Patent ID: 7887480
Filing Date: 2011-02-15
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A balloon control apparatus comprising: a balloon attached to an insertion section of an endoscope and/or an insertion aid instrument for guiding insertion of the insertion section of the endoscope; a flow rate adjustment section that adjusts an air supply flow rate to the balloon and/or an exhaust flow rate from the balloon; a setting section that sets the air supply flow rate and/or the exhaust flow rate; a control section that controls the flow rate adjustment section so that the air supply flow rate to the balloon and/or the exhaust flow rate from the balloon become the air supply flow rate and/or the exhaust flow rate set by the setting section; and a part selection section that allows an operator to select an intracoelomic part into which the insertion section of the endoscope and/or the insertion aid instrument is to be inserted, wherein: the setting section sets the air supply flow rate or the exhaust flow rate in accordance with the intracoelomic part selected by the part selection section, the control section controls an internal pressure of the balloon so as to be a predetermined pressure by controlling the flow rate adjustment section, and a time until the internal pressure of the balloon reaches the predetermined pressure in case that the intracoelomic part has a large diameter is approximately equal to a time until the internal pressure of the balloon reaches the predetermined pressure in case that the intracoelomic part has a small diameter.