Endoscope Elastic Tube Rigidity Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes face issues with the elastic tube covering the bendable portion deviating and loosening, particularly during cleaning, which affects the diameter and movement of the endoscope insertion part within a body cavity.
Innovation Solution
The elastic tube is designed with higher rigidity in directions orthogonal to the bending operation directions, featuring thick-walled portions and buried wires to prevent deviation and loosening, while maintaining flexibility for bending operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elastic tube is fixed at the boundary portion between the first bendable portion and the second bendable portion to prevent loosening, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the step portion and required recess
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic tube is designed with locally varied wall thickness, featuring thick-walled portions at specific locations rather than uniform thickness throughout. This local reinforcement prevents loosening and deviation at critical areas without requiring additional fixing structures or recesses, thereby maintaining simplicity while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness of the elastic tube is changed as a key parameter, with thick-walled portions providing enhanced rigidity and thin-walled portions maintaining flexibility. This parameter variation allows the tube to resist loosening forces without requiring structural modifications like recesses or step portions
2Reliability
If the elastic tube is made with high rigidity to prevent deviation during cleaning, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to reduced flexibility for bending
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic tube features non-uniform wall thickness with thick-walled portions providing high rigidity for preventing deviation and thin-walled portions providing flexibility for bending operations. This local differentiation allows the tube to simultaneously achieve both reliability and ease of operation in different sections
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic tube can be constructed using composite material structures, combining materials or structural configurations that provide both rigidity and flexibility. The thick-walled portions use higher rigidity materials or configurations while thin-walled portions use more flexible configurations, creating a composite structure that satisfies both requirements
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
This configuration prevents the elastic tube from deviating or loosening, ensuring smooth movement of the endoscope insertion part and stable endoscopy by maintaining the internal diameter and reducing the external diameter increase, thus enhancing the operational stability and durability.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic tube having flexibility
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An endoscope has a bendable portion configured to be operated to be bent within one plane which is parallel to an axial direction of an endoscope insertion part 13 on a distal end side of the endoscope insertion part 13. An outer peripheral surface of the bendable portion is covered with an elastic tube 31 having flexibility. A rigidity of the elastic tube 31 in directions L and R orthogonal to bending operation directions U and D is higher than that of the elastic tube in the bending operation directions U and D.