GB2641684A - Endoscope with a flexural distal tip - Google Patents
Endoscope with a flexural distal tipInfo
- Publication number
- GB2641684A GB2641684A GB2512911.5A GB202512911A GB2641684A GB 2641684 A GB2641684 A GB 2641684A GB 202512911 A GB202512911 A GB 202512911A GB 2641684 A GB2641684 A GB 2641684A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- distal portion
- tube
- cannula assembly
- axially extending
- radially outward
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B17/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods
- A61B17/34—Trocars; Puncturing needles
- A61B17/3417—Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating
- A61B17/3421—Cannulas
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/005—Flexible endoscopes
- A61B1/0051—Flexible endoscopes with controlled bending of insertion part
- A61B1/0055—Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/012—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor characterised by internal passages or accessories therefor
- A61B1/018—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor characterised by internal passages or accessories therefor for receiving instruments
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/04—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances
- A61B1/05—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Surgery (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Biophysics (AREA)
- Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Endoscopes (AREA)
Abstract
An endoscope has a narrow, metal cannula for insertion into the body of a patient. The distal tip of the endoscope has substantially the same outer diameter as the rest of the cannula when no tool is being passed through its working channel. When a tool is passed through the cannula the distal tip expands to a larger diameter to accommodate the tools outer diameter. The endoscope distal tip includes one or more compliant flexure mechanisms formed by cuts in the metal that facilitate its expansion when a tool is inserted and retraction due to the resiliency of the metal when a tool is withdrawn. The endoscope has an imaging sensor with a direction of view the is substantially unchanged when a tool is inserted.
Claims (26)
1. CLAIMS
2. 1. An endoscope cannula assembly comprising: an axially extending, hollow outer tube and an axially extending, hollow inner tube inside the outer tube; wherein one of said outer and inner tubes has a distal portion formed by cuts therein into a flexure structure configured to resiliently expand in response to a radially outward force applied thereto and to flex back when the force is removed, said flexure structure comprising: a proximal flexure segment that comprises first and second axially extending parts formed by axially extending cuts into said distal portion and a series of rib arc structural members formed by partial circumferential cuts into said axially extending parts whereby said first flexure segment is rigid in the axial direction and resiliently flexible in the radially outward direction; a distal flexure segment that is positioned distally from the proximal flexure segments and is formed by serpentine cuts into said distal portion leaving axially extending flexible ribbons connected at their axial ends whereby the distal flexure segment is configured to expand in response to a radially outward force applied thereto and to flex back when the radially outward force acting thereon is removed; said cannula assembly further comprising a supporting bracket secured at said distal portion and extending radially inwardly therein and a sensor assembly secured to the supporting bracket and comprising a camera module and illumination elements; and an axially extending working channel inside said inner tube; wherein said working channel is configured to accept a surgical tool that has a crosssection greater than hollow space inside said distal portion between the supporting bracket and the inside of the distal portion such that said surgical tool in motion in the distal direction engages said supporting bracket to thereby push the supporting bracket radially outwardly and expand said proximal and distal flexure segments; and wherein said distal portion is configured to maintain a consistent direction of view (DOV) of said camera module during said radially outward expansion of the proximal and distal flexure segments.
3. 2. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1, in which said distal portion is a distal portion of said outer tube.
4. 3. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1, in which said distal portion is a distal portion of said inner tube that extends distally from the outer tube.
5. 4. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1, in which the inner and outer tubes have central longitudinal axes spaced from each other to thereby leave space between an inner wall of the outer tube and an outer wall of the inner tube as a fluid flow channel.
6. 5. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 4, further including a first valve fluidly coupled to said working channel and a second valve fluidly coupled to said fluid flow channel.
7. 6. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 5, further including a bridging tube between said valves, wherein said valves and bridging tube are configured to selectively enable irrigation fluing flow into the working channel and drainage flow out of the fluid channel or irrigation fluid flow into both said working channel 24 and fluid flow channel.
8. 7. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1, further including a rigid conduit configured for insertion into said working channel to exert said radially outward force on said supporting bracket and having an internal channel for insertion of a surgical instrument that need not be rigid.
9. 8. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1, further including a handle assembly to which a proximal portion of the cannula assembly is rotatably secured and a rotation knob coupled to said cannula assembly to rotate the cannula assembly about a longitudinal axis thereof relative to said handle assembly.
10. 9. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 1 having an outside diameter less than 5 mm at a portion thereof configured for insertion into a patient.
11. 10. An endoscope cannula assembly comprising: a first, axially extending, hollow tube that has a distal portion made of a metal and comprises a flexure structure formed by cuts into said distal portion and configured to expand radially outwardly and flex back due to resiliency of said metal: wherein said cuts include a serpentine cut forming a flexure segment comprising axially extending flexible ribbons connected at axial ends to thereby form a serpentine continuous strip of metal with ends connected to said distal portion of the hollow tube and configured to expand said distal portion of the hollow tube radially outwardly in response to radially outward force applied thereto and to flex back when the radially outward force acting thereon is removed; a supporting bracket at said distal portion, extending radially inwardly therein and a sensor assembly secured to the supporting bracket and comprising a camera module and illumination elements; an axially extending working channel inside said tube; and wherein said working channel is configured to accept a surgical tool that has a crosssection greater than hollow space inside said distal portion of the hollow tube that is between the supporting bracket and the inside of the distal portion such that said surgical tool in motion in the distal direction engages said supporting bracket and thereby generates radially outward force expanding said flexure structure.
12. 11. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, wherein said distal portion is configured to maintain a consistent direction of view (DOV) of said camera module during said radially outward expansion.
13. 12. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, in which said distal portion of the tube further comprises axially extending parts that are axially spaced from said flexible ribbons and are formed by axially extending cuts into said distal portion.
14. 13. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 12, in which said distal portion of the tube further includes a series of rib arc structural members formed by partial circumferential cuts into said axially extending parts that are axially spaced from said flexible ribbons, whereby said axially extending parts are rigid in the axial direction and resiliently flexible in the radially outward direction.
15. 14. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, further including a second hollow inner tube that is inside said first tube, wherein said working channel is inside said inner tube and said inner tube has an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the first tube to thereby leave a fluid flow channel between the first and second tubes.
16. 15. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 14, further including a first valve fluidly coupled to said working channel and a second valve fluidly coupled to said fluid flow channel.
17. 16. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 15, further including a bridging tube between said valves, wherein said valves and bridging tube are configured to selectively enable irrigation fluing flow into the working channel and drainage flow out of the fluid channel or irrigation fluid flow into both said working channel and fluid flow.
18. 17. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, further including a rigid conduit that is configured for insertion into said working channel to exert said radially outward force on said supporting bracket and has an internal channel for insertion of a surgical instrument that need not be rigid.
19. 18. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, further including a second tube that surrounds the first tube, wherein said distal portion is a distal portion of said second tube.
20. 19. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 18, in which the inner and outer tubes have central longitudinal axes spaced from each other.
21. 20. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10, further including a handle assembly to which a proximal portion of the cannula assembly is rotatably secured and a rotation knob coupled to said cannula assembly to rotate the cannula assembly about a longitudinal axis thereof relative to said handle.
22. 21. The endoscope cannula assembly of claim 10 having an outside diameter less than 5 mm at a portion thereof configure for insertion into a patient.
23. 2. A method of imaging an internal space in a patient comprising: inserting into an internal space in a patient a hollow tube that has a distal portion made of a metal and comprises a flexure structure formed by cuts into said distal portion and configured to expand radially outwardly and flex back due to resiliency of said metal: wherein said cuts include a serpentine cut forming a flexure segment comprising axially extending flexible ribbons connected at axial ends to thereby form a serpentine continuous strip of metal with ends connected to said distal portion of the hollow tube and configured to expand said distal portion radially outwardly in response to radially outward force applied thereto and to flex back when the radially outward force acting thereon is removed; providing a supporting bracket secured at said distal portion and extending radially inwardly therein and a sensor assembly secured to the supporting bracket and comprising a camera module and illumination elements, and an axially extending working channel inside said tube; and inserting a surgical tool distally in said working channel that has a cross-section greater than hollow space inside said distal portion between the supporting bracket and the inside of the distal portion such that said surgical tool in motion in the distal direction engages said supporting bracket and thereby generates radially outward force expanding said flexure structure.
24. 23. The method of claim 22, including configuring said distal portion to maintain a consistent direction of view (DOV) of said camera module during said radially outward expansion.
25. 24. The method of claim 23, including providing at said distal portion of the tube axially extending parts that are axially spaced from said flexible ribbons and are formed by axially extending cuts into said distal portion.
26. 25. The method of claim 24, including providing at said distal portion of the tube a series of rib arc structural members formed by partial circumferential cuts into said axially extending parts that are axially spaced from said flexible ribbons, whereby said axially extending parts provided with said rib arc structural elements are rigid in the axial direction and resiliently flexible in the radially outward direction.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US202363447290P | 2023-02-21 | 2023-02-21 | |
| US202363524101P | 2023-06-29 | 2023-06-29 | |
| PCT/IB2024/000034 WO2024175992A2 (en) | 2023-02-21 | 2024-01-16 | Endoscope with a flexural distal tip |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2641684A true GB2641684A (en) | 2025-12-10 |
Family
ID=92501721
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2512911.5A Pending GB2641684A (en) | 2023-02-21 | 2024-01-16 | Endoscope with a flexural distal tip |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| DE (1) | DE112024000939T5 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2641684A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2024175992A2 (en) |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN101040775A (en) * | 2006-03-23 | 2007-09-26 | 伊西康内外科公司 | Disposable endoscope devices |
| CN102137615A (en) * | 2008-09-01 | 2011-07-27 | 阿克塞斯视觉技术公司 | Instrument for an endoscope |
| US20160096004A1 (en) * | 2014-10-06 | 2016-04-07 | Lawrence J. Gerrans | Steerable Catheter With Flexing Tip Member |
| CN107072486A (en) * | 2013-11-21 | 2017-08-18 | 模托斯Gi医疗技术有限公司 | Coordinated positioning of the distal tip for endoscopes with suction |
| CN107257648A (en) * | 2015-02-27 | 2017-10-17 | 柯惠有限合伙公司 | Beveled tip endoscope with the zero degree angle of visual field |
| CN109152515A (en) * | 2016-02-29 | 2019-01-04 | 莫雷纳医学应用有限公司 | Endoscope with shared service aisle |
-
2024
- 2024-01-16 WO PCT/IB2024/000034 patent/WO2024175992A2/en not_active Ceased
- 2024-01-16 DE DE112024000939.5T patent/DE112024000939T5/en active Pending
- 2024-01-16 GB GB2512911.5A patent/GB2641684A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN101040775A (en) * | 2006-03-23 | 2007-09-26 | 伊西康内外科公司 | Disposable endoscope devices |
| CN102137615A (en) * | 2008-09-01 | 2011-07-27 | 阿克塞斯视觉技术公司 | Instrument for an endoscope |
| CN107072486A (en) * | 2013-11-21 | 2017-08-18 | 模托斯Gi医疗技术有限公司 | Coordinated positioning of the distal tip for endoscopes with suction |
| US20160096004A1 (en) * | 2014-10-06 | 2016-04-07 | Lawrence J. Gerrans | Steerable Catheter With Flexing Tip Member |
| CN107257648A (en) * | 2015-02-27 | 2017-10-17 | 柯惠有限合伙公司 | Beveled tip endoscope with the zero degree angle of visual field |
| CN109152515A (en) * | 2016-02-29 | 2019-01-04 | 莫雷纳医学应用有限公司 | Endoscope with shared service aisle |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE112024000939T5 (en) | 2026-01-22 |
| WO2024175992A2 (en) | 2024-08-29 |
| WO2024175992A3 (en) | 2024-11-07 |
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