Balloon controller for endoscopic apparatus

• US 20060116586A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Tadashi, Sakamoto, Toshio, Wada, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,901,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/470
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00154 using guiding arrangements for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/01 Guiding arrangements therefore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10185 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10188 Inflation or deflation data displays

Abstract

A balloon controller for an endoscope apparatus, which expands or shrinks a first balloon attached to an insertion portion of an endoscope by supplying fluid to the first balloon or drawing fluid from the first balloon, and which expands or shrinks a second balloon attached to an insertion assist implement for guiding the insertion portion when the insertion portion is inserted, by supplying fluid to the second balloon or drawing fluid from the second balloon, the balloon controller comprising: a display device which displays an image expressing the states of expansion and shrinkage of the first balloon and the second balloon.

Claims

1. A balloon controller for an endoscope apparatus, which expands or shrinks a first balloon attached to an insertion portion of an endoscope by supplying fluid to the first balloon or drawing fluid from the first balloon, and which expands or shrinks a second balloon attached to an insertion assist implement for guiding the insertion portion when the insertion portion is inserted, by supplying fluid to the second balloon or drawing fluid from the second balloon, the balloon controller comprising:

a display device which displays an image expressing the states of expansion and shrinkage of the first balloon and the second balloon.

2. The balloon controller according to claim 1, wherein the display device indicates the states of expansion and shrinkage by using an image in which the first balloon on the endoscope and the second balloon on the insertion assist implement are schematically expressed.

3. The balloon controller according to claim 1, wherein, when an abnormal condition occurs, a place in which the abnormal condition occurs is indicated by using the image in which the first and second balloons are schematically expressed.

4. The balloon controller according to claim 2, wherein, when an abnormal condition occurs, a place in which the abnormal condition occurs is indicated by using the image in which the first and second balloons are schematically expressed.

5. The balloon controller according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays on a special-purpose monitor.

6. The balloon controller according to claim 2, wherein the display device displays on a special-purpose monitor.

7. The balloon controller according to claim 3, wherein the display device displays on a special-purpose monitor.

8. The balloon controller according to claim 4, wherein the display device displays on a special-purpose monitor.

9. The balloon controller according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays on a monitor on which an image of an object observed by the endoscope is displayed.

10. The balloon controller according to claim 2, wherein the display device displays on a monitor on which an image of an object observed by the endoscope is displayed.

11. The balloon controller according to claim 3, wherein the display device displays on a monitor on which an image of an object observed by the endoscope is displayed.

12. The balloon controller according to claim 4, wherein the display device displays on a monitor on which an image of an object observed by the endoscope is displayed.

14. The balloon controller according to claim 6, wherein the auditory recognition device changes at least one of the frequency, interval and volume of sound according to the states of expansion and shrinkage of the first balloon and the second balloon.

13. A balloon controller for an endoscope apparatus, which expands or shrinks a first balloon attached to an insertion portion of an endoscope by supplying fluid to the first balloon or drawing fluid from the first balloon, and which expands or shrinks a second balloon attached to an insertion assist implement for guiding the insertion portion when the insertion portion is inserted, by supplying fluid to the second balloon or drawing fluid from the second balloon, the balloon controller comprising:

an auditory recognition device which enables recognition of the states of expansion and shrinkage of the first balloon and the second balloon by means of sound.