ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM

• US 20120046522A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: NAITO, Kimihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,915,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/002 having rod-lens arrangements A61B1/055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0057 Constructional details of force transmission elements, e.g. control wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field

Abstract

An endoscopic system includes an insertion-section, a wire, an adjustment-unit, a memory, a shape-acquiring-unit and a controller. The insertion-section includes a tubular-section and a bending-section. The wire is inserted in the insertion-section and pulled and loosened to bend the bending-section. The adjustment-unit adjusts tensile force applied to the wire. The memory stores correspondent information including a relationship between increase/decrease information indicative of increase/decrease in the tensile force due to a shape of the tubular-section and shape information indicative of the shape of the tubular-section. The shape-acquiring-unit acquires the shape of the tubular-section. The controller obtains the increase/decrease information corresponding to the shape information acquired by the shape-acquiring-unit with reference to the correspondent information, generates an adjustment signal configured to drive the adjustment-unit based on the increase/decrease information, and outputs the adjustment signal to the adjustment-unit.

Claims

1. An endoscopic system comprising:

an insertion section including a flexible elongated tubular section and a bendable bending section;

a wire which is inserted in the insertion section and pulled and loosened to bend the bending section;

an adjustment unit which adjusts tensile force applied to the wire;

a memory unit which stores correspondent information including a relationship between increase/decrease information indicative of increase/decrease in the tensile force due to a shape of the tubular section and shape information indicative of the shape of the tubular section;

a shape acquiring unit which acquires the shape of the tubular section as the shape information; and

a control unit which obtains the increase/decrease information corresponding to the shape information acquired by the shape acquiring unit based on the shape information acquired by the shape acquiring unit with reference to the correspondent information stored in the memory unit, generates an adjustment signal configured to drive the adjustment unit based on the increase/decrease information to adjust the tensile force, and outputs the adjustment signal to the adjustment unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the tensile force applied to the wire to be close to the tensile force applied to the wire when the insertion section is straight irrespective of a shape of the insertion section.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the shape information includes information indicative of a procedure mode in accordance with a procedure using the endoscopic system, and

the shape acquiring unit includes an input unit which acquires the information indicative of the procedure mode.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the tubular section is arranged on a proximal end side of the bending section,

the tubular section includes at least one proximal-end-side bending section,

the endoscopic system further comprises proximal-end-side wires which are inserted in the insertion section and pulled and loosened to bend the proximal-end-side bending section,

the shape information includes information indicative of a moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires, and

the shape acquiring unit includes a wire moving distance detection unit which detects the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein

the shape information further includes information indicative of a procedure mode in accordance with a procedure using the endoscopic system,

the shape acquiring unit further includes an input unit which acquires the information indicative of the procedure mode, and

the control unit generates the adjustment signal based on a sum of the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires acquired by the wire moving distance detection unit and the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the procedure mode acquired by the input unit, and outputs the adjustment signal to the adjustment unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the shape acquiring unit includes an insertion shape observation apparatus which utilizes an indicator arranged in the insertion section to acquire a shape of the insertion section in a contactless manner as the shape information, and

the shape information includes information of the shape of the insertion section which is configured to be acquired by the insertion shape observation apparatus.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the indicator is a magnetic coil, and

the insertion shape observation apparatus is an apparatus which acquires the shape of the insertion section in a contactless manner based on magnetism generated from the magnetic coil.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein

the tubular section is arranged on a proximal end side of the bending section,

the tubular section includes at least one proximal-end-side bending section,

the endoscopic system further comprises proximal-end-side wires which are inserted in the insertion section and pulled and loosened to bend the proximal-end-side bending section,

the shape information further includes information indicative of a moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires,

the shape acquiring unit includes a wire moving distance detection unit which detects the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires, and

the control unit generates the adjustment signal based on a sum of the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires acquired by the wire moving distance detection unit and the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the shape of the insertion section acquired by the insertion shape observation apparatus, and outputs the adjustment signal to the adjustment unit.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an overtube which covers a peripheral surface of the insertion section and bends the insertion section; and

a tube wire which transmits power that bends the overtube from an operating section arranged on a proximal end side of the insertion section to the overtube,

wherein the shape information includes information indicative of a moving distance of the tube wire, and

the shape acquiring unit includes a tube wire moving distance detection unit which detects the moving distance of the tube wire.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the tubular section is arranged on a proximal end side of the bending section,

the tubular section includes at least one proximal-end-side bending section,

the endoscopic system further comprises proximal-end-side wires which are inserted in the insertion section and pulled and loosened to bend the proximal-end-side bending section,

the shape information further includes information indicative of a moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires,

the shape acquiring unit includes a wire moving distance detection unit which detects the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires, and

the control unit generates the adjustment signal based on a sum of the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the moving distance of the proximal-end-side wires acquired by the wire moving distance detection unit and the increase/decrease information acquired in correspondence with the information indicative of the moving distance of the tube wire acquired by the tube wire moving distance detection unit, and outputs the adjustment signal to the adjustment unit.

11. An endoscopic system comprising:

a flexible elongated endoscope insertion section;

a manipulator which is inserted in the endoscope insertion section along a longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion section to protrude from a distal end of the endoscope insertion section, and includes a manipulator bending section and a flexible elongated manipulator tubular section;

a manipulator wire which is inserted in the manipulator tubular section and transmits power that bends the manipulator bending section;

a manipulator adjustment unit which adjusts tensile force applied to the manipulator wire;

a memory unit which stores correspondent information including a relationship between increase/decrease information indicative of increase/decrease in the tensile force due to a shape of the manipulator tubular section and shape information indicative of the shape of the manipulator tubular section;

a manipulator shape acquiring unit which acquires the shape of the manipulator tubular section as the shape information; and

a control unit which obtains the increase/decrease information corresponding to the shape information acquired by the manipulator shape acquiring unit based on the shape information acquired by the manipulator shape acquiring unit with reference to the correspondent information stored in the memory unit, generates an adjustment signal configured to drive the manipulator adjustment unit based on the increase/decrease information to adjust the tensile force, and outputs the adjustment signal to the manipulator adjustment unit.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the manipulator adjustment unit adjusts the tensile force applied to the manipulator wire to be close to the tensile force applied to the manipulator wire when the manipulator is straight irrespective of a shape of the manipulator.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein

the endoscope insertion section includes an endoscope bending section and an endoscope wire which bends the endoscope bending section,

the shape information includes information indicative of a moving distance of the endoscope wire, and

the manipulator shape acquiring unit includes a wire moving distance detection unit which acquires the moving distance of the endoscope wire.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein

the endoscope insertion section includes endoscope bending sections which are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion section and endoscope wires which bend the endoscope bending sections,

the shape information includes information indicative of moving distances of the endoscope wires, and

the manipulator shape acquiring unit includes a wire moving distance detection unit which acquires the moving distances of the endoscope wires.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein

the manipulator shape acquiring unit includes an insertion shape observation apparatus which utilizes an indicator arranged in the endoscope insertion section to acquire a shape of the endoscope insertion section in a contactless manner as the shape information, and

the shape information includes information of a shape of the endoscope insertion section which is configured to be acquired by the insertion shape observation apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein

the indicator is a magnetic coil, and

the insertion shape observation apparatus is an apparatus which acquires the shape of the endoscope insertion section in a contactless manner based on magnetism generated from the magnetic coil.

17. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an overtube which covers a peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion section and bends the endoscope insertion section; and

a tube wire which transmits power that bends the overtube from an operating section arranged on a proximal end side of the endoscope insertion section to the overtube,

wherein the shape information includes information indicative of a moving distance of the tube wire, and

the manipulator shape acquiring unit includes a tube wire moving distance detection unit which detects the moving distance of the tube wire.