Access assembly for an endoscope and method of use thereof

Abstract

An access assembly for receiving an endoscope is disclosed, including a tubular body extending along a longitudinal axis of the access assembly for receiving the endoscope, a proximal end seal member sealingly connected to a proximal end of the tubular body, a distal end seal member sealingly connected to a distal end of the tubular body, one or more fluid supply passages including a fluid input port for receiving fluid from a fluid source, a fluid outlet port for discharging the fluid received from the fluid source into a cavity, and fluid piping fluidly connecting the fluid input port and the fluid outlet port, and one or more fluid control members disposed at positions corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlet port. A method of cleaning the access assembly is further disclosed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) For all purposes, this application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202211108995.4, filed on September 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of medical devices, and particularly to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, and more particularly to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope that can automatically stop and start the emission of cleaning and / or drying fluid in response to the extension and retraction, respectively, of the endoscope from the distal end of the access assembly. In addition, this application also relates to a method of using such an access assembly. [Background technology]

[0003] Minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as endoscopic surgery, can reduce invasiveness during surgery. Endoscopic surgery involves surgery to observe and / or operate on the ovaries, uterus, gallbladder, intestines, kidneys, appendix, etc. through the body wall. There are many common endoscopic surgical methods, such as arthroscopic surgery, laparoscopic surgery, gastroenteroscope surgery, and laryngobronchoscope surgery. In these methods, an incision is made on the patient's body surface to a target location using a puncture cone passing through an access assembly, and endoscopic surgery is performed through the incision. After the puncture is made, the access assembly extends through the incision into the body cavity and remains there, and the puncture cone exits the access assembly, providing an access opening for endoscopic surgical tools. A camera or endoscope is inserted through the access assembly to enable visual inspection and magnification of the body cavity. The surgeon can then diagnose and / or treat the surgical site using specialized instruments (e.g., tweezers, graspers, sickles, applicators, etc.) designed to work together via an additional cannula.

[0004] During use, the endoscope lens may become coated with condensation, tissue, blood, and other bodily fluids within the body cavity. Therefore, keeping the endoscope lens clean throughout surgery is difficult. Typically, a surgeon (e.g., an endoscope operator) withdraws the endoscope from the incision in the patient's body through the access assembly, cleans the lens with a saline solution prepared at body temperature, wipes the endoscope body with a disinfectant such as an iodophor, and reinserts it into the incision in the patient's body through the access assembly. The time required to clean the lens during surgery can increase the total duration of the surgery and the length of time the patient must remain anesthetized. Furthermore, the need to repeatedly withdraw and reinsert the endoscope from the incision in the patient's body can increase the risk of infection and prolong recovery time. Currently, there are several access assemblies that can flush the endoscope lens with liquid within the body cavity. However, because these access assemblies directly discharge the flushing liquid and condensation, tissue, blood, and other bodily fluids into the patient's body cavity, they are not widely accepted, widely used, or widely used by most surgeons. Additionally, starting and stopping fluid injection typically requires installing corresponding valves in the piping or frequently operating a pump switch, which increases the complexity of the endoscopic access assembly system and makes operation cumbersome. It is recognized that there is a need in the art for an improved access assembly that allows for convenient and quick cleaning of the endoscope lens during surgery. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present application relates to an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, which may include a tubular body, a proximal end seal member, a distal end seal member, one or more fluid supply passages, and one or more fluid control members. The tubular body may extend along a longitudinal axis of the access assembly and be configured to receive an endoscope. The proximal end seal member may be configured to be sealingly connected to the proximal end of the tubular body. The distal end seal member may be configured to be sealingly connected to the distal end of the tubular body. The inner wall of the tubular body, a surface of the distal end of the proximal end seal member, and a surface of the proximal end of the distal end seal member collectively define a cavity of the access assembly as an interior space enclosed by the access assembly. In some embodiments, the proximal end seal member may be configured to abut against a sidewall of the endoscope when the endoscope is inserted into the access assembly therethrough to form a seal and prevent matter external to the access assembly from entering the cavity of the access assembly. In some embodiments, the distal seal member may be configured to form a seal by closing its geometric configuration when an endoscope does not pass therethrough, preventing material within the cavity of the access assembly from exiting the distal end of the access assembly. In some embodiments, the distal seal member may be further configured to abut against a sidewall of the endoscope when an endoscope extends therethrough from the distal end of the access assembly (e.g., into a patient's body cavity) to form a seal and prevent material within the cavity of the access assembly from exiting the distal end of the access assembly.

[0006] The one or more fluid supply passages may include a fluid input port for receiving fluid from a fluid source, a fluid outlet port for discharging the fluid received from the fluid source into the cavity, and fluid piping fluidly connecting the fluid input port and the fluid outlet port. One or more fluid control members may be disposed at positions corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlet ports. Here, corresponding positions should be understood to mean that the fluid control members disposed at the positions provide corresponding blocking and unblocking functions for the corresponding fluid outlet ports, as will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings. When the distal end of the endoscope extends distally from the cavity through the distal end seal member, the fluid outlet ports are clamped and blocked between the corresponding fluid control members and the sidewall of the endoscope. When the distal end of the endoscope retracts proximally through the distal end seal member into the cavity, the fluid outlet ports are released from the corresponding fluid control members, and the corresponding fluid outlet ports are unblocked. In response to extension and retraction of the endoscope through the distal end seal member, the fluid control member automatically clamps and releases the corresponding fluid outlet, thereby automatically achieving fluid injection and cessation without operating a pump switch or valve, thereby simplifying the complexity and corresponding operation of the access assembly system.

[0007] In some embodiments, one or more fluid control members may include one or more protrusions, and the one or more protrusions may be located at axial and circumferential positions on the inner wall of the tubular body corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlets, where it should be understood that corresponding axial and circumferential positions mean that the protrusions located at those positions provide corresponding blocking and unblocking functions for the corresponding fluid outlets, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] In some embodiments, the one or more protrusions may include at least one annular protrusion, which may be circumferentially disposed on the inner wall of the tubular body at an axial location corresponding to a fluid outlet, where it should be understood that the corresponding axial location means that the annular protrusion disposed at that location provides a corresponding blocking and unblocking effect on the corresponding fluid outlet (e.g., all of the plurality of fluid outlets), as will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0009] In some embodiments, each of the one or more protrusions may be disposed on the outer surface of the corresponding fluid outlet, rather than on the inner wall of the tubular body. When the fluid control member is formed separately from the fluid piping or the like on the inner wall of the tubular body, the one or more protrusions formed on the outer surface of the corresponding fluid outlet as the fluid control member may not require consideration for circumferential alignment with the fluid outlet.

[0010] In some embodiments, any two or more of the fluid control member(s), the fluid outlet(s), and the distal end seal member may be integrally molded from a flexible material, simplifying the assembly installation process and facilitating alignment between the fluid outlet(s) and the fluid control member(s).

[0011] In some embodiments, the flexible material may be medical grade silicone, which facilitates opening and closing the distal end seal member and occluding the fluid outlet when clamped to the fluid control member and the inner wall of the tubular body of the access assembly, and unblocking when the clamping is released.

[0012] In some embodiments, the one or more fluid supply passages may include multiple fluid supply passages that can respectively provide a cleaning liquid, a gas for at least partially drying the endoscope or for allowing artificial pneumoperitoneum, and a gas-liquid mixture for enhancing the cleaning effect through the impact force of the gas-liquid two-phase flow.

[0013] In some embodiments, the access assembly may further include a vacuum suction member for extracting fluid from within the cavity of the access assembly to remove the liquid, gas, or gas-liquid mixture from within the cavity after cleaning and / or drying the endoscope.

[0014] In some embodiments, the fluid outlet may be positioned to face proximally along the longitudinal axis of the access assembly, as further described below with reference to the figures, so that fluid ejected from the fluid outlet can be directed toward the lens at the distal end of the endoscope, thereby improving cleaning effectiveness and being unaffected by the orientation of the endoscope and access assembly relative to gravity.

[0015] The present application further relates to a method of using the access assembly, providing an access assembly as described in any of the above embodiments, and inserting an endoscope through the access assembly, wherein the fluid input port is connected to a fluid source, the distal end of the endoscope is retracted proximally into the cavity through the distal end seal member, the fluid outlet port, which is originally clamped on both sides by the fluid control member and the inner wall of the tubular body of the access assembly, is unblocked, and fluid is ejected from the fluid outlet port to flush the distal end of the endoscope.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method may further include extending the distal end of the endoscope distally from the cavity through the distal end seal member such that the fluid outlet is clamped and blocked on either side by the fluid control member and the inner wall of the tubular body of the access assembly, thereby stopping the discharge of fluid into the cavity of the access assembly.

[0017] In some embodiments, the fluid source provides one of a liquid, a gas, or a gas-liquid mixture. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] It should be understood that the above-described endoscope lens cleaning method can be used not only during surgery, but also during non-patient-involved operations such as equipment inspection, maintenance, and testing, to easily and quickly clean the endoscope lens.

[0019] The access assembly for an endoscope and its operating method disclosed herein will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative and interpretation purposes only and do not limit the scope of protection of the present application. Furthermore, the drawings are merely schematic illustrations of the positions and combination relationships of each assembly, and are not drawn to scale. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an access assembly for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2A] 2A is a partial enlarged cross-sectional side view of the distal end of an access assembly for an endoscope in FIG. 1 with the endoscope extending from the distal end. [Figure 2B] 2B is a partial enlarged cross-sectional side view of the distal end of the access assembly for the endoscope of FIG. 1 with the endoscope retracted into the cavity. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a partial enlarged bottom perspective view of a distal end of an access assembly for an endoscope in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a side cross-sectional view of the distal end of an access assembly for an endoscope in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a top perspective view of the distal end of an access assembly for an endoscope in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An access assembly capable of cleaning the lens of an endoscope during surgery is described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals represent the same or corresponding elements in each of the drawings. As used herein, the term "distal" refers to the direction of an endoscope, a portion of an access assembly, or a component thereof that is farther away from an operator (e.g., a physician) (e.g., downward as generally shown in each drawing). For example, the "distal direction" refers to the insertion direction of the endoscope, and the "distal end" refers to one end of the endoscope in the insertion direction. The term "proximal" refers to the direction of an endoscope, a portion of an access assembly, or a component thereof that is closer to the operator (e.g., upward as generally shown in each drawing). For example, the "proximal direction" refers to the withdrawal direction of the endoscope, and the "proximal end" refers to one end of the endoscope in the withdrawal direction. Additionally, the term "endoscope" may generally be used interchangeably with any other device used to view a patient's body cavity through a small incision or cannula, such as a laparoscope, arthroscope, gastroenteroscope, or laryngobronchoscope. As used herein, the term "fluid" generally refers to a substance that has flowability, and includes liquids (e.g., pure liquids, solutions, colloids, suspensions, and suspending liquids), gases, gas-liquid two-phase mixtures, plasmas, and fluid solid particles. As used herein, the term "about" means that a value is approximate and that small variations do not significantly affect the implementation of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure. When numerical limitations are used, unless the context dictates otherwise, "about" means that the value may vary by ±10% and still be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] By using an access assembly for an endoscope according to the present disclosure, during operations such as during surgery, device inspection, maintenance, and testing, the endoscope can be cleaned and dried without the endoscope being entirely removed from the access assembly, and fluid injection can be conveniently and automatically started and stopped in response to retraction and extension of the endoscope from the distal end of the access assembly, respectively, without operating a switch on a pump of a fluid source or a corresponding valve on the piping, thereby simplifying the operation process and conserving cleaning fluid.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an access assembly for an endoscope according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the access assembly may include a tubular body 100, a proximal end seal member 200, a distal end seal member 300, one or more fluid supply passages 400, and one or more fluid control members 500. The tubular body 100 may extend along a longitudinal axis Z-Z' of the access assembly and be configured to receive an endoscope (e.g., endoscope 700 in FIGS. 2A-2B). The proximal end seal member 200 may be configured to be sealingly connected to the proximal end of the tubular body 100, and the distal end seal member 300 may be configured to be sealingly connected to the distal end of the tubular body 100. The inner wall of the tubular body 100, the surface of the distal end of the proximal end seal member 200, and the surface of the proximal end of the distal end seal member 300 collectively define a cavity of the access assembly as an interior space enclosed by the access assembly.

[0024] In some embodiments, the proximal end seal member 200 may be configured to abut against a side wall of an endoscope (e.g., the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 in FIGS. 2A-2B ) when the endoscope (e.g., the endoscope 700 in FIGS. 2A-2B ) is inserted through the proximal end seal member 200 into the cavity of the access assembly to form a seal and prevent matter outside the access assembly from entering the cavity of the access assembly. In some embodiments, the distal end seal member 300 may be configured to close and form a seal using its inherent shape and structure when an endoscope does not penetrate through it, thereby preventing matter within the cavity of the access assembly from exiting the distal end of the access assembly, as further described below with reference to FIG. 2B . In some embodiments, the distal end seal member may further be configured to abut against a side wall of an endoscope when an endoscope extends through the distal end of the access assembly (e.g., into a patient's body cavity) to form a seal and prevent matter within the cavity of the access assembly from exiting the distal end of the access assembly, as further described below with reference to FIG. 2A .

[0025] Each of the one or more fluid supply passages 400 may include a fluid input 410 for receiving fluid from a fluid source (not shown), a fluid outlet 430 for discharging the fluid received from the fluid source into the cavity, and fluid piping 420 fluidly connecting the fluid input 410 and the fluid outlet 430. In some embodiments, the one or more fluid supply passages 400 may include multiple fluid supply passages 400, each providing one of a cleaning liquid, a drying gas, or a gas-liquid mixture. In some embodiments, the fluid outlets 430 may be individually disposed on the inner wall of the tubular body 100 and connected to the distal end of the fluid piping 420. In other embodiments, the fluid outlets 430 may be integrally formed with the distal end seal member 300 (not shown).

[0026] Each of the one or more fluid control members 500 is disposed at a position corresponding to a corresponding fluid outlet 430. As can be appreciated, the corresponding positions of the fluid control member 500 and the fluid outlet 430 may include axial and circumferential alignment between them. In particular, the corresponding positions mean that the fluid control member 500 disposed at that position cooperates with the side wall of the endoscope (e.g., the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 in FIG. 2A ) to perform corresponding occlusion and deocclusion functions on the corresponding fluid outlet 430. FIG. 2A is a partially enlarged side cross-sectional view of the distal end of the access assembly for the endoscope 700 in FIG. 1 , with the endoscope 700 extending from the distal end. The state shown in FIG. 2A generally corresponds to a state in which a lens at the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 is used to observe a patient's body cavity during surgery, or corresponds to an operation during which the patient is not involved, such as device inspection, maintenance, and testing. As can be appreciated, because the lens is not within the cavity of the access assembly, it is undesirable for fluid to be ejected from the fluid outlet 430 in this state. 2A , when the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 penetrates the distal end seal member 300 and extends distally from the cavity, the fluid control member 500, together with the corresponding fluid discharge port 430, is pressed against the inner wall of the tubular body 100 by the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700. At this time, the corresponding fluid discharge port 430 is clamped between the fluid control member 500 and the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700, the corresponding fluid discharge port 430 is closed, and the ejection of fluid is automatically stopped.

[0027] Figure 2B is a partially enlarged, cross-sectional side view of the distal end of the access assembly for the endoscope 700 of Figure 1 with the endoscope 700 retracted into the cavity. The state shown in Figure 2B generally corresponds to a state during surgery in which the lens of the distal tip 720 of the endoscope 700 is retracted into the cavity of the access assembly for cleaning, or corresponds to operation during periods when the patient is not present, such as during device inspection, maintenance, and testing. As can be appreciated, in this state, it is desirable to inject a cleaning liquid or a drying gas or gas-liquid mixture from the fluid outlet 430 into the cavity of the access assembly to clean or at least partially dry the lens. As shown in Figure 2B, when the distal tip 720 of the endoscope 700 is retracted proximally into the cavity through the distal end seal member 300, the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 no longer presses the fluid outlet 430 against the inner wall of the tubular body 100. At this time, the fluid outlet 430 is released from the clamping by the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 and the fluid control member 500, and the fluid outlet 430 returns to its original shape due to the action of its own elastic force, the blockage is released, and fluid injection begins under the pressure of the fluid from the fluid source. When fluid is injected, the overall flow direction of the fluid within the access assembly is shown by the arrow in FIG. 2B.

[0028] In response to the extension and retraction of the endoscope 700 through the distal end seal member 300, the fluid control member 500 cooperates with the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 to automatically clamp and release the corresponding fluid outlet 430, and the access assembly for the endoscope 700 of the present application can automatically achieve fluid injection and stopping without operating a pump switch or valve, thereby simplifying the complexity of the access assembly system and the corresponding operation.

[0029] In some embodiments, the access assembly for the endoscope may further include a vacuum suction member 600. The vacuum suction member 600 may be connected to a vacuum suction source (e.g., a vacuum pump, a vacuum interface such as operating room equipment, etc.) to evacuate fluids (e.g., irrigation liquids, drying gases, gas-liquid mixtures) from within the cavity of the access assembly. The general direction of fluid flow during irrigation and drying operations is indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 .

[0030] 3A-3C are partial enlarged bottom perspective, side cross-sectional, and top perspective views, respectively, of a distal end of an access assembly for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C , any two or more of one or more fluid control members 500, the fluid outlet 430 of each of one or more fluid supply passages 400, and the distal end seal member 300 may be integrally molded from a flexible material. This simplifies the assembly assembly process and facilitates alignment between the fluid outlet 430 and the fluid control member 500. In some embodiments, the flexible material may be medical-grade silicone, which facilitates opening and closing the distal end seal member 300 and facilitating the fluid outlet 430 being occluded when clamped between the fluid control member 500 and the inner wall of the tubular body 100 of the access assembly and elastically unoccluding when the clamping is released.

[0031] 3A and 3B, the fluid outlet 430 may have an opening generally facing proximal to the access assembly for injecting fluid toward the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the fluid control member 500 may be positioned radially outward of the fluid outlet 430 at an axial position substantially corresponding to the fluid outlet 430 along the longitudinal axis Z-Z′ to cooperate with the sidewall 710 of the endoscope 700 to clamp and release the fluid outlet 430, as described in further detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. For example, with the fluid outlet 430 pressed against the inner wall of the tubular body 100 by the sidewall 710 of the endoscope 700, the fluid control member 500 may be positioned axially and circumferentially at a position corresponding to the middle of the fluid outlet 430 and radially proximate to the inner wall of the tubular body 100.

[0032] In some embodiments, the distal end seal member 300 may include multiple seal flaps, as shown in FIG. 3C. When the endoscope 700 is not passing through the distal end seal member 300, the multiple seal flaps can resiliently close to form a seal due to their own shape. When the endoscope 700 passes through the distal end seal member 300, the multiple seal flaps resiliently abut against the endoscope 700 and gradually open, abutting against the sidewall 710 of the endoscope 700 to maintain a seal, thereby preventing material within the cavity of the access assembly from flowing out the distal end of the access assembly.

[0033] 3A-3C depict the fluid outlet 430 as a separate part of the distal end seal member 300, in other embodiments the fluid outlet 430 may be located on the distal end seal member 300, for example, on the proximal surface of at least one seal flap of the distal end seal member 300. Correspondingly, the fluid control member 500 may similarly cooperate with the sidewall 710 of the endoscope 700 to clamp and release the fluid outlet 430. Also, while the figures depict the fluid outlet 430 as being located proximate the distal end of the tubular body 100 along the longitudinal axis Z-Z', in other embodiments the fluid outlet 430 and corresponding fluid control member 500 may be located proximate the middle or proximal end of the tubular body 100 along the longitudinal axis Z-Z'. In this case, when operated, the fluid outlet 430 can be automatically clamped and released simply by appropriately adjusting the retraction distance of the endoscope 700 along the longitudinal axis ZZ' of the distal end 720.

[0034] In some embodiments, one or more fluid control members 500 may include one or more protrusions, and the number of the one or more protrusions may be equal to the number of one or more fluid supply passages 400 and one or more corresponding fluid outlets 430. As can be appreciated, when the access assembly includes multiple fluid supply passages 400 and multiple corresponding fluid outlets 430, the corresponding fluid input port 410 of each fluid supply passage 400 can be connected to a different fluid source, such as a cleaning liquid source, a drying gas source, or a gas-liquid mixture source, allowing the access assembly to inject different fluids into the cavity of the access assembly depending on needs. Each protrusion may be located at an axial and circumferential position on the inner wall of the tubular body 100 corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlet 430. In this case, when the endoscope 700 extends through the distal end seal member 300, the shape of the protrusions on the fluid control member 500 can cooperate with the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 to easily pinch the corresponding fluid outlet 430 and stop the ejection of fluid.

[0035] In some embodiments, the access assembly may include multiple fluid supply passages 400, and each fluid supply passage 400 may have a separate fluid input 410, fluid outlet 430, and fluid piping 420. In some embodiments, each fluid input 410 of the multiple fluid supply passages 400 may be connected to a fluid source that provides a different fluid (e.g., cleaning liquid, drying gas, gas-liquid mixture, etc.) to fulfill various functions of cleaning and at least partially drying the lens of the endoscope 700. As can be appreciated, during cleaning and selectable drying, as described in more detail below, the fluid supply system (not shown) may need to automatically or manually stop supplying liquid and switch to a selectable drying gas after cleaning meets cleanliness requirements, but the access assembly of the present application may still automatically stop emitting the drying gas after drying to an expected degree. More generally, in a multi-step cleaning process of the endoscope 700 (e.g., including steps of cleaning, drying, etc.), as the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 extends distally and retracts proximally, the fluid control member 500 cooperates with the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 to automatically clamp and automatically release the fluid outlet 430, and the access assembly of the present application can at least achieve automatic initiation of injection of a first step fluid (e.g., cleaning liquid, a two-phase gas-liquid mixture, etc.) and automatic stopping of injection of a final step fluid (e.g., drying gas).

[0036] In other embodiments, at least some of the fluid input ports 410 of each of the multiple fluid supply passages 400 may be connected to the same fluid source (e.g., cleaning liquid, drying gas, gas-liquid mixture, etc.), but their corresponding fluid outlets 430 may be located at different positions. For example, the multiple fluid outlets 430 may be distributed at different radial, axial, and / or circumferential positions around the longitudinal axis Z-Z' so that the fluid jets are better distributed to the lens of the endoscope 700, thereby improving the cleaning and drying effect.

[0037] In some embodiments, the one or more protrusions of the fluid control member 500 may include a single annular protrusion (not shown), which is located circumferentially adjacent to the inner wall of the tubular body 100 and at an axial position corresponding to the fluid outlets 430. In some embodiments, the annular protrusion may be a sealed or non-sealing ring, such as a half ring. As can be appreciated, in an embodiment (not shown) in which the access assembly has multiple fluid supply passages 400 and corresponding multiple fluid outlets 430 (e.g., each of the multiple fluid supply passages 400 is used to discharge a cleaning liquid, a drying gas, etc.), the single annular protrusion can cooperate with the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700 to simultaneously clamp and release all of the multiple fluid outlets 430, and circumferential alignment with the multiple fluid outlets 430 does not need to be considered when attaching the annular protrusion to the tubular body 100. In some embodiments, the corresponding axial position means that the annular protrusion located at that position provides corresponding blocking and unblocking functions for the corresponding fluid outlets 430 (e.g., all of the multiple fluid outlets 430). For example, the axial position of the annular protrusion along the longitudinal axis Z-Z' may generally correspond to the axial position of the middle portion of the fluid outlet 430 when the fluid outlet 430 is pressed against the inner wall of the tubular body 100 by the side wall 710 of the endoscope 700.

[0038] In some embodiments, each of the one or more protrusions may not be located adjacent to the inner wall of the tubular body 100, but may be located on the outer surface 432 (not shown) of the corresponding fluid outlet 430. It should be understood that if the fluid control member 500 is formed separately from the fluid piping 420 or the like on the inner wall of the tubular body 100, the above-described clamping and releasing effect can be similarly achieved by forming one or more protrusions of the fluid control member 500 on the outer surface 432 of the corresponding fluid outlet 430, and circumferential alignment with the fluid outlet 430 does not need to be considered when attaching.

[0039] In some embodiments, the fluid outlet 430 may be positioned to face proximally (i.e., generally upward in each figure) along the longitudinal axis of the access assembly (Z-Z' in FIG. 1), as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. In this case, fluid ejected from the fluid outlet 430 can be directed toward the lens of the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 as it is retracted into the access assembly, thereby improving cleaning effectiveness and being unaffected by the orientation of the endoscope 700 and access assembly relative to gravity. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the fluid outlet 430 may be positioned along other directions, such as being oriented partially radially inward.

[0040] A method for using the access assembly will be described below with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. When the field of view of the endoscope is blurred by contamination during surgery, or during operations not involving a patient, such as inspection, maintenance, and testing of the device, the access assembly according to the claimed method can be used to clean, dry, and otherwise operate the endoscope.

[0041] In some embodiments, the method may include connecting the corresponding fluid input ports 410 of one or more fluid supply passages 400 to corresponding fluid sources. The method includes providing an access assembly according to any of the embodiments described above and inserting an endoscope 700 through the access assembly. As described above, the fluid source may include a cleaning liquid source, a drying gas source, a gas-liquid mixture source, etc., for various purposes, such as cleaning and drying. When it is desired that the fluid discharged from the fluid outlet 430 clean or dry the lens at the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700, the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 is retracted proximally into the cavity through the distal end seal member 300, unblocking the fluid outlet 430, which is originally sandwiched on both sides by the fluid control member 500 and the inner wall of the tubular body 100 of the access assembly, and allowing fluid to spurt out of the fluid outlet 430 and clean the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700.

[0042] The method may further include, after cleaning and / or drying of the lens of the endoscope 700 is complete, extending the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 distally out of the cavity through the distal end seal member 300 (e.g., to continue using the endoscope 700 to view the patient's body cavity) so that the fluid outlet 430 is clamped and blocked on both sides by the fluid control member 500 and the inner wall of the tubular body 100 of the access assembly, thereby stopping the discharge of fluid into the cavity of the access assembly.

[0043] In some embodiments, each fluid source provides one of a liquid, a gas, or a gas-liquid mixture to clean and dry the lens at the distal end 720 of the endoscope 700 .

[0044] It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the disclosed methods and apparatus. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as illustrative of embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other modifications are possible within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, any and all features of one described embodiment may be suitably combined with another embodiment.

Claims

1. 1. An access assembly for receiving an endoscope, comprising: a tubular body extending along a longitudinal axis of the access assembly and configured to receive the endoscope; a proximal end seal member sealingly connected to the proximal end of the tubular body; a distal end seal member sealingly connected to a distal end of the tubular body, the inner wall of the tubular body, a surface of the distal end of the proximal end seal member, and a surface of the proximal end of the distal end seal member collectively defining a cavity of the access assembly; one or more fluid supply passages including a fluid input port for receiving fluid from a fluid source, a fluid outlet port for discharging the fluid received from the fluid source into the cavity, and fluid piping fluidly connecting the fluid input port and the fluid outlet port; one or more fluid control members disposed at positions corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlets; when the distal end of the endoscope extends distally from the cavity through the distal end seal member, the fluid outlet is clamped and closed between the corresponding fluid control member and a sidewall of the endoscope; and an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, characterized in that when the distal end of the endoscope is retracted proximally through the distal end seal member and into the cavity, the fluid outlet is released from between the corresponding fluid control member and a side wall of the endoscope and becomes unblocked.

2. 2. The access assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fluid control members include one or more protrusions, the one or more protrusions being located at axial and circumferential positions on the inner wall of the tubular body corresponding to the corresponding fluid outlet.

3. 3. The access assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more protrusions include at least one annular protrusion, the at least one annular protrusion being circumferentially disposed on the inner wall of the tubular body at an axial position corresponding to the fluid outlet.

4. The access assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fluid control members include one or more protrusions, the one or more protrusions being located on an outer surface of a corresponding one of the fluid outlets.

5. The access assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein any two or more of the one or more fluid control members, the one or more fluid outlets, and the distal end seal member are integrally molded from a flexible material.

6. The access assembly of claim 5 , wherein the flexible material is medical grade silicone.

7. The access assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum suction member for extracting the fluid from within the cavity.

8. The access assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid outlet is positioned to face proximally along a longitudinal axis of the access assembly.

9. 1. A method of using an access assembly for receiving an endoscope, the method comprising: providing an access assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 through which the endoscope is disposed; connecting the fluid input ports to a corresponding fluid source; and retracting the distal end of the endoscope proximally through the distal end seal member and into the cavity, unblocking the fluid outlet, and flushing the distal end of the endoscope with the fluid.

10. The method comprises:

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising extending the distal end of the endoscope distally from the cavity through the distal end seal member to block the fluid outlet and stop the discharge of the fluid into the cavity.

11. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the corresponding fluid sources provides one of a liquid, a gas, or a gas-liquid mixture.

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