Flexible Endoscope Removable Optical Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible endoscopes face challenges with high costs and contamination risks due to the use of disposable specialized elements and the complexity of reusable components, which complicates cleaning and sterilization, often leading to infections during medical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A flexible endoscope design featuring a removable and independent optical-illumination module with a capsule and elastic tube, allowing for stable positioning and easy detachment from the distal tip, reducing the risk of contamination and infection while maintaining the reusability of expensive components like micro-cameras and optical fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If disposable specialized elements are used in endoscopes, then the risk of contamination and infection is reduced, but the cost of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is divided into two distinct segments: a reusable handle containing expensive components (optical fibers, micro-camera, electronics) and a disposable insertion tube containing functional channels. This segmentation allows the expensive parts to be reused while the disposable part ensures infection control, resolving the contradiction between cost and contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion tube with functional channels is extracted as a separate disposable component from the handle. This extraction allows the expensive handle to be reused while the disposable tube eliminates contamination risks, addressing both the cost and infection control requirements simultaneously.
2Loss of substance
If reusable endoscopes are used, then costs are reduced, but the complexity of cleaning and sterilization increases, leading to infection risks
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the endoscope into reusable and disposable parts, the cleaning complexity is reduced to only the handle portion. The disposable insertion tube eliminates the need for complex sterilization procedures, resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and cleaning complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion tube is designed as a cheap, disposable component that is discarded after use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning and sterilization procedures, reducing both the time and expertise required for maintenance while keeping overall costs low.
3Device complexity
If the optical-illumination elements are integrated with functional channels, then the device structure is simplified, but the risk of damage to optical elements during procedures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical-illumination elements are segregated into the reusable handle, separated from the functional channels in the disposable insertion tube. This segmentation protects the expensive optical elements from damage during procedures while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical-illumination elements are extracted from the insertion tube and placed in the handle. This extraction protects the optical elements from contact with bodily fluids and potential damage during procedures, while the disposable tube can be freely designed for functional purposes.
4Reliability
If disposable insertion tubes are used, then infection risk is reduced, but the cost of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is segmented into expensive reusable components in the handle and inexpensive disposable components in the insertion tube. This segmentation ensures that only the necessary disposable parts are replaced, minimizing overall cost while maximizing infection control.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion tube is designed as a cheap disposable component that can be easily manufactured and discarded. This allows frequent replacement to ensure infection control without significantly increasing overall operational costs, as only the simple tube needs to be disposable rather than the entire endoscope.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A flexible endoscope according to the invention is characterized in that, the endoscope comprising a removable and independent optical-illumination module (12) containing an elastic tube (12b) ended with a capsule (12a) while within the elastic tube (12b) an optical fiber bundles (12b4) and electrical wires (12b3) are ended with terminals for peripheral devices. Within the insertion tube (1) an optical-illumination channel (13a) is formed. A micro camera (12a6) equipped with lenses (12a3) and with terminals of optical fiber bundle (12b4) and electrical wires (12b3) is provided within the capsule (12a). If the optical-illumination module (12) is installed in the endoscope the capsule (12a) is placed stable in a distal tip (la) that is formed by movable connected parts.