High-reliability flexible endoscope

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of endoscopes, in particular to a high-reliability flexible endoscope which comprises a flexible sensing body provided with a multi-mode sensing system and an execution base connected to the near end of the flexible sensing body, and the execution base receives and processes monitoring signals of the multi-mode sensing system and controls the flexible sensing body to bend in real time. The flexible sensing body comprises a multi-sensing flexible film and a porous silica gel rod, and the multi-sensing flexible film wraps the porous silica gel rod and is inflated to form an air pressure isolation layer. According to the invention, a systematic safety protection system from a mechanical structure to sensing control is constructed, so that absolute safety and reliability during operation in a complex and fragile cavity are ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of endoscopes, in particular to a high-reliability flexible endoscope. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous development of minimally invasive surgical technology, flexible endoscopes, as key instruments for entering the natural cavities of the human body or surgical incisions for diagnosis and treatment, are increasingly widely used. The reliability and safety of their operation are the primary prerequisite, and any failure or loss of control of the instrument can cause damage to fragile biological tissues and trigger serious clinical complications. However, traditional flexible endoscope instruments still have significant shortcomings in terms of reliability.

[0003] The prior art lacks fault tolerance in mechanical structure and has information blind spots in the perception level, making it difficult to fundamentally guarantee the operational reliability of flexible endoscopes in complex human body environments. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new endoscope technology that can improve inherent safety from the system level and achieve fault tolerance and active safety protection. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application proposes a high-reliability flexible endoscope that builds a systematic safety protection system from mechanical structure to sensing control to ensure absolute safety and reliability when operating in complex and fragile cavities.

[0005] The present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A high-reliability flexible endoscope includes a flexible sensing body with a multi-modal sensing system and an execution base connected to the proximal end of the flexible sensing body. The execution base receives and processes monitoring signals from the multi-modal sensing system to control the bending of the flexible sensing body in real time.

[0007] Preferably, the flexible sensing body includes a multi-sensing flexible film and a porous silica gel rod. The multi-sensing flexible film covers and inflates the porous silica gel rod to form an air pressure isolation layer.

[0008] Preferably, the porous silica gel rod includes a porous silica gel rod body and a silica gel rod tip adapter located at the distal end of the porous silica gel rod body. The silica gel rod tip adapter is located outside the multi-sensing flexible film for mounting an execution workpiece, which is a diagnostic and treatment tool such as an electrocoagulation knife, biopsy forceps, etc.

[0009] Preferably, the multi-modal sensing system comprises a flexible air pressure sensor and a flexible contact sensor arranged on the multi-sensing flexible film, and a pose sensor and a visual sensor mounted on the porous silica gel stick body near the silica gel stick tip adapter, the flexible air pressure sensor is used to continuously monitor the internal air pressure of the system, ensure that the pressure is stable within the preset safety window, effectively prevent tissue damage or operation failure caused by overpressure or underpressure; the flexible contact sensor is used to sensitively detect the contact state of the flexible sensing body and the human body tissue, to provide real-time information for active obstacle avoidance and safe interaction, and prevent mechanical damage; the pose sensor is used to accurately obtain the spatial position and attitude of the execution workpiece in real time, to provide key feedback for motion control; the visual sensor is used to provide auxiliary positioning and verification, to judge whether the execution workpiece reaches the target position through image information, and to perform preliminary work state confirmation.

[0010] Preferably, the execution base comprises a sealed shell and a driving mechanism arranged in the sealed shell; the driving mechanism comprises a base and a plurality of linear push rods mounted on the base, each linear push rod is connected with the silica gel stick tip adapter through a cable driving element; a motor is mounted in the base for driving the linear push rod to extend or retract, and the cable driving element is a push-pull steel wire or a tendon sheath rope.

[0011] Preferably, the driving mechanism further comprises a limiting mechanism for limiting the stroke of the linear push rod, and the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting support and a photoelectric switch, wherein the limiting support is a rigid structure, and limiting is achieved through hard collision, that is, the movement range of the linear push rod is hard collision intercepted, and at the same time the photoelectric switch sends a signal to the main control board, so that the main control board controls the linear push rod to stop moving.

[0012] Preferably, the execution base further comprises a main control board, the main control board is electrically connected with the driving mechanism, the flexible air pressure sensor, the flexible contact sensor, the pose sensor and the visual sensor, and receives and processes the signals of the sensors to control the action of the driving mechanism.

[0013] Preferably, the multi-sensing flexible film is a double-layer composite structure.

[0014] Preferably, the multi-sensing flexible film comprises a multi-sensing flexible outer film and a multi-sensing flexible inner film, and an air pressure interlayer is formed between the multi-sensing flexible outer film and the multi-sensing flexible inner film.

[0015] A high-reliability active safety protection method for a flexible endoscope, comprising

[0016] S1: system initialization: fix the execution base, connect the power supply and the control system, start the device and perform self-checking and calibration, confirm that the signals of the sensors are normal, and reset the linear push rod to the initial zero position;

[0017] S2: Introduction and navigation: Introduce the tip of the flexible perception body into the cavity, while monitoring the pressure in the cavity in real time through the flexible air pressure sensor and maintaining it within a safe threshold;

[0018] S3: Pose adjustment and positioning: Control the linear push rod to extend and retract through the main control board, causing the multi-hole silica gel rod body to bend controllably, and in this process, the limiting mechanism restricts the stroke of the linear push rod, and the pose sensor feeds back the end pose information;

[0019] S4: Target operation and safety interaction: After confirming the arrival at the target site through the visual sensor, the contact force with the tissue is monitored using the flexible contact sensor, and if the contact force exceeds the preset threshold, active avoidance is performed;

[0020] S5: Withdrawal: After the operation is completed, the flexible perception body is controlled to restore a straight pose, and is smoothly withdrawn along the original path under sensor monitoring.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present application are:

[0022] Through the multi-modal sensing system, a comprehensive state perception network is constructed. The flexible air pressure sensor is used to monitor the air pressure in the cavity in real time to prevent excessive or insufficient pressure; the flexible contact sensor can feedback immediately when the flexible perception body comes into contact with the human tissue, and the main control board can control the flexible perception body to actively retreat to avoid continuous contact causing injury; the pose sensor further precisely positions the workpiece, serving as a double insurance for limiting protection to prevent it from exceeding the predetermined working space; the visual sensor provides auxiliary positioning and verification, and judges whether the target position is reached through image information to preliminarily confirm the working state;

[0023] By adopting a redundant drive mechanical structure, it is ensured that when a single drive unit fails, the movement range of the flexible perception body will not exceed the safety boundary set by the mechanical and electrical limiting devices, thereby physically preventing the working space from exceeding due to excessive rotation of the motor and avoiding damage to the human body.

[0024] Based on the above design, the present application constructs a multi-level active safety protection mechanism, which significantly improves the running reliability of the flexible perception body in a complex human environment, thereby effectively avoiding accidental damage to the tissue during diagnosis and treatment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a flexible endoscope with high reliability;

[0026] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-sensing flexible film;

[0027] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an execution base;

[0028] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a driving mechanism.

[0029] In the figure:

[0030] Flexible sensing body 1; multi-sensing flexible film 11; porous silica gel stick 12;

[0031] Multi-sensing flexible outer film 111; multi-sensing flexible inner film 112; flexible air pressure sensor 113; flexible contact sensor 114; porous silica gel stick body 121; silica gel stick tip receiving member 122; pose sensor 123;

[0032] Execution base 2; sealed shell 21; driving mechanism 22; main control board 23;

[0033] Base 221; linear push rod 222; limit support 223; photoelectric switch 224; cable-driven element 225. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all.

[0035] As Figures 1-4 shown, a high-reliability flexible endoscope is described in detail:

[0036] A high-reliability flexible endoscope includes a flexible sensing body 1 and an execution base 2.

[0037] The flexible sensing body 1 is installed on the execution base 2 and is bent by the driving power provided by the execution base 2. The multi-modal sensing system on the flexible sensing body 1 transmits sensor electrical signals to the execution base 2 for processing.

[0038] The flexible sensing body 1 includes a multi-sensing flexible film 11 and a porous silica gel stick 12. The porous silica gel stick 12 is entirely covered by the multi-sensing flexible film 11 to enhance structural rigidity and ensure that only the tip of the workpiece is in direct contact with the human body tissue to perform diagnostic or therapeutic operations. The multi-sensing flexible film 11 is inflated to form a reliable air pressure isolation barrier, effectively isolating the inside of the flexible sensing body 1 from the human body cavity environment, and physically realizing the basic guarantee of risk isolation between the human body and the device.

[0039] Further, the multi-sensing flexible film 11 includes a multi-sensing flexible outer film 111 and a multi-sensing flexible inner film 112, which form an air pressure interlayer between them. Through the double-layer flexible film composite structure design, it prevents abnormal leakage of the multi-sensing flexible film 11, and further forms a flexible contact between the flexible sensing body 1 and the human body cavity.

[0040] The multi-modal sensing system comprises a flexible air pressure sensor 113 and a flexible contact sensor 114, which are encapsulated in an air pressure interlayer for real-time sensing of the environmental state outside the flexible sensing body 1.

[0041] The porous silica gel stick 12 comprises a porous silica gel stick body 121 and a silica gel stick tip adapter 122.

[0042] The multi-modal sensing system further comprises a pose sensor 123 and a vision sensor, both of which are embedded in the porous silica gel stick body 121 near the tip adapter 122. The pose sensor 123 is used to accurately detect the motion pose of the distal end execution workpiece.

[0043] The execution base 2 comprises a sealed housing 21, a driving mechanism 22 and a main control board 23.

[0044] The driving mechanism 22, as the core driving unit, contains a linear push rod 222, which is connected to the silica gel stick tip adapter 122 through a cable-driven element 225. By controlling the extension and retraction of the linear push rod 222, the steering operation of the porous silica gel stick body 121 is realized.

[0045] The linear push rod 222 is equipped with a photoelectric switch 224 and a limit support 223, which together constitute a mechanical and electrical double limit protection, ensuring that the push rod stroke is always within the preset safe working space.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1-4 , a detailed description of the active safety protection method for the high-reliability flexible endoscope is given:

[0047] An active safety protection method for a high-reliability flexible endoscope, the method comprising the following steps:

[0048] S1: System initialization: fix the execution base 2, connect the power supply and the control system, start the device and perform self-checking and calibration, confirm that the signals of each sensor are normal, and reset the linear push rod 222 to the initial zero position;

[0049] S2: Introduction and navigation: introduce the tip of the flexible sensing body 1 into the human body cavity, and at the same time monitor the pressure in the cavity in real time through the flexible air pressure sensor 113, and maintain it within the safety threshold;

[0050] S3: Pose adjustment and positioning: control the extension and retraction of the linear push rod 222 through the main control board 23, and pull the silica gel stick tip adapter 122 through the cable-driven element 225, so that the porous silica gel stick body 121 produces controllable bending. In this process, the limit mechanism restricts the stroke of the linear push rod 222, and the pose sensor 123 feeds back the end pose information;

[0051] S4: Target operation and safety interaction: After confirming the arrival at the target site through the visual sensor, the contact force with the tissue is monitored using the flexible contact sensor 114. If the contact force exceeds the preset threshold, the flexible sensing body 1 is controlled to actively avoid;

[0052] S5: Withdrawal: After the operation is completed, the flexible sensing body 1 is controlled to restore the straight posture and smoothly withdraw along the original path under the monitoring of the sensor.

[0053] The flexible endoscope with high reliability of the application adopts a double-layer flexible film composite structure to form a reliable air pressure isolation barrier. When one layer fails due to an accident, the other layer can still effectively isolate the inside of the flexible sensing body 1 from the body cavity environment, preventing abnormal leakage of gas or liquid, thereby realizing the basic guarantee of risk isolation between the human body and the flexible sensing body 1 at the physical level. In the film body of the flexible sensing body 1, a highly integrated multi-modal sensing system is integrated, constituting the "sensing nerve" of the instrument. The pose sensor 123: real-time and accurate acquisition of the spatial position and attitude of the end effector, providing key feedback for motion control; flexible air pressure sensor 113: continuously monitors the internal air pressure of the film body, ensures that the pressure is stable within the preset safety window, effectively prevents tissue damage or operation failure caused by overpressure or underpressure; flexible contact sensor 114: sensitive detection of the contact state of the flexible sensing body 1 and the human tissue, providing real-time information for active obstacle avoidance and safety interaction, preventing mechanical damage.

[0054] The execution base 2 is the "power and control center". Its drive system adopts a redundant design concept and combines mechanical and electrical multiple limit protection. When a single drive unit such as a linear push rod motor fails, hard limit mechanisms such as limit supports and photoelectric switches can ensure that the movement range of the flexible sensing body 1 is strictly limited within the preset safety working space, fundamentally eliminating harm to the human body caused by movement out of bounds.

[0055] At the control level, the main control board 23 integrates a high-precision current monitoring module to constitute real-time closed-loop monitoring of the motor operating state. This design not only effectively diagnoses and prevents motor out-of-step and other abnormal conditions, but also ensures the accurate perception and instruction execution of the main control board 23 for every subtle action, realizing full-link controllability from instruction to action.

[0056] In summary, the application constructs a multi-level active safety protection network through the deep integration of multi-source environment perception of the flexible sensing body and redundant drive and closed-loop control of the execution base. The application not only adapts to complex anatomical environments, but also has fault tolerance and intelligent risk avoidance capabilities, thereby significantly improving the reliability of the operation and the safety of the patient during diagnosis and treatment.

[0057] The above merely describes preferred specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art, according to the technical solution and inventive concept of the present application, makes equivalent replacement or change within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A high-reliability flexible endoscope, characterized by: The flexible sensing body (1) includes a multi-sensing flexible film (11) and a porous silica gel rod (12), and the multi-sensing flexible film (11) is wrapped around the porous silica gel rod (12) and inflated to form an air pressure isolation layer.

2. The high-reliability flexible endoscope according to claim 1, characterized by: The multi-sensing flexible film (11) is a double-layer composite structure.

3. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 2, wherein: The multi-sensing flexible film (11) includes a multi-sensing flexible outer film (111) and a multi-sensing flexible inner film (112), and an air pressure interlayer is formed between the multi-sensing flexible outer film (111) and the multi-sensing flexible inner film (112).

4. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 3, wherein: The multi-sensing flexible film (11) is a double-layer composite structure.

5. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 4, wherein: The multi-sensing flexible film (11) includes a multi-sensing flexible outer film (111) and a multi-sensing flexible inner film (112), and an air pressure interlayer is formed between the multi-sensing flexible outer film (111) and the multi-sensing flexible inner film (112).

6. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 5, wherein: S1: System initialization: fix the execution base (2), connect the power supply and the control system, start the device and perform self-checking and calibration, confirm that the sensor signals are normal, and reset the linear push rod (222) to the initial zero position; 7. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 6, wherein: S2: Import and navigation: introduce the tip of the flexible sensing body (1) into the cavity, and at the same time, monitor the pressure in the cavity in real time through the flexible air pressure sensor (113) and maintain it within the safety threshold.

8. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 2, wherein: ​ 9. The high-reliability flexible endoscope of claim 8, wherein: ​ 10. A method for active safety protection of a high-reliability flexible endoscope, characterized by, ​ ​ ​ S3: Pose adjustment and positioning: Control the linear push rod (222) to extend and retract through the main control board (23), causing the multi-hole silica gel rod body (121) to bend controllably. In this process, the limiting mechanism restricts the stroke of the linear push rod (222), and the pose sensor (123) feeds back the end pose information; S4: Target operation and safety interaction: After confirming the arrival at the target site through the visual sensor, monitor the contact force with the tissue using the flexible contact sensor (114). If the contact force exceeds the preset threshold, actively avoid; S5: Withdrawal: After the operation is completed, control the flexible sensing body (1) to restore a straight posture and smoothly withdraw along the original path under sensor monitoring.

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