Deflectable Autoclavable Endoscope Lateral Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible endoscopes face challenges in withstanding autoclaving processes due to the limitations of flexible materials, and existing solutions are cumbersome and prone to contamination during handling and sterilization.
Innovation Solution
A deflectable endoscope design with a metal shaft and a separate outer part containing a deflector mechanism, allowing for easy attachment and detachment laterally, enabling flexibility without requiring the entire shaft to be made of flexible material, and allowing for separate sterilization or disposal of the outer part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire shaft is made of flexible plastic material to enable deflection, then the viewing flexibility is improved, but the ability to withstand autoclaving temperatures is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into two distinct parts: a rigid metal shaft core that withstands autoclaving, and a separate flexible outer part that provides deflection capability. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The endoscope combines dissimilar materials - a metal shaft core for thermal stability and an outer flexible part for mechanical adaptability. This composite construction enables the device to simultaneously achieve autoclave resistance and viewing flexibility.
2Reliability
If a hermetic cover is pushed over the shaft to protect components during autoclaving, then the protection of sensitive components is improved, but the ease of operation is worsened due to cumbersome handling and contamination risk
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is integrated into a separate outer part that can be independently attached or removed from the shaft. This allows the protective features to be present when needed while eliminating the complexity of pushing covers onto the shaft during use.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of pushing a cover onto the shaft to achieve protection, the design inverts the approach by having the protective outer part already configured and ready to be attached laterally, reversing the sequence and method of assembly.
3Device complexity
If the outer part is permanently attached to the shaft, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of repair is worsened due to inability to separately sterilize or replace components
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable connection between the outer part and shaft allows each component to be independently removed, sterilized, or replaced. This segmentation maintains operational simplicity while enabling separate maintenance of each subsystem.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between outer part and shaft transitions from static (permanently attached) to dynamic (detachable), allowing the system to adapt between integrated operation and separate maintenance modes as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope has a shaft housing a lighting and an image transmission system and said endoscope being designed to be autoclavable. The shaft has a distal end portion which is made deflectable. An outer part is provided which is attached to said shaft. The outer part has a deflector mechanism for deflecting said deflectable distal end portion of said shaft and said outer part can be attached to said shaft by being releasably mounted laterally onto said shaft.