Flexible robotic endoscopy system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11311343-B2
Application number	US-201615760399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention is an endoscopy system with newly designed docking block, brake control, wire tension adjustment, bending angle sensor, memory chip data storage, valve control, imaging lens cleaning, optimized lumen arrangement and distal position sensor. The docking block can have a one-touch retaining mechanism. Braking control can be accessed by the endoscopist at the hand grip or knobs. Wire tension can be relaxed or tightened in response to surgeon or endoscopist control. Bending angle sensors can protect surgical instruments. Memory chip can store usage data of the endoscope. Multiple valves can have priority control. Lenses can be cleaned with one touch of a button. Lumens can be arranged to maximize imaging and lighting angles. Position markers accompanied with sensors can position the distal end of the endoscope automatically in the optimal position.

First claim

We claim:

1. An endoscopy system with one or more surgical instruments and an endoscope,
the endoscope comprising:
an insertion portion having a flexible insertion tube and a distal end with a distal end face,
wherein the insertion portion has a first surgical instrument channel, a second surgical instrument channel, and a single forward water feeding channel, wherein
a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant and a fourth quadrant are arranged on the distal end face, wherein:
(i) the first quadrant and third quadrant are at opposite sides of the center of the distal end face;
(ii) the second quadrant and the fourth quadrant are at opposite sides of the center of the distal end face;
(iii) the quadrants are arranged in a quadrant sequence,

and further comprising
an objective camera lens located in the first quadrant on the distal end face,
a first surgical instrument channel outlet located in the second quadrant on the distal end face,
an auxiliary channel outlet located in the third quadrant on the distal end face,
a second surgical instrument channel outlet located in the fourth quadrant,
a single forward water feeding channel outlet for the single forward water feeding channel located on the distal end face in respect to the first and second surgical instrument channel outlets at a predetermined location, wherein the predetermined location is determined in respect to the first and second surgical instrument channel outlets and the auxiliary channel outlet; and wherein the one or more surgical instruments comprise
a grasper instrument inserted into the first surgical instrument channel through to the first surgical instrument channel outlet; and
a cautery instrument inserted into the second surgical instrument channel through to the second surgical instrument channel outlet, wherein the single forward water feeding channel outlet is configured to provide water to a target site to aid operation of the grasper instrument and/or the cautery instrument at the target site.

2. An endoscope comprising:
an insertion portion having a flexible insertion tube and a distal end with a distal end face, wherein
the insertion portion has a first surgical instrument channel, a second surgical instrument channel, wherein
a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant and a fourth quadrant are arranged on the distal end face:
(i) wherein the first quadrant and third quadrant are at opposite sides of the center of the distal end face;
(ii) wherein the second quadrant and the fourth quadrant are at opposite sides of the center of the distal end face; and
(iii) wherein the quadrants are arranged in a quadrant sequence, wherein

an objective camera lens is located in the first quadrant on the distal end face, and wherein a first surgical instrument channel outlet is located in the second quadrant on the distal end face, and
wherein an auxiliary channel outlet is located in the third quadrant on the distal end face, and
wherein a second surgical instrument channel outlet is located in the fourth quadrant, and
wherein the first and second surgical instrument channels are configured, in operation, to have inserted therethrough to the respective first and second surgical instrument channel outlets a grasper instrument and a cautery instrument for operation at a target site, and
wherein a single forward water feeding channel outlet for a single forward water feeding channel is located on the distal end face in respect to the first and second surgical instrument channel outlets at a predetermined location, wherein the predetermined location is determined in respect to the first and second surgical instrument channel outlets to, in operation, enable the single forward water feeding channel to provide water to the target site to aid in control of target site bleeding during the operation of the grasper instrument and/or the cautery instrument at the target site, and
wherein an air/water nozzle is co-located with the objective camera lens in the first quadrant and configured to, in operation, clean the objective camera lens.

3. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the quadrant sequence is selected from the group consisting of:
a clockwise sequence looking into the distal end face and starting the quadrant sequence from the objective camera lens; and
a counter-clockwise sequence looking into the distal end face and starting the quadrant sequence from the objective camera lens.

4. The endoscope of claim 2 , further comprising at least one light on an outer diameter area of the four quadrants, wherein the outer diameter area is outside a quadrangle defined by the centers of:
(a) the objective camera lens;
(b) the first surgical instrument channel outlet;
(c) the auxiliary channel outlet; and
(d) the second surgical instrument channel outlet.

5. The endoscope of claim 4 , wherein the at least one light comprises a pair of lights, the pair of lights arranged on opposite sides of the distal end face.

6. An endoscopy system comprising the endoscope of claim 2 and one or more surgical instruments.

Assignees

• Endomaster Pte Ltd
• Hoya Corp

Inventors

• Lwin Tae Zar
• PENNY Isaac David
• Sam Soon Christopher Lee Shih Hao
• Yamamoto Tomonori
• Naito Naoyuki
• Hirayama Tetsu
• Kobayashi Takahiro

Classifications

• A61B1/005

  Flexible endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B1/126 Primary

  provided with means for cleaning in-use · CPC title

• A61B1/009

  with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part · CPC title

• A61B1/00042

  for mechanical operation · CPC title

• A61B34/30 Primary

  Surgical robots · CPC title