Endoscope Tube Pliability and Air Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopes face challenges in maintaining tube pliability while preventing deformation and air leakage, particularly at the connection points where the physical strength is compromised.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope design incorporates a flexible tube portion with an inner layer of solid polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and an outer layer that transitions from a solid structure at the distal tip to a porous structure, ensuring pliability and preventing air leakage by using a two-layer structure with specific porosity configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tube is fitted outside a pipe member with a two-layer structure (inner solid PTFE, outer porous PTFE), then the fitting operation can be performed using smaller force, but deformation of the outer diameter of the tube is inevitable and physical strength is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The tube is designed with different structural properties at different locations: the distal tip portion has a porous structure for easy fitting and flexibility, while the proximal portion has a solid structure for maintaining physical strength. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of fitting and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube is divided into two distinct segments: a distal tip portion with porous PTFE structure and a proximal portion with solid PTFE structure. Each segment serves a specific function - the porous segment facilitates easy fitting and maintains pliability, while the solid segment ensures structural strength, thereby resolving the contradiction.
2Ease of operation
If a tube is fitted outside a pipe member to ensure pliability, then the tube can be deformable, but the outer shape is deformed and physical strength is degraded at the connection point
Solution Approach 1:
The tube employs local quality differentiation where the distal tip portion has a porous structure that provides pliability and deformability for easy fitting, while the proximal portion has a solid structure that maintains outer shape integrity. This resolves the contradiction between pliability and shape maintenance.
3Ease of manufacture
If the tube structure is simplified to a single layer, then manufacturing is easier, but air leakage may occur and reliability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tube uses a composite structure with two different PTFE materials: porous PTFE for the distal tip portion and solid PTFE for the proximal portion. This composite approach ensures reliability by preventing air leakage through the solid proximal portion while maintaining ease of fitting through the porous distal portion, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Pliability of a tube is ensured while preventing deformation of the tube, occurrence of air leakage, and the like. An endoscope includes an insertion portion and a tube arranged inside the insertion portion. The insertion portion includes a bending section that is bendable based on an operation, a distal tip connected to a distal tip of the bending section, and a flexible tube portion that is bendable by external force independent of the operation. The tube includes an inner layer and an outer layer formed outside the inner layer. The inner layer is formed from polytetrafluoroethylene having solid structure. The outer layer is positioned at an end portion on a side of the distal tip and includes a first portion formed from polytetrafluoroethylene having solid structure and a second portion formed from polytetrafluoroethylene having porous structure.