Automated Fiber Scope Feeder for Endoscope Lumen Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in effectively inspecting and cleaning long, thin, flexible medical devices such as endoscopes and catheters, which are difficult to access internally and prone to contamination and damage, often requiring labor-intensive processes that may not be thorough.
Innovation Solution
A medical device inspection system featuring a base with a moveable roller and feeder mechanism that automatically advances a fiber scope into the device's lumen, equipped with artificial intelligence to identify defects and capture images, along with optional features like ultraviolet light emission for disinfection and torque sensing to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a small flexible scope is manually inserted to inspect the lumen of a medical device, then the inspection can be performed, but the process becomes labor intensive and effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service inspection by automatically advancing the fiber scope through the lumen without requiring manual manipulation. The automated feeder mechanism propels the scope forward while the camera captures images autonomously, eliminating the need for operator intervention during the inspection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical insertion of the fiber scope is replaced with an automated feeding mechanism. The system uses a controlled propulsion system to advance the scope through the lumen, substituting human manual operation with an automated mechanical system that improves consistency and efficiency.
2Device complexity
If manual inspection methods are used, then the process can be performed with simple equipment, but the inspection becomes labor intensive and sometimes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into an integrated inspection system. The fiber scope, camera, automated feeder, and image processing capabilities are combined into a single system that performs inspection automatically, improving reliability while maintaining operational simplicity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber scope acts as an intermediary element that transmits visual information from within the lumen to the camera system. This intermediary allows the inspection of difficult-to-reach areas without requiring direct manual visualization, thereby improving inspection effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If long flexible medical devices are used for minimally invasive procedures, then patient benefit is improved, but the devices become extremely hard to clean and inspect on the inside
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber scope is nested within the lumen of the medical device during inspection. This nested configuration allows the inspection tool to access the internal passages of the medical device, enabling visualization of contaminants and damage that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates visual copies (images) of the lumen's internal structure and contents. The camera captures images of the interior surfaces, allowing inspection of hard-to-reach areas without physically manipulating or disturbing the device, thereby overcoming the difficulty of internal detection.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device inspection system may include a base, a medical device holder on the base, a fiber scope holder on the base, a moveable roller moveably attached to the base such that it is free to rotate around an axis and move from a first position to a second position along the base, and a feeder coupled with the base for feeding a flexible portion of the fiber scope into a lumen of the medical device. During use, the flexible portion of the fiber scope may extend from the handle, around the moveable roller, and through the feeder to enter an opening in the lumen of the medical device.