Endoscope Tool Elevator for Side-Wall Lesion Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscope assemblies limit the visibility and accessibility of body cavities, particularly when attempting to operate on polyps or lesions on the side walls, as they require repositioning of the endoscope tip to access these areas, leading to inefficiencies and increased time in procedures.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope assembly with a distal tip section featuring both front-pointing and side-looking viewing elements, along with a working channel that allows medical tools to exit from either the front or side, utilizing a ramp structure and elevator mechanism controlled by a pivot system to direct the tool's exit angle, enabling access and visibility from multiple angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If surgical tools exit only from the front opening, then the structure is simple, but visibility and accessibility to side walls are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The working channel is segmented into multiple exit openings: a front opening and at least one side opening. This segmentation allows surgical tools to exit through different directions (front or side) depending on the procedural needs, thereby improving adaptability without significantly complicating the overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The working channel is designed to serve multiple functions by providing both front and side exit openings. This multi-functional design enables the same channel structure to support various surgical approaches (frontal access or lateral access) depending on the location and type of the target lesion, enhancing versatility while maintaining structural simplicity
2Ease of operation
If the endoscope tip is repositioned to face the polyp, then the tool can reach the target, but the polyp may be lost and time is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The side opening acts as an intermediary exit point that allows surgical tools to reach lateral targets (polyps on cavity walls) without requiring the endoscope tip to be repositioned. The tool can exit through the side opening and directly access the target area, eliminating the time-consuming repositioning process while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The side opening is pre-positioned to provide direct access to lateral targets. By having the opening already in place before the procedure begins, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming repositioning actions during the procedure, allowing immediate access to polyps or lesions on the cavity walls
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided herein an endoscope assembly comprising at least one front-pointing viewing element on a front end of a distal section of the endoscope assembly, at least one side-looking viewing element on at least one side wall of the distal section of the endoscope assembly, a working channel configured for insertion of a medical tool towards the distal section, and a system for regulating the direction of exit of medical device wherein said system enables the medical device to exit at multiple angles to the long dimension of the endoscope device either from the front end or through side walls of the distal section of the device.