Disposable Endoscope Sheath with One-Way Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopes face challenges in disinfection due to material and structural limitations, high costs, and inefficiencies in existing protective solutions, including unsanitary suction tubes, lack of fixation between sheath and endoscope, backstreaming issues, and inadequate protection of operating portions.
Innovation Solution
A disposable protecting cover for endoscopes comprising a sheath, clamping tube, disposable suction tube, three-way sealing cap, and one-way valve, made of transparent film, which fits securely around the endoscope, allows for easy disinfection, prevents backstreaming, and protects the operating portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reusable endoscope is used, then cost is reduced, but disinfection reliability deteriorates due to material and structural limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into reusable (endoscope) and disposable (sheath, suction tube, valve disk, sealing cap) components. The disposable sheath covers the insertion portion, while the disposable suction tube and valve disk handle suction functions, allowing the expensive endoscope to be reused while maintaining disinfection reliability through single-use protective components.
Solution Approach 2:
Disposable components (sheath, suction tube, valve disk, sealing cap) are used to protect the reusable endoscope. These inexpensive single-use items are discarded after one use, ensuring complete disinfection without risking contamination of the expensive reusable endoscope, thus resolving the contradiction between reusability and disinfection reliability.
2Reliability
If a disposable sheath is added, then disinfection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple protective functions are merged into a single disposable sheath assembly that includes the sheath, suction tube, valve disk, and sealing cap as an integrated unit. This unified design simplifies the overall system by combining multiple protective components into one disposable package, reducing the complexity of managing separate protective devices while maintaining high disinfection reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a suction tube is disposed inside the endoscope, then integration is improved, but contamination risk increases as it cannot be changed after use
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube is extracted from the traditional integrated design inside the endoscope and repositioned as a separate disposable component connected to the endoscope through the sheath. This allows the suction tube to be easily removed and replaced after each use, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining functional integration through the sheath connection.
4Device complexity
If no one-way valve is disposed on water air tube, then device simplicity is maintained, but backstreaming occurs causing cross-infection
Solution Approach 1:
A disposable valve disk is used to provide one-way valve functionality on the water air tube. This inexpensive single-use component prevents backstreaming and cross-infection during each procedure, then is discarded after use, maintaining device simplicity while ensuring infection prevention reliability.
5Ease of operation
If operating portion is left uncovered, then ease of operation is maintained, but contamination by hands occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The protective covering is designed with differentiated properties: the sheath covers the insertion portion while the operating portion remains accessible. The transparent protecting cover allows visual monitoring without full coverage, providing local protection where needed (insertion portion) while maintaining accessibility (operating portion), thus balancing contamination prevention with ease of operation.
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
The solution enhances disinfection reliability, reduces water and energy consumption, extends endoscope lifespan, and lowers medical waste processing costs while preventing cross-infection and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a one-way valve is disposed on the water air tube and outside the disposable sheath
Implementation Method 2
the instrument insertion opening is elastically fit with an upper opening of the three-way sealing cap
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable protecting cover for an endoscope, the endoscope comprising a endoscope and a disposable valve disk, and the disposable protecting cover comprising a disposable sheath, a clamping tube, a disposable suction tube, a three-way sealing cap, a water air tube, and a protecting cover comprising a hand entrance and an instrument insertion opening. A support ring is disposed in the front of the disposable sheath, a convex portion and a concave portion are respectively disposed on both sides of the support ring and fit with a concave portion and a convex portion on a head of the endoscope, the water air tube is connected to the disposable sheath, a one-way valve is disposed on the water air tube and outside the disposable sheath, the protecting cover is in the shape of a cap and made of transparent film, the protecting cover operates to cover an operating portion of the endoscope of the endoscope, the instrument insertion portion is elastically fit with an upper opening of the three-way sealing cap, a suck-in connector and a suck-out connector are disposed on a valve seat of the disposable valve disk, and connected to the disposable suction tube, and the suck-in connector, the suck-out connector, and the disposable suction tube are dispose outside the endoscope.