CN115886685A

CN115886685A - Small-sized robot endoscope

Info

Publication number: CN115886685A
Application number: CN202310091336.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 欧阳小龙
Original assignee: Meguiar Vision Co
Current assignee: Meguiar Vision Co
Priority date: 2022-12-16
Filing date: 2023-02-06
Publication date: 2023-04-04
Also published as: CN219629572U

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical endoscope comprising a reusable part, into which either of two different disposable parts can be manually snapped, thereby forming two different assembled endoscopes. When one of the disposable portions is assembled with the reusable portion, a motor in the reusable portion robotically rotates the cannula about the rear end of the disposable portion. The motor robotically rotates the forward end of the cannula when the other disposable portion is assembled with the reusable portion. Another medical endoscope is generally disposable and has a motorized cannula tip angle. The other has a manually controlled angle.

Description

Small-sized robot endoscope

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of the sections of U.S. patent nos. 17/941,884,17/843,217 and 17/349,674 and sets forth priority to provisional patent application No. 63/417,340 filed 10/19/2022.

17/941,884 is a continuation-in-part of each of 17/745,526,17/720,143,17/521,397,17/473,587 (now patent 11,330,973), 17/362,043 and 16/363,209, giving priority to 4 provisional applications.

17/745,526 is a partial continuation of 17/473,587 and is presented with priority to the 5 provisional applications.

17/720,143 is a continuation of part of the contents of 17/521,397.

17/521,397 priority for 5 provisional applications.

17/473,587 is a partial continuation of each of 17/362,043 (now patent 11,350,816), PCT/US19/36060 and 16/363,209, giving priority to 17 provisional applications.

17/362,043 (now patent 11,350,816) proposes priority to 13 provisional applications.

PCT/US19/36060 is a partial continuation of 16/363,209, claiming priority to the 7 provisional applications.

16/363,209 is a continuation of PCT/US17/53171 and is proposed to have priority over 4 provisional applications.

PCT/US17/53171 sets forth priority for the 15 provisional applications.

17/843,217 is a division of 16/363,209.

17/349,674 is a continuation of part of the contents of 16/664,082.

16/664,082 (now patent 11,071,442) claims priority to the 26 provisional applications.

This application incorporates by reference the entire contents of the above-identified patent applications and claims each of the above-identified patent applications as well as the applications that are incorporated by reference, directly or indirectly, and all rights in their filing, including the filing dates of U.S. provisional applications, U.S. non-provisional applications, and international applications.

The present patent application is incorporated by reference into the following U.S. patents and U.S. and international (PCT) patent applications:

16/972,989 filed on 12/7 of 2020;

PCT/US21/50095 filed on 9/13/2021;

number 17/835,624, filed on 8/6/2022;

PCT/US16/18670, filed on month 2, 19, 2016;

14/913,867, filed on 23/2/2016, now patent No. 10,874,287;

PCT/US16/65396, filed on 2016, 12, 7;

15/371,858, filed on 20.2.2018, now patent No. 9,895,048;

15/462,331, filed on 2017, 3, month 17, now patent 10,524,636;

15/651,526 filed on 7/17.2017, which is now patent No. 10,278,563;

15/855,532, filed 2017, 12, 27, month, now patent No. 10,292,571;

PCT/US18/14880, filed on 23.1.2018;

16/407,028 filed on 8.5.2019, which is now patent No. 11,253,141;

16/413,160 filed on 15/5/2019, now patent 10,869,592;

16/407,251, filed 2019, month 6, and day 20, now patent No. 11,013,141;

PCT/US No. 20/38349, filed on 18/6/2020;

PCT/US20/46018 filed on 12.8.2020;

17/122,282 filed on 12/15 of 2020;

17/145,466, filed on 11.1.1.2021, now patent No. 11,395,579;

no. 17/370,575, filed on 8/7/2021.

No. 17/349,674, filed on day 16/6/2021; and

no. 17/573,095, filed on 24 months 1 in 2022.

Technical Field

This patent specification relates to endoscopic instruments and methods. More particularly, some embodiments relate to portable instruments including a reusable portion and a releasably attachable disposable portion.

Background

Endoscopes have long been used to view and treat internal tissues. In the case of rigid and flexible conventional endoscopes, the optical system and associated components are expensive and are reused multiple times. Therefore, strict decontamination and disinfection procedures are required after each use, which adds significant expense in terms of equipment and labor. In recent years, disposable endoscopes have been developed and developed, which generally comprise a disposable portion including an insertion tube with a camera head at the front end. The cannula is releasably connected to a reusable part comprising image processing electronics and a display. Disposable or single use endoscopes greatly reduce the risk of cross-contamination and nosocomial disease and eliminate the expense and time required for decontamination and disinfection of non-disposable endoscopes. Disposable endoscopes may find application in medical procedures such as imaging and treatment of the male and female urinary systems and female reproductive systems and other internal organs. Embodiments of disposable or single-use endoscopes are discussed in the patents and applications incorporated by reference.

The subject matter described or claimed in this patent specification is not limited to what has been described in terms of solving any particular disadvantages or to only what has been described in particular embodiments operating in environments such as those described above. Rather, the above background is provided merely to illustrate the feasibility of some embodiments described herein in an exemplary technology area.

Disclosure of Invention

As initially claimed, which may be amended upon filing this patent application, in some embodiments, a small robotic endoscope comprises: a reusable portion configured to be grasped by hand and having an elongated slot with an open side extending along the cannula axis; a disposable portion including a cannula extending along a cannula axis; wherein the disposable portion has a front end and a rear end and comprises: the imaging module is positioned at the front end and comprises one or more cameras and one or more light sources; a rear port at the rear end, a front port at the front end, and an internal passage extending from the rear port to the front port; a drive element at the rear end configured to selectively alter a physical parameter of the cannula upon actuation; and a single-use electrical contact at the rear end; wherein the reusable part comprises: an internal power supply; an internal motor; a gear shaft extending into said slot and coupled to the motor for selective rotation; a reusable electrical contact located within said slot; one or more manually operated motor control buttons associated with the power source and the motor to cause the motor to drive the gear shaft in a selected angular orientation; one or more manually operated image control buttons configured to control the imaging module; wherein the rear end of the disposable part is configured to mate with the slot of the reusable part in a direction transverse to the cannula axis to mate the electrical contacts with each other and the gear shaft with the drive member in one motion to form an assembled endoscope; and wherein, in the assembled endoscope: the one or more image control buttons are configured to selectively control transmission of image data from the imaging module to display an image; and the one or more motor control buttons are configured to selectively control at least one of (a) robotic rotation of the cannula about the cannula axis in a selected angular direction and through a selected angle and (b) robotic angulation of the forward end portion of the cannula in a selected direction relative to the cannula axis and through a selected angle relative to the cannula axis.

In some embodiments, the small robotic endoscope may additionally include one or more of the following: (a) The one or more motor control buttons may be configured to selectively control robotic rotation of the cannula about the cannula axis in and through a selected angular direction; (b) The one or more motor control buttons may be configured to selectively control a robotic angle of the cannula tip portion in a selected direction relative to the cannula axis and through a selected angle relative to the cannula axis; (c) A display mounted on the reusable portion, coupled with the imaging module, and configured to display images obtained therewith; (d) A display mounted on the reusable portion, having a rear-facing side configured to display the image data and a front-facing side, and comprising: a front facing camera module (FFC) configured to image objects that are far from it and including an auto focus facility whose lens is configured to automatically maintain focus of the objects in relative motion between the FFC and DFC; a forward lighting module (FFL) configured to illuminate the object: (e) The FFC module may include at least two cameras spaced apart in a direction transverse to the cannula axis and configured to provide at least one of: (i) Stereoscopic images, (ii) images in the wavelength range of light, which images are different between at least two of the cameras; (f) The reusable part may further comprise a catch configured to move between an open position in which the catch clears the slot to assemble the disposable part and the reusable part only in a direction transverse to the cannula axis by relative movement therebetween and a closed position in which the catch retains the disposable part and the reusable part as an assembled endoscope; (g) An injection needle permanently mounted within the cannula and configured to move between an extended position in which the injection needle extends from the forward end of the disposable part and a retracted position in which all of the injection needle is within the disposable part, and a needle controller mounted on the disposable part and configured to move the injection needle between the extended and retracted positions; (h) The insertion tube may be configured to rotate relative to the front end of the disposable part, and the drive element at the rear end of the disposable part comprises a first gear mounted on a gear shaft in the assembled endoscope so as to rotate about an axis transverse to the insertion tube shaft, a second gear meshed with the first gear so as to rotate about an axis parallel to the insertion tube shaft, a third gear connected to the second gear so as to rotate therewith, and a fourth gear cooperating with the third gear so as to rotate about the insertion tube axis so as to rotate the front end of the insertion tube about the insertion tube axis relative to the rear end of the disposable part; (i) The forward end of the cannula may be configured to be angled through the selected angle and the drive element at the rearward end of the single use portion comprises a rotary disk mounted on a gear shaft in the assembled endoscope for rotation about an axis transverse to the cannula shaft, and the single use portion comprises a guide wire connecting the rotary disk to the distal end of the cannula such that rotation of the rotary disk causes the forward end of the cannula to be angled relative to the cannula shaft.

In some embodiments, a small robotic endoscope includes a set of reusable portion and two distinct disposable portions, wherein the first portion has a motorized cannula rotation and the second portion has a motorized cannula tip angle, wherein the reusable portion is configured to be hand-held and has an elongated slot having an open face extending along a cannula axis, an internal motor and a gear shaft extending into the slot and configured to be selectively rotated by the motor about the axis, and an electrical contact in the slot. The first disposable part is configured to snap into the slot only in a direction transverse to the cannula axis to couple with the reusable part to form a first assembled endoscope and includes a front end having an imaging module, a rear end having a socket configured to fit into the gear shaft to rotate about an axis in the first assembled endoscope, and a gear set connecting the socket with the front end of the first disposable part to rotate about the cannula axis to a selected degree and at a selected angular orientation relative to the rear end. The second disposable part is also configured to couple with the reusable part by snapping into the slot only in the direction transverse to the cannulation axis to form a second assembled endoscope and includes a forward end having an imaging module, a rearward end having a socket configured to fit into the gear shaft to rotate about the axis in the second assembled endoscope, a guide wire connecting the socket with the forward end of the second disposable part, angling the forward end of the second disposable part relative to its rearward end in a selected direction and to a selected degree relative to the cannulation axis to form the same reusable part as the first endoscope with the forward end of the first disposable part rotating robotically, or the second endoscope with the forward end of the disposable part tilted robotically.

In some embodiments, a kit comprises a reusable portion and two different disposable portions, wherein the posterior end of the first disposable portion further comprises a manual control associated with the anterior end of the first disposable portion to impart a selected degree of angulation thereof relative to the posterior end of the first disposable portion in a selected direction and relative to the cannula axis; (b) The rear end of the second disposable part may further comprise manual control means connected to said front end of the second disposable part to rotate it in a selected direction and to a selected extent about the cannula axis relative to the rear end of the second disposable part; (c) The reusable part may comprise, at most, a display mounted thereon, the rear face of which is configured to display images obtained with said imaging module, and the front face having a light source and one or more Forward Facing Cameras (FFCs) configured to image an object at the front end thereof and to provide autofocus for said object when the endoscope is moved relative to the object.

In some embodiments, a robotic endoscope, which is generally disposable, comprises: a handle having a front end and a rear end and configured to be grasped by a user's hand and further having a working channel port at its rear end, an internal motor having a motor shaft that rotates when the motor is energized, and a button configured to selectively energize the motor to rotate the motor shaft in a selected angular direction and through a selected angle; a hub having a rear end permanently mounted to the front end of the handle for relative rotation about the cannula axis; a cannula permanently affixed at its rear end to the front end of the hub, extending along a cannula axis, and having an imaging module and a working channel port at its front end; a working channel having a constant internal area extending from a working channel port at the rear end of the handle to a working channel port at the front end of the cannula; a coupling element connecting the motor shaft and the cannula tip and configured to translate rotation of the motor shaft in a selected angular direction through a selected angle to an angle of the cannula tip and to a selected degree relative to the cannula axis; and a transmission facility coupled with the imaging module for transmitting images acquired by the imaging module to a display outside the single use endoscope.

In some embodiments, the robotic endoscope of the immediately preceding paragraph may further comprise one or more of: (a) A remote display and control facility coupled to the transmission facility and configured to control the imaging module and display images acquired with the imaging module; (b) the transmission facility may be wireless.

In some embodiments, an endoscope that is disposable in its entirety comprises: a handle having a front end and a rear end, configured to be grasped by a hand of a user, and further having a working channel port at the rear end thereof, and a lever configured to be manually moved between first and second positions relative to the handle; a cannula having a rear end permanently fixed to the front end of the hub, extending along the cannula axis, and having an imaging module and a working channel port at its front end; a working channel having a constant internal area extending from a working channel port at the rear end of the handle to a working channel port at the front end of the cannula; a motion translation mechanism within the handle, the mechanism coupled to the lever and the cannula forward end and configured to translate motion of the lever in a selected direction and to a selected degree to an angle of the cannula forward end in the selected direction and to the selected degree relative to the cannula axis; and a transmission facility connected with the imaging module and transmitting the image obtained by the imaging module to a display outside the disposable endoscope.

In some embodiments, the robotic endoscope of the immediately preceding paragraph may further comprise one or more of: (a) The lever may be configured to pivot about an axis transverse to the cannula axis, and the motion translation mechanism includes an element coupled with the lever to rotate with the pivoting of the lever and a guidewire connecting the element to the distal end of the cannula; (b) A remote display and control facility coupled to the transport facility and configured to control the imaging module and display images acquired with the imaging module.

Drawings

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the subject matter protected by this patent specification, a specific embodiment is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are to be understood as depicting exemplary embodiments only, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the patent specification or the appended claims. The subject matter of the invention will be described and explained with specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an assembled endoscope, with one of the insertion tubes mechanically rotatable;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the right side of the unassembled endoscope embodiment showing the reusable and disposable portions thereof;

FIG. 1C is a partially exploded perspective view of the left side of the disposable portion thereof, an

FIG. 1D is an exploded perspective view of the left side of an example unassembled endoscope in some embodiments;

FIG. 2A is a right side view of a second embodiment of an assembled endoscope, with the insertion tube mechanically angularly adjustable;

FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the right side of the second endoscope embodiment when unassembled;

FIG. 2C is an exploded perspective view of the left side of the second endoscope embodiment when unassembled;

FIG. 2D is a bottom view of the left side of the single use portion of the second endoscope embodiment;

FIG. 2E is an exploded perspective view of a mechanism relating to the angle of the forward end of the insertion tube of the second endoscope embodiment in some embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the right side of a third endoscope example, which may otherwise be like the endoscope embodiment of FIG. 1A or the endoscope embodiment of FIG. 2A, but in some embodiments adds an illumination source at the front face of the display, providing light beams having respective selected wavelength ranges, and further adds a Forward Facing Camera (FFC), which may include an auto focus facility;

FIG. 4A is a right side perspective view of a fourth endoscope embodiment, which is generally single use, with an insertion tube that is both angled and rotatable under manual control, and designed for use with a remote display;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the left side thereof;

FIG. 4C is an exploded perspective view of components thereof in some embodiments;

FIG. 5A is a right side perspective view of a fifth endoscope embodiment, which is generally single use, has an insertion tube, is angularly adjusted by robotic control, is rotated under manual control, and is designed for use with a remote display;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the left side thereof;

fig. 5C is an exploded perspective view of components thereof in some embodiments.

Detailed Description

A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided below. While several embodiments have been described, it should be understood that the novel subject matter described in this patent specification is not limited to any one embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein, but includes many alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding, some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, certain technical material that is known in the prior art has not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the new subject matter described herein. It is to be understood that each feature of one or more specific embodiments described herein may be used in combination with other features of other described embodiments. Further, like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Like numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. Further, components that are structurally and functionally similar are numbered with the same second and third digits. For the sake of brevity, elements having the last two digits of the same number are only described in relation to the figure in which they are first mentioned, and are not repeated in relation to the figures discussed subsequently.

Fig. 1A-1D show a first embodiment of an endoscope. In some embodiments, this embodiment robotically controls motorized rotation of the cannula about its long axis, relative to the rear end portion of the disposable portion and the reusable portion, to which the disposable portion is releasably connected to form an assembled endoscope.

FIG. 1A is a right side perspective view of an assembled endoscope 100 in some embodiments, FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the right side of endoscope 100 unassembled showing reusable portion 102 and disposable portion 104 thereof in some embodiments, FIG. 1C is an exploded partial perspective view of the left side of reusable portion 102 thereof in some embodiments, and FIG. 1D is an exploded perspective view of the left side of endoscope 100 unassembled in some embodiments.

As shown in fig. 1A-1D, the reusable part 102 includes a handle 106 that extends along a handle axis B and is configured to be hand-held. The reusable part 102 has an elongated slot 108, seen in fig. 1B, with the open side facing to the right and extending along a cannula axis a transverse to the handle axis B. The disposable part 104 includes a cannula 110 extending along a cannula axis a and having a rear end 112 releasably connected to the reusable part 102 at a slot 108 and a front end 114 having an imaging module 116 including one or more cameras and one or more light sources. One or more rear ports 118,120 are located at a rear end 122 of cannula 110, one or more front ports 124 are located at front end 114 of cannula 110, and one or more internal passages 126 (shown in phantom) extend from rear ports 118,120 to front port 124 to allow fluid flow between the rear and front ports through passages 126 and/or to allow surgical tools to be inserted into one or more of rear ports 118,120, through passages 126, and out one or more distal ends of front port 124.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the reusable part 102 includes an internal power source 109, such as batteries and an internal motor 111, which are illustrated schematically. The gear shaft 113 extends into the slot 108 along an axis C perpendicular to the cannula axis a and the handle axis B, and is in operative communication with the motor 111 for selective rotation clockwise and counterclockwise about the axis C at selected rotational angles as desired. The motor 111 may be a stepper motor and may be directly behind the gear shaft 113, rotating the motor shaft about an axis parallel to axis C. The gear shaft 113 has a polygonal outer surface configured to engage and drive a cylinder 130 (FIG. 1C) in the disposable portion 104 when the endoscope 100 is assembled, as described further below. The handle 106 has

buttons

115 and 117 on its front face for selectively coupling the power source 109 to the motor 111 for robotically rotating the gear shaft 113 in a selected angular direction. The

buttons

115, 117 are preferably positioned to be operated by the index and/or middle finger of the user gripping the handle 106.

The reusable part 102 preferably includes a display 142 mounted thereon and coupled to the imaging module 116. Both preferably powered by power supply 109. In addition, the reusable part 102 has a button 144 at its rear end that is positioned to operate with the thumb of the user gripping the handle 106. Button 144 is operatively coupled with imaging module 116 at forward end 114 of cannula 110 to control the operation of the imaging module, such as imaging functions, and may be coupled with display 142 to control display functions. Buttons 144 may include two or more buttons or another suitable interface to control respective functions of imaging module 116 and/or display 142. The reusable part 102 also includes a pivot latch 146, shown in a closed position in FIG. 1A to secure the reusable part 102 and the disposable part 104 together, and shown in an open position in FIG. 1B to allow the disposable part 104 to snap into the slot 108 of the reusable part 102.

The reusable part 102 preferably further includes electronics 119, shown schematically in FIG. 1A, coupled to the imaging module 116 and/or the display 142, and, if desired, to

buttons

115, 117, and 144 to facilitate processing and control of image data from the imaging module 116, control of the motor 111, and control of one or more of the display 142. As described below, the electrical contacts 121 (fig. 1B) in the slots 108 of the reusable part 102 are configured to mate with the electrical contacts 123 (fig. 1C) of the disposable part 104.

The disposable portion 104 includes a drive member 128 located within the rear end 112 of the disposable portion 104 that mates with the gear shaft 113 when the reusable portion 102 and disposable portion 104 are assembled into the configuration of figure 1A. Details of the driven element 128 are seen in fig. 1C. As shown, the driven element 128 includes a cylindrical body 130 having a polygonal inner surface defining a socket and an outer portion having a helical thread. When the endoscope 100 is assembled as shown in fig. 1A, the cylinder 130 fits over the gear shaft 113 (fig. 1B). The polygonal inner surface 131 of the cylinder 130 mates with the extreme polygonal surface of the gear shaft 113 (fig. 1B) for rotation by the gear shaft 113 in the assembled endoscope. A drive mechanism 128 is operatively coupled to the cannula 110 to selectively rotate the cannula about the cannula axis a relative to the rearward end 112 of the disposable part 104 to selectively change a physical parameter of the cannula, i.e., the angular position of the cannula relative to the rearward end 112 and the reusable part 112, upon actuation. The drive element 128 comprises, in addition to the cylinder 130, a gear 132 which engages with the external helical thread of the cylinder 130 so as to rotate about an axis parallel to the cannula axis a, a shaft 134 which bears at its rear end against the gear 132, and a gear 136 which bears at the distal end of the shaft 134. A gear 138 engaged with gear 136 so as to rotate about cannula axis a, and a shaft 140 connected to gear 138, extending from its distal end, if connected to the rear end of cannula 110, to selectively rotate the cannula about cannula axis a relative to proximal end 112 of disposable part 104. The disposable part 104 also includes an electrical contact 123 (FIG. 1C) configured to mate with the electrical contact 121 (FIG. 1B) of the reusable part 102 to transmit power, control, and image data between the reusable and disposable parts when the endoscope 100 is in the assembled configuration of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D is a left side view of the unassembled endoscope 100 showing the left side of the rear end 112 of the reusable part 102 enclosed within a housing having an opening into the inner surface 131 of the cylinder 130.

In some embodiments, the endoscope 100 permanently includes an injection needle 150, the needle 150 being movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein a forward end of the needle 150 extends from the forward end 114 of the cannula 110, and a forward end of the needle 150 is substantially or completely within the cannula 110. Injection needle 150 may be manually moved between its positions by a knob 152 affixed to the rearward end of needle 150 and configured to slide relative to rearward end 112 of disposable part 104. When the ports 118,120 are configured to be in fluid flow communication with the needle 150, fluid may be injected into the needle 150 through one of the ports. For details on how to add an injection needle in the disposable part of an endoscope, see for example patents 10,524,636 and 10,874,287.

In operation, the single-use portion 104 is provided to the user sealed in a sterile package. The user tears the package open and assembles the disposable part 104 and the reusable part 102 into the configuration of the endoscope 100 seen in fig. 1A by snapping the rear end part 104 into the slot 108, mating the gear shaft 113 with the polygonal opening (socket) of the cylinder 130, and mating the

electrical contacts

121 and 123 to establish an electrical connection. No tools are required to assemble endoscope 100. The user then locks the reusable part 102 and the disposable part 104 to each other by rotating the catch 146 from the open position seen in FIG. 1B to the closed position seen in FIG. 1A. The user may grasp and hold handle 106 and insert cannula 110 into the patient, e.g., toward or into the urinary or reproductive organ. Cannula 110 can be robotically rotated relative to handle 106, the angular direction and extent of rotation being controlled by manually operated

buttons

115, 117. Because the leading end 114 is at an angle to the axis a as shown in fig. 1A and 1B, rotation of the cannula can view the internal organs from different directions. For example, with such rotation of the cannula 110, all or substantially all of the inner wall of the bladder may be examined with the imaging module 116. In some embodiments, the degree of rotation of cannula 110 may be limited, such as to a semicircle or less in each direction, preventing rotation of barrel 130 beyond a selected angle in each direction by a suitable mechanical stop (and the angle may be different in different angular directions), or electronically controlling motor 111 via electronics 119. After the endoscope 100 is used in a medical procedure, the user moves the latches 146 to their open position, manually pulls the reusable portion 102 away from the reusable portion 104, without tools, and disposes of the used disposable portion following a procedure for disposing of medical waste. For other examples of rotating cannulae, see patents 9,895,048, 11,350,816 and 11,330,973 and U.S. patent applications 17/745,526 and 17/835,624, which are incorporated by reference.

Fig. 2A-2E illustrate an endoscope 200 that, in some embodiments, robotically controls the motorized angle of the forward end of an insertion tube that is part of a disposable endoscope portion and a reusable portion that is releasably attached to the insertion tube to form an assembled endoscope.

Fig. 2A is a right side view of the second assembled endoscope 200, fig. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the right side of the endoscope 200 when unassembled, fig. 2C is an exploded perspective view of the left side of the endoscope 200 when unassembled, fig. 2D is a rear end left side view of the single use portion of the endoscope 200, and fig. 2E is an exploded perspective view of a mechanism involving the angle of the insertion tube front end of the endoscope 200 in some embodiments.

Fig. 2A shows an assembled endoscope 200, where the reusable part 202 may be the same as the reusable part 202 in the endoscope 100, except that: the (a)

buttons

215, 217 control the angle of the front end 214 of the cannula 214, (b) the electronics 219 control parameters related to the angle of the front end 214 and in this respect replace the electronics 119 with respect to controlling the rotation of the cannula, and (c) the mechanics of the electronic barrier may limit the extension of the angle. The reusable portion 202 is otherwise similar to the reusable portion 102 of the endoscope 100, except that: (a) the gear shaft 113 engages and rotates a disk 203 (fig. 2C) having a polygonal central opening (socket) 201 that replaces the drive element 128 in the endoscope 100, (b) a wire or cable transmits the angle adjustment force to the front end 214, (C) a control 250 may be provided for the direction of angle adjustment, (d) rotation of the cannula 210 relative to the rear end 212 of the reusable portion 202 is manually controlled, and (e) an internal injection needle is not included in the illustrated example.

Referring to fig. 2A,

buttons

215, 217 control the angular orientation and extent of the forward end 214 of the cannula 210. For example, button 215, when depressed, may cause front end 214 to curl upward by an angle as shown in FIG. 1A, or depending on how long button 215 is depressed by a user's finger, while button 217 may cause front end 214 to curl downward by an angle in the opposite angular direction, as shown in phantom, or by a lesser or greater amount depending on how long button 217 is depressed. FIG. 2A shows the latch 146 in an open position, but in practice, the latch will be in a closed position when the endoscope 200 is assembled and ready for use during a medical procedure.

FIG. 2B shows the right side of reusable portion 202 and disposable portion 204, which may be assembled into endoscope 200, as discussed above with respect to disposable portion 104 and reusable portion 102. The disposable portion 204 may include a 3-position manually operated switch 250 that the user may rotate to a U position to limit the angular orientation to curling up from the cannula axis a, a D position to curl down from the cannula axis a, and an intermediate portion in which the front end 214 may curl up or down depending on which

button

215, 217 the user presses.

Fig. 2C shows the left disposable portion 204 and reusable portion 202 of the unassembled endoscope 200. In external appearance, in this view, except for the differences between the

front ends

114 and 214, they are the same as the disposable portion 104 and the reusable portion 102 seen in FIG. 1D. As shown in FIG. 2C, the rear end 212 of the disposable portion 204 includes a rear portion 252 that does not rotate relative to the reusable portion 202 of the assembled endoscope 200, and a portion 254 rotatably mounted on the portion 252 for rotation relative to the portion 252 about the cannula axis A. In the embodiment of endoscope 200, rotation of cannula 210 is manual-e.g., the user grasps portion 254 or ports 118,120 and rotates cannula 210 at a desired angular orientation and degree. The maximum degree of rotation may be limited by mechanical stops for the non-rotating portion 252, e.g., a semicircle or less in each angular direction.

Fig. 2D is a partial plan view of the reusable part 202 of the endoscope 200, cut away from the left. Wires or

cables

256 and 258 are secured in fixed

positions

260 and 262 of disposable portion 204, looped over puck 203, and secured in position (not shown) at front end 214 of cannula 210 such that rotation of puck 203 in one angular direction pulls one of

cables

256 and 258 and relaxes the other, thereby angling front end 214 in one angular direction. Rotating the disk 203 in the opposite angular direction has an opposite effect on the front end 214. As previously described, mechanical stops may be installed to engage the disk 203 as needed to prevent rotation in one angular direction beyond a selected angle. The mechanical baffle can limit the rotation of the disc 203 in each direction to the same angle, or can limit the rotation of the disc 203 to different angles in different angular directions.

FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view where the components of the reusable part 202 can be as in the

endoscopes

100 and 200, and the components of the disc 203 of the disposable part 204 are different from the reusable part 102. The motor 111 is fixedly mounted in the

reusable parts

102 and 202, to the left of the gear shaft 113, and drives the gear shaft 113 through the meshing gears 260, 262 in an angular direction and to an extent selected by the

buttons

115, 117 in the endoscope 100 and the electronic device 119 or the

buttons

215, 217 and the electronic device 219 in the endoscope 200. As shown in fig. 2E, the gear shaft 113 is fitted in the opening (socket) 201 of the disk 203, so that the disk 203 rotates together with the gear shaft 113 in the assembled endoscope 200. The polygonal inside shape of the opening (socket) 201 fits closely to the polygonal circumference of the gear shaft 113 to ensure co-rotation, facilitates mounting and dismounting of the disc 203 on and from the shaft 113, and fits closely enough to prevent undesirable slippage or vibration at the start, stop and reverse rotation. The cylindrical body 130 of the reusable part 102 is also fitted on the gear shaft 113 as well. With respect to another embodiment of the endoscope, in which the insertion tube rotates and has an angled forward end, reference is made to patent 10,292,571, which is incorporated by reference.

In each of the

endoscopes

100 and 200, the motor 111 may be a stepping motor. In the endoscope 100, the motor 111 may be coupled to the electronics 119 so as to be controlled, and the electronics 119 maintain a count of the number of steps of the motor 111, which is a measure of the angle by which the motor 11 rotates the cannula 110 about the axis a in the respective angular direction, which is also controlled by the electronics 119. Thus, the count stored in the electronic device 119 may be an indicator that the electronic device 119 may use to control parameters such as how images from the imaging module 116 are displayed on the display 142. In the endoscope 200, the electronics 219 can also calculate the number of motor steps as a measure of how far the tip 214 has been turned in what direction.

In one embodiment of the endoscope 100, as the insertion tube 110 is rotated, the imaging module 116 therefore provides images at different angles from the fixed vertical and horizontal planes, e.g., different angles relative to the room in which the endoscope 100 is used during a medical procedure, the images on the display 142 are rotated in the same manner relative to the display 142. This mode of displaying an image may be referred to as a "rotated image" mode. However, some professionals, such as gynecologists, may have become accustomed to the images they see with older rigid endoscopes, which operate like conventional telescopes, where the view does not rotate as the rigid endoscope rotates about its long axis. In the endoscope 100, similar rotation of the image on the display 142 may be provided by rotating the image on the display 142 using a metric of the number of steps of the motor 111. To this end, the electronics 119 are configured to rotate the image on the display 142 in the same direction and to the same degree relative to the display 142 because the cannula 110 is rotated relative to the rear end 112 of the reusable part 102, using motor steps and known image processing techniques developed for rotating images on a computer screen. Thus, the endoscope 100 may provide a "hold upright" mode to maintain the angular orientation of the image on the display 142 relative to the display 142 the same as the angular orientation of the endoscope currently viewing the organ in the room. In some embodiments, the "hold upright" mode may be the only way to display images with endoscope 100. In other embodiments, the endoscope 100 may provide both a "rotate image" mode and a "hold upright" mode, and the endoscope may provide a switch that enables the user to select one of the modes for the patient's procedure.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the right side of an endoscope 300, which may otherwise be like endoscope 100 or endoscope 200, but in some embodiments has a light source 304 on the front face of display 302, providing light beams having respective selected wavelength ranges, and further has a Front Facing Camera (FFC) 306, which may include auto focus facilities, and has electronics 308 configured to operate with the illumination source and Front Facing Camera (FFC). The light source 304 may include a set of LEDs that emit light in respective selected wavelength ranges, such as white light, blue light, green light, and the like. Catalyst 306 may include two or more cameras configured to image light in the same or different respective wavelength ranges. For other examples of Front Facing Cameras (FFC) for reusable portions of endoscopes, reference is made to U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 17/473,587 and 17/835,624, which are incorporated by reference.

The catalyst 306 may be equipped with an auto-focus facility, which may be of the type used in contemporary smart phones, and with a lens that may be electronically focused to accommodate different object heights and working distances. The lenses of Front Facing Cameras (FFCs) 306 may be liquid lenses, which are small mechanical electronic control units containing optical grade liquids. When a current or voltage is applied to the liquid lens cell, the cell changes shape. This change occurs within a few milliseconds and results in a change in the optical power and hence the focal length and working distance from the object being imaged. In the embodiment of fig. 3, the lenses of front-facing cameras (FFCs) 306 may be controlled by the autofocus facilities of the front-facing cameras (FFCs). In addition, front-facing cameras (FFCs) 306 may provide a lens configured to move relative to the image plane of the camera, using the principle of voice coil motor operation, which involves a permanent magnetic field, and controlling a spring by varying the DC current to the coil, thereby driving the lens toward or away from the image plane. Voice Coil Motors (VCM) are widely used in contemporary camera modules. Another option is that

TLens technology, which is believed to surpass the function of many conventional Voice Coil Motors (VCM). It is expected that migration from Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology to new @'s will occur in smart phones, wearable devices, consumer devices, and demanding industrial or medical applications>

Provided is a technique. />

Is very different from Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology. Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology produces focus by moving a lens barrel, and/or>

The lens barrel does not need to be moved, but is only connected to the lens barrel in an optical mechanical mode, and then the focusing lens effect is generated to adjust the optical characteristics of the combined lens group.

Fig. 4A is a right side view of an endoscope 400, which is generally disposable, having an insertion tube 410 that is both angularly and rotatably adjustable under manual control and is designed for use with a remote display 442, fig. 4B is a left side view thereof, and fig. 4C is an exploded perspective view of components thereof in some embodiments.

The endoscope 400 includes a hub 454 with

ports

418, 420 that connect to one or more internal channels 426 in the cannula 410 that extend to one or more ports 424 at the cannula's forward end 414. An imaging module 416 is located at the front end 414. The front end 414 is configured to be angled at a selected angular orientation and a selected degree under the control of a lever 470 that rotates about the axis D of the pin 471 (fig. 4C). Working channel port 472 at the rear end of handle 406 is connected to a working channel that extends from the front end of port 472, through stem 406, through hub 454, through cannula 410 (which may also be one of channels 426) and terminates at one of ports 424. Preferably, the working channel is straight in the cannula curve from port 472 to tip 414, and straight and of the same diameter up to tip port 424 when tip 414 is not angled. The cable 474 may connect the endoscope 400 to the external display 442, or the connection may be wireless, for example, through WiFi, as represented by a WiFi symbol. The control device 478 may be integral with the display 442 or may be a separate device that is connected to the imaging module 416 via the cable 474 and wires in the endoscope 400 and that is operatively associated with the display 442 to control the imaging and display functions. Endoscope 400 can be manufactured relatively inexpensively because it does not need to include a power supply or image processing electronics. Power may be provided from an external source such as display 442 and/or control 478 or a separate source, while image processing may be accomplished by control 478 and/or display 442.

The cannula 410 is affixed to a hub 454 that is rotatably mounted to the handle 406 for rotation relative to the handle 406 about the cannula axis A. As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, lever 470 may be manually rotated about pin 471, typically by grasping handle 406 with a user's thumb.

Fig. 4C is an exploded perspective view of the endoscope 400 assembly showing a unit including the cannula 410 and hub 454 rotatably mounted to the forward end of the handle 406 by a connector 480 for rotation with the cannula 410 about axis a relative to the handle 46. Handle 406 includes a half wheel 482 mounted on needle 471 for rotation about axis D, and lever 470 mounted on needle 471 for rotation about axis D. Half wheel 482 functions like disk 203.

The entire endoscope 400 is provided to the user in a sealed, sterile package. During the medical procedure, the user tears open the package and connects the cable 474 to the remote display 442 and/or control 478 or establishes a wireless connection. The user controls the imaging modules 416 via the display 442 and/or controls 478, which are configured to perform desired image processing, such as the

endoscopes

100, 200, and 300 described above. After the medical procedure is completed, the entire endoscope 400 is disposed of as medical waste.

Fig. 5A is a right side view of an endoscope 500 that is otherwise similar to endoscope 400, but the angle of the leading end 514 of the insertion tube 510 is robotically controlled by a motor 511 (fig. 5C) and

buttons

515, 517, and the mechanism for transmitting motion from the motor to the guide wire and cable is different. Fig. 5B is a left side view thereof and fig. 5C is an exploded perspective view of components thereof in some embodiments.

The components distal from the front end of handle 506 may be the same as the components distal from the front end of handle 406. The corresponding components differ only by the first digit of their number. The handle 506 differs from the handle 406 only in that the handle 506 includes a motor 511 (FIG. 5C) that rotates the plate 584 under the control of

buttons

515, 517 in lieu of manual control of the angle of the endoscope 400.

Referring to fig. 5C, handle 506 is formed from half-

shells

506a and 506b and includes a motor 511 which rotates gear shaft 560 about axis D, half-wheel 582 which fits over gear shaft 560 for rotation therewith, and plate 584 which is fixed to half-wheel 582 for rotation therewith about axis D.

Although the foregoing has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes and apparatuses described herein. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the subject matter described herein is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A small robotic endoscope, comprising:

a reusable portion configured to be hand-held and having an elongated slot with an open face extending along the cannula axis;

a disposable portion including a cannula extending along a cannula axis;

wherein the disposable portion has a front end and a rear end, comprising:

the imaging module is positioned at the front end and comprises one or more cameras and one or more light sources;

a rear port at the rear end, a front port at the front end, and an internal passage extending from the rear port to the front port;

a drive element at the rear end configured to selectively alter a physical parameter of the cannula upon actuation; and

a single-use electrical contact at the rear end;

wherein the reusable part comprises:

an internal power source;

an internal motor;

a gear shaft extending into the groove and linked with the motor so as to be selectively rotated;

a reusable electrical contact located within said slot;

one or more manually operated motor control buttons connected to the power source and the motor to cause the motor to drive the gear shaft in a selected angular direction;

one or more manually operated image control buttons configured to control the imaging module;

wherein the rear end of the disposable portion is configured to fit into the slot of the reusable portion in a direction transverse to the cannula axis, thereby mating the electrical contacts with each other and the gear shaft with the drive member in a single motion, thereby forming an assembled endoscope; and

wherein, in the assembled endoscope:

the one or more image control buttons are configured to selectively control transmission of image data from the imaging module for display; and

the one or more motor control buttons are configured to selectively control at least one of: (a) A robotic rotation of the cannula about the cannula axis in a selected angular direction and through a selected angle, (b) a robotic angle of the leading end portion of the cannula in a selected direction relative to the cannula axis and at a selected angle relative to the cannula axis.

2. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the one or more motor control buttons are configured to selectively control robotic rotation of the cannula about the cannula axis in and through a selected angular direction.

3. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the one or more motor control buttons are configured to selectively control a robotic angle of the cannula tip portion in a selected direction relative to the cannula axis and through a selected angle relative to the cannula axis.

4. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, further comprising a display mounted on the reusable portion and coupled to the imaging module and configured to display images acquired therewith.

5. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, further comprising a display mounted on the reusable portion and having a rearward end facing side and a forward end facing side configured to display the image data, comprising:

a forward facing camera module (FFC) configured to image objects that are relatively far away therefrom and comprising an auto focus facility whose lens is configured to automatically maintain a focus of the objects in relative motion between the camera modules (FFC); and

a forward lighting module (FFL) configured to illuminate the object.

6. The small robotic endoscope of claim 5, wherein: the camera module (FFC) comprises at least two cameras spaced apart in a direction transverse to the cannula axis and is configured to provide at least one of: (a) Stereoscopic images, (b) images of different light wavelength ranges between at least two of the cameras.

7. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the reusable part further comprises a catch configured to move between an open position in which the catch clears the slot allowing the disposable part and the reusable part to be assembled only in a direction transverse to the cannula axis by relative movement therebetween and a closed position in which the catch retains the disposable part and the reusable part as an assembled endoscope.

8. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, further comprising an injection needle permanently mounted within the cannula and configured to move between an extended position in which the injection needle extends from the front end of the disposable part and a retracted position in which all of the injection needle is within the disposable part, and a needle controller mounted to the disposable part and configured to move the injection needle between the extended and retracted positions.

9. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the insertion tube is configured to rotate relative to the forward end of the disposable part, and the drive element at the rearward end of the disposable part comprises a first gear mounted on a gear shaft in the assembled endoscope so as to rotate about an axis transverse to the axis of the insertion tube. A second gear meshing with the first gear to rotate about an axis parallel to the cannula shaft, a third gear connected to the second gear to rotate therewith, and a fourth gear cooperating with the third gear to rotate about the cannula axis to rotate the front end of the cannula about the cannula axis relative to the rear end of the disposable part.

10. The small robotic endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the forward end of the cannula is configured to be angled through the selected angle and the drive element at the rearward end of the single use portion comprises a rotary disk mounted on a gear shaft in the assembled endoscope for rotation about an axis transverse to the cannula shaft, and the single use portion comprises a guide wire connecting the rotary disk with the forward end of the cannula such that rotation of the rotary disk causes the forward end of the cannula to be angled relative to the cannula shaft.

11. A small robotic endoscope set comprising a reusable portion and two distinct disposable portions, wherein the first portion has a motorized cannula rotation and the second portion has a motorized cannula tip angle, wherein:

the reusable portion is configured to be hand-held and has an elongated slot with an open face extending along the cannula axis, an internal motor and a gear shaft extending into the slot and configured to be selectively rotated by the motor about the axis, and an electrical contact in the slot.

The first disposable part is configured to snap into the slot only in a direction transverse to the cannula axis to couple with the reusable part to form a first assembled endoscope and includes a front end having an imaging module; a rear end having a socket configured to mate with the gear shaft for rotation about an axis in the first assembled endoscope, and a gear set connecting the socket to the front end of the first single use portion for rotation about the cannula axis at a selected angular orientation and to a selected degree relative to the rear end;

a second disposable portion also configured to couple with the reusable portion, forming a second assembled endoscope by snapping into the slot only in a direction transverse to the cannula axis, and including a front end having an imaging module; a rear end having a socket configured to fit on the gear shaft for rotation about the shaft axis in a second assembled endoscope, a guide wire connecting the socket with the front end of the second disposable part such that the front end of the second disposable part is angled in a selected direction relative to the rear end thereof and to a selected degree relative to the shaft of the cannula;

such that the same reusable part forms a first endoscope in which the front end of the first disposable part is robotically rotated, or a second endoscope in which the front end of the disposable part is robotically tilted.

12. The set of small robotic endoscopes comprised of a reusable portion and two different disposable portions according to claim 11, wherein: the rearward end of the first disposable portion further includes a manual control associated with the forward end of the first disposable portion to angle it in a selected direction relative to the rearward end of the first disposable portion and to a selected degree relative to the cannula axis.

13. The set of small robotic endoscopes comprised of a reusable portion and two different disposable portions according to claim 11, wherein: the rearward end of the second disposable part further comprises a manual control associated with the forward end of said second disposable part for rotating it about the cannula axis in a selected direction and to a selected degree relative to the rearward end of the second disposable part.

14. The set of small robotic endoscopes comprised of a reusable portion and two different disposable portions according to claim 11, wherein: the reusable portion includes a display mounted thereon at a forward-most end and having a rear face configured to display images acquired with the imaging module, and a front face having a light source and one or more Forward Facing Cameras (FFC) configured to image an object at a forward end thereof and provide autofocus for the object as the endoscope is moved relative to the object.

15. A robotic endoscope, which is generally disposable, comprising:

a handle having a front end and a rear end configured to be grasped by a user's hand and further having a working channel opening at the rear end, an internal motor having a motor shaft rotatable when the motor is energized, and buttons configured to selectively energize the motor to rotate the motor shaft in and through a selected angular direction;

a hub having a rear end permanently mounted to the front end of the handle for relative rotation about the cannula axis;

a cannula permanently fixed at its rear end to the front end of the hub, extending along the cannula axis, and having an imaging module and a working channel port at its front end;

a working channel having a constant inner area, extending from a working channel port at the rear end of the handle to a working channel port at the front end of the cannula;

a coupling element connecting the motor shaft and the cannula tip and configured to translate rotation of the motor shaft through a selected angle in a selected angular direction into a selected degree of angulation of the cannula tip in a selected direction and relative to the cannula axis; and

a transmission facility coupled to the imaging module to transmit images acquired thereof to a display external to the single use endoscope.

16. The robotic endoscope of claim 15, further comprising a remote display and control facility associated with the transport facility and configured to control the imaging module and display images acquired with the imaging module.

17. The robotic endoscope of claim 16, wherein: the transmission facility is wireless.

18. A generally single use endoscope comprising:

a handle having a front end and a rear end, configured to be grasped by a user's hand, and further having a working channel opening at the rear end, and a lever configured to be manually moved between first and second positions relative to the handle;

a working channel having a constant internal area, extending from a working channel port at the rear end of the handle to a working channel port at the front end of the cannula;

a motion translation mechanism within the handle, the mechanism coupled to the lever and the cannula forward end and configured to translate movement of the lever in a selected direction and to a selected degree to an angle of the cannula forward end in the selected direction and to the selected degree relative to the cannula axis; and

and the transmission device is connected with the imaging module and is used for transmitting the images obtained by the imaging module to a display outside the disposable endoscope.

19. The endoscope of claim 18, wherein: the lever is configured to pivot about an axis transverse to the cannula axis, and the motion translation mechanism includes an element coupled to the lever to rotate with the pivoting of the lever, and a wire connecting the element to the cannula tip.

20. The endoscope of claim 18, further comprising a remote display and control facility associated with the transport facility and configured to control the imaging module and display images acquired with the imaging module.