A GUIDE FOR ENDOSCOPES, IN PARTICULAR FOR COLONOSCOPES, AND AN ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM INCLUDING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED GUIDE

Claims

1. An endoscopic system intended in particular for colonoscopy, comprising an endoscopic guide, in particular for colonoscopes, comprising a tubular guide element (1) and a locking head (2), wherein the tubular guide element (1) includes a longitudinal cavity (3), the locking head (2) is provided with an expandable container (4) configured to be filled with a ferromagnetic substance, this expandable container (4) is connected to said longitudinal cavity (3), wherein the endoscopic system further comprises a ferromagnetic substance configured to move along said longitudinal cavity for filling / emptying the expandable container (4), characterized in that the ferromagnetic substance is an aqueous suspension of carbonyl iron.

2. The endoscopic system according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic field source configured to apply a holding force to the ferromagnetic substance relative to the transverse direction of pulling, which is greater than or equal to 5 N at a distance of 2 to 10 cm from said ferromagnetic substance.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a syringe (5) pre-filled with the given ferromagnetic substance.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said carbonyl iron has a purity greater than or equal to 97.5%, or greater than or equal to 99.5%, and consists of spherical particles having the following particle size profile: D10 = 3-4.5 µm or about 4.1 µm D50 = 5-10 µm or about 9.5 µm D90 = 4-30 µm or about 26 µm.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said aqueous suspension of carbonyl iron comprises carbonyl iron in an amount by weight of from 45% to 60%, or from 50% to 55%, or from 52% to 53%, relative to the total weight of the suspension.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said aqueous suspension of carbonyl iron comprises tertiary sodium citrate in an amount by weight of 2.5% to 4.5% relative to the total weight of the suspension and / or sodium chloride in an amount by weight of 5% to 8% relative to the total weight of the suspension.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1-6, in which the tubular guide element (1) has one lumen, its outer diameter (D) is less than 2.6 mm or about 2.5 mm, and its inner diameter (d) is from 1.6 mm to 1.75 mm or about 1.7 mm.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the expandable container (4) includes or consists of an inflatable bladder and is sized to have a capacity of 22 to 28 ml, or about 25 ml, when expanded - the length is from 55 to 65 mm, or about 60 mm, and the transverse diameter is from 20 to 30 mm, or about 25 mm.

9. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the syringe (5) includes a cylinder (7) into which a piston (8) is slidably inserted, and a removable gripping flange (9).

10. The system according to claim 9, where the cylinder (7) comprises an open end (7a) into which the piston (8) is inserted, and a connecting end (7b) opposite the open end (7a) with a connector (10) for the tubular guide element (1), where the open end (7a) has an outwardly protruding annular projection (11); and where the connector (10) is made according to the type of an external screw connection of the Luer type and comprises a cylindrical sleeve (12) with an internal thread (12a) and a nozzle (13) located coaxially inside the cylindrical sleeve (12).

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, in which the piston (8) includes a housing (8a) which is located along the longitudinal axis between the proximal (8b) and distal parts (8a), and preferably consists of a structure (14) with flaps arranged crosswise.

12. The system according to claim 11, in which the distal part (8c) of the piston (8) includes a tip (16a), a sealing flange (16b) and a stop flange (16c), designed in such a way that when the syringe (5) is pre-filled with a ferromagnetic substance and is assembled, the stop flange (16c) is located at the same level with the annular projection (11) of the barrel (7), thus determining the stop position of the piston (8).

13. A system according to any one of claims 10-12, in which the gripping flange (9) has a recess (18) of a size suitable for connection with the open end (7a) of the cylinder (7), and a groove (19) surrounding the recess (18), a part (19a) of which projects towards the inside of the recess (18), and the groove (19) is designed with the possibility of entering into the annular projection (11).

14. An endoscopy kit comprising an endoscopic guidewire according to any one of claims 1-8, a syringe (5) according to any one of claims 9-13 and, optionally, a catheter.

15. The kit according to claim 14, wherein said syringe (5) is filled with said carbonyl iron suspension.

16. The kit according to item 14, comprising a glass vial filled with a ferromagnetic substance in powder form and a pre-filled syringe with a physiological solution (aqueous solution of NaCl and / or sodium citrate), or a glass vial with a suspension of a ferromagnetic substance and an empty syringe.