Confocal Endoscope Fixing Device for Insertion Tube Jitter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Confocal endoscopes experience jitter during use, leading to image blurring due to the insertion tube's movement, which affects the quality of internal tissue examination.
Innovation Solution
A fixing device comprising a flexible tube with airbag assemblies and a pressure supply system that restricts the insertion tube, reducing jitter by using elastic airbags to stabilize the tube's position within the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the insertion tube is made flexible to navigate the body, then adaptability is improved, but stability deteriorates causing jitter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an airbag as an intermediary element between the insertion tube and the body cavity. The airbag is inflated to provide stabilizing force on the insertion tube, reducing jitter while preserving the tube's flexibility for navigation. This mediator allows the system to achieve both adaptability and stability simultaneously.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the insertion tube is rigid to maintain stability, then stability is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the flexible insertion tube for navigation, the airbag for stabilization, and the control system. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function - the tube remains flexible while the airbag provides rigidity when needed, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If airbags are inflated to stabilize the insertion tube, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airbag serves multiple functions: it stabilizes the insertion tube, provides gentle expansion against body tissues, and can be controlled to adjust stabilization levels. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively minimizes the jitter of the insertion tube, thereby reducing image blurring and enhancing the clarity of images transmitted from the fiber optic bundle during examinations of the stomach and intestines.
Implementation Method 1
each airbag assembly includes a plurality of elastic airbags
Implementation Method 2
the pressure supply assembly injects fluid media into the elastic airbags
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the technical field of endoscopes, and discloses a confocal endoscope with a fixing device. The confocal endoscope includes an insertion tube, a flexible tube, a plurality of airbag assemblies, and a pressure supply assembly, where the flexible tube is slidably sleeved on the insertion tube, a plurality of containing units are formed in an outer wall of the flexible tube in an axial direction and are distributed in the axial direction of the flexible tube at intervals, each containing unit includes a plurality of containing grooves evenly distributed in a circumferential direction of the flexible tube, and the outer wall of the flexible tube is concaved inwards to form the containing grooves; the airbag assemblies and the containing units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, each airbag assembly includes a plurality of elastic airbags, the elastic airbags and the containing grooves are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the elastic airbags are connected to inner walls of the containing grooves; the pressure supply assembly is selectively communicated with the elastic airbags of one or more airbag assemblies and configured to inject fluid media with certain pressure into the elastic airbags. According to the present invention, the insertion tube can be prevented from jittering.