Endoscope Insertion Length Correction via Load Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing endoscope technologies face challenges in accurately associating the insertion length of the insertion portion with images of the body cavity interior due to discrepancies between insertion movement detected outside and actual movement relative to the inner wall, caused by factors like frictional changes and elasticity.

Innovation Solution

An endoscope apparatus with an image-acquisition unit, insertion-length measuring unit, storage unit, decision unit, and correcting unit that determines and corrects insertion length discrepancies by detecting load changes and comparing consecutive images to ensure precise association of images with insertion length, preventing multiple insertion lengths from being linked to the same image.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If insertion length is measured at the base end of the insertion portion, then the measurement is easy to implement, but the measured value does not correspond to the actual movement of the tip relative to the inner wall

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of measuring insertion lengthVSAvoidaccuracy of insertion length association

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors the load on the insertion portion and uses this feedback to detect when the tip is attached to the inner wall. Based on this feedback, the correction unit adjusts the recorded insertion length to reflect the actual tip position, resolving the discrepancy between base-end measurement and tip position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement at the tip with indirect measurement at the base end combined with load-based detection. By substituting the measurement location and using load changes as a proxy for tip attachment status, the system achieves both ease of implementation and measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If the insertion portion is inserted into the body cavity, then images of the body cavity can be acquired, but frictional force changes cause the tip movement to diverge from base end movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage acquisition capabilityVSAvoidconsistency between base end and tip movement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The load detecting unit provides continuous feedback on the attachment status between the tip and inner wall. This feedback enables the system to distinguish between periods when tip and base end movements are consistent versus when they diverge due to attachment, allowing for selective correction of insertion length data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system proactively detects load changes that indicate impending attachment before significant movement divergence occurs. By identifying attachment conditions in advance through load monitoring, the correction unit can pre-adjust the insertion length recording to prevent inaccurate associations between images and insertion depths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Reliability

If multiple insertion lengths are recorded for the same image position, then all measured values are stored, but accurate identification of affected areas becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of data recordingVSAvoidloss of position accuracy information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses load feedback to determine when to apply correction and when to record raw measurements. This selective recording approach maintains data completeness for non-attached periods while preventing redundant or conflicting insertion length associations for attached periods, ensuring accurate position identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The correction unit extracts and removes the inaccurate insertion length components from the recorded data. By separating the base end movement measurement from the tip attachment effects, the system extracts only the relevant insertion length information that accurately corresponds to tip position, eliminating redundant or conflicting data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8343037B2Endoscope apparatus and endoscope-image recording method

Publication Date: 2013.01.01 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)

AI summary

An endoscope apparatus including an insertion portion for insertion into a body cavity; an image-acquisition unit disposed at a tip thereof that acquires an image of the inside of the body cavity; an insertion-length measuring unit disposed at a base end of the insertion portion that measures an insertion length of the insertion portion inside the body cavity; a storage unit that stores the image acquired by the image-acquisition unit in association with the insertion length measured by the insertion-length measuring unit; a following decision unit that determines whether insertion movement at the tip follows insertion movement at the base end; and a correcting unit that corrects the insertion length of the insertion portion associated with the acquired image to cancel a change in the insertion length measured in a non-following period on the basis of the result of that determination.