Braided Endoscope Stabilization via Selective Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic surgical devices lack the ability to maintain a stable orientation and steering of the endoscope within the body, leading to difficulties in performing precise minimally invasive procedures due to the flexible nature of standard endoscopes, which can hinder visualization and manipulation of tissues.
Innovation Solution
A braided endoscopic device with a selectively lockable flexible tube, comprising interwoven filaments and a distal collar, allows for shape-locking and articulation, providing stability and control over the endoscope's orientation, and includes a braided hollow member for tissue manipulation and sutures for stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard flexible endoscope is used, then the endoscope can be easily inserted and maneuvered through body passages, but the endoscope cannot maintain a stable orientation and loses control over its positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope shaft is divided into multiple segments that can be independently controlled. Each segment can be selectively locked or unlocked to provide stability where needed while maintaining flexibility in other areas, resolving the contradiction between ease of maneuvering and stability of orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The endoscope employs dynamic locking mechanisms that allow the shaft to transition between flexible and rigid states. The selective locking capability enables the endoscope to adapt its mechanical properties in real-time, providing stability when needed while maintaining maneuverability during insertion.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the endoscope shaft is made rigid to provide stability, then the endoscope can maintain its orientation, but the endoscope cannot be easily maneuvered through body passages
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the shaft into controllable sections, the system can maintain rigidity in specific segments for stability while keeping other segments flexible for maneuvering, eliminating the need to choose between overall rigidity and maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic locking mechanism allows the endoscope shaft to change its mechanical state from flexible to rigid on demand, providing stability during positioning while maintaining ease of maneuvering during insertion and repositioning.
3Productivity
If the endoscope is designed for minimally invasive procedures, then the incisions are smaller and recovery is faster, but the endoscope lacks the stability needed for precise tissue manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with selective locking allows the endoscope to provide stability precisely where and when needed for tissue manipulation, while maintaining the minimally invasive advantage of smaller incisions and faster recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic stability control enables the endoscope to transition to a stable configuration during tissue manipulation phases, providing the precision needed for surgical procedures while maintaining the benefits of minimally invasive access.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for stabilizing and positioning an endoscope using various braided devices and suture techniques. Related endoscopic surgical procedures are also disclosed. A surgical method comprises introducing an endoscope into a patient's natural orifice. The endoscope is guided in a patient's alimentary tract lumen, the alimentary tract lumen being defined by the alimentary tract wall. One or more sutures are anchored at the target site of the surgical procedure. The sutures are tensioned to position the endoscope while the sutures pass through a working channel of the endoscope.