Soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning function

Abstract

The invention discloses a soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning, which relates to the technical field of medical instruments, can position the position of an endoscope in the body of a patient in real time through a magnetic sensor in a functional unit, and is convenient for a doctor to operate the endoscope to diagnose the condition of the patient. The bending unit is connected through the elastic air bag, original stainless steel wires are replaced, a metal traction rope is prevented from interfering signal collection of the magnetic sensor, it is ensured that the positioning precision is not affected by bending operation, meanwhile, the bending unit composed of the elastic air bag also improves the overall flexibility of the endoscope, and damage caused when the endoscope collides with the mucous membrane of the inner cavity of a patient is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning that can achieve device positioning with high positioning accuracy and strong anti-interference ability. Background Technology

[0002] Endoscopic technology, as an important means of clinical diagnosis and treatment, has gradually evolved from simple imaging to a composite function of "imaging + precise positioning". Although existing soft endoscopes can adapt to human cavities through their curved structure and observe the internal conditions of cavities with the help of high-definition imaging components, in actual operation, doctors mainly rely on experience to judge the position of the insertion site, lacking objective and precise spatial positioning basis, which presents many technical pain points.

[0003] First, in complex cavitary procedures, such as at gastrointestinal bends or tracheal branching areas, imaging alone is insufficient to determine the precise depth and spatial angle of the insertion site. This can easily lead to over-insertion causing cavity damage, or misalignment of the lesion area, affecting diagnostic accuracy. Second, in minimally invasive surgical scenarios, such as polyp removal and submucosal injection, precise control of the relative position of the instrument and the lesion tissue is required. Existing soft endoscopes without positioning capabilities cannot meet the millimeter-level positioning accuracy requirements, increasing surgical risks.

[0004] Currently, some positioning technologies are being attempted for application in the field of endoscopy, such as optical positioning and electromagnetic positioning. Optical positioning relies on an external optical camera to capture markers on the endoscope, but it is easily obstructed by human tissue and interfered with by light within the cavity, and cannot function properly in deep cavities.

[0005] Furthermore, existing soft endoscopes suffer from insufficient flexibility, limited imaging quality, and unreasonable instrument channel design, which, in the absence of precise positioning, further amplify the difficulty of operation. For example, operational deviations caused by jamming in the bend, combined with positioning deficiencies, significantly increase the probability of mucosal damage to the cavity; the inability to identify subtle lesions in the imaging, if not matched with precise location information, will also affect the formulation of subsequent treatment plans.

[0006] Therefore, how to provide a soft endoscope that integrates a miniaturized, interference-resistant magnetic positioning module and can work in conjunction with existing high-definition imaging, flexible bending, and convenient instrument channel functions to solve the problems of missing positioning, low positioning accuracy, and poor anti-interference ability of existing equipment is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a magnetically positioned soft medical examination tool to overcome or at least partially solve the above problems. It solves the problems of incomplete positioning, low positioning accuracy, and poor anti-interference ability of existing equipment, and is of great significance for improving the safety of clinical operation and diagnostic accuracy.

[0008] This invention provides the following solution: A soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning, comprising: The functional unit includes a circular housing, a camera, and a magnetic sensor. The circular housing is hollow inside and has a rear end cover with several plugs evenly distributed radially along the rear end cover. The camera and the magnetic sensor are both connected to the circular housing. The camera is used to image parts inside the patient's body for endoscopic examination. The magnetic sensor works in conjunction with an external magnetic positioning unit to determine the position of the functional unit inside the patient's body in real time. The bending unit includes several airbag groups and several connecting rings. Each airbag group includes several elastic airbags evenly distributed radially. Each elastic airbag has ventilation holes at its front and rear ends. The connecting ring has several ventilation plugs evenly distributed radially and penetrating both sides of its surface. The ventilation holes at the front ends of several elastic airbags in the front airbag group are connected to several plugs on the rear end cover. Adjacent airbag groups are connected by a connecting ring, and the ventilation plugs on the connecting ring are connected to several ventilation holes at the front and rear ends of the adjacent two airbag groups. The ventilation plugs on the connecting ring at the end are connected to several ventilation holes at the rear end of the airbag group at the end. The elastic airbag is hollow inside, with one side of the exterior having a triangular pleated structure and the other sides having a planar structure, so that the elastic coefficient of the pleated side of the elastic airbag is less than that of the planar side; the several vent plugs of the connecting ring at the end are also used to connect to a negative pressure device. When a negative pressure state is formed inside the elastic airbag under the action of the negative pressure device, the elastic airbag bends towards the pleated direction, so that the pressure state inside each elastic airbag can be controlled by the negative pressure device, thereby controlling the bending direction and angle of the bending unit.

[0009] Preferably, the interior of the circular housing is provided with an instrument channel.

[0010] Preferably, the material of the instrument channel includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0011] Preferably, the functional unit further includes an LED light connected to the circular housing.

[0012] Preferably, the magnetic sensor includes a miniature 5-axis magnetic sensor with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5 mm.

[0013] Preferably, both the circular shell and the elastic airbag are made of non-magnetic materials.

[0014] Preferably, the circular shell and the connecting ring are made of titanium alloy, and the elastic airbag is made of silicone.

[0015] Preferably, each airbag group comprises three elastic airbags evenly distributed radially; Under normal air pressure conditions, all three elastic airbags in each airbag group are in an upright position. When the elastic airbags connected in series in one line are under negative pressure, the bending unit bends towards the elastic airbag under negative pressure. When the elastic airbags connected in series in two lines are under negative pressure, the bending unit bends towards the middle of the two elastic airbags.

[0016] Preferably, the magnetic positioning unit includes a magnetic field transmitter, several reference locators, and a control host. The magnetic sensor and the magnetic field transmitter are electrically connected to the control host, and the several reference locators are wirelessly connected to the control host.

[0017] Preferably, the magnetic field transmitter includes a mechanical structure that drives a permanent magnet to move regularly in three-dimensional space, in order to generate a regularly changing magnetic field; The magnetic sensor and several of the reference locators are used to detect changes in the strength and direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field transmitter, and then the control host determines the position of the target object.

[0018] According to specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects: This application provides a magnetically positioned soft medical examination tool. Through a magnetic sensor in its functional unit, the endoscope's position within the patient's body can be located in real time, facilitating the doctor's operation and diagnosis. The bending unit uses an elastic airbag connection instead of the original stainless steel wire, avoiding interference from the metal traction rope on the magnetic sensor's signal acquisition. This ensures that the positioning accuracy is unaffected by bending operations. Simultaneously, the bending unit composed of elastic airbags increases the overall flexibility of the endoscope, reducing damage from collisions with the patient's internal mucosa.

[0019] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the functional unit provided in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bending unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an installation diagram of the magnetic positioning unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] In the figure: Functional unit 1, circular housing 11, rear end cover 12, magnetic sensor 13, instrument channel 14, LED light 15, camera 16, bending unit 2, elastic airbag 21, connecting ring 22, magnetic field transmitter 31, control host 32, reference positioner 33. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 This invention provides a soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the tool (endoscope) may include: Functional unit 1 includes a circular housing 11, a camera 16, and a magnetic sensor 13. The circular housing 11 is hollow inside and has a rear end cover 12, with three plugs evenly distributed radially along the rear end cover 12. The camera 16 and the magnetic sensor 13 are both connected to the circular housing 11. The camera 16 is used to image parts inside the patient's body for endoscopic examination. The magnetic sensor 13 works in conjunction with an external magnetic positioning unit to determine the position of the functional unit 1 inside the patient's body in real time. The bending unit 2 includes several airbag groups and several connecting rings 22. Each airbag group includes several elastic airbags 21 evenly distributed radially. Each elastic airbag 21 has ventilation holes at its front and rear ends. The connecting rings 22 have several ventilation plugs evenly distributed radially and penetrating both sides. The ventilation holes at the front ends of the elastic airbags 21 of the airbag group at the front end are connected to the plugs of the rear end cover 12. Adjacent airbag groups are connected by a connecting ring 22, and the ventilation plugs of the connecting ring 22 are connected to the ventilation holes at the front and rear ends of the adjacent two airbag groups. The ventilation plugs of the connecting ring 22 at the end end are connected to the ventilation holes at the rear end of the airbag group at the end. The ventilation plugs of the connecting ring 22 at the end end are also used to connect to a negative pressure device. The elastic airbag 21 is hollow inside, with one side of the exterior having a triangular pleated structure and the other sides having a planar structure, so that the elastic coefficient of the pleated side of the elastic airbag 21 is less than that of the planar side; the several vent plugs of the connecting ring 22 at the end are also used to connect to a negative pressure device. When a negative pressure state is formed inside the elastic airbag 21 under the action of the negative pressure device, the elastic airbag 21 bends towards the pleated direction, so that the pressure state inside each elastic airbag 21 can be controlled by the negative pressure device, thereby controlling the bending direction and angle of the bending unit 2.

[0025] The magnetically positioned soft medical examination tool provided in this application can be widely used in clinical departments such as gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, and urology. While enabling high-definition imaging observation, biopsy sampling, and minimally invasive surgery of narrow or tortuous cavities such as the esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, trachea, and urethra, it can also accurately obtain the spatial position and posture information of the insertion part in the human body cavity in real time through magnetic positioning technology, providing precise navigation for clinical operations and further improving the safety and accuracy of diagnosis and treatment.

[0026] To facilitate endoscopic procedures using this tool, embodiments of this application may provide an instrument channel 14 disposed inside the circular housing 11. Furthermore, the instrument channel 14 may be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[0027] In order to illuminate the location of the disease in the patient's body and make the image of the camera 16 clearer, the present application embodiment may provide that the functional unit 1 also includes an LED light 15 connected to the circular housing 11.

[0028] To further improve positioning accuracy, embodiments of this application may provide that the magnetic sensor 13 includes a miniature 5-axis magnetic sensor 13 with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5 mm.

[0029] To prevent positioning interference caused by the material of the tool itself, this embodiment of the application can provide that the circular housing 11 and the elastic airbag are both made of non-magnetic materials. Further, the circular housing 11 and the connecting ring 22 are made of titanium alloy, and the elastic airbag 21 is made of silicone.

[0030] In practical applications, the number of airbag groups and the number of elastic airbags 21 contained in each airbag group can be determined as needed. For example, in one implementation, the embodiments of this application can provide that each airbag group includes three elastic airbags 21 that are evenly distributed in the radial direction. Under normal air pressure conditions, the three elastic airbags 21 in each airbag group are in an upright state. When the elastic airbag 21 connected in series in one path is under negative pressure, the bending unit 2 bends in the direction of the elastic airbag 21 under negative pressure. When the elastic airbag 21 connected in two paths is under negative pressure, the bending unit 2 bends in the direction of the middle of the two elastic airbags 21.

[0031] To achieve electromagnetic positioning, the embodiments of this application may provide a magnetic positioning unit including a magnetic field transmitter 31, a plurality of reference locators 33 and a control host 32. The magnetic sensor 13 and the magnetic field transmitter 31 are both electrically connected to the control host 32, and the plurality of reference locators 33 are all wirelessly connected to the control host 32.

[0032] Furthermore, the magnetic field emitter 31 includes a mechanical structure driving a permanent magnet that moves regularly in three-dimensional space, used to generate a regularly changing magnetic field; The magnetic sensor 13 and several reference locators 33 are used to detect changes in the strength and direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field transmitter 31, and then the control host 32 determines the position of the target object.

[0033] The following section provides a detailed description of the magnetically positioned soft medical examination tool provided in this application embodiment, taking the setting of three airbag groups and each airbag group containing three elastic airbags 21 as an example.

[0034] This tool can form an endoscope, which mainly consists of the following units: 1. Functional unit 1, which includes camera 16, magnetic sensor 13, LED light 15, instrument channel 14, circular housing 11, etc. The circular housing 11 is made of titanium alloy. The front of the circular housing 11 is machined with mounting slots for camera 16, magnetic sensor 13, LED light 15 and instrument channel 14. Each device is fixed in the mounting slot with medical adhesive. The instrument channel 14 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0035] Camera 16 is used to image parts inside the patient's body and to perform endoscopic examination inside the patient's body.

[0036] The magnetic sensor 13 is a miniature 5-axis magnetic sensor with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5mm. It works in conjunction with the external magnetic field transmitter 31 to determine the position of the endoscope functional unit 1 in the patient's body in real time.

[0037] LED light 15 is used to illuminate the location of the disease inside the patient's body, making the image of camera 16 clearer. Instrument channel 14 is used to sample the location of the disease inside the patient's body through instruments such as surgical forceps.

[0038] The circular channel is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which has a low coefficient of friction, facilitating the smooth passage of surgical forceps and other instruments. The front end of the circular housing 11 has pre-drilled mounting slots for various components, providing both installation and protection. A rear end cover 12 with an O-ring is installed at the rear end. The circular housing 11 and the rear end cover 12 fit tightly together to seal all components, achieving dust and water resistance.

[0039] The circular shell 11 is made of titanium alloy or other non-magnetic materials to avoid interference with the magnetic positioning system. The rear of the end cap is provided with an elastic airbag 21 mounting groove and several plugs for connecting the elastic airbag 21 and sealing the vent of the elastic airbag 21 connected to it through the plugs.

[0040] 2. Bending unit 2, comprising several airbag groups and several connecting rings 22. Each airbag group includes three elastic airbags 21. The elastic airbags 21 are made of silicone, with a hollow internal structure and one side having a triangular pleated structure, while the other sides are flat. This design ensures that the elastic coefficient of the pleated side of the elastic airbag 21 is lower than that of the flat side. When the interior of the elastic airbag 21 is under negative pressure, the elastic airbag 21 will bend towards the pleats. The connecting rings 22 are made of titanium alloy or other non-magnetic materials, primarily to increase the overall axial rigidity of the bending unit 2.

[0041] Three vent plugs are evenly distributed radially along the connecting ring 22. The vent plugs are connected to the vent holes of the elastic airbag 21 by insertion, so that the vent plugs are connected to the inner cavity of the elastic airbag 21. The three elastic airbags 21 are evenly distributed radially and form a group with one connecting ring 22.

[0042] The bending unit 2 consists of multiple airbag groups and multiple connecting rings 22 connected in series. The three vent plugs of the end connecting ring 22 are respectively connected to the negative pressure device, which can control the negative pressure value of the three elastic airbags 21 respectively.

[0043] Under normal air pressure, the elastic airbag 21 is upright. When the interior of one series-connected elastic airbag 21 is under negative pressure, the bending unit 2 will bend in that direction. When the interior of two series-connected elastic airbags 21 is under negative pressure, the bending unit 2 will bend towards the middle of the two airbags. The bending direction and angle of the bending unit 2 are controlled by controlling the pressure state inside the elastic airbag 21.

[0044] The bending unit 2 is made of flexible material, which can avoid causing damage even if it encounters internal human tissue during the forward movement. The entire bending unit 2 is made of non-magnetic material, avoiding the interference of magnetic fields caused by traditional endoscopes that use steel wire ropes for traction.

[0045] 3. Magnetic positioning unit, including magnetic field transmitter 31, reference locator 33, and control host 32. The magnetic field generator is a device that uses a mechanical structure to drive a permanent magnet (such as a neodymium iron boron permanent magnet) to move regularly in three-dimensional space, thereby generating a regularly changing magnetic field. The magnetic sensor 13 and reference locator 33 detect the changes in the strength and direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field transmitter 31, thereby determining the position of the target object. It features simple structure, low energy consumption, and high stability. During use, the magnetic sensor 13 is installed at the front end of the endoscope and extends into the body's natural passage along with the endoscope. The magnetic field generator is placed 30cm to 45cm away from the patient. Multiple reference locators 33 are placed in fixed positions near the patient's head, hands, etc. The magnetic sensor 13 and magnetic field transmitter 31 are electrically connected to the control host 32, and the reference locator 33 is wirelessly connected to the control host 32. The control host 32 calculates the real-time position of the magnetic sensor 13 at the front end of the endoscope.

[0046] In summary, the magnetically positioned soft medical examination tool provided in this application can locate the endoscope's position within the patient's body in real time via a magnetic sensor in its functional unit, facilitating the doctor's operation of the endoscope for diagnosis. The bending unit uses an elastic airbag connection instead of the original stainless steel wire, avoiding interference from the metal traction rope with the magnetic sensor's signal acquisition and ensuring that positioning accuracy is not affected by bending operations. Simultaneously, the bending unit composed of elastic airbags increases the overall flexibility of the endoscope, reducing damage from collisions with the patient's internal mucosa.

[0047] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0048] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of this application.

[0049] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for system or system embodiments, since they are basically similar to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. The systems and system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0050] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning, characterized in that, include: The functional unit includes a circular housing, a camera, and a magnetic sensor. The circular housing is hollow inside and has a rear end cover with several plugs evenly distributed radially along the rear end cover. The camera and the magnetic sensor are both connected to the circular housing. The camera is used to image parts inside the patient's body for endoscopic examination. The magnetic sensor works in conjunction with an external magnetic positioning unit to determine the position of the functional unit inside the patient's body in real time. The bending unit includes several airbag groups and several connecting rings. Each airbag group includes several elastic airbags evenly distributed radially. Each elastic airbag has ventilation holes at its front and rear ends. The connecting ring has several ventilation plugs evenly distributed radially and penetrating both sides of its surface. The ventilation holes at the front ends of several elastic airbags in the front airbag group are connected to several plugs on the rear end cover. Adjacent airbag groups are connected by a connecting ring, and the ventilation plugs on the connecting ring are connected to several ventilation holes at the front and rear ends of the adjacent two airbag groups. The ventilation plugs on the connecting ring at the end are connected to several ventilation holes at the rear end of the airbag group at the end. The elastic airbag is hollow inside, with one side of the exterior having a triangular pleated structure and the other sides having a planar structure, so that the elastic coefficient of the pleated side of the elastic airbag is less than that of the planar side; the several vent plugs of the connecting ring at the end are also used to connect to a negative pressure device. When a negative pressure state is formed inside the elastic airbag under the action of the negative pressure device, the elastic airbag bends towards the pleated direction, so that the pressure state inside each elastic airbag can be controlled by the negative pressure device, thereby controlling the bending direction and angle of the bending unit.

2. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circular housing has an instrument channel inside.

3. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 2, characterized in that, The instrument channel is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

4. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional unit also includes an LED light connected to the circular housing.

5. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic sensor includes a miniature 5-axis magnetic sensor with a positioning accuracy of ±0.5 mm.

6. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the circular shell and the elastic airbag are made of non-magnetic materials.

7. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 6, characterized in that, The circular shell and the connecting ring are made of titanium alloy, and the elastic airbag is made of silicone.

8. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each airbag group comprises three elastic airbags evenly distributed radially; Under normal air pressure conditions, all three elastic airbags in each airbag group are in an upright position. When the elastic airbags connected in series in one line are under negative pressure, the bending unit bends towards the elastic airbag under negative pressure. When the elastic airbags connected in series in two lines are under negative pressure, the bending unit bends towards the middle of the two elastic airbags.

9. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic positioning unit includes a magnetic field transmitter, several reference locators, and a control host. The magnetic sensor and the magnetic field transmitter are electrically connected to the control host, and the several reference locators are wirelessly connected to the control host.

10. The soft medical examination tool with magnetic positioning according to claim 9, characterized in that, The magnetic field transmitter includes a mechanical structure that drives a permanent magnet to move regularly in three-dimensional space, which is used to generate a regularly changing magnetic field. The magnetic sensor and several of the reference locators are used to detect changes in the strength and direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field transmitter, and then the control host determines the position of the target object.

Images