Endoscope control unit with braking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229351-B2
Application number	US-201916542942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A control unit that includes a braking system for fixing the position of an endoscope tip is provided. The control system includes an up-down control knob and a right-left control knob. The brakes are engaged by rotating the control knob itself counter-clockwise from a free wheeling position. After the brakes have been engaged, a sufficient amount of force applied to the control knobs will move the endoscope tip slightly in the corresponding direction, allowing for fine tuning of tip position after braking.

First claim

We claim:

1. An endoscope system, comprising:
an articulation actuator;
a shaft coupled to the articulation actuator; and
a braking system, comprising:
a braking lid,
a braking disc configured to move between an extended position, wherein the braking disc is engaged with the braking lid, and a retracted position, wherein the braking disc is disengaged from the braking lid,
a braking bushing, wherein said braking bushing receives said braking disc,
a biasing member configured to bias the braking bushing, and
a braking actuator, wherein the braking actuator is configured to provide relative rotation between said braking bushing and said braking lid;

wherein said braking bushing is received within said biasing member.

2. The endoscope system of claim 1 , wherein said braking bushing comprises indentations configured to receive protrusions of said braking lid, wherein the braking bushing is rotatable relative to the braking lid between a first configuration, wherein the indentations and the protrusions are out of alignment, thereby causing said braking bushing to compress said biasing member, and a second configuration, wherein the indentations receive the protrusions, thereby allowing the biasing member to decompress.

3. The endoscope system of claim 1 , wherein said braking actuator is configured to rotate said braking lid.

4. The endoscope system of claim 1 , wherein said shaft is coupled to said braking disc.

5. The endoscope system of claim 1 , wherein a space is defined between opposing surfaces of said braking lid and said braking disc when said braking disc is in said retracted position.

6. The endoscope system of claim 2 , wherein said protrusions are at an outer periphery of said braking lid, and wherein said indentations are at an outer periphery of said braking bushing.

7. The endoscope system of claim 2 , wherein the shaft is received in the braking lid.

8. The endoscope system of claim 2 , wherein the biasing member is in a compressed state when the braking disc is in the retracted position, and wherein the biasing member is in a decompressed state relative to the compressed state, when the braking disc is in the extended position.

9. The endoscope system of claim 2 , wherein the braking actuator is configured to align, through relative rotation between the braking bushing and the braking lid, the braking bushing with the braking lid, such that decompression of the biasing member pushes the braking disc into the extended position.

10. An endoscope system, comprising:
an insertion tube;
a steering knob for articulating a section of said insertion tube;
a steering shaft coupled to said steering knob, wherein said steering knob and said steering shaft are coupled, such that rotation of said steering knob causes rotation of said steering shaft; and
a braking system, said braking system comprising:
a lid,
a disc configured to move between an extended position, wherein said disc is engaged with said lid, and a retracted position, wherein said disc is disengaged from said lid,
a bushing, wherein said bushing receives said shaft and said disc,
a biasing member configured to bias said bushing, and
an actuator, wherein said actuator is configured to provide relative rotation between said bushing and said lid to align said bushing with said lid;

wherein said actuator is configured to rotate said lid.

11. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein said shaft is coupled to said disc.

12. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein a space is defined between opposing surfaces of said lid and said disc when said disc is in said retracted position.

13. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein said bushing and said lid are aligned when at least one protrusion of said lid is received within at least one indentation of said bushing.

14. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein the braking system is received in the steering knob, and wherein the braking system is movable relative to the steering knob and the steering shaft.

15. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein the biasing member is in a compressed state when the disc is in the retracted position, and wherein the biasing member is in a decompressed state, relative to the compressed state, when the disc is in the extended position.

16. The endoscope system of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is configured to, through relative rotation between the bushing and the lid, decompress the biasing member such that decompression of the biasing member pushes the disc into the extended position.

17. An endoscope system, comprising:
an insertion tube;
a steering knob for articulating a section of said insertion tube;
a first articulation actuator;
a first shaft coupled to the first articulation actuator;
a first sleeve coupled to the steering knob, wherein the first shaft is received in the first sleeve and wherein the steering knob and the first sleeve are coupled, such that rotation of said steering knob causes rotation of said first sleeve;
a first braking system configured to brake the first articulation actuator, said first braking system comprising:
a first braking actuator, wherein the first braking actuator includes a pin received in the first shaft, and
at least one brake body, wherein the at least one brake body extends radially outward from said pin, and wherein the pin and the at least one brake body are engaged, such that movement of the pin, via actuation of the first braking actuator, is configured to move the at least one brake body between a retracted position and an extended position;

a second articulation actuator; and
a second braking system configured to brake the second articulation actuator, the second braking system comprising:
a braking lid,
a braking disc configured to move between an extended position, wherein the braking disc is engaged with the braking lid, and a retracted position, wherein the braking disc is disengaged from the braking lid,
a braking bushing,
a biasing member configured to bias the braking bushing, and
a second braking actuator, wherein the second braking actuator is configured to provide relative rotation between said braking bushing and said braking lid, such that decompression of said biasing member pushes said braking disc into the extended position.

18. The endoscope system of claim 17 , wherein the braking bushing is received within the biasing member.

19. the endoscope system of claim 17 , wherein the second braking actuator is configured to rotate the braking lid.

20. The endoscope system of claim 17 , wherein the at least one brake body presses against a first sleeve when the at least one brake body is in the extended position.

Assignees

• Endochoice Inc

Inventors

• Lang Alexander
• Wieth Stephan

Classifications

• A61B1/00147

  Holding or positioning arrangements · CPC title

• A61B2017/00323

  Cables or rods · CPC title

• A61B1/0052 Primary

  Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles · CPC title

• A61B1/0051

  with controlled bending of insertion part · CPC title

• A61M25/0136

  Handles therefor · CPC title