Expandable Endoscope Working Channel for Cystoscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cystoscopy procedures cause discomfort due to the similarity in size between the endoscope and the urethra, leading to increased friction and apprehension about more invasive procedures, which can deter patients from opting for accurate biomarker identification.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope with an expandable and collapsible working channel that reduces its size during insertion, minimizing friction and discomfort by transitioning from a collapsed to an expanded configuration, allowing easier access and reduced trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the endoscope is inserted in an expanded configuration to ensure structural stability and instrument accommodation, then the working channel can accommodate instruments, but the lateral size increases causing increased friction and patient discomfort during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The working channel is designed to dynamically change its configuration between collapsed and expanded states. During insertion, the working channel remains collapsed to minimize friction and patient discomfort. Once positioned, it expands to accommodate instruments, thus adapting its state based on procedural requirements rather than maintaining a fixed configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The working channel is nested within the endoscope body in a collapsed state during insertion, similar to how smaller objects are nested within larger ones. This nesting allows the working channel to be contained within the endoscope's lateral dimensions, minimizing the overall profile during insertion while still providing instrument accommodation capability when expanded
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the endoscope is inserted in a collapsed configuration to reduce lateral size and minimize friction, then patient comfort is enhanced, but the working channel cannot accommodate instruments until expanded
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is inserted in a collapsed configuration as a preliminary action to minimize friction and patient discomfort during the most critical phase of insertion. After successful positioning, the working channel is then expanded to enable instrument accommodation, thus performing the size-reduction action first and the instrument-accommodation action second
3Strength
If the working channel is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then structural stability is improved, but the endoscope cannot be compressed to a smaller profile for insertion
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the endoscope have different structural properties. The endoscope body and optical components maintain rigid structural integrity, while the working channel specifically is designed with flexible, expandable characteristics. This local differentiation allows the working channel to be compressed during insertion while the overall endoscope structure remains stable
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope may include an expandable and collapsible working channel, a flexible endoscope body, and an optical sensor located at a distal tip of the endoscope body. The optical sensor can provide a distal field of view from the distal tip. In the collapsed configuration, the working channel can be collapsed such that a channel wall is in a first position relative to the endoscope body and the working channel defines a first cross-sectional area. In the expanded configuration, the channel wall is displaced relative to the first position and the working channel defines a second cross-sectional area that is larger than the first cross-sectional area.