Flexible Endoscope Cleaning Device with Axially Spaced Discs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic devices often become contaminated during medical procedures, requiring effective cleaning and sterilization to maintain hygiene and extend their lifespan, but existing cleaning methods may not uniformly distribute and remove contaminants from the internal and external surfaces efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning device with a combination of squeegee and brush components, featuring a set of axially spaced discs on a flexible base or catheter, designed to facilitate the removal of contaminants by bending and adjusting to fit within the endoscopic device's channels, ensuring thorough cleaning and prevention of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cleaning member with radially extending fins is used to pass through the endoscope lumen, then contamination can be distributed as a thin film on the internal wall, but the cleaning effectiveness and uniformity of contaminant removal remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is divided into multiple radially extending fins (at least two) that are axially spaced apart, allowing each fin to independently contact and clean different portions of the endoscope lumen wall, thereby improving uniformity of contaminant distribution while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member transitions from a single-plane contact design to a three-dimensional configuration with radially extending fins that contact the lumen wall at multiple radial distances, enabling comprehensive coverage of the internal surface including hard-to-reach areas
2Strength
If the cleaning member is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then it can effectively contact the endoscope surfaces, but it cannot adapt to varying channel geometries and may cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member incorporates flexible materials that allow the fins to dynamically adjust their position and contact pressure based on the channel geometry, enabling adaptation to varying endoscopic structures while maintaining sufficient contact for effective cleaning without causing damage
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning member uses flexible fin structures that can bend and conform to the curvature of the endoscope lumen, allowing the rigid cleaning action to be applied gently across different channel geometries while preventing mechanical damage
3Productivity
If the cleaning member has large radial fins for thorough cleaning, then contaminant removal is improved, but the device complexity and risk of damage to endoscopic channels increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member features radially extending fins with varying dimensions and properties at different locations, allowing each fin to be optimized for its specific cleaning task while maintaining overall structural simplicity and reducing the risk of damage to the endoscopic channel
Data Source
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AI summary
A cleaning device for use with an endoscope. The device includes an elongated and flexible base and a set of discs axially spaced along the base. Each disc is positioned along the base at a center point of the disc. The size and spacing of the discs may vary within the set of discs.