Injection-Molded Endoscope Bending Part for Disposable Use

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional endoscopes are costly due to their metal articulated structures, making them unsuitable for disposable use, and require complete replacement or extensive cleaning, which is inefficient.

Innovation Solution

An endoscope design with a bending part composed of polycarbonate-based sections for rigidity and polyurethane-based connection portions for flexibility, manufactured through injection molding, allowing for low-cost production and easy part replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a metal articulated structure is used to ensure rigidity and flexibility during bending driving, then the structural performance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameters from metal to resin, specifically using a polyamide resin that provides both the required flexibility and rigidity through its molecular structure and crystallinity, eliminating the need for expensive metal articulated structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The bending part is formed as a composite structure with a polyamide resin base material and a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) reinforcement fiber embedded within it. This composite provides enhanced mechanical properties including rigidity, flexibility, and wear resistance while maintaining low manufacturing cost through injection molding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If a disposable endoscope is used to eliminate cleaning and disinfection requirements, then hygiene is improved, but the manufacturing cost per unit increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovehygieneVSAvoidmanufacturing cost per unit

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the entire endoscope as a disposable single-use product made from inexpensive resin materials that can be mass-produced through injection molding. The bending part uses a cost-effective polyamide resin with LCP reinforcement, eliminating the need for expensive metal components, making the disposable model economically viable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex metal mechanical articulated structures with a resin-based bending mechanism that achieves the same functionality through material properties and simplified geometry, significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining the required flexibility and rigidity for disposable application

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the entire endoscope is replaced to ensure hygiene after single use, then hygiene is improved, but the resource waste and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovehygieneVSAvoidresource waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a truly disposable endoscope where only the insertion unit is used once and discarded, while the operating unit can be reused. This partial disposability reduces resource waste compared to replacing the entire endoscope, while maintaining hygiene standards

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The endoscope is segmented into a disposable insertion unit and a reusable operating unit. The insertion unit containing the bending part is designed as a separate disposable component, allowing selective replacement without discarding the expensive operating unit, thus reducing resource waste

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 endoscope achieves cost-effective manufacturing and easy part replacement, ensuring hygiene by allowing disposable use while maintaining structural integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a bending part composed of polycarbonate-based sections for rigidity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMaterial rigidity:

Implementation Method 2

polyurethane-based connection portions for flexibility

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMaterial flexibility:

Implementation Method 3

manufactured through injection molding

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInjection molding:

Data Source

PatentEP4729267A1endoscope

Publication Date: 2026.04.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC

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AI summary

There is disclosed an endoscope, including: an insertion unit including an illumination and imaging unit and an insertion tube; and an operating unit provided with an operating knob and configured to perform a bending operation of the insertion tube according to an operation of the operating knob, wherein the insertion tube includes a bending part configured to be bent according to the operation of the operating unit, and the bending part includes a bending section injection-molded of a first material and a connection portion injection-molded of a second material different from the first material and connecting a plurality of the bending sections, thereby having an effect of manufacturing the bending part capable of providing bending performance at a low cost.