Wireless Endoscope Battery Replacement Mode

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless endoscopes face limitations in battery weight and capacity, requiring mid-procedure battery replacement, which disrupts continuous operation during medical procedures due to limited power storage and portability constraints.

Innovation Solution

A wireless endoscope system with a detachable battery and a capacitor for power storage, allowing for a 'replacement time operation mode' that reduces power consumption by adjusting frame rate, illumination, and image compression, enabling continued operation using stored power until the battery is replaced.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If a battery with sufficient capacity is loaded on the wireless endoscope to enable continuous operation throughout an entire procedure, then the duration of action is improved, but the weight increases and portability is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation durationVSAvoidbattery weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The power supply system is segmented into a main battery and a secondary battery that can be independently attached and detached. This allows the endoscope to operate with a lighter single battery during procedures while enabling battery replacement to extend total operation duration without permanently increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the power supply parameter from a fixed single-battery configuration to a variable configuration where battery capacity can be adjusted by attaching or detaching the secondary battery, allowing optimization between weight and operation duration based on procedural needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Duration of action of moving object

If battery replacement is performed during a medical procedure to extend operation duration, then the duration of action is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to procedure disruption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation durationVSAvoidprocedure continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The detection portion detects battery connection status in advance and notifies the user before battery exhaustion occurs. This allows proactive battery replacement planning without disrupting the ongoing procedure, maintaining ease of operation while extending duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control portion acts as an intermediary between the battery system and the endoscope operation, managing power consumption and providing advance notification to coordinate battery replacement without procedure interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the battery capacity is limited to maintain portability, then the ease of operation is improved, but the duration of action worsens requiring mid-procedure replacement

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveportabilityVSAvoidoperation duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The power supply is segmented into primary and secondary batteries, allowing the endoscope to maintain portability with a single battery while providing the option to attach an additional battery for extended procedures, thus resolving the contradiction between portability and operation duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Duration of action of moving object

If power consumption is reduced during battery replacement mode to enable continued operation, then the duration of action is improved, but the manufacturing precision worsens due to lower power availability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation durationVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

During replacement time operation mode, the system performs partial action by reducing power consumption in non-critical functions while maintaining essential imaging capabilities. This allows continued operation with acceptable image quality for critical procedures while extending duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 uninterrupted endoscopic observation by reducing power consumption during battery replacement, allowing for smooth procedure continuation without stopping or reconfiguring equipment, even with a small-capacity capacitor, thus enhancing portability and operability.

Implementation Method 1

a capacitor for power storage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS10441133B2Wireless endoscope

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)

AI summary

A wireless endoscope includes: a detection portion configured to detect a connection state to an endoscope body of a battery; and a control portion configured to set a replacement time operation mode of using the power from a power storage component as the power needed for the endoscopic observation and performing the endoscopic observation with lower power compared to a normal time operation mode of performing an endoscopic observation with the power from the battery, when a detection result of a non-connection state of the battery is given from the detection portion, in which the control portion restores the normal time operation mode from the replacement time operation mode when a detection result of a reconnection state to the endoscope body of the battery is given from the detection portion.