Video Endoscope Push Tube Prevents Tension Element Bulging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intubation endoscopes face issues with lateral bulging of the tension element during straightening or curvature adjustment, which inhibits reliable distal movement and operational efficiency, especially when using small-diameter tension elements.
Innovation Solution
A push tube is placed around the outside of the tension element to prevent lateral bulging by occupying the susceptible area inside the housing, ensuring the tension element's rigidity and preventing jerky movements or evasive deflections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a small-diameter tension element is used to enable slimmer shaft design, then the shaft diameter can be reduced for larger intubation tubes, but lateral bulging occurs during straightening or curvature adjustment which inhibits reliable distal movement
Solution Approach 1:
A guide tube is introduced as an intermediary component between the tension element and the housing. The guide tube receives the tension element and constrains its lateral bulging movements while allowing longitudinal movement. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling the use of small-diameter tension elements without sacrificing movement reliability, as the guide tube prevents the harmful lateral deviations that would otherwise occur.
2Device complexity
If the tension element is made thinner to allow slimmer shaft, then larger intubation tubes can be used, but jerky movements or evasive deflections occur reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube serves as a mediator that guides the tension element's movement. By providing a constrained path within the guide tube, the tension element moves smoothly without jerky movements or evasive deflections. This allows the shaft to remain slim while maintaining operational smoothness, as the guide tube prevents the thin tension element from buckling or deflecting laterally during actuation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a rod-shaped tension element is used for deflecting the shaft, then lateral deflection can be controlled, but the element bulges laterally in the free space inside the housing during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube acts as an intermediary structure that receives and guides the rod-shaped tension element. It maintains the element's straightness by preventing lateral bulging in the free space inside the housing, while still allowing the tension element to effectively deflect the shaft when actuated. The guide tube's internal geometry constrains the tension element to move only in the intended longitudinal direction.
4Ease of operation
If the tension element moves freely in the free space of the housing, then the control mechanism has range of motion, but lateral bulging inhibits reliable distal movement
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube is positioned within the housing's free space to receive and guide the tension element. It maintains the necessary control range by allowing full longitudinal movement of the tension element while preventing harmful lateral bulging. This intermediary structure ensures reliable distal movement by constraining the tension element's path without restricting its operational range.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
A video endoscope (10) has a shaft (12) comprising a rigid proximal section (20) and a distal section (22) that is laterally deflectable in a plane from the central longitudinal axis (18) of the shaft (12), wherein an image capture device and an illumination device (24) are arranged at the distal end (14) of the deflectable section (22), and a housing (30) is arranged at the proximal end (16) of the shaft (12), which includes a control element (32) for controlling the deflection of the shaft (12), wherein a rod-shaped traction element (36) extends in the shaft (12) off-center to the central longitudinal axis (18), which is connected proximally to the control element (32) and distally to the distal end region of the deflectable distal section (22) of the shaft, wherein movement of the traction element by the control element laterally Deflection of the deflectable section causes,wherein the rod-shaped pull element (36) enters a free space (42) inside the housing through a first opening (40) at the proximal end (16) of the shaft (12), in which free space (42) the proximal end of the pull element (36) is connected to the control element (32). It is proposed that a thrust tube (80) be placed around the outer surface (39) of the pull element (36), extending from the proximal connection of the pull element (36) with the control element (32) through the first opening (40) into the shaft (12) when the shaft (12) is extended, wherein the length of the thrust tube (80) is dimensioned such that, after maximum proximal movement of the pull element (36), the entire section of the pull element (36) lying in the free space (42) inside the housing (30) is occupied by the thrust tube (80).