Endoscope Grip Touch Surface Slide Pad Bending Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopes with bending sections that require separate knobs for up-and-down and left-and-right bending operations are cumbersome and difficult to maneuver, especially when trying to perform both bending directions with one hand, and often compromise on space and watertightness in the grip section.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope design featuring a grip section with a bending operation knob for first perpendicular directions and a touch surface slide pad for second perpendicular directions, where the positional change of the touched region is detected to control a motor-driven bending mechanism, allowing for intuitive and efficient bending operations in both directions without the need for additional knobs, while maintaining a watertight and easily cleanable grip section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate knobs are provided for up-and-down and left-and-right bending operations, then bending control precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the up-and-down bending control and left-and-right bending control into a single integrated bending operation knob. This single knob can perform both bending operations by rotating in different directions or combining rotational movements, thereby reducing the number of separate controls while maintaining bending control precision for both perpendicular directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending operation knob is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple purposes: it controls both up-and-down bending and left-and-right bending of the bending section. By making one component perform multiple functions, the system reduces overall device complexity while preserving the ability to precisely control bending in both directions.
2Measurement precision
If separate knobs are provided for up-and-down and left-and-right bending operations, then bending control precision is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple bending control functions into a single bending operation knob, reducing the total number of components in the grip section. This merging approach maintains the capability to control bending in both perpendicular directions while simplifying the overall device structure and reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending operation knob is designed as a universal control element that handles both up-and-down and left-and-right bending operations. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated knobs for each bending direction, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving precise bending control capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If a touch surface slide pad is used for bending operation, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision and reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical bending controls with a touch surface slide pad interface. Instead of mechanical knobs that require precise manufacturing and assembly, the slide pad uses a tactile surface that can be operated by finger sliding, thereby improving ease of operation while reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements for the control interface itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The control interface transitions from requiring precise mechanical positioning (knobs) to a more forgiving tactile sliding mechanism. The slide pad accepts a range of positions and movements rather than requiring exact alignment, thereby maintaining ease of operation while reducing the impact of manufacturing variations on operational reliability.
4Ease of operation
If a touch surface slide pad is used for bending operation, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex mechanical bending controls with a simpler touch surface slide pad mechanism. This replacement reduces the number of moving parts and potential failure points in the control system, thereby improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive tactile feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide pad interface allows users to directly control bending through intuitive finger sliding motions without requiring complex mechanical linkages. The system responds directly to user input through the tactile surface, eliminating intermediate mechanical stages that could fail, thus improving reliability while keeping the operation simple and easy to perform.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope includes a bending operation knob inputting a bending operation of a bending section in first perpendicular directions, a touch surface which is exposed in an outer surface of a grip casing and on which a bending operation of the bending section in second perpendicular directions is input, and a positional information calculator calculating a positional information of a touched region with time, the touched region being a region that is touched in the touch surface. The endoscope includes a positional change detector detecting a positional change of the touched region when the bending operation of the bending section in the second perpendicular directions is input, and a drive controller controlling a drive state of a drive member in accordance with the positional change of the touched region.