Folding Back Endoscope Sections for Small Incision Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multifunctional endoscopes face challenges where adding more functions increases the external diameter, leading to larger incisions and increased patient burden in endoscopic surgeries, and limited functions when incisions are kept small, while industrial insertion devices also face limitations due to small insertion openings.
Innovation Solution
The insertion device features a folding back section that can be moved between serially located and folded back positions, allowing various means such as observation, diagnosis, and treatment functions to be deployed distally or proximally, enabling insertion and extraction through small incisions without increasing the external diameter, and can be configured with different functions for each section.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If more functions are added to the endoscope, then the functionality and versatility are improved, but the external diameter becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is divided into multiple sections: a device body and multiple folding back sections (first, second, third folding back sections). Each section can independently fold back toward the proximal side, allowing functions to be distributed across segments that can be compacted during insertion and deployed during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The folding back sections are designed to fold back toward the proximal side of the device body, creating a nested configuration during insertion. This allows multiple functional sections to be contained within a compact profile, enabling them to pass through small incisions while maintaining full functionality when deployed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the external diameter is reduced to enable small incisions, then the patient burden is reduced, but the functions that can be mounted are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The folding back sections are designed to be dynamically configurable between a folded back state during insertion (reducing external diameter) and an extended state during operation (providing full functionality). This dynamic transformation allows the endoscope to adapt its size to match the incision requirements while maintaining complete functional capability when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple functions are integrated into a single endoscope, then the device versatility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the endoscope into modular folding back sections, each with specific functions, the complexity is distributed and managed more effectively. Each section can be independently controlled and folded back, allowing complex functionality to be achieved through coordinated simple segments rather than a single complex unit.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion device and an endoscope which are inserted and extracted through a small incision and have multiple functions. A device body has grip forceps as a treatment means. A first folding back section and a second folding back section are provided at a distal portion of the device body such that the first and second folding back sections are aligned in a row in the longitudinal direction of the device body. The first folding back section and the second folding back section respectively have image obtaining means. An operation means can move the first folding back section to a folded back position in which the first folding back section is folded back relative to the second folding back section, and can also move the second folding back section to a position in which the second folding back section is folded back relative to the device body.