Endoscopic robot
AssigneeScuola Superiore Di Studi Universitari E Di Perfezionamento S. Anna
InventorsPaolo Dario, Maria Chiara Carrozza, Andrea Pietrabissa, Bernardo Magnani, Lucia Lencioni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscopic robot (1), designed for being inserted into a body cavity (C) f a patient and advanced therein in a prefixed direction (A) with a so-called inchworm-like motion, comprising a variable length segment (2) and aspiration means (12, 13) for selectively producing a pneumatic vacuum (V) between the robot (1) and the body cavity (C) at the robot ends (3, 4) sufficient to produce a substantial anchorage to the body cavity walls, thereby allowing the inchworm-like motion and avoiding, at the same time, any pushing action against the body cavity walls which causes discomfort and pain to the patient.
Claims8
An elongated medical instrument defining a longitudinal axis along its length adapted for migration through a lumen of a tubular body part having an intraluminal wall comprising:
- a distal section having distal means for engaging and disengaging the intraluminal wall of the tubular body part by selectively producing a pneumatic vacuum (V) between said distal section and the intraluminal wall;
- said distal means comprising a front chamber (14) with first rigid walls (15), a first plurality of holes (16) passing through said first rigid walls (15) from said front chamber to said intraluminal wall and a first flexible aspirating tube (18) opening into said front chamber (14) and connected to fluid aspiration equipment outside a patient which delivers or aspirates a fluid from said front chamber;
- a proximal section having proximal means for engaging and disengaging the intraluminal wall of the tubular body part by selectively producing a pneumatic vacuum (V) between said distal section and the intraluminal wall;
- said proximal section comprising a back chamber (19) with second rigid walls (20) and a second plurality of holes (16) passing through said rigid walls (20) from said back chamber to said intraluminal wall and a second flexible aspirating tube (21) opening into said back chamber (19) and connected to said fluid aspiration equipment outside the patient which delivers or aspirates said fluid from said back chamber;
- an intermediate section respectively abutting and engaging said distal section and said proximal section, said intermediate section being a single unitary resilient wall (5) defining an inner chamber (6), means for supplying and aspirating said fluid to and from said inner chamber to respectively expand said intermediate section along said longitudinal axis and permit contraction of said intermediate section to an original unexpanded form and
- means for selectively engaging and disengaging either said distal means or proximal means with the intraluminal wall so as to permit said intermediate section to effect migration of said distal, said intermediate and said proximal section through the lumen by supplying or aspirating said fluid to and from said inner chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.