# US 2017/0280978 A1 · Insertion/removal supporting apparatus and insertion/removal supporting method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0280978 A1 - Document ID: US20170280978A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/626,487 - Filed: 2017-06-19 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-19 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Applicants: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Eiji YAMAMOTO; Jun HANE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280978A1 ## CPC - A61B 1/00167: {Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution} - A61B 1/009: {with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part} - A61B 1/0051: {with controlled bending of insertion part} - G01D 5/35341: {Sensor working in transmission} - G01D 11/24: Housings {; Casings for instruments} - G02B 23/2476: {Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports} - A61B 2034/2046: {Tracking techniques} - A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings} - G01B 11/00: Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques - G01N 3/00: Investigating strength properties of solid materials by application of mechanical stress - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A supporting apparatus for supporting insertion of a flexible insertion member into a subject and removal of the insertion member includes an attention point acquisition unit, a first displacement acquisition unit and a determination unit. The attention point acquisition unit specifies at least one first attention point specified by a shape of the insertion member. The first displacement acquisition unit acquires a first displacement of the first attention point. The determination unit determines how a state of the insertion member or the subject is at a position corresponding to the first attention point, based on displacement information including information on the first displacement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A supporting apparatus for supporting insertion of a flexible insertion member into a subject and removal thereof, comprising: an attention point acquisition unit which specifies at least one first attention point specified by a shape of the insertion member; a first displacement acquisition unit which acquires a first displacement of the first attention point; and a determination unit which determines the state of the insertion member or the subject at a position corresponding to the first attention point, based on displacement information including information on the first displacement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the smaller the first displacement is, the more proper the insertion member is inserted along the subject. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first attention point is determined based on a bending portion of the insertion member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The supporting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first attention point is a turn-around point of the bending portion of the insertion member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second displacement acquisition unit which detects a second displacement of at least one second attention point, which is on a predetermined portion in a longitudinal direction of the insertion member; and a displacement information calculation unit which calculates the displacement information, including a relationship between the first displacement of the first attention point and the second displacement of the second attention point; wherein the determination unit determines how a state of the insertion member or the subject is at a position corresponding to the first attention point, based on the displacement information calculated by the displacement information calculation unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The supporting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit determines that the larger a ratio of the first displacement to the second displacement is, the more likely the abnormality occurs at a position corresponding to the first attention point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state to be determined by the determination unit includes a state representing whether the insertion member extends the subject at a position corresponding to the first attention point or not. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the state to be determined by the determination unit includes a state where the insertion member pushes or presses the subject. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of position sensors arranged in the insertion member, wherein the attention point acquisition unit calculates the shape of the insertion member, based on detection results of the position sensors, and calculates the position of the first attention point, based on the shape of the insertion member and the detection results of the position sensors, and the first displacement acquisition unit acquires the first displacement, based on the position corresponding to the first attention point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an insertion amount sensor configured to be arranged at an insertion port of the subject and to detect an insertion amount of the insertion member; and a shape sensor which acquires information on the shape of the insertion member, wherein the attention point acquisition unit calculates the shape of the insertion member, based on a detection result of the shape sensor, and calculates a position of the first attention point, based on the shape of the insertion member and the detection result of the insertion amount sensor, and the first displacement acquisition unit acquires the first displacement, based on the position of the first attention point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The supporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a position sensor arranged at the insertion member; and a shape sensor which acquires information on the shape of the insertion member, wherein the attention point acquisition unit calculates the shape of the insertion member, based on a detection result of the shape sensor, and calculates a position of the first attention point, based on the shape of the insertion member and the detection result of the position sensor, and the first displacement acquisition unit acquires the first displacement, based on the position of the first attention point. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The supporting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a position sensor arranged at the insertion member, wherein the second displacement acquisition sensor acquires the second displacement, based on detection results of the position sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The supporting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: an insertion amount sensor configured to be arranged at an insertion port of the subject and to detect an insertion amount of the insertion member; and a shape sensor which acquires information on the shape of the insertion member, wherein the second displacement acquisition unit acquires the second displacement, based on detection results of the insertion amount sensor and detection results of the shape sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The supporting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a position sensor arranged at the insertion member; and a shape sensor which acquires information on the shape of the insertion member, wherein the second displacement acquisition unit acquires the second displacement, based on detection results of the position sensor and detection results of the shape sensor. ### Claim 15 A supporting method for supporting insertion of a flexible insertion member into a subject and removal thereof, comprising: specifying at least one attention point specified by a shape of the insertion member; acquiring a first displacement of the attention point; and determining how a state of the insertion member or the subject is at a position corresponding to the attention point, based on displacement information including information on the first displacement.