube is an important tube that leads from the tympanic cavity to the nasopharynx at the back of the nasal cavity. Eustachian tube dysfunction is a common disease. For example, abnormal closure and blockage of the Eustachian tube are related to many middle ear diseases, which can cause hearing impairment, recurrent otitis media with effusion, middle ear cholesteatoma and other diseases.

[0003] The Eustachian tube endoscope is an instrument for examining and treating the Eustachian tube under physiological conditions. The existing Eustachian tube endoscope is generally a fiberscope (4mm in diameter), with a lens at the front end, and the image of the lens is transmitted to the back end through an optical fiber, resulting in a thick and hard imaging tube. Therefore, it is inconvenient to operate during the examination and treatment process, and the discomfort is obvious. The image quality during the operation is relatively poor, there is no image magnification function or the magnification function is poor, which is not conducive to observing subtle lesions. In addition, the light is dim, the image quality is poor, and the picture is blurry. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a Eustachian tube endoscope, which has a thinner endoscope tube and is more flexible to operate, can conveniently enter the Eustachian tube cavity, and achieve high-quality image quality.

[0005] The present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A Eustachian tube endoscope comprises a mirror body assembly and a guide assembly which are separated from each other, wherein:

[0007] The mirror body assembly includes a handle and a flexible and bendable mirror tube, wherein the handle is connected to the rear end of the mirror tube; an image sensor is arranged in the front end of the mirror tube, the front end surface of the image sensor is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the image sensor is connected to a power supply and signal line, which is located in the mirror tube and extends into the handle;

[0008] An illumination optical fiber is arranged in the mirror tube, the front end surface of the illumination optical fiber is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the rear end of the illumination optical fiber extends into the handle;

[0009] The guide assembly includes a guide tube and a guide tube fixing part. The guide tube is made of a hard material and has a bending structure. A guide channel for the mirror tube to pass through is arranged inside the guide tube. The guide tube fixing part includes a bayonet clamped on the outer periphery of the guide tube and a nose clip clamped on the patient's nose wing.

[0010] Furthermore, the guide tube has a bent portion with a fixed angle at a set distance from the front end of the guide tube, so that the front and rear parts of the guide tube have a fixed angle bend; the number of the guide tubes is multiple, and the fixed angles of the bends of the multiple guide tubes are different.

[0011] Furthermore, the guide tube has a first bending joint and a second bending joint with adjustable angles at a first distance and a second distance from the front end of the guide tube, respectively, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the guide tube and the diameter of the guide channel gradually decrease from back to front, a guide bell mouth is provided at the rear end entrance of the guide tube, and the diameter of the front end of the guide channel is larger than the outer diameter of the mirror tube.

[0013] Furthermore, the rear portion of the guide tube has a guide tube fixing portion, and the bayonet of the guide tube fixing piece is clamped on the guide tube fixing portion.

[0014] Furthermore, the guide tube fixing piece is made of soft material and comprises a base body, one side of the base body is provided with a groove structure to form the bayonet; the nose clip is arranged on the base body, and a clamping space is formed between the nose clip and the base body.

[0015] Furthermore, an instrument channel is provided in the mirror tube, the front end of the instrument channel passes through the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the rear end of the instrument channel extends into the handle and is communicated with the instrument inlet on the handle.

[0016] Furthermore, the handle is connected with an optical fiber plug and a sensor plug, and the power supply and signal lines and the lighting optical fiber are connected to the sensor plug and the optical fiber plug respectively.

[0017] Furthermore, a bending assembly is provided at the front of the mirror tube, a bending control switch for controlling the bending of the bending assembly is provided on the handle, and a main control switch is provided on the handle.

[0018] Furthermore, the number of the illumination optical fibers is two, and the two illumination optical fibers are symmetrically distributed on the front end surface of the mirror tube.

[0019] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The Eustachian tube endoscope of the present invention abandons the traditional fiberscope technology and adopts the electronic scope technology. After the image sensor at the front end of the scope tube forms an image, it is transmitted in the form of an electrical signal. On the one hand, there is no need to transmit the optical signal image with an optical fiber, so that the diameter of the scope tube is smaller and the hardness is lower. The operation during the inspection and treatment process is more flexible, the discomfort is reduced, and the Eustachian tube cavity can be easily entered. Moreover, the image quality of electronic imaging is better, and the image magnification is higher, which is conducive to observing subtle lesions. Electronic imaging can perform various exposure compensations, and even in dim light, it can maintain good image quality. In addition, the equipped guide component can easily guide the scope tube to the lesion, which is simple and convenient to use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a mirror assembly;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a guide tube;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a guide tube fixing member;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the use state of the Eustachian tube endoscope of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the front end of the mirror tube;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another example of a guide tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantages to be solved by the present invention more clear, a detailed description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] The present invention provides a Eustachian tube endoscope, such as Figure 1-6 As shown, it includes a mirror body component 1 and a guide component 2 separated from each other, wherein:

[0029] The mirror assembly 1 includes a handle 3 and a flexible mirror tube 4, wherein the handle 3 is connected to the rear end of the mirror tube 4. An image sensor 6 is arranged in the front end 5 of the mirror tube 4, and the front end surface of the image sensor 6 is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube 4. The image sensor 6 is connected to a power supply and signal line, which is located in the mirror tube 4 and extends into the handle 3.

[0030] An illumination optical fiber 7 is disposed in the mirror tube 4 . The front end surface of the illumination optical fiber 7 is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube 4 , and the rear end of the illumination optical fiber 7 extends into the handle 3 .

[0031] The guide assembly 2 includes a guide tube 8 and a guide tube fixing member 9. The guide tube 8 is made of a hard material and has a bending structure so that the guide tube 8 can extend from the patient's nasal cavity to the Eustachian tube. A guide channel is provided inside the guide tube 8 for the endoscope tube 4 to pass through. The guide tube fixing member 9 includes a bayonet 10 clamped on the outer periphery of the guide tube 8 and a nose clip 11 clamped on the patient's nose wing to assist in fixing.

[0032] The mirror body assembly 1 and the guide assembly 2 of the present invention are separate and are used in conjunction with each other during surgery. When in use, the guide tube 8 is first inserted into the patient's nasal cavity so that the front end of the guide tube 8 reaches the lesion, and the guide tube 8 is clamped on the patient's nose wing through the nose clip 11 of the guide tube fixing member 9 to assist fixation. Then the flexible mirror tube is extended into the guide channel of the guide tube 8 so that the front end of the mirror tube 4 reaches the lesion. The illumination optical fiber provides a light source, and the image sensor 6 collects images in real time.

[0033] The Eustachian tube endoscope of the present invention abandons the traditional fiberscope technology and adopts the electronic scope technology. After the image sensor at the front end of the scope tube forms an image, it is transmitted in the form of an electrical signal. On the one hand, there is no need to transmit the optical signal image with an optical fiber, so that the diameter of the scope tube is smaller and the hardness is lower. The operation during the inspection and treatment process is more flexible, the discomfort is reduced, and the Eustachian tube cavity can be easily entered. Moreover, the image quality of electronic imaging is better, and the image magnification is higher, which is conducive to observing subtle lesions. Electronic imaging can perform various exposure compensations, and even in dim light, it can maintain good image quality. In addition, the equipped guide component can easily guide the scope tube to the lesion, which is simple and convenient to use.

[0034] As an improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, a bend portion 12 with a fixed angle is provided on the guide tube 8 at a set distance from the front end of the guide tube 8 (for example, 3 cm from the front end), so that a bend with a fixed angle is provided between the front portion 13 and the rear portion 14 of the guide tube. There are multiple guide tubes 8, and the multiple guide tubes 8 have different fixed bend angles, for example, 30°, 45°, 60°, etc. Different guide tubes can be selected according to needs during surgery.

[0035] As another improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, the guide tube 8 has a first bending joint 24 and a second bending joint 25 with adjustable angles at a first distance and a second distance from the front end of the guide tube, respectively, wherein the first distance is smaller than the second distance, that is, the first bending joint 24 is further forward than the second bending joint 25.

[0036] By adjusting the angle of the first bending joint 24 compared to the second bending joint 25, the angle of the endoscope can be adjusted. Moreover, with two adjustable joints, only one guide tube 8 is required, without the need to equip multiple guide tubes with different bending angles.

[0037] The first bending joint 24 and the second bending joint 25 can be a pleated bending structure similar to a straw, and the bending angles thereof can be conveniently adjusted at will.

[0038] The outer diameter of the aforementioned guide tube 8 and the diameter of the guide channel (i.e., the inner diameter of the guide tube) gradually decrease from back to front. A guide bell mouth 15 is provided at the rear end entrance of the guide tube 8 to facilitate the insertion of the mirror tube 4. The diameter of the front end of the guide channel is larger than the outer diameter of the mirror tube 4.

[0039] The guide tube 8 has a guide tube fixing portion 16 at its rear portion, and the bayonet 10 of the guide tube fixing piece 9 is clamped on the guide tube fixing portion 16 .

[0040] The guide tube fixing member 9 is made of a soft material and includes a base 17. A groove structure is provided on one side of the base 17 to form a bayonet 10. A nose clip 11 is provided on the base 17 to form a clamping space between the nose clip 11 and the base 17. Figure 3 shown.

[0041] As another improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, an instrument channel 18 is provided in the scope tube 4, the front end of the instrument channel 18 passes through the front end surface of the scope tube 4, and the rear end of the instrument channel 18 extends into the handle 3 and communicates with the instrument inlet 19 on the handle 3. When an instrument operation is required, the instrument is passed through the instrument inlet 19 and the instrument channel 18 to reach the lesion.

[0042] When the mirror tube includes the instrument channel 18, the outer diameter of the mirror tube is less than 4 mm, for example, about 3 mm; when the mirror tube does not include the instrument channel 18, the outer diameter of the mirror tube is controlled to be about 2 mm. The total length of the mirror tube is determined according to needs, for example, about 30 cm.

[0043] The handle 3 is connected with an optical fiber plug and a sensor plug, and the power supply and signal lines and the illumination optical fiber 7 are connected with the sensor plug and the optical fiber plug respectively. In one example, the optical fiber plug and the sensor plug are integrated together to form an integrated plug 20.

[0044] A bending assembly is provided at the front of the mirror tube 4, and a bending control switch for controlling the bending of the bending assembly is provided on the handle 3. The control switch includes an up-down bending switch 21 and a left-right bending switch 22, which respectively control the up-down bending and left-right bending of the bending assembly. The active bending part of the mirror tube is bent in two directions, front-to-back and left-to-right, with a bending angle of 200°±10°, and the bending is undamped.

[0045] The bending assembly is a conventional component of the electronic mirror and will not be described in detail in the present invention. The specific structure and bending control method thereof can be found in Chinese patent document CN 113499029 A.

[0046] The handle 3 is provided with a main control switch 23 for controlling the opening and closing of the Eustachian tube endoscope.

[0047] The instrument channel 18 and the image sensor 6 are arranged opposite to each other on the front end surface of the mirror tube 4. There are two illumination optical fibers 7, which are symmetrically distributed on the front end surface of the mirror tube 4, respectively located on both sides of the midline of the instrument channel 18 and the image sensor 6, so as to facilitate uniform illumination. Figure 5 shown.

[0048] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A Eustachian tube endoscope, characterized in that: It includes a mirror body component and a guide component separated from each other, wherein: The mirror body assembly includes a handle and a flexible and bendable mirror tube, wherein the handle is connected to the rear end of the mirror tube; an image sensor is arranged in the front end of the mirror tube, the front end surface of the image sensor is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the image sensor is connected to a power supply and signal line, which is located in the mirror tube and extends into the handle; An illumination optical fiber is arranged in the mirror tube, the front end surface of the illumination optical fiber is exposed on the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the rear end of the illumination optical fiber extends into the handle; The guide assembly includes a guide tube and a guide tube fixing part. The guide tube is made of a hard material and has a bending structure. A guide channel for the mirror tube to pass through is arranged inside the guide tube. The guide tube fixing part includes a bayonet clamped on the outer periphery of the guide tube and a nose clip clamped on the patient's nose wing.

2. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide tube has a bent portion with a fixed angle at a set distance from the front end of the guide tube, so that the front and rear parts of the guide tube have a bent portion with a fixed angle; the number of the guide tubes is multiple, and the fixed angles of the multiple guide tubes are different.

3. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide tube has a first bending joint and a second bending joint with adjustable angles at a first distance and a second distance from the front end of the guide tube, respectively, and the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

4. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the guide tube and the diameter of the guide channel gradually decrease from the back to the front. A guide bell mouth is arranged at the rear end entrance of the guide tube. The diameter of the front end of the guide channel is larger than the outer diameter of the mirror tube.

5. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rear portion of the guide tube is provided with a guide tube fixing portion, and the bayonet of the guide tube fixing piece is clamped on the guide tube fixing portion.

6. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 5, characterized in that: The guide tube fixing piece is made of soft material and comprises a base body, one side of which is provided with a groove structure to form the bayonet; the nose clip is arranged on the base body, and a clamping space is formed between the nose clip and the base body.

7. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: An instrument channel is arranged in the mirror tube, the front end of the instrument channel passes through the front end surface of the mirror tube, and the rear end of the instrument channel extends into the handle and communicates with the instrument inlet on the handle.

8. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 7, characterized in that: The handle is connected with an optical fiber plug and a sensor plug, and the power supply and signal line and the lighting optical fiber are connected with the sensor plug and the optical fiber plug respectively.

9. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 8, characterized in that: A bending assembly is arranged at the front of the mirror tube, a bending control switch for controlling the bending of the bending assembly is arranged on the handle, and a main control switch is arranged on the handle.

10. The Eustachian tube endoscope according to claim 7, characterized in that: The number of the illumination optical fibers is two, and the two illumination optical fibers are symmetrically distributed on the front end surface of the mirror tube.

Images