Medical Instrument Guiding Device with Interlocking Rollers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medical instrument guiding devices for endoscopes and treatment tools are complex and invasive, requiring separate guides for each instrument and causing stress and inefficiency for surgeons due to the need for manual coordination and potential interference between operators.

Innovation Solution

A medical instrument guiding device with a guide member that allows both the endoscope and treatment tool to be inserted through a single entry point, featuring a back-and-forth movement transmission mechanism with a rotation member that interlocks the movement of the endoscope with the treatment tool, reducing the need for multiple guides and allowing a single surgeon to operate both instruments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If separate guide members are used for endoscope and treatment tool, then each instrument can be independently guided, but the system complexity increases and invasiveness worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveIndependent guidance capabilityVSAvoidNumber of guide members

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple guide members (endoscope guide and treatment tool guide) into a single integrated guide member. This guide member includes multiple insertion holes that accommodate both the endoscope and treatment tool simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate guide members and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining independent guidance capability for each instrument

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple purposes: it guides both the endoscope and treatment tool through its multiple insertion holes, provides structural support for both instruments, and enables coordinated movement between the two tools. This universal design reduces the number of components needed in the surgical system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If separate guide members are used for endoscope and treatment tool, then each instrument can be independently guided, but the invasiveness of the procedure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveIndependent guidance capabilityVSAvoidInvasiveness to body wall

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The endoscope and treatment tool are nested within the same guide member structure, with each instrument passing through its own insertion hole in the guide member. This nesting arrangement allows both instruments to share the same external guide structure, reducing the number of separate penetrations needed in the body wall

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Adaptability or versatility

If operator manually coordinates endoscope and treatment tool, then flexibility in operation is maintained, but stress on operator increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveOperational flexibilityVSAvoidSurgical efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The back-and-forth movement transmission mechanism provides automatic feedback between the treatment tool and endoscope. When the treatment tool moves back and forth, the transmission mechanism automatically adjusts the endoscope position to maintain optimal imaging of the treatment site, eliminating the need for manual coordination while preserving operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-coordination through the back-and-forth movement transmission mechanism, which automatically synchronizes endoscope movement with treatment tool movement. This self-service capability reduces operator stress and increases surgical efficiency by eliminating the need for one operator to manually coordinate multiple instruments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If detection markers or magnetic sensors are added to treatment tool, then position detection accuracy improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveTreatment tool position detectionVSAvoidSystem component count

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The back-and-forth movement transmission mechanism acts as an intermediary that mechanically couples the treatment tool and endoscope. This mechanical linkage directly transmits position information from the treatment tool to the endoscope without requiring additional sensors or markers, maintaining measurement precision while avoiding increased device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a mechanical transmission system (back-and-forth movement mechanism) to replace electronic or optical detection systems (sensors and markers). This mechanical approach directly transmits position information through physical movement, eliminating the need for complex electronic detection components while maintaining accurate position tracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

This configuration reduces the invasiveness of the procedure, simplifies the system, and enables a desired image to be obtained by the surgeon without the need for manual adjustment of the endoscope, allowing for more efficient and less stressful surgical operations.

Implementation Method 1

a back-and-forth movement transmission mechanism which is configured to transmit back-and-forth movement of the treatment tool to the endoscope, is provided in the inside of the guide member, and includes a rotation member which has a rotation axis that three-dimensionally intersects with a longitudinal axis of the treatment tool insertion hole and rotates according to the back-and-forth movement of the treatment tool

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical motion transmission: Mechanical Advantage

Data Source

PatentUS10470646B2Medical instrument guiding device

Publication Date: 2019.11.12 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

A medical instrument guiding device (outer tube) to be tapped into a body wall includes: an endoscope insertion hole for inserting the endoscope; a treatment tool insertion hole for inserting the treatment tool; and an interlocking mechanism for moving the endoscope back and forth in interlock with the back-and-forth movement of the treatment tool. The interlocking mechanism includes an endoscope-side roller contacts with an endoscope insertion part and moves in interlock with the endoscope insertion part, and a treatment tool-side roller which contacts with a treatment tool insertion part and moves in interlock with the treatment tool insertion part, and those rollers rotates in interlock with each other. In response to the movement of the treatment tool insertion part, the treatment tool-side roller and the endoscope-side roller rotate in an opposite direction to move the endoscope insertion part.