Endoscopic support device

Abstract

To provide a device that facilitates the insertion of an endoscope in a simple and inexpensive manner, thereby reducing the burden on the patient undergoing the examination. [Solution] The endoscope auxiliary device 1 comprises a flexible tube section 20 inserted into a lumen, an expandable / contractible section 13 attached to the flexible tube section 20 that expands and contracts in response to the supply and discharge of fluid, and a fluid supply / discharge section 30 communicating with the expandable / contractible section 13 and supplying and discharging fluid to the expandable / contractible section 13, wherein the expandable / contractible section 13 folds in a bellows-like manner when discharging fluid and moves away from the inner wall of the lumen, and expands when supplying fluid to press against the inner wall of the lumen and push the flexible tube section 20 further into the lumen.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscopic assisting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a device has been used that attaches a balloon to the tip of an endoscopic accessory, inflates the balloon to fix it to the inner wall, and moves forward in the intestinal tract like an inchworm to pull the intestinal tract toward the operator's side. However, those devices are not for facilitating the insertion of the endoscope itself, and it is impossible to perform the insertion operation while inflating the balloon.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technique described in Patent Document 1 adjusts the inflation rate of a balloon attached to the insertion portion of an endoscope so that it becomes a substantially fan shape, and generates a driving force against the inner wall. However, there is a risk of contacting the inner wall when the balloon contracts, and it has been difficult to always obtain a propulsive force.

[0005] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a device that can easily insert an endoscope in an examination and further reduce the burden on the person undergoing the examination by a simple and inexpensive method.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the endoscope assist device for assisting the insertion of an endoscope into a lumen according to the present invention comprises a flexible tube portion inserted into the lumen, an expandable / contractible portion attached to the flexible tube portion that expands and contracts in response to the supply and discharge of fluid, and a fluid supply / discharge portion communicating with the expandable / contractible portion and supplying and discharging the fluid to the expandable / contractible portion. The expandable / contractible portion folds in a bellows-like manner when the fluid is discharged and moves away from the inner wall of the lumen, and expands when the fluid is supplied, pressing against the inner wall of the lumen and pushing the flexible tube portion deeper into the lumen.

[0007] The expansion and contraction portion may consist of a first expansion and contraction portion provided on the side of the flexible pipe portion that is in the insertion direction, and a second expansion and contraction portion provided on the side opposite to the insertion direction of the flexible pipe portion.

[0008] The fluid supply and discharge section may consist of a first fluid supply and discharge section for supplying and discharging the fluid to the first expansion and contraction section, and a second fluid supply and discharge section for supplying and discharging the fluid to the second expansion and contraction section.

[0009] The system further includes a control unit that controls the supply and discharge of the fluid in the first fluid supply / discharge unit and the second fluid supply / discharge unit, wherein the control unit may supply the fluid to the first expansion / contraction unit and the second expansion / contraction unit at different timings, and then discharge the fluid in the first expansion / contraction unit and the fluid in the second expansion / contraction unit in the order in which the fluid was supplied.

[0010] The expanding and contracting portion presses its tip against the inner wall of the lumen when the fluid is supplied, and the tip may be provided with one or more protrusions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device that facilitates the insertion of an endoscope in a simple and inexpensive manner, thereby reducing the burden on the person undergoing the examination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows the external configuration of an endoscope auxiliary device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the expansion and contraction section of the above-mentioned endoscopic auxiliary device. [Figure 3] This figure shows the tip of the expansion / contraction section of an endoscope auxiliary device according to another embodiment. [Figure 4] The diagram illustrates the operation of the above-mentioned endoscopic auxiliary device, showing (a) the state in which the expansion / contraction part is contracted, (b) the state in which the expansion / contraction part has begun to expand, (c) the state in which the expansion / contraction part is extended, and (d) the state in which the expansion / contraction part is fully extended. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the operation of an endoscope auxiliary device according to another embodiment, showing (a) the inflatable / contractible part in a contracted state, (b) the inflatable / contractible part beginning to expand, (c) the inflatable / contractible part beginning to extend in the insertion direction, (d) the inflatable / contractible part beginning to extend in a way that widens the inner wall, (e) the inflatable / contractible part beginning to move in the insertion direction by pushing out the inner wall, and (d) the inflatable / contractible part fully extended.

[0013] ● Configuration of Endoscope Assist Device 1 Figure 1 is an external view of an endoscope auxiliary device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The endoscope auxiliary device 1 is a device that, when inserting an endoscope for observing the large intestine into the lumen of the large intestine, or before such insertion, deforms the curved large intestine into a substantially straight shape, thereby facilitating the insertion of the endoscope. In the following explanation, the direction in which the endoscopic auxiliary device 1 is inserted into the lumen will be referred to as the "+x direction," and the opposite direction will be referred to as the "-x direction." Furthermore, in this embodiment, when referring to deforming a bent large intestine into a nearly straight shape, it broadly means making it closer to a straight shape than its original form, and includes, for example, bending an L-shaped bend into a claw shape.

[0014] This endoscope auxiliary device 1 consists of a flexible tube section 20, an expandable / contractible body 10 provided on the outer surface of the flexible tube section 20 that repeatedly expands and contracts due to the supply or discharge of fluid, and a fluid supply / discharge section 30 that supplies or discharges fluid to the expandable / contractible body 10.

[0015] <Composition of the expandable / contractible body 10> The expansion and contraction body 10 expands by the fluid supplied from the fluid supply and discharge part 30, and contracts by the discharge of the fluid. The endoscope assisting device 1 moves within the lumen of the tube by repeatedly expanding and contracting the expansion and contraction body 10.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of expansion and contraction bodies 10 are provided in the endoscope assisting device 1 according to the present embodiment. That is, the expansion and contraction body 10 includes an expansion and contraction body 10-1 provided on the insertion direction (+x direction) side of the flexible tube portion 20, and an expansion and contraction body 10-2 provided on the side opposite to the insertion direction of the flexible tube portion 20 (-x direction). Regardless of the present embodiment, in other embodiments, one or a plurality of three or more expansion and contraction bodies 10 may be provided.

[0017] The expansion and contraction body 10 includes a base portion 11, a fixing member 12, and an expansion and contraction portion 13.

[0018] The base portion 11 is a portion attached to the flexible tube portion 20, and is also a portion that bifurcates the tube 31 formed integrally or with its end inserted into a bifurcated shape to the expansion and contraction portion 13. The base portion 11 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape in the present embodiment, and is fixed to the flexible tube portion 20 inserted through the center portion by a fixing member 12 described later. Further, the inside of the base portion 11 is hollow, and the tube 31 and the expansion and contraction portion 13 communicate with each other through the base portion 11. Thereby, the fluid supplied from the fluid supply and discharge part 30 through the tube 31 is supplied to the expansion and contraction portion 13 through the base portion 11. Also, the fluid discharged from the expansion and contraction portion 13 is discharged to the fluid supply and discharge part 30 through the base portion 11.

[0019] The base portion 11 only needs to be fixed by the fixing member 12, and does not have to be substantially cylindrical. Also, the base portion 11 may be an elastic member that can expand and contract, such as synthetic rubber or silicone rubber, or may be made of a hard material such as plastic.

[0020] The fixing member 12 fixes the expansion and contraction body 10 on the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube portion 20. The position for fixing the expansion and contraction body 10 is arbitrary. The fixing member 12 may be, for example, a ring-shaped member having a width adapted to the diameter of the flexible tube portion 20, or may be a string-shaped member, and the base portion 11 is wound around and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube portion 20.

[0021] Note that this fixing member 12 may be made of an elastic member or may be made of a non-elastic member. Further, regardless of the present embodiment, instead of the fixing member 12, the expansion and contraction body 10 may be adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube portion 20 with a material having adhesiveness or adhesive force to fix the base portion 11. Note that the expansion and contraction body 10 may be adhered to the flexible tube portion 20 and fixed using the fixing member 12.

[0022] The expansion and contraction portion 13 is a portion extending from the base portion 11, and fluid flows into the hollow interior communicating with the base portion 11. The expansion and contraction portion 13 expands from the contracted state when fluid is supplied from the fluid supply and discharge portion 30, and contracts from the expanded state when the fluid filled therein is discharged. Note that in FIG. 1, two expansion and contraction portions 13 are provided for each expansion and contraction body 10, but the number is not limited, and one or a plurality of three or more may be provided. For example, when the expansion and contraction body 10 is viewed from the insertion direction (+x direction) in FIG. 1, four expansion and contraction portions 13 may be provided at equal intervals in the up, down, left, and right directions. In this case, the expansion and contraction portions 13 extend in all directions. Note that the width and the length at the time of extension of the expansion and contraction portion 13 can be arbitrarily designed, but it has at least a length sufficient to press against the inner wall of the lumen at the time of extension.

[0023] The expansion and contraction portion 13 is composed of an elastic member capable of expansion and contraction. The elastic member is, for example, synthetic rubber or silicone rubber, etc., but is not limited thereto as long as it has softness and can be elastically deformed. Thereby, the expansion and contraction portion 13 expands and contracts according to the supply or discharge of fluid, and there is no fear of damaging the inner wall when the expansion and contraction portion 13 presses against the inner wall of the lumen.

[0024] The expandable / contractible portion 13 folds into an accordion shape when contracted. Figure 2 is a view of the expandable / contractible portion 13 from the side facing the inner wall of the lumen when the endoscope auxiliary device 1 is inserted into the lumen. In this embodiment, the expandable / contractible portion 13, when viewed from the side facing the inner wall of the lumen, has valley folds A and mountain folds B formed sequentially from the portion connected to the base 11 toward the tip 14, with a valley fold A formed last.

[0025] Due to the folds A and B formed in this manner, when fluid is supplied to the fluid supply / discharge section 30 from its contracted state, the expandable / contractible section 13 extends diagonally outward in a direction approximately opposite to the insertion direction (+x direction) (-x direction). The tip 14 of the extended expandable / contractible section 13 presses against the inner wall of the lumen and pushes the flexible tube section 20 in the insertion direction (+x direction), i.e., towards the back of the lumen. Then, when fluid is discharged from the expandable / contractible section 13, the expandable / contractible section 13 folds up in an accordion-like manner, and the tip 14 separates from the inner wall of the lumen.

[0026] With this configuration, regardless of the position of the inflatable / contractible body 10 within the lumen, when the inflatable / contractible part 13 expands due to the fluid supplied from the fluid supply / discharge part 30, the tip 14 of the inflatable / contractible part 13 presses against the inner wall of the lumen, making it easy to operate. Furthermore, since the inflatable / contractible part 13 presses against the inner wall when expanded and folds to be in close contact with the base 11 when contracted, the inflatable / contractible part 13 does not get caught on the inner wall of the lumen when inserting or withdrawing the endoscopic auxiliary device 1 into or from the lumen, and does not hinder movement. In addition, even if the inflatable / contractible part 13 itself is made large enough to reach inner walls of all diameters, it becomes very compact when folded. Furthermore, even when the expandable portion 13 separates from the inner wall of the lumen, the expandable portion 13 folds sequentially from the tip portion 14, and the expandable portion 13 only presses the tip portion 14 against the inner wall, and only for a short time during expansion. Therefore, when the expandable portion 13 contracts or moves, the expandable portion 13 does not entangle the inner wall, nor does it move the flexible tube portion 20 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction (-x direction).

[0027] In this embodiment, the tip portion 14 of the expandable / contractible portion 13 is formed in a circular shape in plan view, as shown in Figure 2. This prevents damage to the inner wall of the lumen when the tip portion 14 presses against it during fluid supply.

[0028] The number of repetitions of the valley fold A and the mountain fold B can be arbitrarily determined.

[0029] Furthermore, folds A and B can be formed using, for example, piano wire. Specifically, heat is applied to the expanded / contracted portion 13 formed by the mold, and at the position where folds A and B are to be formed, piano wire is applied to the side where the valley is to be formed to create folds A and B.

[0030] Furthermore, the expandable / contractible portion 13 can be formed using plastic fibers. Alternatively, synthetic fibers such as plastic fibers may be laminated or woven into the expandable / contractible portion 13 made of synthetic rubber to provide rigidity to the rubber.

[0031] In other embodiments, the expandable / contractable portion 13 may be given a spiral curl from the tip 14 towards the base 11, instead of forming bellows-like folds A and B. Alternatively, instead of, or in addition to, forming folds A and B, the thickness of the side forming the valley may be thinner than the thickness of the other side. In any embodiment, the expandable / contractable portion 13 folds compactly when the fluid is discharged.

[0032] Furthermore, the tip portion 14 may be made of a material with a high coefficient of friction, or it may have a surface treatment such as fine irregularities that provide an anti-slip effect. This prevents the tip portion 14, which is pressed against the inner wall of the lumen, from sliding along the inner wall. Furthermore, rigidity may be increased by providing a double elastic member only at the tip 14. This makes the tip 14, which is prone to deterioration due to its pressure against the inner wall of the lumen, more durable.

[0033] Furthermore, the tip portion 14 may be provided with multiple projections 14a, as shown in Figure 3. The projections 14a are hollow inside and expand when fluid is supplied to the expand / contract portion 13. With this configuration, the projections 14a press against the inner wall of the lumen and, when moving in the insertion direction (+x direction), they act to push aside the inner wall, allowing the endoscopic auxiliary device 1 to be reliably pushed deeper into the lumen. The projections 14a may also be formed in a claw shape that is bent outward. This makes it less likely for the tip portion 14, which is pressed against the inner wall of the lumen, to slip when pushing the endoscopic auxiliary device 1 deeper into the lumen.

[0034] Furthermore, the projection 14a may be independent of the base 11 side of the expansion / contraction section 13. For example, a partition wall that prevents fluid flow may be provided at the boundary between the projection 14a and the base 11 side of the expansion / contraction section 13, so that the expansion / contraction section 13 may remain expanded regardless of whether or not fluid flows into it from the fluid supply / discharge section 30. With this configuration, when the expansion / contraction section 13 begins to expand, the endoscope auxiliary device 1 can be pushed further into the lumen regardless of when the projection 14a comes into contact with the inner wall of the lumen.

[0035] The shape of the expansion / contraction section 13 can be selected according to various conditions such as the direction of movement, speed, and distance, and is not limited to the shape described in the specification.

[0036] <Structure of the flexible pipe section 20> The flexible tube section 20 is a flexible, hollow tube that is inserted into the lumen. An expandable / contractable body 10 is provided on the outer surface of the flexible tube section 20.

[0037] The flexible tube section 20 is a non-metallic tube made of synthetic rubber or the like; for example, an overtube used in medical applications may be used. This flexible tube section 20 is flexible enough to be inserted into a complexly curved lumen, but it also has enough rigidity to deform the curved lumen into a nearly straight shape. Furthermore, the flexible tube section 20 may be expandable and contractible in the longitudinal direction.

[0038] Furthermore, an endoscope can be inserted into the flexible tube section 20, and by constructing the flexible tube section 20 from a transparent material, the inside of the lumen can be observed with the endoscope inserted into the flexible tube section 20. However, if the endoscope is not inserted into the flexible tube section 20, and the endoscope auxiliary device 1 is used only to deform the lumen into a substantially straight shape, the flexible tube section 20 does not need to be hollow.

[0039] <Configuration of the fluid supply and discharge section 30> The fluid supply and discharge section 30 is connected to the expandable / contractible body 10 and supplies fluid to the expandable / contractible section 13 of the expandable / contractible body 10, and also contains the fluid discharged from the expandable / contractible section 13 of the expandable / contractible body 10. The fluid supply and discharge section 30 includes a tube 31 and a supply and discharge section 32.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the fluid supply and discharge section 30 consists of a fluid supply and discharge section 30-1 that supplies fluid to the expandable / contractible body 10-1, and a fluid supply and discharge section 30-2 that supplies fluid to the expandable / contractible body 10-2.

[0041] Tube 31 is a flexible, hollow tube. Tube 31 communicates with the base 11 of the expandable / contractible body 10, and is through which fluid supplied from the supply / discharge section 32 and fluid discharged from the expandable / contractible body 10 pass.

[0042] The tubes 31 are arranged in different lengths for each of the tubes 31-1 and 31-2 that communicate with the multiple inflatable / contractible bodies 10. Specifically, tube 31-1, which communicates with the inflatable / contractible body 10-1 on the insertion direction (+x direction), is relatively longer than tube 31-2, which communicates with the inflatable / contractible body 10-2 on the opposite direction (-x direction). As a result, when tubes 31-1 and 31-2 are extended, the supply and discharge sections 32-1 and 32-2 are in the same position in the x direction, making it easier to operate the supply and discharge section 32. However, in other embodiments, the lengths of each tube 31-1 and 31-2 may be the same.

[0043] The fluid supply and discharge section 32 is made of elastically deformable synthetic rubber or the like, and has a hollow section inside that can contain fluid. When the fluid supply and discharge section 32 is compressed in response to a manual operation that compresses the fluid supply and discharge section 32, or to the operation of a device that compresses the fluid supply and discharge section 32, it supplies the fluid inside to the expandable / contractable body 10. On the other hand, when released from compression, it expands due to its elastic restoring force, thereby drawing the fluid in the expandable / contractable body 10 into the fluid supply and discharge section 30. In this embodiment, the fluid is, for example, a gas, but it can also be a liquid. However, in either case, a fluid with low reactivity is preferred in order to minimize the impact on the human body in the event of leakage.

[0044] Furthermore, the speed and distance of movement of the expanding / contracting body 10 can be changed by the speed at which the supply / discharge section 32 is repeatedly compressed and restored. The distance of movement can also be changed by the speed of a single compression.

[0045] The supply and discharge section 32 is spindle-shaped in Figure 1, but its shape is not limited.

[0046] Regarding the supply and discharge of fluid, in this embodiment, the supply and discharge section 32 is compressed to supply and discharge fluid, but in other embodiments, the supply and discharge section 32 may be configured as a pump or compressor driven based on mechanical control. In such a configuration, if the endoscope auxiliary device 1 has a plurality of fluid supply and discharge sections 30 and an expandable / contractable body 10 connected to each fluid supply and discharge section 30 as shown in Figure 1, it may further have a control unit that individually controls the supply and discharge of fluid to the plurality of fluid supply and discharge sections 30. With this configuration, the control unit can, for example, supply fluid to a plurality of expandable / contractable sections 13 at different timings, and then discharge the fluid from each expandable / contractable section 13 that is connected to each fluid supply and discharge section 30 in the order in which the fluid was supplied.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, fluid supply and discharge sections 30-1 and 30-2 are provided for each of the expandable and contractible bodies 10-1 and 10-2, thereby allowing the timing of supply and discharge to be controlled for each of the multiple expandable and contractible bodies 10. By individually controlling the fluid supply and discharge sections 30-1 and 30-2, the timing, manner, and speed of operation of the expandable and contractible bodies 10-1 and 10-2 can be appropriately adjusted, and the flexible tube section 20 can be reliably inserted according to the conditions inside the complexly curved lumen. On the other hand, in other embodiments, only one fluid supply / discharge unit 30 may be provided, regardless of the number of expandable / contractable bodies 10 provided in the endoscope auxiliary device 1. With such a configuration, operation is simple and easy to handle, and the manufacturing cost of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 can be reduced.

[0048] ● An example of the movement of the expansion / contraction body 10 inside the lumen Using Figure 4, an example of the operation of the inflatable / deflatable body 10 of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 within the lumen will be explained along with its usage. In the illustration, the hatched areas above and below the endoscope auxiliary device 1 represent a cross-section of the lumen 2. Figures 4(a) to (d) show the movement of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 at the same position in the lumen 2.

[0049] First, the user of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 inserts the endoscope auxiliary device 1 into the subject's intestine with the expansion / contraction section 13 contracted. Figure 4(a) shows the state in which the expandable / contractible body 10, from which fluid is being discharged, is inserted into the lumen 2. In this state, the expandable / contractible portion 13 is folded in a bellows-like manner and is not in contact with the inner wall 2a of the lumen 2.

[0050] Because the inside of the lumen 2 is intricately curved, the end of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 on the insertion direction (+x direction) side may come into contact with the inner wall 2a, making it difficult to insert the endoscope auxiliary device 1 further in this state. When fluid is supplied from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 to the inflatable / contractable body 10, as shown in Figure 4(b), the inflatable / contractable body 10 expands the inflatable / contractable section 13, which was folded in a bellows-like manner. As a result, the tip 14 of the inflatable / contractable section 13 comes into contact with the inner wall 2a.

[0051] Figure 4(c) shows the state in which fluid is further supplied from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 to the expansion / contraction section 13. When the expansion / contraction section 13 expands due to the supply of fluid, it attempts to extend diagonally from the base 11 in the -x direction and toward the inner wall 2a of the lumen 2 due to folds A and B. At this point, the tip 14 is pressed against the inner wall 2a as if it were catching, and as a result the expansion / contraction body 10 receives a resistance force from the inner wall 2a corresponding to the pressure, and this resistance force pushes the flexible pipe section 20 inward into the lumen 2, i.e., in the insertion direction (+x direction).

[0052] Figure 4(d) shows the state in which the expandable / contractible section 13 is fully extended due to the fluid being supplied from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 to the expandable / contractible body 10 up to its maximum capacity. When the expandable / contractible section 13 is fully extended, it takes on a rod-like shape that extends linearly in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (+x direction) of the flexible tube section 20 (-x direction). Subsequently, when the supply / discharge section 32 is released from compression, the supply / discharge section 32 expands due to its elastic restoring force, and the fluid in the expandable / contractible body 10 is drawn into the fluid supply / discharge section 30. As a result, the expandable / contractible section 13 folds back into an accordion shape, contracting sequentially from the tip 14, returning to the state shown in Figure 4(a).

[0053] The user of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 repeats the operations shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(d) above to insert the flexible tube section 20 to the predetermined position. This deforms the curved lumen 2 into a nearly straight shape, making it easier to insert the endoscope. The user inserts the endoscope into the lumen 2 from the side of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 and inserts the endoscope to the position to be observed. If the flexible tube section 20 is made of a transparent hollow tube, the endoscope can also be inserted into the flexible tube section 20 and the inside of the lumen 2 can be observed through the flexible tube section 20. The endoscope may be pre-attached to the endoscope auxiliary device 1 and inserted into the lumen 2 together with the flexible tube section 20, or it may not be attached to the endoscope auxiliary device 1 and be operated independently.

[0054] In Figure 4(b), the diameter of the lumen 2 is small and the width between the upper and lower inner walls 2a is narrow, so the expansion / contraction portion 13 is pressed against the inner wall 2a almost perpendicularly. However, if the width between the inner walls 2a is wide, it will be pressed against the inner wall 2a at an almost oblique angle.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(c), even if the fluid is not supplied to the maximum extent in the expansion / contraction section 13, the flexible pipe section 20 can be sent out in the insertion direction (+x direction). Therefore, it is possible to gradually move the flexible pipe section 20 by stopping the fluid supply from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 when the expansion / contraction section 13 is slightly pressed against the inner wall 2a, discharging the fluid from the expansion / contraction body 10, and repeating this process.

[0056] Furthermore, notwithstanding the example in Figure 4(d), the expandable / contractable portion 13 may be connected to the base portion 11 at a length or mounting angle such that its tip portion 14 presses against or abuts against the inner wall 2a when fully extended.

[0057] Furthermore, the inflatable / contractible section 13 can maintain an expanded state relative to the inner wall 2a. In other words, if the fluid supply / discharge section 30 supplies the maximum amount of fluid that the inflatable / contractible section 13 can expand with, and the fluid is not discharged from the inflatable / contractible section 13, the endoscope auxiliary device 1 can be stopped in place while maintaining pressure against the inner wall 2a. The expanded state can be maintained by continuously supplying fluid to the inflatable / contractible section 13 by the supply / discharge section 32. This allows the shape of the intestine to be fixed.

[0058] According to the endoscope auxiliary device 1 of this embodiment described above, it is possible to facilitate the insertion of an endoscope in a simple and inexpensive manner and reduce the burden on the person undergoing the examination. In particular, its simple structure reduces the likelihood of malfunctions such as fluid leakage or damage to various parts. Furthermore, because it does not use metal in its materials, including the expandable / contractible section 13 that presses against the inner wall of the lumen, it boasts excellent biocompatibility. Moreover, the multiple folds A and B provided in the expandable / contractible section 13 operate as if they were multi-jointed, and the fluid supply / discharge section 30 is individually connected to each expandable / contractible section 13, allowing for precise control of the orientation of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 within the lumen and the speed of insertion. As a result, it eliminates the bending of the intestinal tract and prepares the intestine for easier insertion of the endoscope.

[0059] ●Regarding other embodiments In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, the expandable body 10 may be substantially trapezoidal in shape so that the expandable portion 13 extends in the insertion direction when expanded. Here, an example of the operation of the expandable body 10 of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 according to this embodiment within the lumen will be explained using Figure 5. Figures 5(a) to (f) show the movement of the endoscope auxiliary device 1 at the same position in the lumen 2. Furthermore, the hatched areas above and below the endoscope auxiliary device 1 represent the cross-section of the lumen 2. Note that Figures 5(a), (b) and (f) are omitted as they are operations that overlap with the embodiment of the present invention described in Figure 4.

[0060] Figure 5(c) shows the state in which fluid is further supplied from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 to the expansion / contraction section 13. When the expansion / contraction section 13 expands due to the supply of fluid, it attempts to extend diagonally from the base 11 in the +x direction relative to the inner wall 2a and toward the inner wall 2a of the tube lumen 2, due to the base 11 and folds A and B.

[0061] Figure 5(d) shows that as fluid is further supplied to the expansion / contraction section 13 from the fluid supply / discharge section 30, the expansion / contraction section 13 presses against the inner wall 2a and expands significantly outward.

[0062] Figure 5(e) shows that fluid is further supplied from the fluid supply / discharge section 30 to the expansion / contraction section 13, and as a result of the tip section 14 being pressed against the inner wall 2a, the expansion / contraction body 10 receives a resistance force from the inner wall 2a corresponding to the pressure, and this resistance force pushes the flexible pipe section 20 inward into the lumen 2, i.e., in the insertion direction (+x direction).

[0063] This configuration allows for the movement of pushing aside and widening the inner wall 2a, thus enabling reliable movement.

[0064] Furthermore, the present invention can also be configured as an endoscope invention by attaching an expandable / contractable body 10 and a fluid supply / discharge unit 30 to an endoscope having the same flexibility as the flexible tube section 20, instead of the flexible tube section 20.

[0065] Furthermore, in the present invention, the endoscope auxiliary device 1 may be used by attaching the expandable / contractable body 10 to an oversheath that adheres closely to the endoscope, instead of the flexible tube portion 20. In this case, the oversheath is made of a material that can adhere closely to the endoscope, such as Teflon (Teflon® registered trademark) or rubber.

[0066] Furthermore, in addition to the inflatable / contractible section 13 described above, the endoscope auxiliary device 1 according to this embodiment may also be equipped with an inflatable / contractible section (for convenience of explanation, this inflatable / contractible section, not shown in the figure, will be referred to as the "inflatable / contractible section 15") which is formed by sequentially creating mountain folds and valley folds from the portion connected to the base 11 when viewed from the surface facing the inner wall of the lumen, so that the final shape is a valley fold. The fluid supply / discharge section 30 described above is connected to this inflatable / contractible section 15, and when it expands and extends, it extends from the base 11 in the +x direction as shown in Figure 1, etc., and when it comes into contact with the inner wall of the lumen, it sends out the flexible tube section 20 in the -x direction. With this configuration, the flexible tube section 20 can be moved in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the endoscope auxiliary device 1. If the flexible tube section 20 moves too far into the lumen, the fluid supply / discharge section 30 connected to the expansion / contraction section 15 can be operated to return the flexible tube section 20 to the desired position, allowing for fine adjustment of the amount of movement of the flexible tube section 20.

[0067] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the expandable / contractible body 10 may be provided inside the flexible tube section 20. That is, a predetermined hole is made in the side surface of the flexible tube section 20 to connect the inside and outside of the flexible tube section 20, and the expandable / contractible body 10 is placed inside the flexible tube section 20, with the base 11 fixed in a predetermined position inside the flexible tube section 20. Fixation can be done, for example, by bonding it to the inner wall of the flexible tube section 20 with an adhesive. The expandable / contractible body 13 housed inside the flexible tube section 20 is passed to the outside through the predetermined hole. With this configuration, only the expandable / contractible body 13 is pressed against the inner wall of the lumen, and compared to a configuration in which the entire expandable / contractible body 10 is provided outside the flexible tube section 20, unnecessary contact with the inner wall can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1: Endoscopic support device 10: Expanding and contracting body 11: Base 12: Fixing member 13: Expansion and contraction area 14:Tip 20:Flexible tube section 30:Fluid supply / discharge part 31: Tube 32: Supply / discharge section

Claims

1. An endoscope assist device that assists in the insertion of an endoscope into a lumen, A flexible tube portion inserted into the aforementioned lumen, An expandable and contractible part is attached to the aforementioned flexible pipe section and expands and contracts in accordance with the supply and discharge of fluid, It has a fluid supply and discharge section that communicates with the expansion and contraction section and supplies and discharges the fluid to the expansion and contraction section, The expandable portion folds in a bellows-like manner when the fluid is discharged, separating from the inner wall of the lumen, and expands when the fluid is supplied, pressing against the inner wall of the lumen and pushing the flexible tube portion into the depths of the lumen. Endoscopic support device.

2. The expansion / contraction portion comprises a first expansion / contraction portion provided on the insertion side of the flexible pipe portion and a second expansion / contraction portion provided on the opposite side from the insertion direction of the flexible pipe portion. The endoscope auxiliary device according to claim 1.

3. The fluid supply and discharge section comprises a first fluid supply and discharge section for supplying and discharging the fluid to the first expansion and contraction section, and a second fluid supply and discharge section for supplying and discharging the fluid to the second expansion and contraction section. The endoscope auxiliary device according to claim 2.

4. The system further comprises a control unit that controls the supply and discharge of the fluid in the first fluid supply and discharge unit and the second fluid supply and discharge unit, The control unit supplies the fluid to the first and second expansion / contraction sections at different timings, and then discharges the fluid from the first and second expansion / contraction sections in the order in which the fluids were supplied. The endoscope auxiliary device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned expanding and contracting portion presses its tip against the inner wall of the lumen when the fluid is supplied. The tip portion is provided with one or more protrusions. The endoscope auxiliary device according to claim 1.

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