Endoscopic Overtube Interlocking Mechanism for Visual Field Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic surgical systems require assistance to change the endoscope's visual field, leading to complex operations and prolonged surgery times, as they lack effective mechanisms for interlocking the endoscope and treatment tool, especially in controlling forward and backward movements.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic surgical device with an overtube that includes an interlocking member allowing independent forward and backward movement of the endoscope and treatment tool, with a dead zone and sensing zone to prevent unnecessary movement interlock, enabling the surgeon to change the endoscope's visual field without assistance by adjusting the fixing forces and frictional forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the endoscope and treatment tool are mechanically interlocked to move together, then the visual field can be changed automatically following treatment tool movement, but the mechanism becomes enlarged and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The overtube is divided into multiple functional sections: a first passage for the endoscope, a second passage for the treatment tool, and an interlocking member with distinct coupling portions. This segmentation allows independent control of each tool while enabling selective mechanical interlocking when needed, avoiding the need for a permanently complex integrated mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking member can transition between locked and unlocked states dynamically. The coupling portion for the endoscope can be engaged or disengaged from the interlocking member, allowing the system to switch between automatic visual field change mode and independent operation mode, reducing complexity when the automatic feature is not needed.
2Ease of operation
If the endoscope movement is always interlocked with treatment tool movement, then the visual field follows the treatment tool, but the observation image becomes unstable due to minute interlocked movements
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking mechanism applies different coupling characteristics to different portions of the endoscope. The coupling portion is designed to allow small positional adjustments and minute movements independently while maintaining overall interlocking, providing local flexibility that stabilizes the observation image while preserving the visual field following capability.
3Ease of operation
If the surgeon operates the treatment tool with one hand, then the surgeon can focus on treatment, but the endoscope visual field cannot be changed without assistant help
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically changing the endoscope visual field in response to treatment tool movement. The interlocking member detects treatment tool position changes and automatically adjusts the endoscope orientation accordingly, eliminating the need for assistant coordination and allowing the surgeon to focus solely on treatment operations.
4Extent of automation
If the endoscope and treatment tool are inserted into an integral sheath, then interlocking control can be performed, but the system requires complex detection and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking member acts as a mechanical intermediary between the treatment tool and endoscope. Instead of requiring complex electronic sensors and control systems, the mechanical structure of the interlocking member directly transmits movement information from the treatment tool to the endoscope through physical coupling, simplifying the detection and control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an endoscopic surgical device and an overtube with which a surgeon can easily obtain a desired image and operability is high. The overtube includes a slider within an overtube body, which guides an endoscope and a treatment tool into a body cavity. An endoscope-coupled part and a treatment tool-coupled part are provided inside the slider, and the slider has a dead zone where the forward and backward movement of either the endoscope or the treatment tool does not interlock with the movement of the other and a sensing zone where the forward and backward movement of either the endoscope or the treatment tool interlocks with the movement of the other. F1>F2 is satisfied when a fixing force for fixing the endoscope-coupled part to the endoscope tool is defined as F1 and a fixing force for fixing the treatment tool-coupled part to the treatment tool is defined as F2.