Endoscope Viscoelastic Composition for Sustained Visual Field Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope field obstruction by opaque dark-colored liquids or semi-solid materials, or sustained hemorrhage, is not effectively addressed by current methods, leading to difficulty in identifying and treating hemorrhage sites due to temporary and ineffective clearing of obstructions.
Innovation Solution
A viscoelastic composition with a shear storage modulus of 0.7 Pa or more, comprising a combination of polysaccharides with specific glucose and mannose glycoside-bonded structures, maintains a clear field of view by physically pushing away obstructions and preventing their re-suspension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If water or gas is supplied into the canal to remove liquid or semi-solid material, then the field of view is temporarily secured, but the removed material mixes with water or diffuses in the canal, causing the field of view to become obstructed again
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the irrigation fluid by using a viscoelastic composition with specific viscosity (10-1000 mPa·s) and elasticity properties (loss tangent ≤ 0.6). This parameter change allows the fluid to maintain structural integrity and push away obstructions without mixing, thereby extending the duration of field of view clearance compared to conventional water or gas irrigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite material system consisting of water combined with viscoelastic substances (such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, or dextran). This composite composition provides both the fluidity needed for injection through endoscope channels and the elastic properties needed to maintain obstruction clearance, resolving the contradiction between temporary clearance and sustained visibility.
2Force
If a composition with high viscosity is used to push away liquid or semi-solid material, then the material is temporarily displaced, but it diffuses or suspends returning into the field of view in a short period
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the viscosity parameter to a specific range (10-1000 mPa·s) and controls the loss tangent (≤ 0.6) to achieve the right balance between pushing force and stability. This parameter optimization ensures the composition is viscous enough to displace obstructions effectively but elastic enough to maintain the cleared field without allowing material to diffuse back, thus resolving the contradiction between pushing force and field stability.
3Illumination intensity
If gas is blown into the canal to remove liquid or semi-solid material, then the field of view is temporarily secured, but hemorrhage sites remain difficult to remove and the field of view is not secured
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state and properties of the irrigation medium from gas to a viscoelastic liquid composition with controlled viscosity and elasticity. This parameter change allows the composition to effectively push away blood and other obstructions while maintaining stable clearance, thereby improving the reliability of hemorrhage site identification and treatment compared to gas irrigation.
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 viscoelastic composition effectively maintains a clear field of view by preventing the re-suspension of obstructions like blood or semi-solid materials, allowing sustained observation and treatment of hemorrhage sites.
Implementation Method 1
a viscoelastic composition that is suitable for use in securing the field of view of an endoscope when opaque dark-colored liquid or a semi-solid material accumulates inside a canal and obstructs the field of view of the endoscope, the viscoelastic composition securing the field of view by pushing away the liquid or the semi-solid material
Implementation Method 2
the liquid or the semi-solid material that has been physically pushed away for the moment diffuses or suspends returning into the field of view in a short period of time
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4A
AI summary
The present invention relates to a viscoelastic composition for securing the field of view of an endoscope, the viscoelastic composition comprising a thickening substance and water and having a shear storage modulus G' of 0.7 Pa or more, and a method for securing the field of view of an endoscope, the method comprising feeding the viscoelastic composition from a proximal part of the endoscope, through a channel, into a distal part of the endoscope. The viscoelastic composition or method according to the present invention can be suitably used particularly for use in securing the field of view of an endoscope when opaque dark-colored liquid or a semi-solid material accumulates inside a canal and obstructs the field of view of the endoscope, the viscoelastic composition securing the field of view by pushing away the liquid or semi-solid material, or for use in securing the field of view of an endoscope when the field of view of an endoscope is obstructed by sustained hemorrhage inside a canal.