Steerable Endoscope Continuum Manipulator Pneumatic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscopic procedures are limited by the need for sedation, costly reprocessing of traditional endoscopes, and complex maneuvering requirements, which restrict patient access and increase healthcare costs.
Innovation Solution
A steerable endoscope system with intrinsic pneumatic actuation and a continuum manipulator architecture, featuring a user interface that controls a steerable tip using parallel bellow actuators, allowing intuitive bending movements by mimicking user-applied actions to adjust the bending angle of the end-effector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional endoscopes are used, then reprocessing between uses is required, but this increases cost of care and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes a disposable endoscope system that eliminates the need for reprocessing between uses. The entire endoscope including the flexible tube, light source, and camera is designed as a single-use device that can be disposed of after one procedure, thereby eliminating costly and time-consuming reprocessing operations while maintaining patient safety standards.
2Ease of operation
If complex maneuvering mechanisms are used in endoscopes, then steering capability is improved, but operation becomes non-intuitive and requires long training
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes a control mechanism where the operator's hand movements on the handle directly copy and replicate the desired movements of the endoscope tip. When the operator bends the handle in a particular direction, the endoscope tip bends in the same direction, creating an intuitive one-to-one mapping between operator input and device response, thereby eliminating the need for complex training.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sedation is administered for endoscopic procedures, then patient comfort is improved, but patient access is restricted and sedation-related adverse events increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes an endoscope with enhanced lighting and imaging capabilities that allows the procedure to be performed without sedation. The improved visual feedback and easier maneuverability enable the patient to remain conscious and cooperative during the procedure, eliminating the need for sedation administration and its associated risks while expanding patient access to bedside procedures.
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
Enables bedside procedures without sedation, reduces healthcare costs by eliminating reprocessing needs, and simplifies endoscope operation with an intuitive control mechanism, enhancing patient access and procedural efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The steerable endoscope system includes intrinsic pneumatic actuation... three corresponding parallel bellows in the steerable tip... movement of the piston of a syringe causes the corresponding bellow to inflate or deflate
Implementation Method 2
three super-elastic NiTi backbones within the user interface are connected to the user's handle. The free ends of these backbones provide push-and-pull action for moving three corresponding syringe pistons
Data Source
AI summary
A steerable endoscope system includes a continuum manipulator, a plurality of syringes, and a steerable tip. The continuum manipulator includes a plurality of spaced discs and a plurality of backbones each extending through all discs. A bending movement of the continuum manipulator changes a varying linear displacement of each backbone. Each backbone is further coupled to a different one of the syringes such that the linear displacement of each backbone pushes or pulls a piston of the corresponding syringe by a varying amount. The steerable tip includes a plurality of bellows each pneumatically coupled to a different syringe such that movement of the piston of a syringe causes the corresponding bellow to inflate or deflate. Because the distal end of each bellow is fixedly coupled to the same end effector, variations in the amount of inflation or deflation on each bellow causes a bending of the steerable tip.