Endoscopic Hood Vacuum Capsule Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopic apparatuses are inadequate in holding medical capsules within the body cavity, particularly in the lower gastrointestinal tract, due to insufficient holding power and visibility issues, and struggle to reach the small intestine for collection or transportation.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic apparatus featuring a hood member with a curved, thinner, and flexible distal end, and optionally expandable balloons, which creates a vacuum to securely hold medical capsules and allows for observation, enhancing holding power and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a suction opening with small inner diameter is used to hold a medical capsule, then the endoscopic apparatus can be inserted into the body cavity, but the holding power is insufficient and the medical capsule can fall
Solution Approach 1:
The hood member is divided into multiple functional sections: a distal end section with a first opening for capsule insertion, a middle section with a second opening for suction, and a proximal section with a third opening for control. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hood member acts as an intermediary structure between the endoscopic apparatus and the medical capsule. It provides a larger opening area at the distal end to improve holding power while maintaining a compact structure for insertion, thus mediating between the contradiction of insertion capability and holding reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the endoscopic apparatus is in the form of string of scope, then it can be inserted into the body cavity, but it cannot easily reach the inside of lower gastrointestinal tract such as small intestine
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscopic apparatus incorporates a balloon that can be inflated and deflated dynamically. When inflated, it provides a larger cross-sectional area to navigate the lower gastrointestinal tract and reach the small intestine. When deflated, it maintains a compact form for insertion. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between insertion capability and reach capability.
3Device complexity
If the hood member is made opaque, then the structure is simple, but the outside of the hood member cannot be observed by the observation section
Solution Approach 1:
The hood member is designed with different optical properties in different sections. The proximal section is made transparent or semitransparent to allow observation of the outside surface by the observation section, while the distal end section remains opaque to maintain structural integrity and focus the suction opening. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and visibility.
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 apparatus reliably prevents medical capsules from falling and allows for their secure collection or transportation within the body cavity, including the small intestine, with improved visibility and holding power.
Implementation Method 1
the inside of the hood member is sucked through the forceps port to be vacuum, so that a medical capsule is attracted to the distal end of the hood member
Implementation Method 2
a suction pump, which sucks gas in the hood member
Data Source
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AI summary
One object of the present invention is to provide a method for collecting and transporting a medical capsule (220) with which a medical capsule (220) in a body cavity can be reliably held for its collection or transportation, and an endoscopic apparatus for the method. The endoscopic apparatus comprises: an endoscope (10) having an inserting section (12) with a distal end portion (44) including an observation optical system (52) and a forceps port (58); a sucking pump (51) in communicated with the forceps port (58); and a generally cylindrical hood member (200) which is attached to the distal end portion (44). Actuation of the sucking pump (51) causes the inside of the hood member (200) to be sucked through the forceps port (58) to be vacuum, which attracts a medical capsule (220) to the hood member (200) to hold.