Bronchoscope Bending Structure for Acute-Angle Bronchial Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes face difficulty in easily inserting the distal end part into the back of a bronchus due to limitations in bendable part design and curvature control.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope features a bendable part with distinct regions, each bendable with different curvature radii, allowing for precise control and easy insertion into complex bronchial structures, including a first region with a larger curvature radius and a second region with a smaller curvature radius, facilitated by a bending operation part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bendable part uses a uniform curvature radius design, then the structure is simple, but the distal end part cannot be easily inserted into the back of bronchus with acute angles
Solution Approach 1:
The bendable part is divided into multiple regions along the longitudinal axis, with each region having a different curvature radius. Specifically, the distal region has a smaller curvature radius while the proximal region has a larger curvature radius, allowing the endoscope to navigate acute angles in bronchus effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the bendable part are assigned different curvature radii according to their functional requirements. The distal region with smaller curvature radius is positioned where sharp bending is needed to reach the back of bronchus, while the proximal region with larger curvature radius provides smoother bending near the operator's control area.
2Ease of operation
If the bendable part has multiple curvature radii regions, then the distal end part can be inserted into acute angle bronchi, but the control and manipulation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bendable part is designed with regions of different curvature radii that can be dynamically controlled through the bending operation part. This allows the operator to adjust the bending configuration to match the specific anatomical pathway, making the complex multi-region structure manageable and adaptable to different bronchial geometries.
3Shape
If the second region has a smaller curvature radius, then sharp bending is achieved for acute angle insertion, but the length of the bendable part increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bendable part is segmented into regions with different curvature radii, allowing the smaller curvature radius to be concentrated in the distal region only where needed for acute angle insertion, rather than extending the entire length of the bendable part.
Solution Approach 2:
The smaller curvature radius is applied locally to the distal region of the bendable part, while the proximal region maintains a larger curvature radius. This localized approach achieves the necessary sharp bending capability without requiring the entire bendable part to be extended.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope includes: an insertion part including a distal end part and a bendable part provided on a proximal end side of the distal end part; and a bending operation part capable of performing a bending operation on the bendable part, the bendable part includes a first region and a second region between the first region and the distal end part, the first region is bent in one direction with a first curvature radius in accordance with an operation of the bending operation part, the second region is bent in the one direction with a second curvature radius less than the first curvature radius in accordance with an operation of the bending operation part, and a length of the second region in a longitudinal axis direction of the insertion part is equal to or less than a length of the first region in the longitudinal axis direction.