Endoscope Protective Tube with Variable Elasticity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope designs with densely spirally wound element wires on flexible bodies face manufacturing complexity, high costs, damage to other components, increased diameter issues, and reduced durability due to buckling, especially when using thin optical fibers for illumination.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope design featuring a flexible protective tube with a first region of smaller elastic constant and larger external diameter in the curvable portion, and a second region with higher elastic constant and smaller diameter in the soft portion, to prevent buckling and damage while maintaining curving manipulability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a single mode fiber with reduced diameter (0.3 mm) is used to enable blue laser beam transmission and white light generation, then the illumination performance is improved, but the durability of the flexible body is insufficient and it is apt to be damaged due to buckling or bending
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tube is designed with different elastic constants for different regions: the first region (curvable portion) has a smaller elastic constant for flexibility, while the second region (soft portion) has a larger elastic constant for durability. This local differentiation protects the thin optical fiber from buckling in the curvable portion while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective tube is constructed as a composite structure with two regions of different material properties. The first region uses a material with smaller elastic constant to allow curving, while the second region uses a material with larger elastic constant to prevent buckling and damage to the optical fiber, creating a composite protective system.
2Reliability
If element wires are densely and spirally wound on the outer periphery of the flexible body to prevent buckling, then the durability is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and costs become high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the buckling prevention function from the complex spiral element wire structure and implements it through a simpler protective tube with differentiated elastic constants. This eliminates the need for dense spiral winding while achieving the same protective effect, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the structural complexity through spiral winding, the invention changes the material parameter (elastic constant) of the protective tube. By varying the elastic constant along the length of the tube, the invention achieves buckling prevention through material property modification rather than structural complexity.
3Reliability
If element wires are densely and spirally wound on the flexible body to prevent buckling, then the durability is improved, but the diameter of the insertion part is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tube provides localized protection with different elastic constants in different regions, achieving buckling prevention without the need for extensive spiral winding that would increase diameter. The first region allows curving while the second region prevents buckling, all within a compact structure.
4Reliability
If the protective tube has larger external diameter in the first region to prevent buckling, then the durability of optical fiber is improved, but the diameter of the insertion part is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tube is designed with local quality differentiation where only the second region (soft portion) has larger diameter and higher elastic constant for buckling prevention, while the first region (curvable portion) maintains smaller diameter for flexibility. This localized approach protects the optical fiber without significantly increasing the overall insertion part diameter.
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 design effectively prevents buckling and damage to optical fibers, reduces manufacturing complexity, and enhances curving manipulability without increasing the insertion part diameter, ensuring the durability and functionality of the endoscope.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic constant of the first region being smaller than the elastic constant of the second region
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an endoscope that prevents occurrence of buckling of a flexible body built in an insertion part of the endoscope without damaging other built-in components, and is easy to manufacture without impairing the curving manipulability. The endoscope includes a curvable portion, and an elongated insertion part being inserted into a subject. The endoscope has an elongated flexible body built in the insertion part, and a flexible protective tube that covers an outer periphery of the flexible body. The protective tube has a first region that covers the range of the flexible body, and a second region that covers the range of the soft portion. The elastic constant of the first region is smaller than the elastic constant of the second region, and the external diameter of the protective tube in the first region is larger than the external diameter of the protective tube of the second region.