Endoscope Bending Portion Variable Length Guide Pipe
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes face challenges in navigating curved sections due to inflexible bending portions, which can lead to contact with intestinal walls and loss of field view, particularly in medical applications like the colon, where a short bending radius is advantageous but difficult to achieve with traditional wire-controlled bending mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope features a flexible tube portion with an inside guide pipe and an outside guide pipe, where the inside guide pipe's distal end is fixed to the bending portion and its proximal end is switchable between fixed and non-fixed states, allowing for variable bending length adjustments by controlling the guide pipes' positions relative to the bending wires, enabling precise bending and reduced friction within the guide pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a short bending portion with small bending radius is used to enhance ability to pass through curved sections, then the distal end portion can more easily navigate curved sections and be brought close to the site to be examined, but the bending portion becomes less flexible and more likely to contact the intestinal wall causing loss of field view
Solution Approach 1:
The bending portion is designed with variable bending radius capability, allowing it to dynamically adjust its curvature. The first bending section has a smaller bending radius for navigating tight curves, while the second bending section has a larger bending radius for maintaining stability and field view. This dynamic configuration enables the endoscope to adapt to different anatomical conditions during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending portion is divided into multiple independent bending sections (first bending section and second bending section) that can be controlled separately. Each section has different bending characteristics, with the first section providing sharp bending capability and the second section providing smoother curvature. This segmentation allows independent control of each bending section to optimize both curve navigation and field view maintenance.
2Reliability
If the bending portion is made more flexible to avoid contact with intestinal walls, then field view is maintained, but the ability to navigate curved sections with small bending radius is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic control over bending radius by activating different bending sections as needed. When navigating tight curves, the first bending section with smaller radius is activated. When maintaining field view in straighter sections, the second bending section with larger radius is activated. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between flexibility and curve-navigation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the bending portion into multiple sections with different bending characteristics, the system can selectively engage the appropriate section based on the anatomical conditions. The first bending section handles tight curves while the second bending section maintains smoother curvature for field view stability, eliminating the need to choose between flexibility and curve-navigation ability.
3Reliability
If a long bending portion is used to maintain field view, then the distal end portion is less likely to contact the curved section, but the ability to navigate curved sections and bring the distal end close to the site is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bending portion is segmented into a first bending section and a second bending section with different lengths and bending radii. The first section has smaller length and bending radius for navigating tight curves, while the second section has larger length and bending radius for maintaining field view. This segmentation allows the system to use only the necessary portion for each specific task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the effective bending portion length by controlling which bending sections are activated. When navigating curved sections, only the first bending section with appropriate length is activated. When maintaining field view in straighter sections, the second bending section is activated. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between bending portion length and navigation ability.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion instrument and an endoscope are provided that include: a bending portion provided in an insertion portion; a flexible tube portion connected in series to a proximal end side of the bending portion; an inside guide pipe provided inside the insertion portion, and inside which a wire is inserted to freely advance and retract; and an outside guide pipe provided inside the insertion portion, and inside which the inside guide pipe is inserted to freely advance and retract. Inside the insertion portion, a distal end of the inside guide pipe is fixed to a midway position of the bending portion, and a proximal end of the inside guide pipe is configured to be switchable between a fixed state and a non-fixed state. Further, inside the insertion portion, a distal end of the outside guide pipe is fixed to a distal end of a flexible tube portion, and a proximal end thereof is fixed at a more rearward position than the flexible tube portion.