JP2015006506A - In-tube propulsion device and endoscope comprising in-tube propulsion device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-tube propulsion device for continuously propelling a small-sized device such as an endoscope in a lumen such as a small intestine or a tube.SOLUTION: An in-tube propulsion device comprises a tube aggregation formed by spirally winding a plurality of tubes onto each other and sealing one end of each tube, where the other end on the side opposite to the sealed end of each of the plurality of tubes of the tube aggregation is connected to a fluid pressure source. The tube aggregation is made to move in a tube in the direction of the tube's axis by: (1) applying pressure from the fluid pressure source to one tube of the plurality of tubes; (2) decompressing the tube while applying pressure to another tube; (3) sequentially performing the processes (1) and (2) on all of the tubes without overlap until the first tube's turn comes; and (4) repeating the processes (1) to (3).

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-pipe propulsion device that generates and moves a propulsion force in a pipe. The present invention also relates to an endoscope provided with the in-pipe propulsion device.

  Endoscopes are widely used in the medical and industrial fields, and optical devices, illumination devices, diagnostic devices, sample collection devices, etc. that capture an image in the vicinity of the diagnostic or observation target part are attached to the tip, optical fibers, cables, A flexible elongated string-like assembly in which tubes, channels and the like are bundled is provided.

  In order to move such an endoscope through a tube or a lumen, particularly the small intestine of a person, an endoscope having a driving device or a propulsion device has been developed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a propulsion device including two balloons and an expansion / contraction part between them is attached to the distal end of the endoscope, and a balloon-type propulsion that drives the endoscope by expanding and contracting the balloons alternately. An endoscope comprising the device is disclosed.

  Further, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a reverse screw type propulsion device in which a cylinder having a spiral ridge in the reverse direction is attached to the front and back, the cylinder is rotated by a motor, and the heel is rubbed against the intestinal wall. An endoscope comprising the same is disclosed.

  Non-Patent Document 2 discloses an endoscope including a rubber actuator type propulsion device that applies a pressure to a tube whose interior is partitioned into a plurality of portions to generate a surface wave on the surface of the endoscope to obtain a propulsive force. ing.

  Furthermore, Non-Patent Document 3 discloses an endoscope including a peristaltic-type propulsion device that is automated by extending the double balloon type and increasing the number of nodes.

JP 2004-358222 A

Genya Sasakawa et al .: "Study on Endoscopic Robot Using Reverse Screw Type Propulsion Mechanism -Examination of Fins, Leads and Motor Arrangement to Maximize Propulsion-", 28th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan ( DVD-ROM), 3K1-4, Nagoya, 2010 Ken Ozaki et al .: "Derivation and basic experiment of new cross-sectional shape of colonoscopy guided rubber actuator", 28th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan (DVD-ROM), 1N3-2, Nagoya, 2010 Kazunori Adachi et al .: "Development of multi-stage endoscopic robot for small intestine examination based on peristalsis", Robotics and Mechatronics Lecture 2011 (DVD-ROM), 2P1-A02, Okayama, 2011

  The balloon-type propulsion device described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that not only the manual operation is complicated, but also a propulsive force can be generated only at the distal end portion of the endoscope.

  Since the reverse screw type propulsion device of Non-Patent Document 1 causes a strong frictional action against the intestinal wall, there is a problem in safety when used in the human body. The rubber actuator type propulsion device described in Non-Patent Document 2 is Since the movement is small, there is a problem that the propulsion speed is slow. Further, the peristaltic propulsion apparatus described in Non-Patent Document 3 has a problem that the speed is slow, the flow path is blocked, and friction is generated against the intestinal wall and the like. There is.

  An object of the present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art, and in particular to provide an in-pipe propulsion device that continuously propels a small device such as an endoscope in a lumen such as the small intestine or in a tube. It is an object. Another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope having such a propulsion device.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tube assembly in which a plurality of tubes that are flexible and can be expanded and contracted by applying pressure inside are spirally wound around each other and one end of each tube is sealed. And
In the in-pipe propulsion device configured to connect an end opposite to the sealed end of each of the plurality of tubes of the tube assembly to a fluid pressure source,
(1) applying pressure from the fluid pressure source to one of the plurality of tubes;
(2) Depressurize the tube and pressurize the other tube,
(3) Repeat steps (1) and (2) above for all tubes in order without duplication until returning to the first tube,
(4) The gist of the in-pipe propulsion apparatus is such that the pipe assembly is moved in the pipe in the axial direction by repeating the steps (1) to (3).

  According to another aspect of the present invention, an optical device including an image sensor such as a CCD and an objective lens attached to the tip of the tube assembly of the propulsion device, an illumination device such as an LED, a diagnostic device, An endoscope provided with a sample collection device such as scissors or a clip or a tip device combining them is provided.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of tubes are twisted and bonded to form an elongated string-like main body, the main body is arranged in the tube, and the inside of the tube is pressed one by one in order, whereby the entire main body is spiraled. A torsional motion can be used to propel the body within the tube. When a plurality of tubes includes at least three tubes, by reversing the order of pressurization, the direction of the spiral twisting motion is also reversed and the propulsion direction is reversed. In addition, since the length along the body axis does not always change, if a flexible hollow tube or cable is passed therethrough, it can be used as a flexible endoscope. In addition, the flexible tube is originally bundled so that it is flexible and the bent portion can be easily passed.

  When the present invention is used as an endoscope propulsion device, the endoscope can be operated much more easily than a conventional endoscope, for example, an endoscope provided with a double balloon type propulsion device. The reverse screw type propulsion device has a diameter of 17 mm and a speed of 1.7 mm / s, the rubber actuator type propulsion device has a diameter of about 12 mm and the speed is 3.1 mm / s, and the peristaltic type propulsion device has a diameter of 15 mm and a speed of 17 mm / s. On the other hand, according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an overwhelmingly small and high-speed propulsion device having a diameter of about 5 mm and a speed of about 40 mm / s.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an endoscope according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the behavior of a body as a tube assembly. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the behavior of the main body in the pipe. It is a schematic perspective view for demonstrating the movement aspect of the main body in a pipe | tube.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In FIG. 1, an endoscope 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c that are spirally wound around a central channel 16 in the present embodiment. Alternatively, a main body 14 composed of an elongated string-like tube assembly formed by twisting, an optical device including an image sensor such as a CCD attached to the tip of the main body 14 and an objective lens, an illumination device such as an LED, It includes a diagnostic device, a sample collection device such as scissors and clips, or a tip device 12 combining these. The center channel 16 includes an optical fiber for transmitting an optical signal from the tip device 12 as indicated by reference numeral 16a, a cable for supplying power to the tip device 12, a wire for operating the tip device 12, and the like. Can pass through. In this way, the tip device 12 can be connected to the control device, processing device, display device 17 and the like. The first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c are made of a flexible material such as silicone resin or silicone rubber. The main body 14 is formed by first winding the first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c in a spiral manner or twisting them, and then applying and covering the surface with silicone rubber to coat the first, second, and third tubes. 14a, 14b, and 14c can be bonded together.

  The first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c are pneumatic sources via a first pneumatic supply line 20a, a second pneumatic supply line 20b, and a third pneumatic supply line 20c, respectively. 20 is connected. First, second, and third control valves 24a, 24b, and 24c controlled by the control device 28 are disposed in the first, second, and third pneumatic supply lines 20a, 20b, and 20c, respectively. . The first, second, and third control valves 24a, 24b, and 24c can be, for example, two-position three-port solenoid valves, and the first and second solenoid valves are energized and de-energized by the control device 28. The second and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c can be independently communicated with the air pressure source 20 or opened to the atmosphere. The air pressure source 20 can be a compressor or service air in a hospital. The control device 28 includes a power source that supplies a potential to the solenoids of the first, second, and third control valves 24a, 24b, and 24c, a relay that switches a solenoid to be supplied with a potential, a timer that takes a switching timing, A microcomputer or the like can be included.

  When pressure is applied to one of the three tubes of the main body 14, for example, the first tube 14a, the entire main body 14 is deformed into a spiral shape as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the center of the spiral body 14 'is defined as the spiral body center axis Ah, and the centers of the first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c are defined as the body axis Ab. When the main body 14 is deformed in the pipe as shown in FIG. 3, the pressurized tube 14 ′ is brought into close contact with the inner wall of the pipe 18 at all points along the spiral central axis Ah in FIG. It becomes a form.

  In FIG. 3, the first tube 14a is in a pressurized state, and when the first tube 14a is depressurized and the second tube 14b is pressurized from this state, the second tube 14b is brought into the position of the previous first tube 14a. Moving. That is, the main body 14 rotates counterclockwise around the body axis Ab. And after the 2nd tube 14b moves to the position of the former 1st tube 14a, the above-mentioned rotational motion can be performed by depressurizing the 2nd tube 14b and pressurizing the 3rd tube 14c, and the 1st By sequentially repeating such pressurization and decompression between the second and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c, the spiral body 14 'can continue to rotate continuously. Such a rotational movement of the spiral body 14 ′ about the body axis Ab is referred to as a helical twisting movement. When the spiral twisting motion is performed in the tube, the body axis Ab of the spiral body 14 'is inclined with respect to the tube 18, for example, the inner wall of the small intestine, so that the spiral body 14' rolls in a direction perpendicular to the body axis Ab of the spiral body 14 '. As shown in FIG. 4, the spiral body 14 'moves along a spiral trajectory.

  According to the present embodiment, propulsive force is generated in the form of periodic motion by sequentially changing the tubes to be pressurized between the first, second, and third tubes 14a, 14b, and 14c. In order to generate a periodic continuous motion, a plurality of constituent elements may be periodically arranged and changed in order.

  In the above-described embodiment, the main body 14 includes three tubes 14a to 14c. However, the present invention is not limited to this form and may include four or more tubes. If there are three or more tubes, the period can be determined, and the two operations of forward and backward can be switched. However, when the main body 14 is provided with only two tubes, it cannot move without periodic rotation.

  In the above-described embodiment, the pneumatic pressure source 20 is shown as the fluid pressure source. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and physiological saline may be used as the working fluid.

  Further, when the endoscope 10 is an endoscope dedicated to observation by a camera, the tube may be directly wound around the electric wire in a spiral shape without using the center channel 16.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope 12 Tip device 14 Main body 14 'Spiral body 14a 1st tube 14b 2nd tube 14c 3rd tube 16 Center channel 18 Pipe | tube 20 Pneumatic pressure source 20a 1st pneumatic pressure supply line 20b 2nd pneumatic pressure supply line 20c 3rd pneumatic supply line 24a 1st control valve 24b 2nd control valve 24c 3rd control valve 28 Control apparatus

Claims (5)

A plurality of tubes that are flexible and stretchable by applying pressure inside are spirally wound around each other, and each tube has a tube assembly formed by sealing one end,
In the in-pipe propulsion device configured to connect an end opposite to the sealed end of each of the plurality of tubes of the tube assembly to a fluid pressure source,
(1) applying pressure from the fluid pressure source to one of the plurality of tubes;
(2) Depressurize the tube and pressurize the other tube,
(3) Repeat steps (1) and (2) above for all tubes in order without duplication until returning to the first tube,
(4) An in-pipe propulsion device in which the pipe assembly is moved in the axial direction of the pipe in the pipe by repeating the steps (1) to (3).   The in-pipe propulsion device according to claim 1, wherein the tube assembly includes at least three tubes.   The in-pipe propulsion device according to claim 2, wherein the at least three tubes are wound spirally around a hollow channel or an electric wire.   The in-pipe propulsion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least three tubes are made of silicone rubber, and are integrated with the hollow channel by being covered with silicone rubber.   An endoscope comprising the in-pipe propulsion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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