Disposable Endoscope With Integrated Camera For Stent Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for placing and removing stents, such as prostatic stents, are cumbersome, inefficient, and cause patient discomfort due to the use of non-specialized and complex medical equipment, leading to local trauma.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic system with a semi-rigid design featuring a dual cannula structure, where the outer sleeve can slide relative to the inner cannula, allowing for precise placement and removal of stents with integrated imaging and fluid management, and a reusable handle with a video screen for visualization, enabling minimally invasive procedures with reduced discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional general purpose endoscopic devices with rigid stainless steel cannulas are used for stent placement, then the stent can be deployed, but the system becomes expensive, complicated, and causes significant patient discomfort and local trauma
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is divided into separate functional modules: a reusable handle assembly containing controls and power, and a disposable cannula assembly containing the imaging device and working channel. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently and reduces overall system complexity by eliminating the need for complex reusable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable cannula assembly that is discarded after single use, eliminating the need for expensive, complex reusable endoscopic devices. The disposable nature reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies the design, while maintaining adequate functionality for stent placement.
2Reliability
If conventional rigid cannulas with outer diameter of 7 mm or greater are used, then stent placement is achieved, but significant patient discomfort and local trauma occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid stainless steel cannulas with a flexible, soft-profile cannula made of compliant material. This flexible cannula can be inserted through curved anatomical paths without causing trauma, while still providing the necessary working channel for stent placement. The flexible nature significantly reduces patient discomfort and local tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the cannula by reducing the outer diameter from conventional 7 mm or greater to a smaller flexible profile, and changing the material properties from rigid to compliant. These parameter changes enable the cannula to navigate curved anatomical structures without causing trauma while maintaining stent placement capability.
3Productivity
If specialized customized endoscopic devices are designed for particular applications, then procedural efficiency and accuracy improve, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal disposable cannula assembly that can be used for multiple stent placement applications through its modular design. The standardized interface between the handle and cannula allows the same basic design to serve different clinical scenarios, reducing the need for application-specific customized devices while maintaining procedural efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a simplified copied design of the cannula assembly that replicates the essential functionality of complex reusable endoscopes without the complexity. The disposable nature allows for simplified manufacturing and design, while the integrated imaging and working channel provide adequate functionality for stent placement procedures.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If integrated imaging devices are incorporated into the cannula, then visualization capability is improved, but the cannula complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the imaging device, illumination source, and working channel into a single integrated disposable cannula assembly. This consolidation provides comprehensive visualization capability while maintaining relative simplicity through the disposable design. The integrated nature eliminates the need for separate imaging systems and reduces overall procedural complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are configured for precise placement of surgical stents. A customized endoscopic system has a stent positioned between an inner cannula and the outer sleeve. The inner cannula has an integrated camera and illumination on its distal tip. The operator can make precise stent placements while viewing live video on an integrated display mounted on the hand piece. The stent can be removed using a specialized hook device. The system can have a single use portion that includes the cannula with imaging module, stent and outer sleeve. A re-usable portion can include the hand piece and display screen.