Surgery – Endoscope – With control or monitoring of endoscope functions
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2002-08-13
Leubecker, John P. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
With control or monitoring of endoscope functions
C600S117000, C600S132000, C600S424000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06432041
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope shape detecting apparatus for detecting the insertion shape of the insertion portion of an endoscope inserted into a body cavity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, endoscopes are arranged such that a flexible insertion portion is externally inserted into a subject area, i.e., the lumen of the body cavity, thereby allowing the subject area to be observed and necessary treatment to be performed.
However, the lumen of the body cavity is not straight but has many bends, as with the large and small intestines, so a technician cannot readily tell how far the endoscope insertion portion has been inserted, nor what sort of shape the endoscope has.
Accordingly, conventional methods have involved externally irradiating x-rays to the subject area wherein the endoscope insertion portion has been inserted, thereby detecting the insertion position in the lumen in the body cavity, and the shape thereof. However, such x-rays are by no means harmless to the human body. Additionally, the areas where such irradiation can be performed are limited, so such an arrangement is not necessarily preferable as a means for detecting the insertion shape of the endoscope insertion portion.
Accordingly, an apparatus for detecting the insertion shape of endoscopes and catheters using a magnetic field with magnetic field generating means and magnetic field detecting means so as to detect the endoscope insertion shape into the lumen without any negative physiological effects has been proposed, e.g., Japanese Patent Application No. 10-69075 filed by the present Assignee.
However, the above does not provide for detecting the connection state of the magnetic field generating means to the driving means. In the event that the magnetic field generating means is not connected, the magnetic field detecting means picks up background environment noise, at times resulting in an unintended random shape being displayed on the monitor.
In the event that the magnetic field generating means is malfunctioning, the portion corresponding with the malfunctioning portion may be displayed in a deformed manner. In the event that the malfunction involves a short-circuit, excessive current may damage the endoscope shape detecting apparatus itself.
An endoscope shape detecting apparatus or endoscope shape detecting system, wherein an endoscope shape detecting probe comprised of magnetic field generating elements built into the endoscope for detecting the insertion shape is provided within the insertion portion, thereby displaying a three-dimensional image of the insertion shape by a magnetic field detecting device has been proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-107875, etc., for example.
Typically, the entire insertion portion of an endoscope is freely bendable. However, a curving portion is provided on the tip thereof, so repeated usage of the endoscope insertion shape detecting probe in the endoscope necessitates periodic replacement, due to mechanical fatigue. Unfortunately, endoscope shape detecting probes built into the endoscope have not been of an easily-replaceable construction, thus replacement has required a great number of steps.
For example, if the endoscope shape detecting probe to be replaced is forcibly extracted from the endoscope with a force that destroys this endoscope shape detecting probe, the area from which the endoscope shape detecting probe has been removed is narrowed by other built-in members, and an insertion channel for inserting the new endoscope insertion shape detecting probe has not been secured, the new endoscope insertion shape detecting probe to be inserted strikes the other built-in members which essentially prevent the insertion thereof. Accordingly, the device must be disassembled, or subjected to likewise procedures, in order to insert the endoscope insertion shape detecting probe, requiring a great amount of time and much experience to insert the endoscope insertion shape detecting probe into the endoscope.
The endoscope is comprised of a great variety of members over the entire length thereof, such as the curving portion and so forth. Unless an endoscope shape detecting probe closely matching each endoscope configuration is used, correct shape detection is impossible. The selection of the endoscope shape detecting probe for each examination is also a troublesome issue.
With systems wherein the endoscope shape detecting probe is inserted from the endoscope forceps channel in the same manner as treatment equipment used for endoscope inspection, thereby detecting the shape, the endoscope shape detecting probe protrudes from the forceps channel, thus the connector for the endoscope shape detecting probe hangs loosely. The weight of this connector places mechanical stress on the endoscope shape detecting probe, thereby reducing the life expectancy thereof in some cases.
Conventionally, the array intervals of the magnetism generating elements built into the endoscope or the endoscope shape detecting probe were constant.
Endoscopes, flexible endoscopes in particular, are formed with a hard portion at the very tip of the insertion portion, followed by a curving portion and a flexible portion. While the hard portion at the tip never bends, a technician can operate the endoscope such that the curving portion curves into a tight curve. Although the flexible portion does bend, since it is configured in a flexible manner, the flexible portion does not bend into a tight curve, as with the curving portion.
As described above, conventionally, the array intervals of the magnetism generating elements built into the endoscope or the endoscope shape detecting probe are constant. Narrowing the intervals and increasing the number of magnetism generating elements arrayed in the endoscope allows the shape of the curving portion which curves into a tight curve to be detected with high precision, thereby allowing a high-precision image of the shape of the endoscope to be displayed with displaying means, such as a monitor or the like. However, increasing the number of arrayed magnetism generating elements increases costs.
If the intervals are increased and the number of magnetism generating elements arrayed in the endoscope or endoscope shape detecting probe are reduced in order to cut costs, the shape of the curving portion of the endoscope displayed with the display means will exhibit lower precision, different from the true form of the curving portion, as illustrated in dotted lines.
As noted in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-107875, an endoscope shape detecting probe can be inserted into the forceps channel of the endoscope while performing an endoscopic examination, thereby displaying the shape of the endoscope insertion portion on a monitor, thus permitting a technician to make reference to the shape of the endoscope insertion portion displayed on the monitor and readily perform the operations for inserting the endoscope insertion portion deep into the body cavity.
The nature of the endoscope insertion portion itself is determined by the insertion of the endoscope shape detecting probe into the forceps channel of the endoscope. Thus, a technician may not be able to attains a desired stiffness or resilience, or adjust insertion characteristics. Consequently, the technician many not be able to reduce the pain experienced by a patient, or conduct a smooth endoscopic examination.
If an endoscope shape detecting probe is inserted into the forceps channel of the endoscope, the endoscope shape detecting probe hangs freely at the forceps opening of the endoscope. Thus, if the endoscope operating portion is moved or shaken during the examination, stress is placed upon the flexible endoscope shape detecting probe, which may cause deforming or buckling thereof. Consequently, the endoscope shape detecting probe may not be able to be inserted into the forceps channel of the endoscope, or in the worst case, endoscope shape detection may become impossible.
With conventional endoscope arran
Aizawa Chieko
Hara Masanao
Hasegawa Jun
Hirata Yasuo
Ishii Hiroshi
Leubecker John P.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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