Everting tube device with relative advance control

• US 4,321,915 A
• Filed: 12/16/1980
• Issued: 03/30/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services
• Original Assignee: United States Department Of Health And Human Services (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Leighton, Stephen B., Boyd, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US06/217,143
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6-11, 128/348, 128/349 R, 128/349 B, 128/350 R, 128/351, 128/262, 128/630, 128/658
• US Class Current: 600/114
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00151 using everted tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/307 for the urinary organs, e.g. urethroscopes, cystoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes

Abstract

An everting tube device for introducing an elongated tool into a body cavity through a body opening for diagnostic or other purposes comprises an elongated housing containing a folded evertable flexible tube through which an elongated tool, such as a fiber optic bundle, sealingly extends. The flexible tube can be everted from the housing by applying fluid pressure to the housing interior, and the eversion of the tube carries the tool along with it at twice the rate. The tool can be retracted by applying vacuum to the housing interior which draws the tube away from the tool. The alternate use of pressure and vacuum, along with the intermediate steps of manually retracting the tool, result in projecting the tool and tube into the appropriate cavity at substantially the same rate. When the tool used is a fiber optic bundle, it provides a means of continuously viewing the path of travel immediately ahead of the advancing tube.

Claims

1. A method of inserting an elongated tool device having a front end into a body cavity through a body opening comprising

providing an elongated flexible fluid-impervious tubular element folded inwardly coaxially to form an initial inverted front end portion, the tubular element being connected at one end adjacent a front end of a housing and with a free end of the tubular element being disposed within the housing,

engaging said tool device substantially axially through the free end of said tubular element and through said flexible tubular element so that the front end of the tool device extends adjacent said initial inverted front end portion,

subjecting said flexible tubular element externally to positive fluid pressure within said housing to cause the tubular element to collapse about and thereby grip the tool device and to axially advance the tool device while simultaneously everting and advancing axially the front end portion of the tubular element,

then subjecting said flexible tubular element externally to vacuum so as to release the tool device from said flexible tubular element, retracting the tool device axially rearwardly while maintaining said flexible tubular element in the same axial location, and again subjecting the flexible tubular element to external fluid pressure to repeat the advancement of the tool device.

2. The method of claim 1, and wherein the retraction of the tool device is for a distance approximately equal to one half of its previous increment of advancement.

3. The method of claim 1, and wherein the retraction of the tool device is to a position wherein its front end extends adjacent the inverted front end portion of the flexible tubular element.

4. The method of claim 1, and wherein the starting position of the front end of the tool device is slightly behind the front rim of the initial inverted front end portion of the flexible tubular element.

5. The method of claim 1, and wherein the retraction of the tool device is to a position such that its front end is slightly behind the front rim of the everted portion of the flexible tubular element.

6. An everting tube device comprising an elongated housing including a downstream opening through which to feed a tool device, a flexible evertable tubular member secured to said housing adjacent the downstream opening thereof and folded axially rearwardly through the downstream opening of said housing and extending into said housing, whereby to define a leading fold in said flexible tubular member, an elongated tool device for movement longitudinally through the housing and through the flexible tubular member with its front end adjacent said leading fold of the tubular member, fluid pressure means to pressurize the interior of said housing and vacuum means to draw a vacuum within said housing, means to selectively connect said fluid pressure and vacuum means to the interior of the housing, whereby said tool device and said flexible tubular member are movable longitudinally together when the interior of said housing is pressurized, and said tool device is retractable while said flexible tubular member is stationary when the interior of said housing is under vacuum.

7. The everting tube device of claim 6, and wherein said tool device includes fiber optic means to view the interior of a body cavity extending out of the end of the housing opposite the downstream opening of said housing.

8. The everting tube device of claim 6, and means, located on the portion of the flexible tubular member inside said housing, to surround and slidably and sealingly engage said tool device.

9. The everting tube device of claim 6, and wherein said tool element includes a fiber optic bundle extending out of the end of the housing opposite the downstream opening and being provided with viewing means to look into and through said fiber optic bundle.

10. The everting tube device of claim 9, and wherein the rear portion of the flexible tubular member inside the housing is provided with a bushing surrounding and slidably and sealingly engaging said tool element.

11. A device for feeding an elongated tool into an elongated cavity, comprising:

an elongated housing having an upstream opening and a downstream opening through which to feed the elongated tool,

a flexible evertible elongated tube secured to said housing adjacent the downstream opening thereof and inverted axially rearwardly inside itself and through the downstream opening of said housing and extending into said housing, thereby defining a leading fold in said flexible tubular member extending beyond the downstream opening of said housing, and said flexible tubular member defining a free end with said housing,

a sealing member disposed at the free end of said flexible tubular member lying within said housing, said sealing member being adapted to sealingly and slidably engage the elongated tool,

means to collapse said flexible tubular member about and thereby grip the elongated tool and to simultaneously axially advance the tool while axially everting the flexible tubular member and advancing the leading fold thereof, said means including means to pressurize the interior of said housing, and

means to retract the tool while leaving said flexible tubular element in its advanced axial position, said means including means to draw a vacuum within said housing to cause said flexible tubular member to release its grip on the elongated tool to permit the tool to be retracted rearwardly relative to said sealing means at the free end of said tube, while said tube remains in its axial position.