Patent ID: 8403827

Claim:
An endoscopic insertion aid relative to a flexible tubular body having an inner wall, a tube member which includes a distal end having an outer periphery, a distal side and a proximal side, which is configured to be inserted into the tubular body and which is configured to receive therethrough an insertion section of an endoscope and to guide longitudinal movement of the insertion section; a pipeline which is provided in the tube member and which communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to the distal end of the tube member or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member; a plurality of balloons which are disposed on the outer periphery of the distal end of the tube member and adjacently arranged longitudinally along the tube member, which communicate with the pipeline, which are configured to inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline and which are configured to be inserted into the tubular body with the distal end of the tube member, positions of the plurality of balloons being configured to be held to the tubular body by frictional force between the balloons and the inner wall of the tubular body when the plurality of balloons are inflated; and a regulating portion configured to regulate inflation when the plurality of balloons is inflated so that the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than an outside diameter of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member; wherein the balloon disposed on the distal side among the plurality of balloons is formed of a material having an expansion rate higher than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side, each of two adjacent balloons among the plurality of balloons is configured to hook the inner wall of the tubular body therebetween when the plurality of balloons are inflated, and each of the plurality of balloons is configured to hook the inner wall of the tubular body by a proximal part thereof and configured to fold the tubular body when the plurality of balloons are inflated and the tube member is pulled relative to the tubular body, the insertion method comprising: inserting the insertion section of the endoscope into the body cavity together with the tube member; inflating the plurality of balloons to bring the plurality of balloons into close contact with the inside of the body cavity; pulling the tube member and the insertion section of the endoscope to a proximal side of the tube member so that each of the plurality of balloons is in close contact with the inside of the body cavity and proximal part of the each of the plurality of balloons is in close contact with the inside of the body cavity and folds the body cavity; and advancing the insertion section with respect to the tube member.