Self-retracting endoscope

• US 5,738,629 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Origin Medsystems Inc. (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Inventors: Moll, Frederic H., Chin, Albert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US08/461,183
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 600/116, 600/115, 600/207, 600/153, 600/184, 600/204
• US Class Current: 600/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0281 Abdominal wall lifters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22032 having inflatable gripping elements balloon catheters A61M25/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32002 with continuously rotating, oscillating or reciprocating cutting instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3462 with means for changing the diameter or the orientation of the entrance port of the cannula, e.g. for use with different-sized instruments, reduction ports, adapter seals expandable cannulas A61B17/3417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00261 Discectomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00278 Transorgan operations, e.g. transgastric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00535 pneumatically or hydraulically operated A61B2017/22051, A61B2090/401 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22051 with an inflatable part, e.g. balloon, for positioning, blocking, or immobilisation A61B2017/22048, A61B2017/3486 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320048 Balloon dissectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32113 with extendable or retractable guard or blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3486 Balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 : with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/20 : Holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments drapes with means to hold surgical instruments A61B46/23; for catheters A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 : Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/10 : Balloon catheters A61M25/0125 takes precedence; embolectomy A61B17/22032; retractors A61B17/02; inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts A61F2/958 ; stomach balloons for treatment of obesity A61F5/0003; oesophagal tubes A61J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1006 : Balloons formed between concentric tubes

Abstract

A first inflatable retraction device has a first inflatable chamber and a non-pressurized chamber inside the main chamber. The non-pressurized chamber is expanded by inflating a second inflatable chamber. The non-pressurized chamber enables the main chamber to remain inflated when an aperture is cut in the envelope of the main chamber, through which treatment is carried out. A second inflatable retraction device has an inflatable retractor and a maintainer. The inflatable retractor retracts the organ and the maintainer maintains the organ in its retracted condition after the inflatable retractor is deflated. The maintainer can be inflatable, and can be inside or outside the inflatable retractor. A self-retracting endoscope has an optical assembly with an expandable retractor fitted to its distal end. The distal end of the endoscope is inserted into the body with the retractor in a collapsed condition. The retractor is then expanded to retract organs that would otherwise obstruct the view from the distal end of the optical assembly. After observations are complete, the retractor is returned to its collapsed condition. An insertion tube enables cylindrical objects, such as packaged inflatable retraction devices, to be pulled, instead of pushed, into the body. The additional chamber of an inflatable retraction device having two inflatable chambers is filled with a slurry of a particulate solid in a liquid. The liquid is removed and the additional chamber evacuated to consolidate the particulate solid. This increases the retracting strength of the additional chamber.

Claims

1. Self-retracting apparatus for observing a tissue inside the body, the apparatus comprising:

an inflatable chamber including an attachment portion, wherein the inflatable chamber has a toroidal shape with a central passage therethrough, and wherein the inflatable chamber has a collapsed state when deflated and an expanded state when inflated;

an endoscope having an elongate structure, and including a distal end whereto the attachment portion of the inflatable chamber is fixed such that the distal end of the endoscope extends into the central passage of the inflatable chamber and such that the distal end of the endoscope extends distally beyond the distal end of the collapsed inflatable chamber, the endoscope being adapted for inserting the inflatable chamber in a collapsed state into the body; and

means for inflating the inflatable chamber to the expanded state inside the body, wherein inflation of the inflatable chamber to the expanded state retracts an organ adjacent to the tissue that would otherwise obstruct observation of the tissue by the endoscope;

wherein the inflatable chamber, upon inflation to the expanded state, extends distally relative to the distal end of the endoscope and wherein the inflatable chamber is shaped such that, in the expanded state, the inflatable chamber does not obstruct the field of view of the endoscope notwithstanding extension of the inflatable chamber distally of the distal end of the endoscope.

2. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 1, wherein, upon inflation to the expanded state, the inflatable chamber expands outwardly relative to the endoscope.

3. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon inflation to the expanded state, the inflatable chamber expands outwardly relative to the endoscope, and expands distally relative to the distal end of the endoscope.

4. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attachment portion includes a lumen.

5. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lumen is centrally disposed in the generally toroidal inflatable chamber.

6. Self-retracting apparatus for observing a tissue inside the body, the apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having a distal end adapted to be inserted into the body;

an envelope enclosing an inflatable chamber fixed to the endoscope adjacent to the distal end, the inflatable chamber having a toroidal shape with the distal end of the endoscope extending through a central passage at the center of the toroidal shape, wherein the inflatable chamber has a collapsed state when deflated and an expanded state when inflated, wherein the inflatable chamber in the collapsed state is disposed around the distal end of the endoscope such that the distal end of the endoscope extends distally beyond the distal end of the inflatable chamber, and wherein the inflatable chamber in the expanded state is disposed outwardly and distally relative to the distal end of the optical assembly; and

inflation means, coupled to the inflatable chamber, and operating following introduction of the inflatable chamber in a collapsed state into the body by insertion of the distal end of the optical assembly into the body, for inflating the inflatable chamber to the expanded state.

7. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inflatable chamber:

has a hollow frustroconical shape,

is substantially concentric with the endoscope, and

in the expanded state, has a diameter that increases distally from the distal end of the endoscope.

8. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the inflatable chamber comprises a stack of inflatable toroidal balloons having progressively increasing diameters.

9. The self-retracting apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the endoscope has a field of view;

the inflatable chamber is so shaped that, upon inflation to the expanded state, the inflatable chamber does not obstruct the field of view of the endoscope notwithstanding expansion of the inflatable chamber distally of the distal end of the endoscope.

10. Apparatus for observing a tissue inside the body comprising:

an endoscope having a distal end adapted to be inserted into the body and having a field of view extending distally from the distal end;

an inflatable chamber having a toroidal shape with a central passage therethrough and having a collapsed condition and an inflated condition, wherein the inflatable chamber is attached to the endoscope adjacent to the distal end thereof such that the field of view of the endoscope extends through the central passage, wherein the inflatable chamber in the collapsed condition surrounds the distal end of the endoscope outside of the field of view such that the distal end of the endoscope extends distally beyond the distal end of the collapsed inflatable chamber, and wherein the inflatable chamber in the inflated condition has an expanded shape that extends distally and radially from the distal end of the endoscope outside of the field of view; and

means for inflating the inflatable chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the inflatable chamber:

has a shape defined by two frustroconical boundaries,

is substantially concentric with the optical means, and

has a diameter that increases distally.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the inflatable chamber comprises a stack of inflatable toroidal balloons having progressively increasing diameters.