Abstract:
An endoscopic device is proposed. The endoscopic device has a control guiding wire or guiding sleeve and a shape memory hollow catheter to adjust angle of rotation for a front end of the endoscopic device up to 180°, and the hollow catheter can be rotated by an angle up to 360°, such that cavities of the human body can be checked thoroughly. As the endoscopic device is fabricated at a low cost, it can be discarded after use without an infection concern that arises as a result of improper sterilization.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to endoscopic devices, and more particularly, to an endoscopic tool for conducting medical examination within human body cavities.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A typical endoscope is a custom-made tube mainly composed of an image capturing device and a light source, to display images of internal body structure on a screen when the endoscope is connected to the screen, so as to allow a doctor to diagnose a disease a patent suffering therefrom according to the displayed images. Organs in the body, which are connected to open vessels and cavities in vitro, can be examined using the endoscope. For example, laryngoscopy for examining larynx and trachea is performed by inserting the endoscope through the nose; upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy for examining esophagus, stomach, and duodenum is performed by inserting the endoscope through the mouth; and colonoscopy is performed by inserting the endoscope through anus. If there is no open vessel or cavity connected to the organ to be examined, surgery is needed to form such a vessel or cavity for accommodating the endoscope. For example, laparoscopy can be performed by inserting the endoscope through a hole opened on the abdomen by surgery, and arthroscopy requires dissecting skin that wraps around the joint.  
         [0003]     Endoscopy is basically a slightly invasive type of examination that often causes discomfort, even shock, to the patient when the endoscope invades inside of the body, and the tender and fragile organs may be damaged by the endoscope with carelessness. Since the endoscope is quite costly, it is preferable to clean and sterilize the endoscope after each use, rather than discard, for next or repeated uses. However, patients may be cross-infected in case of incomplete sterilization. Therefore how to develop an endoscope, which can reduce pain caused to patients, be easier in operation and eliminate cross-infection, is a critical problem to be solve in the industry.  
         [0004]     Recently, breakthrough of the imaging technology and fiber optic instrument has brought about dramatic improvements in the size and softness of an endoscope. Particularly, an advanced endoscope capable of controlling its bending angle has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,043. This endoscope is used to be inserted in trachea, and comprises an insertion portion, a handle operation portion, a control mechanism for controlling the bending, and a bending mechanism for bending the insertion portion. The bending mechanism comprises a long elastic member having one end connected to the insertion portion and the other end fixed at one end of a L-shaped handle in the control mechanism. The elastic member extends along with the insertion portion in the endoscopic tube. The L-shaped handle has a shorter end (the end connected with the elastic member) in the endoscopic tube and a longer end outside the tube. A bending angle of the insertion portion is controlled via operating such as pushing or pulling the outside end of the handle held by the medical personnel. However, the bending angle controlled by this method is limited, not allowing a thorough observation of interior of the organ.  
         [0005]     In a gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic examination, once the endoscope is inserted in the body, a force needs to be applied to the endoscope to move the insertion portion forwards in the digestive tract. During the movement in the digestive tract, when a front end of the endoscope encounters turns of the digestive tract, it usually causes damage such as perforation on the inner wall of the digestive tract. In order to solve this problem, a wireless endoscope is developed and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,402,686, 6,402,687 and 6,428,469. U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,469 teaches a capsule endoscope comprising an imaging unit, a control unit connected to the imaging unit, and a power supply connected to the control unit. To carry out examination with the capsule endoscope, the patient should swallow the capsule endoscope and wear a heavy sensor jacket for a long period of time so as to receive images captured and transmitted from the capsule endoscope that moves along the digestive tract and store the images in a hard disk. After the examination, a diagnosis can be proceeded according to the captured images using a computer. Since the capsule endoscope uses batteries mounted therein for power supply, when the battery power runs out (approximately 8 hours), the image capture would be terminated. Moreover, since the capsule endoscope moves along the digestive tract, it can not stop at or return to a particular spot for repeated reviewing, and also it is possible that the capsule endoscope may be stuck in the intestinal tract. Further, wearing the heavy sensor jacket for a long term usually causes discomfort and burden to the patient. In case of the patient taking off the sensor jacket during examination, the image storing process would be interrupted, such that the captured and stored images are not coherent and continuous and thereby affect the examination results and disease diagnosis. Besides, the capsule endoscope is cost-ineffective to fabricate, making it difficult to be common in use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In light of the drawbacks described above, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic device, which can rotate by an angle up to 180° for a thorough observation and is cost-effective to fabricate such that this endoscopic device can be discarded after use.  
         [0007]     In accordance with the above and other objectives, the present invention provides an endoscopic device comprising a head portion for capturing and transmitting images;  
         [0008]     a shape memory hollow catheter having a bend connected to the head portion; and a resilient control unit movably mounted with the shape memory hollow catheter, for changing an angle of the bend via movement of the control unit over the shape memory hollow catheter.  
         [0009]     The endoscopic device is applicable to examination of ears, brain, pituitary gland, paranasal sinus, trachea, mouth cavity, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, gall bladder, urinary organs (urethra, urinary bladder, and ureter), breasts, female reproductive organs (ovary, oviduct, vagina, and uterus), testes, blood vessels, bone marrow, abdominal cavity, chest cavity, and joints. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an endoscopic device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating elements for assembling an imaging unit in the endoscopic device;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 3A  through to  3 C are schematic views illustrating the imaging unit  113  in the endoscopic device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 4A  through to  4 C are schematic views illustrating the endoscopic device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIGS. 5A  through to  5 D are schematic views illustrating an operation of the endoscopic device with a stomach as the example according to the present invention; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view illustrating mounting or assembling of the endoscopic device on a surgical tool according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an endoscopic device  10  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The endoscopic device  10  has a head portion  110  located at a front end thereof and the head portion  110  is connected to a shape memory hollow catheter  120  with a U-shape bend formed at a point where the head portion  110  is connected to the shape memory hollow catheter  120 . There is no particular limitation in material for making the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , any material that is moldable to any bend, tissue compatible, and applicable to the surgery in vivo can be used to make the shape memory hollow catheter  120 . Preferably, materials, such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), and others commonly used to make disposable products are adopted to fulfill the hygienic standard and prevent possible infections.  
         [0018]     The head portion  110  comprises a transparent window  111  located at a front end thereof, a guiding hole  112  (for a guiding wire  121  to penetrate through) on the transparent window  111 , and an imaging unit  113 . A universal serial bus (USB) wire  123  (having both power supply function and image transmission function) is connected from the head portion  110  to penetrate through the shape memory hollow catheter  120  before connecting to a computer  20 .  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an angle for which the head portion  110  of the endoscopic device  10  is bent is controlled using the guiding wire  121 . First of all, a guiding wire  121  is inserted in the hollow portion of the shape-memory hollow catheter  120 . When the head portion  110  is not penetrated by the guiding wire  121 , the point where the endoscopic device  10  connects to the shape memory hollow catheter  120  is seen as an initial bend. As the guiding wire  121  is pushed forwards, the guiding wire  121  penetrates the guiding hole  112  on the head portion  110  to stretch the shape memory hollow catheter  120  from a bending form to a straight form. By controlling a degree of moving the guiding wire  121  forwards and backwards as well as an angle at which the head portion  110  is rotated by rotation of the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , the medical personnel can make a thorough examination for a body cavity. Furthermore, depend on the actual needs, the front end of the head portion  110  may be opened to form a guiding hole  112 , such that the guiding wire  121  is projected out from the guiding hole  112 . If drug administration is needed for therapeutic treatment, the drug may be administered to an affected part in the examined organ via the guiding hole  112  on the head portion. Alternatively, fluids may be drawn from or released to the examined part, and tissues may be sampled from the examined part using the mechanical arm to achieve the treatment or tissue sampling purpose.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating elements for assembling an imaging unit  113  in the endoscopic device, which elements comprise a power distributor  1131 , a lighting system  1132 , an image capturing system  1133 , and a signal transmission system  1134 . The power distributor  1131  supplies power for the lighting system  1132 , the imaging capturing system  1133 , and the signal transmission system  1134 . The lighting system  1132  provides light in a body cavity such that the images can be captured by the image capturing system  1133  in the body cavity. There is no specific limitation for the light source used in the present invention. A white light, an infrared light, or a mixture of both can also be used in the present invention. Usually, the light source may be light emitting diodes (LED) arranged in such a way that three or four LEDs are formed at surrounding of the image capturing system  1133 . Then, the signal transmission system  1134  transmits the image captured by the image capturing system  1133  to the computer  20  via the signal transmission wire  123 . On the one hand, the medical personnel can view from the computer monitor the images captured by the image capturing system  1133  so as to make visual inspection for the body cavity of the subject to be examined. On the other hand, the computer can record the images in real time, so that the images can be reviewed by the medical personnel if necessary to make the correct diagnosis.  
         [0021]      FIGS. 3A  through to  3 C are schematic views illustrating the imaging unit  113  in the endoscopic device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The imaging unit  113  comprises a USB port  1131   a , the LED  132   a , a lens  1133   a , an assembly  1134   a  of a CMOS sensor and a digital signal processor. Also, the imaging unit comprises a first printed circuit board (PCB)  1135   a , a second PCB  1135   b , a third PCB  1135   c , a fourth PCB  1135   d , and a soft cable  1136 .  FIG. 3A  is an extended view of the imaging unit  113 . The LED  1132   a  is formed on one side (illustrated in  FIG. 3B ) of the first PCB  1135   a . The lens  1133   a  and the assembly  1134   a  of the CMOS and digital signal processor are formed on the second PCB  1135   b . The digital signal processor is formed on the third PCB  1135   c , whereas a USB port is formed on one side (illustrated in  FIG. 3B ) of the fourth PCB  1135   d .  FIG. 3B  is another extended view of the imaging unit  113  taken from opposite side of  FIG. 3A , illustrating the LED  1132   a  located on the first PCB, and the USB port  1131   a  located on the fourth PCB  1135   d .  FIG. 3C  illustrates a three-dimensional view of the imaging unit  113  after folding up the extended form shown in  FIG. 3A  or  FIG. 3B . As shown in the diagram, the front end is the LED  1132   a , followed by the lens  1133   a , the assembly  1134   a  of the CMOS and digital signal processor, and the USB port  1131   a . Each element in the imaging unit  113  is powered via the USB port  1131   a , so that the lighting system  1132 , the image capturing system  1133 , and the signal transmission system  1134  are actuated.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 4A  through to  4 C are schematic views illustrating the endoscopic device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A guiding sleeve is used to control a bending angle of the head portion  110 . First of all, the guiding sleeve  122  slips in from the back end of the shape memory hollow catheter  120 . Then, the guiding sleeve  122  is pushed forwards to the point where the head portion is connected to the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , so as to stretch the shape memory hollow catheter  120  into a straight form. Meanwhile, the angle at which the head portion is rotated is controlled through adjusting degree of moving the guiding sleeve forwards or backwards.  FIGS. 4A  through to  4 C also illustrate the endoscopic devices with different bending shapes, wherein  FIG. 4A  shows an endoscopic device with a U-shaped bend,  FIG. 4B  shows an endoscopic device with a S-shaped bend, and  FIG. 4C  shows an endoscopic device with a O-shaped bend.  
         [0023]     There are no specific limitations for materials for making the guiding wire  121  and the guiding sleeve  122  as long as they are tissue-compatible and suitable for surgery in vivo. In contrast to the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , the guiding wire  121  and the guiding sleeve  122  possess a greater toughness to stretch the shape memory hollow catheter with the bend into the straight form. And to enable smooth movement of the guiding wire  121  forwards and backwards within the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , a layer of lubricant material, such as Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) is coated on the outer layer of the guiding wire  121 .  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 5A  through to  5 D, the operation of the endoscopic device is described with stomach examination as an example. Before an endoscopic examination is conducted, the guiding sleeve  122  slips in from the back end of the shape memory hollow catheter  120 . The guiding sleeve  122  is then pushed forwards to the point where the head portion  110  is connected to the shape memory hollow catheter  120 , so as to straighten the shape memory hollow catheter  120  with bends. Next, the endoscopic device is inserted from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus. As shown in  FIG. 5A , when the medical personnel wishes to observe other areas in the stomach, the guiding sleeve  122  may be pulled out from outside mouth cavity, so that a part of the shape memory hollow catheter  120  returns to its original bending state. That is, the image capturing angle of the image capturing system  1133  in the endoscopic device can be adjusted by controlling the degree for which the shape memory hollow catheter  120  returns to the original bending state. In  FIGS. 5B  through to  5 D, the empty arrows point to the directions at which the guiding sleeves move, while the size of the arrows indicates the movement level of the guiding sleeve  122 . And as the medical personnel wishes to examine the left portion within the stomach, he/she only needs to slightly rotate the shape memory hollow catheter  120  outside the mouth cavity. The endoscopic device  10  may be pushed forwards or pulled backwards via the guiding sleeve  122  to control the degree for which the shape memory hollow catheter  120  returns to its original bending state and rotation of the shape memory hollow catheter  120  (by an angle up to 360°), so that the endoscopic device  10  can be utilized to examine the body cavity in all directions.  
         [0025]     Also, the endoscopic device  10  may be optionally mounted or assembled to a surgical tool. Similarly, the minimized surgical tool may be mounted or assembled to the endoscopic device  10 . The surgical tools may be a surgical knife, scissors, tweezers, drill, or other tools with surgical purposes.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the endoscopic device  10  is mounted or assembled to the surgical knife  30 , while the endoscopic device in this case can omit use of the resilient control unit. When a surgery is performed, the surgeon may clear see the micro surgical area from the computer monitor via the endoscopic device  10  connected to the computer. Accordingly, this solves the visual difference problem and assists the surgeon to perform surgery accurately and precisely (e.g. when the tumor or malignant tissue needs to be carefully removed), so as to prevent possible harms done to the patient when the surgical error occurs. Meanwhile, the surgical procedure may be selectively recorded in the computer via the endoscopic device  10  to provide teaching or other purposes in future.  
         [0027]     Summarizing from the above, it is understood that the endoscopic device has advantages such as having no image capturing blind spot (the endoscopic device has an image capturing angle range up to 180°), easy operation, and low cost. Moreover, the captured images are compatible to common computer recording format, and the endoscopic device can be disposed after each use. And, the surgical operation is assisted since the endoscopic device can be mounted and assembled to the surgical tool.  
         [0028]     The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.