Electrode-equipped Endoscope with Active Bending and Recovery Electrode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rigid cystoscopes struggle to perform surgical operations on lesions near the urethra due to their inability to bend, limiting access and causing discomfort during insertion.
Innovation Solution
An electrode-equipped endoscope system with a freely bendable insertion portion, featuring an active bending section and a recovery electrode, allows for flexible operation and current recovery during surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid cystoscope is used, then structural stability is maintained, but the ability to bend the distal tip for accessing lesions near the urethra is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cystoscope is divided into distinct segments: a rigid proximal portion for structural stability, a flexible intermediate portion for bending capability, and a rigid distal tip for surgical operations. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function while resolving the contradiction between overall stability and local flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the cystoscope have different rigidity properties tailored to their specific functions. The proximal portion maintains high rigidity for stability, the intermediate portion has reduced rigidity for bending, and the distal tip retains rigidity for surgical operations, thereby achieving both stability and adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If the distal tip is made flexible to enable bending, then access to lesions near the urethra is improved, but the electrode support stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode support structure is segmented into a rigid distal-end portion that maintains electrode stability and a flexible intermediate portion that enables bending. This segmentation ensures that the electrode support remains stable where needed while allowing the distal tip to be maneuvered freely.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode support has varying rigidity along its length: the distal-end portion near the electrode maintains high rigidity for reliable electrode positioning, while the intermediate portion has reduced rigidity to allow bending, thus achieving both stability and maneuverability.
3Reliability
If a rigid electrode support portion is used, then electrode positioning stability is maintained, but the ability to perform surgical operations on lesions near the urethra communication port is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode support is divided into a rigid distal-end portion for stable electrode positioning and a flexible intermediate portion for enabling access to difficult sites. This segmentation allows the system to maintain electrode stability while achieving the adaptability needed to reach lesions near the urethra communication port.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode support structure exhibits local quality variations with the distal-end portion having high rigidity for electrode stability and the intermediate portion having reduced rigidity for maneuverability, thereby resolving the contradiction between positioning stability and access capability.
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
Enables precise surgical operations on lesions near the urethra by allowing the distal tip to be bent at obtuse angles, reducing patient discomfort during insertion and improving operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Conventional endoscopes that resect or coagulate tissues in a subject using a high-frequency current flowing from an electrode in an electrolyte solution environment have been widely used.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an electrode-equipped endoscope system in which an insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity can be freely bent. In an electrode-equipped endoscope system used for a surgical operation performed by inserting an external electrode into a body cavity, a recovery electrode, through which a current from the external electrode flows, is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion to be inserted into a bladder, and an active bending section is provided at the distal end portion of the insertion portion.