Endoscope Shovel Structure for Multi-Side Tissue Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manipulation of slightly convex, concave, or non-symmetric target tissues within a body cavity is challenging, particularly during endoscopic procedures, due to difficulties in dissection, cutting, and ensuring access to all sides of the tissue for imaging, injection, or ablation.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope equipped with a shovel-like structure at its distal edge, featuring a concave design and a movable rail, which facilitates the movement of a vehicle along its width, allowing tools to access and stabilize target tissues for dissection, cutting, and other manipulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional endoscopes are used for manipulating target tissues, then the procedure can be performed minimally invasively, but the ability to access and manipulate all sides of slightly convex, concave, or non-symmetric tissues is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is divided into functional segments: a distal end portion with a shovel structure for tissue manipulation, a middle portion with imaging devices for multi-angle visualization, and a proximal control portion. This segmentation allows each segment to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a shovel structure that protrudes from the distal end of the endoscope, adding a new spatial dimension for tissue interaction. This shovel can elevate and support target tissues, creating additional working space and access angles that were not available with conventional flat-tipped endoscopes, enabling manipulation of all sides of convex, concave, or non-symmetric tissues.
2Productivity
If the endoscope is equipped with additional structures like a shovel to improve tissue manipulation, then the ability to perform dissection and cutting is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components: the shovel structure is combined with support portions that can elevate tissues, imaging devices are integrated at strategic positions to visualize all sides of target tissues, and cutting tools can be attached to the shovel. This merging reduces the need for separate devices and improves procedural efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The shovel structure serves multiple functions: it can elevate target tissues to create working space, support tissues during manipulation, provide attachment points for cutting tools, and facilitate access to all sides of convex, concave, or non-symmetric tissues. This multi-functionality improves productivity without requiring separate specialized devices for each task.
3Measurement precision
If the endoscope uses a shovel structure to stabilize and elevate target tissues, then the precision of dissection and cutting is improved, but the difficulty of manipulating non-symmetric and large tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shovel structure is used to preliminarily elevate and stabilize target tissues before dissection or cutting operations. By creating this preliminary positioning and support, the subsequent manipulation becomes more precise and easier, as the tissue is already held in an optimal position for accurate cutting or ablation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shovel acts as an intermediary structure between the endoscope and the target tissue. It provides a stable platform and support surface that mediates the interaction between the endoscope system and non-symmetric or large tissues, facilitating precise manipulation by translating complex tissue geometries into manageable working positions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present subject matter provides a shovel configured to attach to a distal edge of an endoscope and protrude from a lower part of the distal edge, and an endoscope comprising the shovel attached to a distal edge of the endoscope. Additional embodiments of the shovel and the endoscope comprising the shovel are disclosed herein.