GUIDE TUBE, GUIDE TUBE APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR SELF-PROPELLING GUIDE TUBE

• US 20100152537A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: KOBAYASHI, Eiichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00048 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0014 Fastening element for attaching accessories to the outside of an endoscope, e.g. clips, clamps or bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00154 using guiding arrangements for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part

Abstract

A guide tube includes a tube; a ciliary portion composed of many cilia inclined in a longitudinal direction of the tube, provided in an outer peripheral portion of the tube; and a bag as a press mechanism for pressing an insertion portion of an endoscope inserted inside the tube.

Claims

1. A guide tube comprising:

a tube;

a ciliary portion composed of many cilia inclined in a longitudinal direction of the tube, provided in an outer peripheral portion of the tube; and

a press mechanism for pressing a member inserted inside the tube.

2. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has an expandable bag provided inside the tube.

3. The guide tube according to claim 2,

wherein the bag is a fluororubber, or a silicone rubber having a surface coated with fluorine.

4. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has a press member provided in the tube for pressing the inserted member.

5. The guide tube according to claim 4,

wherein the press member is a screw, and

the screw is provided in the tube so as to threadedly engage a screw hole provided in a tube wall portion of the tube and press an insertion portion of an endoscope inserted inside the tube.

6. The guide tube according to claim 4,

wherein the press member is a spring member, and

the spring member is provided in the tube so that one end of the spring member is fixed to a tube wall portion of the tube, and part of the spring member presses an insertion portion of an endoscope inserted inside the tube, by elastic deformation.

7. The guide tube according to claim 4,

wherein the press member is a rotating member, and

the rotating member is provided to the tube so that the rotating member is rotatable with respect to a tube wall portion of the tube and one end of the rotating member presses an insertion portion of an endoscope inserted inside the tube, by rotation.

8. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has the tube, a whole or a part of which can be plastically deformed.

9. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has one or a plurality of plastically deformable members provided on the tube.

10. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has a tightening member for tightening a periphery of the tube.

11. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism has the tube that is heat-shrinkable.

12. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism is a mechanism for tightening the tube with a string-like member.

13. The guide tube according to claim 1,

wherein the press mechanism is a mechanism for shrinking the tube by suction.

14. A guide tube apparatus comprising:

a guide tube having a tube, a ciliary portion provided in an outer peripheral portion of the tube and composed of many cilia inclined in a longitudinal direction of the tube, and a press mechanism for pressing a member inserted inside the tube by expanding an expandable bag provided inside the tube; and

a control portion for controlling expansion and shrinkage of the bag.

15. The guide tube apparatus according to claim 14, comprising

an electric pump that can discharge and suck gas or liquid,

wherein the control portion controls expansion and shrinkage of the bag by controlling the electric pump to discharge and suck the gas or the liquid according to predetermined operation.

16. An endoscope system comprising:

a guide tube having a tube, a ciliary portion provided in an outer peripheral portion of the tube and composed of many cilia inclined in a longitudinal direction of the tube, and a press mechanism for pressing a member inserted inside the tube by expanding an expandable bag provided inside the tube; and

an endoscope having an insertion portion as the inserted member.

17. The endoscope system according to claim 16, comprising:

a control portion for controlling expansion and shrinkage of the bag; and

an electric pump that can discharge and suck gas or liquid,

wherein the control portion controls expansion and shrinkage of the bag by controlling the electric pump to discharge and suck the gas or the liquid according to predetermined operation.

18. A method for self-propelling a guide tube, comprising:

inserting an insertion portion of an endoscope into a guide tube having a ciliary portion composed of many cilia inclined in a longitudinal direction of a tube provided in an outer peripheral portion of the tube;

expanding a bag in the guide tube to press the insertion portion; and

vibrating the guide tube to self-propel the guide tube.

19. The method for self-propelling a guide tube according to claim 18,

wherein the guide tube has a plurality of vibration motors provided in a proximal end portion, a central portion, and a distal end portion of the tube, and

vibration of the guide tube is selective drive of the plurality of vibration motors in the proximal end portion, the central portion, and the distal end portion.