Alternating propulsion type endoscope and continuous drive type endoscope
AssigneeInvendo Medical GmbH
InventorsKonstantin Bob, Fritz Pauker, Thomas Viehbach
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Abstract
An endoscope preferably comprising an alternating propulsion system in which an endoscope shaft is advanced by means of an auxiliary means (e.g. a hose preferably including fluid pads or a guiding wire/net) in a canal-shaped cavity by the fact that the endoscope shaft and the auxiliary means are alternately resting with respect to a cavity to be inspected and, at the same time, the element not at rest can be advanced while being guided along the resting element into the cavity, or are simultaneously moved forward, wherein in the latter case the basic stiffness of the auxiliary means is higher than that of the shaft.
Claims22
An alternating propulsion type endoscope, comprising an endoscope shaft (1) and an auxiliary means (5, 17), characterized in that the endoscope is adapted to be propelled into the cavity by alternately retaining the endoscope shaft (1) and the auxiliary means (5, 17) with respect to a canal-shaped cavity to be inspected and simultaneously propelling the element which is just not retained while being guided along the element retained at the moment.
An endoscope according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexibility of the auxiliary means (5) and/or of the endoscope shaft (1) is variable at least temporarily.
An endoscope according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the curvature of the endoscope shaft (1) is adjustable at least at the leading end portion thereof.
An endoscope according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary means can be brought into the idle position with respect to the cavity wall by pressing against the wall of an examined cavity.
An endoscope according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary means is a hose (5) surrounding the shaft or being located inside a working conduit of the shaft.
An endoscope according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the endoscope shaft is provided with hollow spaces preferably in the form of duct:
- or fluid pads which are adapted to be filled or are filled with a medium for a temporary stiffening of the shaft.
A continuous drive type endoscope, comprising an endoscope shaft (1) and at least one guiding means (16a, 17a, 18a) which upon propulsion of the endoscope shaft (1) into a canal-shaped cavity to be examined guides the endoscope shaft (1), characterized in that the guiding means (16a, 17a, 18a) acting as stiffness adjusting means varies its stiffness depending on the cavity to be examined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.