Visual catheter for urinary tract

Abstract

The catheter comprises a catheter body and a camera shooting assembly, the catheter body comprises an operation part and an intubation tube from the near end to the far end, and the camera shooting assembly comprises a camera installed at the head end of the intubation tube. The operation part comprises an operation part shell, and a perfusion joint, a suction joint and an instrument inlet which are arranged on the operation part shell; a liquid outlet channel and a liquid inlet channel are arranged in the intubation tube, and the liquid outlet channel and the liquid inlet channel are arranged separately; the cannula comprises a main tube section, a bent section and a head end in the extending direction from the near end to the far end, the bent section is driven by the operation part to drive the head end to deflect, and the flexible tube wall at least partially limits the boundary of the liquid inlet channel and / or the liquid outlet channel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical device technology, in particular to flexible endoscopic surgery through natural cavities, and more specifically to a visual catheter for the urinary cavity, which integrates irrigation, suction, imaging and laser functions and has a multi-directional active bending function. Background Art

[0002] Currently, ureteral guide sheaths and flexible ureteroscopes are primarily used in natural orifice flexible endoscopic surgery. Ureteral guide sheaths are inserted through the patient's urethra into the urinary tract to establish an effective channel, facilitating smooth passage of surgical instruments, such as the flexible ureteroscope, for surgical procedures. Flexible ureteroscopes are typically thin (approximately 2-3 mm in diameter) and long (40-50 cm) to accommodate long-distance procedures from the urethra to the ureter. The flexible ureteroscope's tip can be actively bent (reaching an angle of over 180°) and its flexible body allows it to pass through the ureter into the renal pelvis and even the calyces, making it suitable for the complex structures of the upper ureter and kidney. A working channel (approximately 1 mm in diameter) is incorporated into the body of the flexible ureteroscope to accommodate instruments such as laser fibers, lithotomists, and guidewires, while also providing irrigation and imaging capabilities. The flexible ureteroscope is inserted through the patient's urethra into the bladder, then into the ureter, ultimately reaching the renal pelvis or calyces. The entire process does not require any surface incision and relies entirely on the body's natural cavity. There is no surface trauma in the process, and postoperative recovery is fast (usually discharged from the hospital within 1-2 days), but ureteral stenosis or twisting increases the difficulty of the operation.

[0003] In existing natural orifice flexible endoscopic procedures, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The endoscope is used in conjunction with a sheath. Water enters the working channel of the ureteroscope and is perfused into the tissue. Water exits the gap between the endoscope and the sheath, which allows the liquid in the tissue to absorb the gravel knocked down by the laser in a timely manner through negative pressure. During the stone suction process, due to the small gap between the endoscope and the sheath, gravel can easily become stuck between the sheath and the endoscope. Therefore, the endoscope needs to be withdrawn from the sheath to absorb the gravel in time. During the operation, the endoscope needs to be moved back and forth continuously, and the entire process is relatively cumbersome. In the existing technology, endoscopes usually adopt a snake-bone structure, which is made up of multiple metal joints. If it is not used in conjunction with a sheath, the sharp edges of the metal joints may scratch the ureteral mucosa and cause perforation when the metal joints are repeatedly bent in the narrow ureter. At the same time, due to the repeated friction between the metal joints of the snake bone and the generation of iron chips, if the liquid channel contacts the inner wall of the endoscope tube section, the iron chips will enter the human body through the liquid channel and cause inflammation or other adverse reactions. Therefore, a separate inlet and outlet channel 15 must be set up. Furthermore, the internal pipeline of the endoscope needs to avoid the space for the metal joints to bite and release, resulting in the internal space being greatly restricted and compressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above defects and deficiencies, the purpose of the present application aims to provide a visual catheter for urinary tract, which is used for natural tract flexible endoscopic surgery, the catheter body can avoid the continuous mirror withdrawal of the endoscope, does not need to use a sheath, integrates perfusion, suction, visualization and laser, and the internal pipeline space is not limited and compressed; and the distal end of the visual catheter can be compliantly bent when passing through the natural tract, especially a narrow channel, and the bending process is friendly to the ureter.

[0005] The visual catheter provided by the present application is more beneficial to the target object (such as a stone, or a polyp tissue, a coagulation blood clot, etc.) close to the suction outlet compared to the perfusion and suction functions of the existing endoscope and sheath structure. The visual catheter for urinary tract includes a catheter body and a camera assembly, the catheter body includes an operation part and a cannula from the proximal end to the distal end direction, the camera assembly includes a camera installed at the head end of the cannula, the operation part includes an operation part shell, a perfusion connector, a suction connector and an instrument inlet arranged on the operation part shell; the cannula has a liquid outlet channel and a liquid inlet channel inside, and the liquid outlet channel and the liquid inlet channel are arranged separately; the extension direction of the cannula from the proximal end to the distal end includes a main pipe section, a bending section and a head end, the bending section is driven by the operation part to drive the head end to deflect, and the bending section includes a flexible pipe and the main pipe section includes a rigid pipe, wherein the pipe wall of the flexible pipe at least partially defines the boundary of the liquid inlet channel and / or the liquid outlet channel.

[0006] In some embodiments, at least one pull wire longitudinally extends inside the main pipe section and the flexible pipe of the cannula, and the distal end of the pull wire is fixed to the head end of the flexible pipe or the cannula, which is controlled by the operation part to drive the pull wire to move longitudinally relative to the main pipe section, thereby driving the flexible pipe to deflect.

[0007] In some embodiments, four pull wires longitudinally extend inside the main pipe section and the flexible pipe of the cannula, and the four pull wires are distributed at equal intervals, any two pull wires are pulled and the same pulling force or the same moving stroke is applied, thereby realizing the deflection of the flexible pipe in the 45° direction of the corresponding quadrant; any two pull wires are pulled and different pulling forces or different moving strokes are applied, thereby realizing the deflection of the flexible pipe in any direction in the corresponding quadrant; after one pull wire is pulled to a certain angle, the adjacent pull wire is pulled, and the circumferential deflection of the head end can be realized.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cannula is provided with pull wire channels of the same number as the pull wires, and the pull wires are slidably arranged in the pull wire channels.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cannula further includes at least one instrument channel longitudinally extending inside the cannula for instruments to pass through.

[0010] In some embodiments, the instrument channel, the outflow channel and the inflow channel are arranged separately.

[0011] In some embodiments, the number of instrument channels is two.

[0012] In some embodiments, the tube wall of the cannula defines a lumen, the lumen is arranged with a main tube and at least one instrument tube, the main tube constitutes the outflow channel, the instrument tube constitutes the instrument channel, and the remaining space of the lumen constitutes the inflow channel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the outflow channel is located at the middle of the cannula.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inner diameter of the head end of the outflow channel is larger than that of the head end of the inflow channel, the outflow channel is connected with a suction connector, and the inflow channel is connected with a perfusion connector.

[0015] In some embodiments, the tube wall of the flexible tube comprises an outer tube, a support layer and an inner tube, the support layer is formed between the outer tube and the inner tube, and the pull wires are arranged in any of the inner part of the outer tube, the support layer and the inner tube or the space therebetween.

[0016] In some embodiments, the operation part is arranged with a power transmission member, the proximal end of the pull wire is arranged in the power transmission member, and the power transmission member is suitable for connecting the pull wire to drive the longitudinal sliding.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pull wire channel comprises a pull wire outer tube and a plurality of longitudinally extending arc-shaped limiting grooves formed in the tube wall, the plurality of limiting grooves are arranged at equal intervals along the tube wall of the insertion part, and the pull wire outer tube is embedded in the limiting grooves.

[0018] In some embodiments, the tube wall of the cannula defines a pressure measurement channel, the pressure measurement channel is arranged with a pressure measurement hole at the distal side, and the pressure measurement channel or any path connected therewith is arranged with a pressure detection member.

[0019] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the cannula is smooth from the proximal end to the distal end.

[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be partially given in the following description, partially will become obvious from the following description, or will be understood by the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 - a schematic view of the head end of the cooperation of the sheath and the endoscope in the prior art;

[0022] Figures 2-3 a schematic view of the structure of the visual catheter provided by the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 A transverse sectional view of a visual catheter according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic view of a head end structure of a visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 6 A transverse sectional view of a visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic view of a head end structure of a visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic view of a head end structure of a visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 9 A transverse sectional view of a visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 10 A schematic view of an operating portion of a visual catheter according to the present application;

[0030] Figure 11 A schematic exploded view of a proximal end of a cannula of a visual catheter according to the present application;

[0031] Figure 12 A transverse sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 13 A longitudinal sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 14 A transverse sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 15 A longitudinal sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 16 A transverse sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 17 A transverse sectional view of a distal end of a deflectable visual catheter according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 18 A partial enlarged view of A portion of Figure 17 ​

[0038] Figure 19 A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal end of a cannula of a deflectable visualization catheter provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figures 20-22 A schematic diagram of adjusting the direction of the head end of the visual catheter provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figures 23-25 A schematic diagram of the fixing structure of the visual catheter pull wire provided by the present invention;

[0041] Figure 26 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wire-drawing power transmission component of a visual catheter according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 27 for Figure 26 A partial enlarged view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The present invention or the technical solution of the invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0044] In the description of the present invention, "proximal end" or "proximal side" refers to the end of the medical device that is close to the doctor during normal operation, while "distal end" or "distal side" usually refers to the end that first enters the patient's body.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the internal connection between two components. It can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] See also Figure 1 In the current natural cavity flexible endoscopic surgery, the endoscope 91 is located in the middle of the sheath 92 ( Figure 1The sheath cooperates with the endoscope (see the head end schematic diagram of the sheath cooperating with the endoscope), the liquid such as saline is injected into the body through the liquid inlet channel formed by the channel of the endoscope 91, the gap between the sheath 92 and the endoscope 91 forms the liquid outlet channel 15 to suck the waste liquid with the calculus out of the body, in actual operation, the target object in the front direction is easily hit by the water column flowing out of the water outlet of the channel of the endoscope 91 in the middle, so that it is farther away from the sheath 92 and is difficult to be effectively sucked. In addition, since the target object needs to flow out of the gap between the endoscope 91 and the sheath 92, but the position and shape of the endoscope 91 in the sheath 92 cannot be kept stable, so the gap is large in some places and small in some places, and the target object may be stuck in a place with small gap, causing the liquid to be unable to be sucked out in time, resulting in high pressure in the cavity, which has a high risk. At this time, the endoscope needs to be pulled out of the sheath to realize the outflow of the target object; the "target object" includes but is not limited to calculus, polyp tissue, tumor, coagulation blood clots and the like.

[0047] Based on the foregoing technical problems, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the embodiment provides a visible catheter for urinary cavity, which comprises a catheter body and a camera assembly, the catheter body comprises an operation part 3 and a catheter 2 from the proximal end to the distal end direction, the camera assembly comprises a camera head installed at the head end 1 of the catheter 2, the catheter 2 has a proximal end and a distal end, please refer to Figure 10 , the operation part 3 is connected to the proximal end of the catheter 2, the operation part 3 comprises an operation part shell and a perfusion connector 33, a suction connector 34 and an instrument inlet 32 arranged on the operation part shell. Please refer to Figure 4 , the catheter 2 has a liquid inlet channel 16 and a liquid outlet channel 15, the liquid inlet channel 16 and the liquid outlet channel 15 are arranged separately. In this embodiment, the liquid inlet channel 16 is formed by the remaining gap of the lumen outside the liquid outlet channel 15.

[0048] The extension direction of the cannula 2 from the proximal end to the distal end includes a main pipe section 22, a bending section 21 and a head end 1. The bending section 21 is driven by the operation part 3 to drive the head end 1 to deflect; the bending section 21 includes a flexible pipe, and the main pipe section 22 includes a hard pipe which is higher in hardness than the flexible pipe and can still be moderately bent. The pipe wall of the flexible pipe directly defines the boundary of the liquid inlet channel 16 and / or the liquid outlet channel 15, so as to realize the direct contact of the fluid with the pipe wall; the independent liquid path pipeline separated from the flexible pipe wall is cancelled, and only the liquid inlet channel 16 and the liquid outlet channel 15 need to be isolated, so that the lumen space is released to increase the cross-sectional size of the channel or accommodate new functional channels such as multiple instrument channels; the multi-stage joint motion is avoided through the integrated structure of the flexible pipe, and the invalid space reserved for dynamic avoidance in the traditional design is eliminated; at the same time, the built-in independent liquid outlet channel 15 avoids the gap blockage problem of the traditional “endoscope + sheath” combination, and does not need to be withdrawn for cleaning; and the non-metallic property of the flexible pipe avoids the risk of metal friction debris.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to Figure 4 , the cannula defines a liquid inlet channel 16 and a liquid outlet channel 15. Optionally, the inner diameter of the head end of the liquid outlet channel 15 is larger than the inner diameter of the head end of the liquid inlet channel 16, and the physiological saline and other liquids are injected into the body cavity through the liquid inlet channel 16, and the intracavity liquid containing stones or tissues is sucked out of the body through the liquid outlet channel 15 with a larger inner diameter. Compared with the existing endoscope 91 and sheath 92 infusion and suction process, the present embodiment provides a larger inner diameter of the distal end of the liquid outlet channel 15, which is more conducive to the target object approaching so as to be discharged out of the body through the liquid outlet channel 15. Further preferably, the inner diameter of the liquid outlet channel 15 is larger than the inner diameter of the liquid inlet channel 16, and the liquid outlet channel 15 is located at the middle position of the cannula. The middle position here can be coaxially arranged with the cannula, or can be arranged offset from the coaxial line of the cannula, and it is only required to be approximately close to the center position, whether it is strictly coaxial or not. The approximate center position is conducive to the target object approaching and being sucked. The external instrument can enter and reach the head end through the liquid outlet channel 15 and / or the liquid inlet channel 16 to crush the stones or cut the tissues in the target cavity.

[0050] Optionally, referring to Figure 5 - Figure 9, the cannula further has an instrument channel 14, the liquid outlet channel 15 is communicated with the suction connector 34, the liquid inlet channel 16 is communicated with the perfusion connector 33, and the instrument channel 14 is communicated with the instrument interface 32. In this way, the camera at the head end of the cannula 2 facilitates the doctor to understand the cavity condition, and the instrument channel 14 is used for the external instrument such as a laser fiber to pass through and reach the head end to crush the target stone or cut the tissue in the cavity. If the inner diameter of the instrument channel is too large, the laser fiber is prone to swing when it is operated in the instrument channel, which causes the position of the laser emitting end (fiber head) to deviate, and further may damage the non-target tissue or reduce the efficiency of stone crushing. The prior art usually solves this problem by adding a fiber support structure in the channel, but this will occupy the valuable internal space of the pipeline. The embodiment sets up an independent channel for laser transmission. The independent channel not only provides accurate guidance for the laser fiber and effectively restricts the swing of the laser fiber, thereby avoiding the risk of position deviation; at the same time, since the precise guidance function itself replaces the additional support structure requirement, the internal space of the pipeline is significantly saved.

[0051] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 5-7 , the cannula provides an instrument channel 14, and the corresponding head end has a camera port 13, a laser port 110, a left liquid inlet port 114 and a right liquid inlet port 113, and a liquid outlet port 151. The laser port 110 located at the distal end of the instrument channel is arranged on the left side or the right side of the camera port 13. In other examples, referring to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , two instrument channels 14 are provided, and the head end is provided with a camera 112, a left laser port 112 and a right laser port 111, a liquid outlet port 151, a left liquid inlet port 114 and a right liquid inlet port 113. The left laser fiber and the right laser fiber extend longitudinally in the instrument channel 14 of the cannula and respectively extend out of the left laser port 112 and the right laser port 111. At present, the laser fiber can only be arranged in one channel of the endoscope, and the position cannot be adjusted. For some target objects with special positions, the lack of more choices leads to the inability to hit the target object. However, the visible catheter has two position-adjustable laser fibers, which can be adjusted in time according to the doctor's preference or the position of the target object, and has more flexibility and convenience. At the same time, the other channel without the laser fiber can also be used for perfusion to achieve a larger perfusion volume.

[0052] In some examples, referring to Figure 11, the visual catheter is equipped with a camera and at least one laser fiber, the laser fiber extends in the instrument channel 14 of the cannula, and is used for crushing stones or cutting tissues, and the camera is installed at the head end 1 of the cannula 2 so as to observe the situation of tissues or stones in the cavity. In order to facilitate the installation of the camera and the laser fiber, the head end 1 is provided with a camera port 13 for installing the camera and at least one laser port for installing the laser fiber, a signal harness 130 extends longitudinally in the cannula, a proximal end of the signal harness 130 is adapted to be connected with an external device to display the camera image, and a distal end of the camera is connected with the signal harness 130. Liquid in the target cavity is attracted by negative pressure, flows out of the liquid outlet channel 15, then reaches the suction connector 34 inside the catheter body, and finally flows into a waste liquid collection bottle of the device. Therefore, the visual catheter provided in the embodiment integrates the camera, liquid drainage, suction and laser, and realizes the functions of crushing stones, cutting tissues, perfusing liquid and visual operation while facilitating the suction of target objects out of the body.

[0053] In the embodiment, the pipe wall of the cannula 2 defines a pipe cavity, the pipe cavity is provided with a main pipe body, two laser outer pipes and the signal harness 130, the main pipe body forms the liquid outlet channel 15, the laser outer pipes form the instrument channel, the remaining gap of the pipe cavity forms a liquid inlet channel 16, the distal end of the signal harness 130 is connected with the camera, and the laser fiber reaches the head end through the laser outer pipe. In this way, the main pipe body is connected with the suction connector 34, the instrument inlet 32 is connected with the proximal end of the laser outer pipe, the remaining gap is connected with the perfusion connector 33 to realize the perfusion of liquid, and the head end 1 is provided with a plurality of liquid outlets connected with the gap. Specifically, physiological saline reaches the perfusion connector 33 by the pressure of a perfusion pump, enters the inside of the cannula 2, passes through the liquid inlet channel 16 in the inside of the cannula 2, reaches the left liquid inlet port 114 and the right liquid inlet port 113 of the head end 1 of the catheter body, and then is discharged into the target position.

[0054] The visual catheter is connected with a hardware device such as a robot at the proximal end, the camera image of the catheter body is displayed by the device, the perfusion connector 33 is connected with a perfusion system to realize the perfusion of physiological saline, and the suction connector 34 is connected with a negative pressure suction device to suck and discharge liquid in the renal pelvis and other target cavities.

[0055] The embodiment integrates the water inlet and water outlet functions in the limited space size on the basis of ensuring that the outer diameter of the catheter body is not greater than the outer diameter of the sheath currently used in the clinic, the design fully utilizes the space inside the catheter body, and good effects are achieved. The flexible catheter body is stable due to the integrated catheter body structure, the size of the liquid outlet channel is large, the situation does not occur, and the catheter body is more conducive to the discharge of target objects.

[0056] In addition, please refer to Figure 11The tube wall of the cannula 2 is provided with a pressure measuring hole 24 at the distal end thereof, and a pressure measuring channel is arranged in the tube wall and communicates with the pressure measuring hole 24. A pressure detecting assembly for detecting the pressure in the pressure measuring channel is arranged in the pressure measuring channel or any path communicating with the pressure measuring channel. Exemplarily, a pressure sensor is arranged in the pressure measuring channel at the pressure measuring hole.

[0057] In the performance of the pyelolithotomy through the urinary tract, the head end 1 of the cannula 2 needs to be able to be directed to the target object to perform operations such as laser lithotripsy, perfusion and suction. However, due to the narrow and twisted cavity, the position of the catheter cannot be adjusted. Therefore, at least one pull wire is longitudinally arranged in the main tube segment 22 and the flexible tube of the cannula 2, and the distal end of the pull wire is fixed to the head end of the flexible tube or the cannula 2 and is controlled by the operation part 3 to drive the pull wire to longitudinally move relative to the main tube segment 22, thereby driving the flexible tube to deflect. Compared with the snake bone, the flexible tube has no sharp bone joints and will not generate iron filings due to frequent use. As mentioned above, the visual catheter provided by the present application is used in the urinary tract. Although the existing urinary endoscope has a bending function, it is usually made of a snake bone structure, which has the problems of wear and tear of metal filings, occupation of the lumen space, and limitation of the bending direction, and needs to rely on the overall rotation of the endoscope tube to adjust the angle.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, a pull wire 30 is longitudinally arranged in the main tube segment 22 and the bending segment 21 of the cannula 2. In order to ensure the stability and smoothness of the pull wire 30 during movement and to avoid affecting other channels in the cavity, the tube wall of the main tube segment 22 and the bending segment 21 of the cannula 2 is provided with a pull wire outer tube 31. The pull wire outer tube 31 is cleverly attached to the inner side of the tube wall, and has a compact structure, which does not occupy additional space in the cavity, thereby ensuring the normal use of other functional channels such as the liquid inlet channel 16 and the liquid outlet channel 15 without interference. The pull wire 30 is slidably arranged in the pull wire outer tube 31, and the distal end of the pull wire 30 is fixed to the bending segment 21 or the head end 1 and is controlled by the operation part 3 to drive the pull wire 30 to longitudinally move relative to the main tube segment 22, thereby driving the bending segment 21 to deflect. Exemplarily, pulling the pull wire 30 will drive the bending segment 21 to deflect relative to the main tube segment 22, and the deflection direction is upward.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present application, referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, a pull wire 30 is longitudinally arranged in the main tube segment 22 and the bending segment 21 of the cannula 2. In order to ensure the stability and smoothness of the pull wire 30 during movement and to avoid affecting other channels in the cavity, the tube wall of the main tube segment 22 and the bending segment 21 of the cannula 2 is provided with a pull wire outer tube 31. The pull wire outer tube 31 is cleverly attached to the inner side of the tube wall, and has a compact structure, which does not occupy additional space in the cavity, thereby ensuring the normal use of other functional channels such as the liquid inlet channel 16 and the liquid outlet channel 15 without interference. The pull wire 30 is slidably arranged in the pull wire outer tube 31, and the distal end of the pull wire 30 is fixed to the bending segment 21 or the head end 1 and is controlled by the operation part 3 to drive the pull wire 30 to longitudinally move relative to the main tube segment 22, thereby driving the bending segment 21 to deflect. Exemplarily, pulling the pull wire 30 will drive the bending segment 21 to deflect relative to the main tube segment 22, and the deflection direction is upward. Figure 14 With Figure 15, the main pipe section 22 of the intubation tube 2 is internally provided with two longitudinally extending pull wires 30, the main pipe section 22 of the intubation tube 2 is provided with a pull wire outer pipe 31 on the pipe wall of the flexible pipe, the pull wire 30 is slidably arranged in the pull wire outer pipe 31, the distal end of the pull wire 30 is fixed to the flexible pipe or the head end 1, pulling the pull wire 1 drives the flexible pipe to deflect upward or downward, but the deflection direction is relatively single, and the catheter body needs to be frequently rotated to adjust the direction during the operation.

[0060] Through the scheme of the present application, the intubation tube provided by the present application has a smooth outer wall, reduces the insertion resistance and tissue damage, and improves the patient comfort and the operation safety.

[0061] In other embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 16-19 , the main pipe section 22 of the intubation tube 2 is internally provided with four longitudinally extending pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304, the four pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are distributed at equal intervals, the distal ends of the four pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are fixed to the curved section or the head end 1, the four pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are controlled by the operation part 3, the four pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are longitudinally moved relative to the main pipe section 22 to drive the curved section to deflect to any direction and any angle.

[0062] The adjustment method of the arbitrary direction here is: please refer to Figure 20 , the four pull wires are independently longitudinally moved to drive the four-way deflection of the flexible pipe, the four-way deflection includes left deflection, right deflection, upward deflection and downward deflection, the left-right direction is defined as the X axis, the up-down direction is defined as the Y axis, the X axis passes through the axis of the intubation tube and is perpendicular to the Y axis, the X axis and the Y axis form a two-dimensional coordinate system, the two-dimensional coordinate system divides the XY plane into a first quadrant A, a second quadrant B, a third quadrant C and a fourth quadrant D, the measurement range of the first quadrant angle is 0° to 90°, the measurement range of the second quadrant angle is 90° to 180°, the measurement range of the third quadrant angle is 180° to 270°, and the measurement range of the fourth quadrant angle is 270° to 360°.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 21 , any two pull wires are pulled and the same pulling force or the same moving stroke is applied, and then the 45° direction deflection in the corresponding quadrant is realized; that is, the longitudinal movement of the same moving displacement of the two adjacent pull wires drives the flexible pipe to deflect in the 45°, 135°, 225° and 315° directions in the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant and the fourth quadrant, respectively.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 22, pull any two pull lines and exert different pulling forces or different moving strokes, thereby realizing deflection in any direction within the corresponding quadrant; that is, the longitudinal movement of different moving displacements of two adjacent pull lines drives the flexible tube to deflect between 0-45°, 45°-90°, 90°-135°, 135°-180°, 180°-225°, 225°-270°, 270°-315°, 315°-360° directions in the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant, respectively. The deflection angle interval here does not include the end point. Exemplarily, one of the pull lines in the target quadrant region can be pulled first, and then the direction can be adjusted by pulling the other adjacent pull line, or both pull lines can be pulled simultaneously to adjust the direction, which can quickly help the doctor to align the head end with the target position.

[0065] Compared with the bidirectional serpentine tube segment in the prior art which needs to be turned to realize deflection by rotating the tube body, the operation is inconvenient and the efficiency is low; the four-way adjustment structure is prone to jamming problems and unstable direction control, the present application realizes any deflection of the flexible tube in 360° directions through independent or joint movement of the four pull lines, not only overcoming the defects of the prior art, but also filling the gap in the application of such technology in the field of transurethral endoscopic surgery, so that the user can align the flexible tube with any position in the cavity according to the needs of the surgery, without frequent rotation of the endoscope or catheter.

[0066] Using four or more pull lines allows the head end of the catheter to be independently adjusted in multiple directions, and each pull line can drive the flexible tube to deflect at different angles, thereby realizing more complex movements and covering a larger range of angles and directions to meet the needs of different angles in medical procedures. When dealing with complex surgical cases, such as navigating in narrow or tortuous anatomical structures, the design of at least four pull lines enables multi-directional simultaneous operation, allowing the catheter to flexibly respond to different surgical needs and real-time changes, effectively improving the success rate of surgery.

[0067] The traditional pull line control structure has significant defects: if the pull line is not arranged on the tube wall, it will directly occupy the limited cavity space, seriously affecting the installation and operation of other functional components of the surgical instrument, and the pull line system using the serpentine structure lacks precise serpentine bone joint guiding and limiting mechanism, and when the pull line is pulled, the pull line is prone to unintended multi-directional bending, making it difficult for the doctor to accurately control the bending direction and angle of the flexible tube, thereby affecting the accuracy and safety of the surgery. In view of the above technical bottleneck, the cannula of the present application is provided with the same number of pull lines as the pull lines, which are longitudinally arranged. In some embodiments, the pull line channel can be composed of a pull line outer tube and a limiting groove, please refer to Figure 17 and Figure 18, the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is longitudinally extended in the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314, and the proximal end of the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is controlled by the operation part 3. In this embodiment, four pull wire outer tubes 311, 312, 313, 314 are arranged in the wall of the cannula 2, the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 penetrates the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314, and the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 slides in the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314 when pulled. Figure 17 , the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is longitudinally extended in the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314, and the proximal end of the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is controlled by the operation part 3. In this embodiment, four pull wire outer tubes 311, 312, 313, 314 are arranged in the wall of the cannula 2, the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 penetrates the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314, and the pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 slides in the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314 when pulled.

[0068] The deflection adjustment method of any angle here refers to controlling the deflection angle of the flexible tube by adjusting the moving stroke size of the pull wire after determining the deflection direction.

[0069] Please further refer to Figure 18 , a plurality of longitudinally extending arched limiting grooves 5 are formed in the wall of the cannula 2, and the plurality of limiting grooves 5 are arranged at equal intervals along the wall of the cannula 2. The pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314 is embedded in the limiting groove 5, that is, the pull wire outer tube 311, 312, 313, 314 can be limited in the arched limiting groove 5. This structure design avoids the lateral deviation of the pull wire outer tube during processing or use, solves the problem that the pull wire may swing left and right or even bend during traction if the limiting groove is not arranged, thereby preventing the overall distribution of the four pull wires from being chaotic and the direction from being deviated due to the angle deviation of the pull wire. Compared with a circular cavity, the arched limiting groove 5 can more effectively constrain the pull wire outer tube, ensure the equal interval distribution of the four pull wires, and further ensure the accuracy of direction adjustment.

[0070] In order to realize the deflection of the flexible pipe, the distal ends of the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 can be fixed to the head end 1. In order to facilitate the fixation of the distal ends of the pull wires, please refer to Figures 23-25 , the head end 1 has a circumferential fixing member 6, and the pull wires are circumferentially fixed and connected to the circumferential fixing member 6. In some embodiments, the head end 1 includes a pipe body and a circumferential fixing member 6 arranged in the pipe body. In this embodiment, the circumferential fixing member 6 is an anchor ring, and the head end includes an outer pipe 121, an anchor ring, and an inner pipe. The anchor ring is arranged between the outer pipe and the inner pipe, and the distal ends of the four pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are fixed to the circumferential fixing member 6. Exemplarily, the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are fixed and connected to the anchor ring by laser welding or soldering or crimping, etc. connection method, which ensures that the direction of the pull wire after fixation will not be obviously deviated, and also has the effect of strengthening the directionality of the pull wire during the forming process of the pipe body.

[0071] In this embodiment, the main pipe section 22 is a rigid pipe section, and the rigidity of the rigid pipe section is not uniform. In some embodiments, the rigid pipe section 22 includes a first pipe section and a second pipe section, and the rigidity of the second pipe section is between that of the first pipe section and the flexible pipe. The second pipe section is attached between the first pipe section and the bending section 21, which prolongs the service life of the catheter body when realizing the deflection of the flexible pipe.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figures 14-19 , the pipe wall of the flexible pipe includes an outer pipe 121, a support layer 122, and an inner pipe 123. The material of the rigid pipe (main pipe section 22) and the outer pipe 121 of the flexible pipe can be selected according to the functional requirements: either different materials can be used, or the same basic material can be used but different processing methods (such as modification, reinforcement, or heat treatment) are used to make them have different hardness characteristics. The support layer 122 is an elastic layer used to increase the compressive strength and bending strength of the pipe body. The support layer 122 includes but is not limited to a spring pipe or a braided pipe or a hypotube. The inner pipe 123 is an ultra-thin smooth layer that can effectively reduce the friction of the inner surface. In order to realize the effective connection between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, etching is generally added to the outer surface of the inner pipe 123. The inner pipe is generally a fluoroplastic pipe with etching.

[0073] In this embodiment, the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are arranged in any one of the inner space of the outer pipe 121, the support layer 122, and the inner pipe 123 or the gap therebetween. In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 16 and Figure 17 , the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 are arranged in the inner space of the inner pipe 123.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present application, please refer to Figure 26 With Figure 27 , the operation part 3 includes an operation part shell 31 and four power transmission members 71, 72, 73, 74 arranged inside the operation part shell 31, the proximal end of the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 is arranged in the power transmission members 71, 72, 73, 74, the power transmission members 71, 72, 73, 74 are adapted to be connected with the motor, each pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is driven to slide longitudinally by the power transmission members 71, 72, 73, 74; exemplarily, the power transmission members 71, 72, 73, 74 are rotating discs, the proximal end of the pull wires 301, 302, 303, 304 is wound on the rotating discs, the counterclockwise or clockwise rotation of the rotating discs drives the proximal or distal longitudinal displacement of the pull wires. Four pull wires are respectively controlled by a single motor, each single pull wire 301, 302, 303, 304 is connected by a rotating disc inside the operation part of the catheter body, the rotating disc is connected with the corresponding matching member on the device to transmit the power of the motor on the device to the rotating disc, and then to the bending posture of the head end of the catheter body through the pull wire.

[0075] The control of the single pull wire by the single motor can realize the bending in four directions, the control of the adjacent two pull wires by the adjacent two motors with the same force can realize the bending in eight directions, and the control of the adjacent two pull wires by the adjacent two motors with different forces can realize the accurate control of the angle through precise force control, which can realize the control in all directions relative to the bending in eight directions, and finally achieve the purpose of reaching any angle without rotation.

[0076] The visual catheter provided by the present application can realize the deflection and bending in any direction, which can help the doctor to quickly and conveniently realize the omnidirectional steering, greatly facilitate the operation of the doctor, and have higher safety and reliability.

[0077] In the description of the present specification, the description of the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "a specific example", or "some examples" and the like means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In the present specification, the illustrative description of the above terms does not necessarily mean the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0078] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, replacements and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application, and the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A visual catheter for the urinary tract, characterized in that: The catheter includes a catheter body and a camera assembly, wherein the catheter body includes an operating part and a cannula from the proximal end to the distal end, the camera assembly includes a camera installed at the head end of the cannula, the operating part includes an operating part shell, an infusion joint, a suction joint and an instrument inlet arranged on the operating part shell; the cannula is provided with a liquid outlet channel and a liquid inlet channel, and the liquid outlet channel and the liquid inlet channel are separated from each other; the cannula extends from the proximal end to the distal end and includes a main pipe section, a curved section and a head end, the curved section is driven by the operating part to drive the head end to deflect, the curved section includes a flexible pipe, and the main pipe section includes a hard pipe, wherein the wall of the flexible pipe at least partially defines the boundary of the liquid inlet channel and / or the liquid outlet channel.

2. The visual catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that At least one pull wire extends longitudinally inside the main section of the cannula and the flexible tube, and the distal end of the pull wire is fixed to the head end of the flexible tube or the cannula. The operating part controls the pull wire to move longitudinally relative to the main section, thereby driving the flexible tube to deflect.

3. The visual catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that Four longitudinally extending pull wires are provided inside the main section of the cannula and the flexible tube. The four pull wires are distributed at equal intervals. By pulling any two pull wires and applying the same pulling force or the same moving stroke, a 45° deflection in the corresponding quadrant can be achieved; by pulling any two pull wires and applying different pulling forces or different moving strokes, a deflection in any direction within the corresponding quadrant can be achieved. After pulling one pull wire to a certain angle, pulling the adjacent pull wire can achieve circumferential deflection of the front end.

4. The visual catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that The cannula is provided with a pull wire channel having the same number as the pull wires extending in the longitudinal direction, and the pull wires are slidably arranged in the pull wire channels.

5. The visualization catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that The interior of the cannula further includes at least one longitudinally extending instrument channel for instruments to pass through.

6. The visualization catheter according to claim 5, characterized in that The instrument channel is separated from the liquid outlet channel and / or the liquid inlet channel.

7. The visualization catheter according to claim 5, characterized in that The number of the instrument channels is 2.

8. The visualization catheter according to claim 5, characterized in that The tube wall of the cannula defines a lumen, in which a main body and at least one instrument outer tube are arranged. The main body constitutes a liquid outlet channel, the instrument outer tube constitutes an instrument channel, and the remaining space in the lumen constitutes a liquid inlet channel.

9. The visualization catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that The liquid outlet channel is located in the middle of the cannula.

10. The visualization catheter according to claim 1, wherein The inner diameter of the head end of the liquid outlet channel is larger than the inner diameter of the head end of the liquid inlet channel. The liquid outlet channel is connected to the suction joint, and the liquid inlet channel is connected to the perfusion joint.

11. The visualization catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that The flexible tube wall includes an outer tube, a support layer and an inner tube. The support layer is formed between the outer tube and the inner tube layer. The pull wires are arranged inside or in the gap between the outer tube, the support layer and the inner tube.

12. The visualization catheter according to claim 2, characterized in that A power transmission component is provided in the operating portion, the proximal end of the pull wire is provided at the power transmission component, and the power transmission component is connected to the pull wire, thereby driving the longitudinal sliding.

13. The visualization catheter according to claim 4, characterized in that The wire pulling channel includes a wire pulling outer tube and a plurality of arched limiting grooves extending longitudinally formed in the tube wall. The plurality of limiting grooves are arranged at equal intervals along the tube wall of the insertion portion, and the wire pulling outer tube is embedded in the limiting grooves.

14. The visualization catheter according to claim 1, wherein A pressure measuring channel is provided in the wall of the cannula, a pressure measuring hole is provided at the far side of the pressure measuring channel, and a pressure detecting component is provided on the pressure measuring channel or any path connected thereto.

15. The visualization catheter according to claim 1, characterized in that The outer surface of the cannula is a smooth surface from the proximal end to the distal end.

Images