Endoscopic instrument system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433342-B2
Application number	US-201113312477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2011
Priority date	Dec 6, 2010
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An endoscopic instrument system for performing endoscopic interventions via a natural access path, including a flexible endoscope with an endoscope handle and an elongate endoscope shaft introducible into a hollow space in a body, wherein the endoscope shaft includes a steerable end section and at least one instrument channel, and also includes an endoscopic instrument with a handle, an elongate instrument shaft and a tool which can be actuated by a pull and/or push element arranged within the instrument shaft and connected to the handle and to the tool, wherein the endoscopic instrument can be introduced into the instrument channel for conducting manipulations in the hollow space in the body, and wherein the instrument shaft includes a continuous flexible tube that is connected, such that it is rotationally fixed, to the handle and to the tool with respect to a longitudinal direction of the tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscopic instrument system, comprising:
a flexible endoscope with an endoscope handle and an elongate endoscope shaft introducible into a hollow space in a body, the endoscope shaft having an instrument channel extending therethrough, and a bendable first section and a bendable second section each exhibiting a respective minimal bending radius, the minimal bending radius of the first section being smaller than the minimal bending radius of the second section, the first section being a steerable distal end section of the endoscope shaft;
an endoscopic instrument with a handle;
an elongate instrument shaft having a continuous flexible tube, the flexible tube having a bendable first section and a bendable second section, each exhibiting a respective minimal bending radius, the minimal bending radius of the first section being smaller than the minimal bending radius of the second section; and
a tool actuatable by a push and/or pull element arranged within the instrument shaft, the push and/or pull element connected to the handle and to the tool;
wherein the endoscopic instrument is configured to be introduced into the instrument channel for conducting manipulations in the hollow space in the body, such that the first section and the second section of the flexible tube are located at least partially within the instrument channel;
wherein the flexible tube of the instrument shaft is connected, such that it is rotationally fixed, to the handle and to the tool with respect to a longitudinal direction of the flexible tube, such that rotation of the handle rotates the tool with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible tube;
the minimal bending radius of the first section of the flexible tube is correlated to the minimal bending radius of the first section of the endoscope shaft, and the minimal bending radius of the second section of the flexible tube is correlated to the minimal bending radius of the second section of the endoscope shaft.

2. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , further comprising a surgical needle held by the tool.

3. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the tool includes two jaw members configured to act in an opposing manner with respect to each other.

4. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the flexible tube is configured to be situated in the first section of the endoscope shaft while conducting the manipulations in the hollow space in the body.

5. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible tube comprises a third section exhibiting a minimal bending radius that is smaller than the minimal bending radius of the second section of the flexible tube, the third section of the flexible tube configured to be located about a proximal end section of the endoscope shaft during conducting the manipulations in the hollow space in the body.

6. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 5 , wherein the endoscope comprises a straight guide tube into which the instrument channel of the endoscope shaft leads, and the flexible tube exhibits a fourth section being arranged proximally with respect to the third section, the fourth section exhibiting a minimal bending radius that is larger than the minimal bending radius of the third section of the flexible tube.

7. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the first section and the second section of the flexible tube are assembled of different materials and/or with different outer diameters relative to one another.

8. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 7 , wherein the first section and the second section of the flexible tube are connected to each other by welding and/or hard-soldering and/or gluing.

9. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the flexible tube has an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the second section of the flexible tube.

10. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible tube consists of a material with a higher deformability or, if elasticity modules are equal, a higher tensile strength in a section with a smaller minimal bending radius than in a section with a larger minimal bending radius.

11. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein each of the respective minimal bending radii is a minimal elastic bending radius.

12. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the flexible tube is made from spring steel, phynox and/or a superelastic metal.

13. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the handle is configured to create torque required for rotation of the tool, and the flexible tube is configured to transmit the torque to the tool.

14. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises two handgrips arranged on a base element.

15. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 14 , wherein the two handgrips are included at a small angle with respect to a prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the instrument shaft, and wherein the two handgrips are compressed against a spring force for actuation of the tool.

16. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 15 , wherein a tensile force is exerted on the push and/or pull element by one or more levers and by a transmission element connected to the push and/or pull element, such that the push and/or pull element can be shifted with respect to the instrument shaft.

17. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 14 , further comprising a releasable detent for fixing the two handgrips in a closed or partly closed position.

18. The endoscopic instrument system of claim 1 , further comprising an irrigation connector covered by a cover lid.

19. A system, comprising:
an endoscope with an endoscope handle and an endoscope shaft, the endoscope shaft having an instrument channel extending therethrough, and a bendable first section and a bendable second section each exhibiting a respective minimal bending radius, the minimal bending radius of the first section being smaller than the minimal bending radius of the second section, the first section being a steerable distal end section of the endoscope shaft; and
an endoscopic instrument having:
a handle;
a tool;
a continuous flexible tube connected between and rotationally fixed relative to the handle and the tool, the continuous flexible tube having a first section and a second section, each exhibiting a respective minimal bending radius, the minimal bending radius of the first section being smaller than the minimal bending radius of the second section, the first section and the second section being located at least partially within the instrument channel of the endoscope shaft;
an actuation element disposed within the continuous flexible tube and connected to the handle and the tool;
wherein the minimal bending radius of the first section of the continuous flexible tube is correlated to the minimal bending radius of the first section of the endoscope shaft, and the minimal bending radius of the second section of the flexible tube is correlated to the minimal bending radius of the second section of the endoscope shaft.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the actuation element is at least one of a push element and a pull element.

Assignees

• Perretta Silvana
• Dallemagne Bernard
• Bacher Uwe
• Zahler Sabine
• Wagner Sebastian
• Storz Karl Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Perretta Silvana
• Dallemagne Bernard
• Bacher Uwe
• Zahler Sabine
• Wagner Sebastian

Classifications

• A61B2017/2919

  details of linkages or pivot points · CPC title

• A61B2017/00296

  mounted on an endoscope · CPC title

• A61B2017/00305

  Constructional details of the flexible means · CPC title

• A61B17/062

  Needle manipulators · CPC title

• A61B1/018 Primary

  for receiving instruments · CPC title