Patent Grant
7413543
The present invention relates to medical devices in general and therapeutic and diagnostic endoscopes in particular.
As an aid to the early detection of disease, it has become well established that there are major public health benefits from regular endoscopic examinations of internal structures such as the alimentary canals and airways, e.g., the esophagus, lungs, colon, uterus, and other organ systems. A conventional imaging endoscope used for such procedures comprises a flexible tube with a fiber optic light guide that directs illuminating light from an external light source to the distal tip where it exits the endoscope and illuminates the tissue to be examined. Frequently, additional optical components are incorporated to adjust the spread of the light exiting the fiber bundle and the distal tip. An objective lens and fiber optic imaging light guide communicating with a camera at the proximal end of the scope, or an imaging camera chip at the distal tip, produce an image that is displayed to the examiner. In addition, most endoscopes include one or more working channels through which medical devices such as biopsy forceps, snares, fulguration probes, and other tools may be passed.
Navigation of the endoscope through complex and tortuous paths is critical to success of the examination with minimum pain, side effects, risk, or sedation to the patient. To this end, modern endoscopes include means for deflecting the distal tip of the scope to follow the pathway of the structure under examination, with minimum deflection or friction force upon the surrounding tissue. Control cables similar to puppet strings are carried within the endoscope body in order to connect a flexible portion of the distal end to a set of control knobs at the proximal endoscope handle. By manipulating the control knobs, the examiner is usually able to steer the endoscope during insertion and direct it to a region of interest, in spite of the limitations of such traditional control systems, which are clumsy, non-intuitive, and friction-limited. Common operator complaints about traditional endoscopes include their limited flexibility, limited column strength, and limited operator control of stiffness along the scope length.
Conventional endoscopes are expensive medical devices costing in the range of $25,000 for an endoscope, and much more for the associated operator console. Because of the expense, these endoscopes are built to withstand repeated disinfections and use upon many patients. Conventional endoscopes are generally built of sturdy materials, which decreases the flexibility of the scope and thus can decrease patient comfort. Furthermore, conventional endoscopes are complex and fragile instruments that frequently need expensive repair as a result of damage during use or during a disinfection procedure. To overcome these and other problems, there is a need for a low cost imaging endoscope that can be used for a single procedure and thrown away. The scope should have better navigation and tracking, a superior interface with the operator, improved access by reduced frictional forces upon the lumenal tissue, increased patient comfort, and greater clinical productivity and patient throughput than those that are currently available.
To address these and other problems in the prior art, the present invention is an endoscopic video imaging system. The system includes a control cabinet that includes a number of actuators that control the orientation of an endoscope and an imaging system to produce images of tissue collected by an image sensor at the distal end of the endoscope. A single use endoscope is connectable with the control cabinet and used to examine a patient. After the examination procedure, the endoscope is disconnected from the control cabinet and may be disposed.
The single use endoscope of the present invention includes a flexible elongate tube or shaft and an illumination source that directs light onto a tissue sample. An image sensor and objective lens assembly at or adjacent the distal end of the endoscope captures reflected light to produce an image of the illuminated tissue. Images produced by the sensor are transmitted to a display device to be viewed by an examiner. In one embodiment, an imaging assembly at the distal end of the endoscope includes an inexpensive and easy to assemble set of components that house one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), an image sensor such as a CMOS solid state image sensor and a lens assembly. The LEDs are thermally coupled to a heat exchanger, which may be air or liquid cooled in order to remove excess heat generated by the LEDs.
The single use endoscope of the present invention also includes a steering mechanism such as a number of tensile control cables, which allow the distal end of the endoscope to be deflected in a desired direction. In one embodiment of the invention, a proximal end of the tensile control cables communicates with actuators within the control cabinet. A freestanding joystick or other directional controller generates electrical control signals which are sent by a processor within the control cabinet to compute signals to drive the actuators in order to orient the distal end of the endoscope in the direction desired by the examiner. In another embodiment of the invention, the distal end of the endoscope is automatically steered, based on analysis of images from the image sensor. The joystick or other directional controller may include tactile or other sensory feedback to alert the operator that the scope may be looped or positioned against a tissue wall.
In one embodiment of the invention, the endoscope includes an articulation joint that is comprised of a number of low cost, easily assembled pieces that allow the distal end of the scope to be bent in a desired direction by the control cables. In one embodiment of the invention, the articulation joint exerts a restoring force such that upon release of a tensioning force, the distal end of the scope will straighten.
In another embodiment of the invention, the endoscope has a variation in stiffness along its length that allows the distal end to be relatively flexible while the more proximal regions of the scope have increased column strength and torque fidelity so that a physician can twist and advance the endoscope with greater ease and accuracy and with fewer false advances (“loops”). Variation in stiffness along the length can be provided by varying the durometer rating of materials that comprise a shaft of the endoscope. Operator-controlled, variable stiffness can be provided by the control cables that can be tightened or loosened to adjust the stiffness of the shaft. In yet another embodiment, the spacing between the components that comprise the articulation joint is selected to provide a variation in stiffness along the length of the articulation joint.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the endoscope is covered with a retractable sleeve that uncovers the distal end of the scope during use and extends over the distal end after the scope is removed from a patient.
In another embodiment of the invention, the scope is coated with a hydrophilic coating to reduce its coefficient of friction.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
As indicated above, the present invention is an endoscopic video imaging system that allows a physician to view internal body cavities of a patient as well as to insert surgical instruments into the patient's body. An imaging endoscope used with the present invention is sufficiently inexpensive to manufacture such that the endoscope can be considered a single use, disposable item.
As shown in
In the embodiment shown, the single use endoscope 20 also includes a breakout box 26 that is positioned approximately midway along the length of the endoscope. The breakout box 26 provides an entrance to a working channel and may include an attachment point for a vacuum collection bottle 40 that collects liquids or debris received from a lumen within the endoscope. The vacuum collection bottle 40 is controlled by a vacuum valve 28 that is positioned on the breakout box 26. Alternatively, the valve can be positioned within the control cabinet 50 and controlled from the handheld controller 80.
If desired, the handheld controller 80 can be secured to the breakout box 26 such that the two units can be moved as one. Upon completion of a patient examination procedure, the single use endoscope 20 is disconnected from the control cabinet 50 and disposed of. A new single use endoscope 20 is then connected to the control cabinet 50 for the next examination procedure to be performed.
The embodiment shown in
As discussed above, the single use endoscope 20 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, has a higher torque shaft at the distal section of the endoscope and a lower torque shaft at its proximal end. The breakout box 26 positioned along the length of the endoscope shaft can be used as a handle or gripper to impart rotation of the distal end of the endoscope during a medical examination procedure. The higher torque portion of the shaft transfers rotational motion that is imparted at a location near the distal tip in order to guide the distal tip of the endoscope. The lower torque shaft portion of the endoscope intentionally does not transfer torque as well for ease of manipulation and can twist when rotational motion is applied.
In use, the physician can insert a medical device such as a biopsy forceps, snare, etc., into an entrance to the working channel of the endoscope found on the breakout box 26. In alternate embodiments, the entrance to the working channel lumen may be positioned further towards the proximal end of the endoscope.
An imaging electronics board 60 receives signals transmitted from an image sensor (not shown) and its associated electronics at the distal end of the single use endoscope. The imaging electronics board 60 can enhance the images received or can provide video effects such as zoom, color changes, highlighting, etc., prior to display of the images on a video display (not shown). Images of the tissue may also be analyzed by the imaging electronics board 60 and/or a separate processing circuit to produce control signals that are supplied to the servo motor controller 54 in order to automatically steer the distal tip of the endoscope as will be discussed in further detail below. Images produced by the imaging electronics board 60 may also be printed on a digital printer sent to a network server or store, saved to a computer readable media such as a floppy disc, CD, DVD, etc., or a video tape for later retrieval and analysis by a physician.
The imaging electronics board 60 also provides electrical power to a light source such as a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) at the distal end 22 of the imaging endoscope. Alternatively, if the endoscope utilizes an external light source, then the motion control cabinet can include a light intensity light source such as a laser or arc lamp source that supplies light to a fiber optic illumination guide within the imaging endoscope 20 in order to illuminate an internal body organ. Either power source 58 may be controlled by signals received form the handheld controller 80 when the user desires to activate the light source or adjust the intensity of light produced.
Finally, the control cabinet 50 includes valves 70 that control the delivery of insufflation air/gas to insufflate a patient's body cavity and an irrigation liquid to flush out a body cavity and/or clean the imaging light source and image sensor at the distal end of the endoscope. The insufflation air/gas and irrigation liquid are connected to the imaging catheter via a connector 38 that connects to an irrigation/insufflation lumen of the endoscope 20. In one embodiment of the invention, the irrigation and insufflation lumen are the same lumen in the imaging catheter. However, it will be appreciated that separate irrigation and insufflation lumens could be provided if desired and if space in the endoscope permits.
In one embodiment of the invention, the processor and servo control unit 108 implement a position-to-rate control that varies the speed at which the distal tip is moved as a function of the position of the directional switch on the user input device. However, other control algorithms such as position-to-position or position-to-force (i.e., acceleration) could also be implemented.
Another function performed by the processor and servo control 108 is to generate a graphic indication of the approximate articulation of the tip that is shown to the user on the video display. The processor receives feedback signals regarding the position of the servo motors from which the length of control cable shortening is determined as well as the torque required to move the cables. From these values, an approximation is made of the amount of articulation at the distal tip of the scope. The approximate articulation amount and the direction of articulation is displayed to the physician along with the images received from the image sensor, patient data, and/or other operating parameters of the endoscopic imaging system.
The processor and servo control unit 108 also implement a variable braking function that allows the servo motors 110, 112 to be back-driven by the physician moving the distal tip within the patient's body. The variable braking is accomplished by having the physician or the processor select a variable braking threshold that is between 0 and the maximum torque that can be supplied by the motors. When the physician moves the scope, the torque on the motors is detected to see if it is greater than or equal to the variable braking threshold. If so, the processor and servo control unit 108 controls one or both of the servo motors 110, 112 such that the tip is moved to a new position so that the torque readings from the motors are less than the variable braking threshold.
In some instances, such as near delicate portions of the patient's anatomy, the variable braking threshold will be set low so that little pressure is required to back-drive the motors. In other instances, the braking threshold can be set high where it is desired to maintain the shape of the hand in the scope for navigation, etc.
The control cabinet 102 also includes an imaging board 114 that produces images from the signals that are received from the image sensor at the distal end of the single use endoscope 104. The imaging board 114 deserializes the digital video signal from the CMOS images and performs the necessary algorithms such as demosaicing, gain control and white balance to produce a quality color image. The gain control of the system is implemented by adjusting the intensity of the illumination (current supplied to the LEDs) and adjusting the RGB gains to the CMOS imager. The imaging board 114 also includes isolation circuitry to prevent a patient from becoming shocked in the event of an electrical failure on the imaging board 114 or within the control cabinet 102 as well as circuitry for transmitting control signals to the image sensor and for receiving image signals from the image sensor. In one embodiment of the invention, the imaging board 114 is provided on a standard PC circuit board to allow individual endoscopes to be tested with a personal computer and without the need for an additional control cabinet 102.
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown, the single use endoscope 104 is connected to the control cabinet 102 with a connector 130. Within the connector 130 are a pair of spools 132, 134 that are engageable with the driveshafts of the servo motors 110, 112. Each spool 132, 134 drives a pair of control cables in opposite directions. One pair of control cables drives the distal tip of the endoscope in the up and down direction, while the other pair of control cables drives the distal tip of the endoscope in the left and right direction.
The connector 130 also includes a manifold 140 that controls the supply of fluid, air and vacuum to various tubes or lumens within the endoscope 104. In addition, the connector 130 includes an electrical connector 142 that mates with the corresponding electrical connector on the control cabinet 102. The connector 142 transfers signals to and from the image sensor and thermal sensor as well as power to the illumination LEDs. Water is supplied to the endoscope with a pump 145. The pump 145 is preferably a peristaltic pump that moves water though a flexible tube that extends into the proximal connector 130. Peristaltic pumps are preferred because the pump components do not need to come into contact with the water or other fluids within the endoscope and it allows the wetted component to be single use. A water reservoir 150 connected to the pump 145 supplies water to cool the illumination LEDs as well as to irrigate the patient. The water supplied to cool the LEDs is returned to the reservoir 150 in a closed loop. Waste water or other debris are removed from the patient with a vacuum line that empties into a collection bottle 160. Control of the vacuum to the collection bottle 160 is provided at the manifold 140 within the proximal connector 130.
In addition to providing cooling, water can be selectively applied to a tube 170 that provides a high pressure lavage for irrigating a patient lumen, as well as a lens wash tube 172 that cleans contaminants from the front of an imaging lens at the distal end of the endoscope. Water can also be selectively applied to a tube 174 that is connected to a working channel tube of the endoscope to clean the working channel, if necessary. The flow of water in each of the tubes 170, 172, 174 is selectively controlled by an associated valve which allows water to be pumped through the tube if desired. A valve 180 applies vacuum to a working channel tube in the endoscope to remove irrigation liquid, debris, or other contaminants from the patient, if desired. A valve 182 supplies air or other bio-compatible gas to an insufflation lumen, which in an embodiment of the invention is the same tube as the lens wash tube 172 at the distal end of the endoscope. The air can be provided to the patient under a variety of pressures using solenoid valves 184, 186, 188 in line with regulators that provide air at different pressures and are connected in parallel to an air or gas source. The pressure of air delivered to the lens wash tube 172 can be adjusted by selectively opening a combination of the valves 184, 186, 188. A check valve 189 is in line with the air supply line to prevent any back flow of air or liquids from the endoscope into the air delivery mechanism.
On the other side of the manifold, a connector 196 is connected to the working channel to supply water to or apply vacuum to the working channel. A connector 198 is connected to the lens wash tube. A connector 200 is connected to the high pressure lavage tube in the endoscope. Connectors 204 and 206 are connected to the tubes that supply water to and return water from the heat exchanger that cools the LED illumination sources.
Water entering the manifold at the connector 190 is allowed to flow in four different paths. Fluid flow through three of the paths is selectively controlled with solenoid valves that pinch the manifold 140 at locations 208, 210, 212 that are over the passages in the manifold. In the present embodiment of the invention, water is always pumped through the heat exchanger that cools the LED illumination sources. By selectively activating the solenoid valves at the locations 208, 210, 212, water can be supplied to the other tubes in the endoscope.
In addition, the manifold 140 includes a tube or other straw-like structure that maintains the passage open between the connectors 196 and 194 such that vacuum does not collapse the manifold 140 when a solenoid valve that is at a location 214 between the connectors 194 and 196 is released. The tube or straw also includes at least one perforation (not shown) to allow liquid to flow into the working channel. The tube is perforated so that water can flow into the working channel if desired.
After use, the manifold 140 is removed from the tubes that supply water and vacuum, etc., and is thrown away with the rest of the single use endoscope. The flexible manifold bag 140 forms an inexpensive device for controlling the application of fluids or air to the endoscope while preventing the fluids from coming in contact with non-disposable portions of the endoscopic imaging system itself.
Upon insertion of the shaft 254 into the spool 262, the brake 266 is released, thereby allowing the spool 262 to be moved by rotation of the cylinder 256. In some instances, the brake 266 may be omitted, thereby allowing the spools 262 to freely rotate when the connector 260 is not engaged with the control cabinet 250.
Positioned in an ergonomic arrangement on the handheld controller 300 are a number of electrical switches. An articulation joystick 308 or other multi-positional device can be moved in a number of directions to allow the physician to orient the distal tip of the imaging endoscope in a desired direction. In order to guide the imaging endoscope manually, the physician moves the joystick 308 while watching an image on a video monitor or by viewing the position of the distal tip with another medical imaging technique such as fluoroscopy. As the distal tip of the endoscope is steered by moving the joystick 308 in the desired direction, the physician can push, pull and/or twist the endoscope to guide the distal tip in the desired direction.
A camera button 310 is provided to capture an image of an internal body cavity or organ in which the single use endoscope is placed. The images collected may be still images or video images. The images may be adjusted for contrast or otherwise enhanced prior to display or stored on a recordable media.
An irrigation button 312 activates an irrigation source to supply a liquid such as water through an irrigation lumen of the single use endoscope. The liquid serves to clean a window in front of an image sensor and/or the light source at the distal end of the endoscope as well as an area of the body cavity. An insufflation button 314 is provided to activate the insufflation source to supply air/gas through a lumen of the endoscope. The supply of the insufflation gas expands portions of the body cavity around the distal tip of the endoscope so that the physician can more easily advance the endoscope or better see the tissue in front of the endoscope.
In one embodiment of the invention, the body 302 of the handheld controller 300 also includes a detachable joint such as a thumb screw 316 for securing the handheld controller 300 to the breakout box as indicated above. A corresponding socket or set of threads on a breakout box receive the thumb screw 316 in order to join the two parts together. One or more additional buttons 318 may also be provided to activate additional functions such as recording or printing images, adjusting light intensity, activating a vacuum control valve or providing a variable braking drag on the control cables that provide the up, down, left, right movement of the distal tip, etc., if desired.
As indicated above, in one embodiment of the invention, the servo motors implement a position-to-rate control algorithm, whereby the position of the joystick 354 is translated into a rate of change of position in a desired direction in the distal tip. Therefore, as the user presses the joystick in any direction, the return force that is applied by the force feedback mechanism 360 to the spring 362 can be varied as a function of the torque required to move the control cable and varying the force on the spring also varies the force that the spring applies to the joystick. The force that the spring applies to the joystick is felt by the user through the joystick and gives the user a tactile indication of the level of force being applied to move the distal tip in the direction being commanded by the user.
Similarly, a plastic material can be used to replace the spring entirely and a force can be applied to one area of the plastic material to create a similar force where the plastic contacts and biases the joystick. In this way, the plastic is being used like a hydraulic fluid to transmit force from one location to another. However, unlike a hydraulic fluid, the plastic avoids the problem of liquid handling and liquid proof seals. Similarly, variable torque motors can be coupled directly to the joystick and the torque of the motors adjusted in accordance with the tension of the control cables to directly transmit a force through the joystick to the user. The use of two motors with the motors acting on orthogonal respective axes of the joystick movement can create force feedback signals in response to all possible directions of joystick movement. This sort of use and arrangement of direct drive motors can be similarly used to feedback position of the distal tip. In this arrangement, position controlled motors would be used instead of torque controlled motors. The positions of the control cables or the positions of the servo motors driving these cables are used to compute the approximate position of the distal tip. The position controlled motors are driven to make the joystick position follow the computed position of the distal tip. If the operator attempted to move the tip and the motion of the tip were blocked by its environment, then the operator's movement of the joystick would be resisted by forces applied by the position controlled motors to make the joystick position correspond with the tip position.
Although the embodiment shown discloses a motor and a rack and pinion gear system to change the compression of the spring 362 that biases the joystick 354, it will be appreciated that other mechanisms including hydraulic, or magnetic actuators could be used. Alternatively, pseudo-fluid devices such as thermoplastics can be used. By selectively compressing a thermoplastic material, its elasticity can change and be used to apply different pressures on a spring 362.
In another embodiment, not all the forces on the wires are fed back to a user. In one embodiment, the system distinguishes the resistance of the shaft versus the resistance at the distal tip and only the resistance at the distal tip is fed back to a user.
To distinguish the forces on the shaft versus the forces at the tip, the tip is dithered in different directions. If the resistance is on the tip, then the resistance should be high only in one direction. If resistance is caused by loops in the shaft, then resistance should be equal in all directions. By comparing the forces in a processor and separating the forces required to move the distal tip, high forces can be prevented from building up at the tip. High motor torque can be used only to overcome resistance due to looping and not employed to bend the tip if it meets resistance. Therefore, higher forces are presented from being built up on the tip and reducing the risk that the tip will snap into position.
The handheld controller 380 also includes an entrance to the working channel 386 having a cap thereon. The cap is positioned such that the entrance to the working channel does not face the physician in order to lessen the chances of the physician or nurse being splashed with bodily fluids or other contaminants. By removing the cap, a user can insert a tool into the working channel for receiving biopsies, applying medication, or performing other medical procedures.
Selectively coupled to the breakout box 380 is a handheld controller 388. The handheld controller includes a directional switch 390 that controls the orientation of a distal tip of the endoscope. Further buttons or controls 392 may be provided to allow the user to activate additional features of the endoscope or change operating parameters of the endoscopic imaging system.
As shown in
In other embodiments, the handheld controller may be fitted to a gripping mechanism that grasps the distal portion of the shaft. The operator can therefore secure the handheld controller to the shaft at various positions along its length in order to allow the physician to be closer to the patient.
Although the disclosed embodiments of the endoscope generally require an operator to control the orientation of the distal tip, the single use endoscope of the present invention may also be steered automatically. Images received by the imaging electronics are analyzed by a programmed processor to determine a desired direction or orientation of the distal tip of the endoscope. In the case of a colonoscopy, where the endoscope is advanced to the cecum, the processor controls the delivery of insufflation air/gas to inflate the colon. The processor then analyzes the image of the colon for a dark open lumen that generally marks the direction in which the scope is to be advanced. The processor then supplies control instructions to the servo controller such that the distal tip is oriented in the direction of the dark area so located.
In other modes, a processor in the control cabinet causes the distal tip of the endoscope to move in a predefined pattern. For example, as the scope is being withdrawn, the distal tip may be caused to move in a spiral search pattern such that all areas of a body cavity are scanned for the presence of disease. By using the automatic control of the distal tip, a physician only has to advance or retract the scope to perform an examination.
As will be described in further detail below, the single use endoscope generally comprises a hollow shaft having one or more lumens formed of polyurethane or polyethylene tubes which terminate at the distal tip. In addition, the tube for the working channel may be reinforced with a spiral wound wrap. As shown in
Fitted within the camera port 406 is an image sensor (not shown) that preferably comprises a CMOS imaging sensor or other solid state imaging device and one or more glass or polymeric lenses that produces electronic signals representative of an image of the scene in front of the camera port 406. The image sensor is preferably a low light sensitive, low noise, CMOS color imager with VGA resolution or higher such as SVGA, SXGA, or XGA. If less resolution is desired, a ½ VGA sensor could also be used. For conventional video systems, a minimum frame rate of 25 to 30 fps is required to achieve real-time video. The video output of the system may be in any conventional digital or analog format, including PAL or NTSC, or high definition video format.
The illumination ports 408 house one or more lenses and one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) (not shown). The LEDs may be high intensity white light sources or may comprise colored light sources such as infrared (IR) red, green, blue or ultra-violet (UV) LEDs. With colored LEDs, images in different spectral bands may be obtained due to illumination with any one or more individual colors. White light images may be obtained by the simultaneous or sequential illumination of the colored LEDs and combining individual color images at each illumination wavelength. If sequential illumination of colored LEDs is employed, as an alternative, a monochrome CMOS imager can be used. As an alternative to LEDs, the light source may be external to the endoscope and the illumination light delivered to the illumination port with a fiber optic bundle.
The access port 410 is the termination point of the working channel or lumen of the single use endoscope. In one embodiment, the proximal end of the working channel terminates at the breakout box 26 as shown in
The directional flush port 412 includes a cap 414 that directs liquid and air supplied through an irrigation and insufflation lumen across the front face of the distal tip 400 in the direction of the camera port 406 and/or the illumination ports 408. The cap 414 thereby serves to rinse and dry the camera port 406 and the illumination port 408 for a better view of the internal body cavity in which the endoscope is placed. In addition, the flushing liquid cleans an area of tissue surrounding the distal end of the endoscope.
As shown in
As best shown in
In one embodiment of the invention, the base material is copper with conductive pads 556, 558 also made of copper. The LEDs are wire bonded to the bonding pads 554, and trace 552. The rear surface of the circuit board 550 is preferably coated with a heat conductive, non-reactive biocompatible material such as gold that is directly exposed to a cooling liquid or gas which is pumped through the heat exchanger via the legs 506, 508.
In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the LEDs 484, 486 are preferably large area die, high power, blue light LEDs coated with a phosphor material that together produce approximately 60 lumens of light. Although the embodiment shows two LEDs on either side of the lens assembly 470, it will be appreciated that additional LEDs could be used and corresponding changes made to the shape of the windows 460, 462 positioned in front of the LEDs.
As an alternative, the inside surface of the windows 460, 462 can be coated with a phosphor coating that produces a white light when exposed to the blue light that is produced by the LEDs. The particular phosphor selected may depend on the spectral characteristics of the LEDs employed. The phosphor can be mixed with an epoxy adhesive that is applied to the rear surface of the windows 460, 462 and cured by passing the distal tip 450 over an ultraviolet light source. Mixing the phosphor coating in an adhesive promotes a uniform distribution of the phosphor and is easy to manufacture.
The lens assembly 470 preferably comprises a group of plastic lenses that provide 140° field of view with f-theta distortion and an f/8 aperture. In accordance with the FDA Guidance document for Endoscopes, the resolution of the lenses should be 5 line pairs per millimeter or better for an object 10 mm distant from the distal tip. The individual lenses and aperture of the lens assembly are contained in a plastic cylinder for insertion into the cylindrically shaped hole of the heat exchanger 480. The front surface of the lens assembly is adhesively sealed to the lens port 458 in the cap 450.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image sensor 490 comprises a VGA CMOS image sensor with 640×480 active pixels and an on-chip serializer that transmits image data to the control cabinet in a serial form. Such a CMOS image sensor is available as Model No. MI-370 from Micron Electronics of Boise, Id. In order to transmit serial image data and control signals along the length of the endoscope, the data and control signals are preferably sent differentially along a pair of twisted micro coaxial cables.
To construct the image assembly, the distal cap 450, including flushing port 456 is molded of ABS plastic over the LED windows 460, 462. The circuit board 550, having LEDs 482, 484 bonded thereto, is secured within the heat exchanger 480 and the CMOS sensor 490 and associated electronics 492 are secured to the rear surface 525 of the heat exchanger 480 between the legs 506, 508. The lens assembly 470 is inserted into the concave recess 482 and adjusted longitudinally until it is at the optimum position to focus light on the image sensor 490 before being cemented in place. The completed heat exchanger assembly can then be inserted into the distal tip 450 and adhesively bonded to complete the imaging assembly. The remaining tubes for the low pressure lavage bolus wash channel 454, lens wash and insufflation channel and working channel are then secured to corresponding lumens in the distal tip in order to complete the distal imaging section of the single use endoscope.
The control cables 658 that move the distal tip of the endoscope are preferably made of a non-stretching material such as stainless steel or a highly oriented polyethylene-theralate (PET) thread string. The control cables 658 may be routed within a center lumen of the shaft 656 or, as shown in
If the control cables are routed through the center lumen of the shaft 656, the cables are preferably carried in stainless steel or plastic spiral wrapped jackets to prevent binding and a transition guide 670 such as that as shown in
A plastic spiral wrap 686 such as spiral wire wrap available from Panduit Inc. is inserted into a center lumen of the shaft 680. The spiral wrap 686 prevents the shaft 680 from crushing as it is bent around curves of a patient's anatomy.
In one embodiment of the shaft 680, the spiral wrap has a thickness of 0.060 inches and a pitch of 3/16 inch. The spiral wrap 686 has an outer diameter of 0.500 and an inner diameter of 0.380 and is twisted into the shaft 680 to form an interference fit. However, it will be appreciated that other thicknesses of spiral wrap with a different pitch could be used to provide the desired column strength and bend modulus as well as to prevent kinking. A plastic cover is fitted over the articulation joint portion of the shaft to prevent contaminants from entering the shaft through gaps in the articulation joint.
As indicated above, the proximal section of the endoscope shaft is preferably more flexible than the distal section. The proximal portion of the shaft is preferably made of a corrugated polyethylene tubing such as Model No. CLTS 50F-C available from Panduit Inc.
The more distal end 702 of the shaft 700 has a single spiral of wire 706 that is preferably wound in the same direction as the plastic spiral wrap in the center lumen of the shaft 700. Again, the torque fidelity of the proximal end of the shaft 702 can be varied by adjusting the pitch and/or direction of the wire 706 and its flexibility.
As will be appreciated, the single wire spiral 706 provides some torque fidelity but does have the same torque fidelity as the dual wire braid in the distal section of the shaft in order to allow easy manipulation for, e.g., resolution of loops. The single wire spiral 706 may be omitted from the distal portion of the shaft if even less torque fidelity is desired.
As discussed above, in order to facilitate steering the distal tip of imaging endoscope, the endoscope includes an articulation joint that allows the distal tip to be turned back on itself, i.e., over an arc of 180 degrees, by the control cables and can be directed to make that bend in any direction desired about the circumference of the distal tip. That is, the operator can select both the amount of the bend or articulation and the direction of the bend. As shown in
To facilitate bending of the articulation joint, the cylinder includes a number of live hinges 760 formed along its length. As can be seen in
Upon tensioning of a control cable, those live hinges having webs 772 that are in line with the retracting control cable do not bend. Those live hinges having webs that are not in line with the control cable will be closed, thereby bending the articulation joint in the direction of the control cable under tension.
Another advantage of the articulation joint 750 shown in
The articulation joint can be formed by extruding a cylinder with the central and control cable lumens in place and cutting the cylinder tube with a knife, laser, water jet, or other material removal mechanism to form the live hinges. Alternatively, the articulation joint can be molded with the live hinge joints in place. As will be appreciated, the angles of the V-shaped cuts that form the hinges may be uniform or may vary along the length of the articulation joint. Similarly, the distance between adjacent live hinges may be uniform or may vary in order to tailor the bending and torque fidelity characteristics of the articulation joint. In one embodiment of the invention, each live hinge 760 has a closing angle of 30° so that six hinges are required to provide 180° of movement. The distal end of the articulation joint 750 may be counter-bored to receive the distal tip section of the endoscope, as discussed above. Similarly, the proximal end of the articulation joint 750 is adapted to receive the distal end of the shaft section of the endoscope. In the embodiment shown in
To prevent wear by the control cables as they are pulled by the actuation mechanism in the control cabinet, it may be desirable to produce the articulation joint from a material having areas of different durometers. As shown in
Each socket section can be formed with a fully formed ball section such as ball section 810 shown in
In another embodiment of an articulation joint, the articulation joint is made of a series of stacked discs that are positioned adjacent one another and move with respect to each other. As shown in
Although the discs of the articulation joints shown in
In the embodiments of the articulation joints described above each disc or segment that comprises the joint is preferably made of the same material. However, it is possible to vary the material from which the segments are made and/or the physical dimensions or spacing between adjacent segments in order to vary the flexibility and torque fidelity of the joint along its length.
In some environments, a full 180° turning radius of the distal tip of the imaging endoscope may not be necessary. In those environments, an articulation joint made of interconnected discs or segments may be replaced with a flexible member such as a braided stent.
The articulation joint 1000 shown in
As shown in
Because the link 1390 is molded of a thermoplastic material, the arcuate tabs 1394 can be press fit into the arcuate recesses 1392 of an adjacent link, thereby permitting the adjacent links to rock back and forth with respect to each other.
In some embodiments, the articulation joint is designed to exert a restoring force so that single use endoscope will tend to straighten upon the release of tension from the control cables. In other cases, it may be desirable to maintain the position of the distal tip in a certain direction. In that case, a construction as shown in
During examination with the imaging endoscope, the physician may need to twist the scope in order to guide it in the desired direction. Because the outer surface of the scope is preferably coated with a lubricant and it is round, it can be difficult for the physician to maintain an adequate purchase on the shaft in order to rotate it. As such, the imaging endoscope of the present invention may include a gripper mechanism that aids the physician in grasping the shaft for either rotating it or moving the shaft longitudinally. One embodiment of a shaft gripping device is shown in
In one embodiment of the invention the endoscope has a movable sleeve that operates to keep the distal end of the endoscope clean prior to use and covers the end of the scope that was in contact with a patient after the scope has been used.
A collapsible sleeve 1598 is positioned over the distal end of the endoscope and can be retracted to expose the lubricated distal tip of the probe. In one embodiment, the sleeve 1598 is secured at its distal end to the sponge 1594 and at its proximal end to the breakout box. Moving the sponge proximally retracts the sleeve so that the endoscope is ready for use. After a procedure, the sponge 1594 is moved distally to extend the sleeve over the distal end of the endoscope. With the sleeve extended, any contaminants on the probe are less likely to contact the patient, the physician or staff performing the procedure.
In some instances, it may be desirable to limit the amount of heat that is dissipated at the distal end of the imaging endoscope. If light emitting diodes are used, they generate heat in the process of producing light for illumination. Similarly, the image sensor generates some heat during operation. In order to limit how hot the distal end of the endoscope may become and/or to provide for increased life for these components, it is necessary to dissipate the heat. One technique for doing so is to fashion a passive heat sink at the distal tip of the imaging endoscope. As shown in
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the imaging devices at the distal end of the endoscope can be cooled by air or water passed through a lumen to the end of the endoscope and vented outside the body. For example, air under pressure may be vented through an orifice near the imaging electronics. The expansion of the air lowers its temperature where it cools the imaging electronics. The warmed air is then forced to the proximal end of the endoscope through an exhaust lumen. Alternatively, the endoscope may include a water delivery lumen that delivers water to a heat exchanger at the distal tip. Water warmed by the electronic components in the distal tip is removed in a water return lumen.
Although the present endoscopic imaging system has many uses, it is particularly suited for performing colonoscopic examinations. In one embodiment, a 10-13 mm diameter prototype having a 0.060 inner spiral wrap with a pitch of ¼ inch and coated with a hydrophilic coating was found to have a coefficient of friction of 0.15 compared to 0.85 for conventional endoscopes. In addition, the endoscope of the present invention required 0.5 lbs. of force to push it through a 2-inch U-shaped bend where a conventional endoscope could not pass through such a tight bend. Therefore, the present invention allows colonoscopes to be made inexpensively and lightweight so that they are more comfortable for the patient due to their lower coefficient of friction and better trackability.
In addition to performing colonoscopies, the endoscopic imaging system of the present invention is also useful with a variety of surgical devices including: cannulas, guide wires, sphincterotomes, stone retrieval balloons, retrieval baskets, dilatation balloons, stents, cytology brushes, ligation devices, electrohemostasis devices, sclerotherapy needles, snares and biopsy forceps.
Cannulas are used with the endoscopic imaging system to cannulate the sphincter of Oddi or papilla to gain access to the bile or pancreatic ducts. Guide wires can be delivered down the working channel of the endoscope and used as a rail to deliver a surgical device to an area of interest. Sphincterotomes are used to open the papilla in order to place a stent or remove a stone from a patient. Stone retrieval balloons are used along with a guide wire to pull a stone out of a bile duct. Retrieval baskets are also used to remove stones from a bile duct. Dilatation balloons are used to open up strictures in the gastrointestinal, urinary or pulmonary tracts. Stents are used to open up strictures in the GI, urinary or pulmonary tracts. Stents can be metal or plastic, self-expanding or mechanically expanded, and are normally delivered from the distal end of a catheter. Cytology brushes are used at the end of guide wires to collect cell samples. Ligation devices are used to ligate varices in the esophagus. Band ligators employ elastic bands to cinch varices. Electrohemostasis devices use electrical current to cauterize bleeding tissue in the GI tract. Sclerotherapy needles are used to inject coagulating or sealing solutions into varices. Snares are used to remove polyps from the GI tract, and biopsy forceps are used to collect tissue samples.
Examples of specific surgical procedures that can be treated with the endoscopic imaging system of the present invention include the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by the implantation of bulking agents, implants, fundoplication, tissue scarring, suturing, or replacement of valves or other techniques to aid in closure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
Another example of a surgical procedure is the treatment of morbid obesity by deploying implants or performing reduction surgery, gastric bypass and plication or creating tissue folds to help patients lose weight.
Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) involves the removal of sessile polyps or flat lesions by filling them with saline or the like to lift them prior to resection. The endoscope of the present invention can be used to deliver needles, snares and biopsy forceps useful in performing this procedure.
In addition, the endoscopic imaging system of the present invention can be used to perform full-thickness resection (FTRD) in which a portion of a GI tract wall is excised and the wounds healed with staplers or fasteners. Finally, the endoscopic imaging system of the present invention can be used to deliver sclerosing agents to kill tissues or drug delivery agents to treat maladies of internal body tissues.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although some of the disclosed embodiments use the pull wires to compress the length of the endoscope, it will be appreciated that other mechanisms such as dedicated wires could be used. Alternatively, a spring can be used to bias the endoscope distally and wires used to compress the spring thereby shortening the length of the endoscope. Furthermore, although the disclosed embodiments use rotary servo motors to drive the control cables, other actuators such as linear actuators could be used. Similarly, although the endoscope discussed in connection with the preferred embodiment includes a working channel, it will be appreciated that such a channel may be omitted and the resulting catheter used to deliver a special purpose tool such as a snare, rf ablation tip, etc., to a desired location. Alternatively, the catheter could be used solely for imaging. Finally, although the disclosed components are described as being used in an endoscopic imaging system, it will be appreciated that many components may have separate utility by themselves or in other medical devices. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined from the following claims and equivalents thereof.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/406,149, filed Apr. 1, 2003, the benefit of which is claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 120 and is herein incorporated by reference.
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