RU2523354C2 - Endoscope fluid control device and endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions refers to medical equipment. In a control device, an endoscope tube comprises a blow passage pneumatically connected to a compressed gas/air source, an irrigation canal hydraulically connected to a fluid source, a suction passage connected to a vacuum pump through an external main provided with a clamping electromagnetic valve, and a control unit mounted on an endoscope handle and electrically connected to a power source of the system components. The compressed gas/air source, the fluid pump, the clamping electromagnetic valve and the power source are arranged in the common body. The fluid source is presented in the form of a can with a union in its wall. The fluid pump is mounted to feed fluid from the can into the irrigation canal. The clamping portion of the clamping electromagnetic valve is faced from outside the body and prevents suction from a patient's body cavity. What is disclosed is a flexible endoscope comprising the control unit.

EFFECT: simplified fluid control in the endoscope.

6 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The group of inventions relates to the field of medical instrumentation, in particular to endoscopic devices used for diagnosis or for surgical treatment.

The classic design of the known flexible endoscopes implies the presence of a multi-channel tube including a light transmission channel, an image transmission channel, an aspiration / instrument channel along which the purge and flush channels pass. In this case, the water and air supply channels, as well as the suction / instrument channel, have their exits at the distal end of the endoscope. During operation, the elements of the endoscope come into contact with the aggressive environment of the cavity under investigation and are inevitably contaminated. Before re-use of the endoscope, a lengthy and expensive procedure is performed for cleaning, washing and disinfecting its elements, some of which are sterilized. In this regard, in recent years, the main technical problem solved by numerous inventions in the field of endoscopy is the problem of reducing the time to return the used endoscope to working condition after each use.

Known attempts to partially solve the problem by placing the working part of the endoscope in a protective shell. Such devices are described, for example, in US patents 6110104 (Olympus Optical Corporation), 6852077 (Pentax Corporation) and in RF patent 2353286. In particular, the endoscope described in RF patent 2353286 contains a flexible proximal and flexible working part interconnected by a rigid part . At the junction of the flexible proximal part into the rigid part, a transverse connector is made. A recess is made on the walls of the working part along its longitudinal axis. In the cavity of the working part there is a light transmission channel and a transmission channel for the received image and cables controlling the distal end. The water / air supply channels and the instrument / suction channel are located in the recess of the working part of the endoscope. The working part is equipped with a removable, sealed elastic shell with an optically transparent section at its end. The surface of the working part of the endoscope and the block of channels located in the recess are fixed to each other with the help of a fixing shell, which together with the shell of the working part isolates the working part from direct contact with the test cavity and its contents. Thus, the preparation time of the endoscope for reuse is reduced, since the removable shell eliminates the possibility of contamination of the endoscope and its infection.

The main disadvantage of this design is that it contradicts the existing tendency to have the smallest outer diameter of the distal part of the endoscope, because the comfort of transferring the procedure by the patient depends on it. In this design, the outer diameter of the distal part and the working tube is much larger than that of endoscopes with similar characteristics. In addition, the presence of a transparent end of the shell common to the visual and lighting channels leads to a sharp deterioration in image quality. This is because the light reflected from the surfaces of the transparent end inevitably enters the image channel and reduces image quality.

A known attempt to create a simplified design of a flexible endoscope described in the application for US invention 20110015487 (filed on the basis of international application WO 2009/115914), which minimizes the cost of restoration of the used endoscope and its reuse. The said device is an endoscope in which the working channel is made in the form of a universal valveless tube, the diameter of which allows the introduction of an instrument into it with the formation of a gap between the instrument and the walls of the tube for the passage of water or air. The endoscope includes a disposable component made in the form of a pipe attached to a universal tube and containing three tubes. Each of the tubes is connected to the universal channel by means of a squeezable (compressible) valve. Tubes, valves and a universal channel provide the supply of gas and water and the implementation of the suction of the contents from the studied cavity. For suction and washing of lenses at the distal end of the channel, a lateral exit is made. In this case, the direct outlet must be closed by the end of the tool, the diameter of which should be close to the diameter of the direct outlet. Cleaning and washing the endoscopic tube without valves, according to the author of the invention, takes several minutes, does not require expensive equipment. The disposable component is made of silicone and is not expensive to manufacture.

With the seemingly attractive nature of this approach to solving the problem, the design flaws are obvious. First of all, it is the need to use a tool of a certain diameter throughout almost the entire process of work, because otherwise, it is not possible to wash and blow the front lens of the image channel. At the same time, the quality of washing directly depends on the diameter of the tool (the smaller the diameter, the less blowing and the lenses are washed worse).

A known system for controlling the flow of fluids in an endoscope is described in US Pat. No. 7,824,329. Said endoscope is provided with a disposable inflatable sleeve covering its distal region. The back of the sleeve unfolds under the influence of water or air and pushes the front part into the cavity under study. The fluid management system includes an endoscope handle and an insertion tube fixed therein with a purge channel, an irrigation channel and a suction channel, said channels extending along the entire length of the tube. The control system has a control unit including a logic device and equipped with at least one source of compressed air, a container with water, a vacuum source. The control system also contains a multifunctional connector that provides electrical and hydraulic connection of the handle with the control unit. In this case, the compressor for supplying compressed air is connected to the purge channel and the container. Compressed air is supplied to the handle from a second compressor. The logic device of the control unit is configured to control hydraulic and pneumatic components containing normally closed valves. The doctor controls the system using the control buttons located on the handle of the endoscope and made in the form of ordinary electrical switches. One of the control buttons has a hole, when closed, the compressed air from the first compressor enters the purge channel.

The endoscope tube is provided with a channel for inflating the sleeve, and the first compressor is connected to the channel for inflating the sleeve. Between the first compressor and the channel for inflating the sleeve there are means for collecting impurities, including a spool valve.

The fluid control method involves generating a signal activating hydraulic and pneumatic components to establish communication between the first compressor and the inflatable channel. In this case, the signal is generated by the logical device when the doctor closes the hole in the button with a finger and interrupts the air flow between the hole and the second compressor.

Of the analogues described, the closest in technical essence due to the rejection of mechanical valves and the use of electric signals to control the system is the endoscope described in US patent 7824329. It is adopted as a prototype.

Despite the enormous advantage of the invention compared to classical endoscopes in which the control of fluids is based on the use of mechanical valves, it is not without drawbacks. First of all, the disadvantages include the excessive complexity of the control system, the presence of a large number of components that reduce the reliability of the endoscope and make its manufacture expensive. In particular, it seems to be non-technological and uneconomical to use a container with liquid in the hydraulic line, which can be fed into the tube of the endoscope only after air enters the container, under the pressure of which the movement of the liquid begins. Such a container requires good sealing. In addition, due to the air pressure inside the container, there are high demands on the material from which it can be made. The presence in the system of two compressors, a pressure sensor and a multifunctional connector also complicates the device as a whole.

The technical problem solved by the group of the claimed inventions is to provide a more reliable, more technologically advanced and substantially cheaper in the manufacture of a device for controlling the flow of fluids in the endoscope. At the same time, the main thing remains the requirement to minimize the time needed to return the used endoscope to working condition after each use.

The task is achieved in that the fluid control device in the endoscope contains a purge channel located in the endoscope tube pneumatically connected to a source of compressed gas / air, an irrigation channel hydraulically connected to a source of liquid medium, and a suction channel connected to the vacuum pump by an external line, equipped with a clamping solenoid valve, located on the endoscope handle, a control panel electrically connected to the power source of the system components, while the liquid source environment is made in the form of cans hydraulically connected to the pump.

To provide the simplest embodiment for controlling the supply of water, air and a suction medium, the control panel may include three push-button electrical switches. One of the embodiments of the control panel is characterized in that the switching element in the button includes a Hall sensor and a micromagnet.

However, the invention allows the physician to provide a traditional two-button control panel familiar to him, including a suction control button and an air or water control button, each of which is made in the form of an electric switch. In this case, the air or water supply control button has a through hole connected to the air supply line.

To provide manual control of fluids, the control panel includes at least two push-button electrical switches. In this case, the button switch may include a magnetically sensitive control element, for example, a Hall sensor.

According to the invention, the liquid supply line comprises a source of liquid, for example water, made in the form of a can that is hydraulically connected to the pump. At the same time, a fitting is made in the wall of the can for connecting with the pump.

The power source in the inventive device contains a controlled electrical switch.

For the convenience of arranging the constituent elements of the device, the power source, compressed gas / air source and pump are structurally made in a common housing. In this case, the housing is made with the possibility of placing on it banks with a liquid medium. In addition, the housing is configured to mount a clamping electromagnetic valve on its wall in such a way that the valve housing, its core and internal parts are placed inside the housing, and the clamping (pinched) part is facing outward. This makes it easy to insert and replace the suction line tube.

The second object of the group of inventions is a flexible endoscope containing a fluid management system made in accordance with claim 1.

The essence of the group of inventions is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 schematically shows a General view of an endoscope containing a fluid control device in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the control panel 3 comprises two buttons.

Figure 1 in General view presents a flexible endoscope in accordance with the invention. The transmission channels of lighting and image, as well as the control system of the distal end of the endoscope are not reflected in Figure 1, since they can be performed in any known manner. The endoscope contains a rigid proximal part, made in the form of a handle 1, a flexible part 2, made in the form of a multi-channel tube inserted into the cavity under study. Handle 1 has several functions. Firstly, this is the traditional function of the element, for which the doctor holds the endoscope in his hand when performing any manipulations with it. In addition, the handle 1 serves as a housing on the surface of which various elements of the device are fixed, in particular the control panel 3. Three channels for transporting fluids are made in the tube of the endoscope. Channel 4 blowing (or air channel) through the nozzle 5 is connected by an external highway 6 to a source 7 of compressed gas (air). The irrigation channel 8 through the nozzle 9 is connected by an external line 10 to a source 11 of a liquid medium, usually water. The suction channel 12 is combined with the instrument channel of the endoscope and connected to the vacuum pump 13 by an external line 14 equipped with a clamping electromagnetic valve 15. As a vacuum pump, a surgical aspirator, which is part of the hospital equipment, can be used. The button control panel 3 is electrically connected to a power source 16 of the system components comprising an electronic switch. The source 11 of the liquid medium includes a pump 17 and a can 18, in the wall of which a fitting is made to provide hydraulic communication with the pump.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control panel 3 includes three buttons, according to the number of controlled fluids. This embodiment of the device is simple and convenient to implement, but requires the doctor to abandon the usual two-button control and master the use of three buttons.

The buttons 20 are mounted on the outer surface of the handle 1. Each of the buttons contains a Hall sensor 19, mounted on the inner surface of the handle 1, and a micromagnet (not shown) installed inside the button opposite the Hall sensor.

The fluid control device shown in FIG. 1 operates as follows. Before starting work with the endoscope, a surgical suction device (vacuum pump 13) is turned on, since this device has a significant inertness. When applying power to the endoscope, a normally open clamping valve 15 receives power from a power source 16, the valve 15 closes, preventing the contents from being sucked out of the patient’s cavity. Then the doctor, manipulating the three buttons 20 “water”, “air” and “suction”, either delivers water, air, or sucks into the tube of the endoscope. When you press the button 20, the built-in micromagnet approaches the Hall sensor 19, activating it. When this signal to enable the corresponding channel is supplied to a managed switch of the power source 16.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the control panel 3 contains two buttons 20 familiar to the doctor. When power is supplied to the endoscope, the valve 15 is closed, the source of compressed air 7 is turned on and drives it along line 6 through the opening 21 in the button into the atmosphere. At the same time, due to the large difference in the diameters of the main tube and the purge channel, air practically does not enter the channel inside the flexible tube. If necessary, supply air to the patient’s cavity, the doctor closes the hole in the button with a finger. If water needs to be supplied to the patient’s cavity, the doctor presses the same button, the Hall sensor 19 is activated and an electric signal is supplied to the power source 16. After that, the compressor 7 is turned off, the pump 17 is turned on and supplies water from the can 18 to the irrigation channel in the tube of the endoscope.

As a prototype that implements the claimed group of inventions, a video gastroscope was made according to the scheme shown in Figure 2. An insertion tube was used, the diameter of the distal end of which is 10 mm and the diameter of the instrument channel is 2.8 mm. The field of view of the lens is 140 °, the depth of field is from 3 mm to 100 mm. In the video gastroscope, the lighting device 22 is described in the patent for utility model No. 110817. In the lighting device, a crystal of LED 23 of the brand XREWHT-L1-0000-00E03 CREE with a power of 3 W was used, the light was transmitted to the distal end by means of a bundle made of high aperture fiber 24 (A ₀ ≥110 °).

In the manufactured video gastroscope, the power source 16, the compressed air source 7, and the pump 17 are structurally made in a common housing. Here, on the outer wall of the housing, a can 18 is fixed, filled with water. Highways 6 and 10 are made using disposable GB Original-Perfusor tubes, equipped with Luer Lock locks at the ends, allowing quick removal and installation of tubes.

The only valve used in the suction channel control device is a WEXON Series S307 Solenoid Valve. This valve is also mounted on the wall of the common casing, while the valve casing, its core and internal parts are located inside the casing, and the pinching part is facing outward.

Tests of the video gastroscope confirmed the advantage of performing a source of liquid medium in the form of a can hydraulically connected to the pump. The device is quickly assembled, unlike the prototype, it does not require can sealing, the water is replaced quickly and easily and does not require removal of the can from the case. In addition, in an embodiment of the invention with a three-button control panel, the core and internal parts are located inside the housing, and the pinched part faces outward.

Tests of the video gastroscope confirmed the advantage of performing a source of liquid medium in the form of a can hydraulically connected to the pump. The device is quickly assembled, unlike the prototype, it does not require can sealing, the water is replaced quickly and easily and does not require removal of the can from the case. In addition, in an embodiment of the invention with a three-button control panel, due to the proposed embodiment of a source of a liquid medium, if necessary, water and air can be supplied to the test cavity at the same time.

Another advantage of using a three-button control panel is that the compressor and pump do not work all the time, but only when a command is received from a doctor. This reduces energy consumption during operation with the endoscope and increases the service life of these devices.

As mentioned above, the lighting channel of the video gastroscope includes an LED installed in the proximal part of the handle. The simultaneous use of the inventive device and the lighting device implemented in accordance with utility model 110817 in it gave an additional advantage: it allowed to abandon the “optical tube” widely known in endoscopy with a complex multifunctional connector connecting the endoscope handle to the control unit. This provides the endoscope with high reliability and tightness, and also reduces the cost of its manufacture.

The absence of mechanical valves and the new fluid management system significantly reduce the time required to return the used endoscope to working condition.

Claims (6)

1. Device for controlling fluids in a flexible endoscope, containing placed in the tube of the endoscope:
a blowing channel pneumatically connected to a source of compressed gas / air,
an irrigation channel hydraulically connected to a source of liquid medium,
a suction channel connected to a vacuum pump equipped with a clamping solenoid valve external line, and
located on the handle of the endoscope control panel, electrically connected to a power source of system components, characterized in that
a compressed gas / air source, a pump for supplying a liquid medium, a clamping solenoid valve and a power source are located in a common housing,
the source of the liquid medium is made in the form of a can, in the wall of which a fitting is made,
a pump for supplying fluid is installed with the possibility of supplying fluid from the cans to the irrigation channel,
and the clamping part of the clamping solenoid valve faces the outside of the housing and has the ability to prevent the suction of contents from the cavity of the patient’s body. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control panel includes at least two push-button electrical switches. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one button switch includes a magnetically sensitive control element, such as a Hall sensor. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the power source includes a controlled electrical switch. 5. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the casing is made with the possibility of mounting on it banks with a liquid medium. 6. Flexible endoscope containing a fluid management system, made in accordance with claim 1.

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