Patent ID: 7959559

Claim:
An endoscope insertion assisting device, comprising: a balloon retaining member having a hollow shape to cover a distal end of an insertion portion of an endoscope from a distal side of the insertion portion; a first balloon member retained by the balloon retaining member and into which the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted, the first balloon member having a first hollow portion; a first transmission member that includes, at a distal end part thereof, a curved portion curved outward in a radial direction of the insertion portion of the endoscope inside the hollow shape of the balloon retaining member, wherein the first balloon member is provided at the distal end part from the curved portion toward a proximal end side of the first transmission member, the first transmission member being adapted to be passed through a channel of the insertion portion of the endoscope and transmit an advance/retreat action performed by an operator to the first balloon member to move the first balloon member to a side distal to a distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope; a second balloon member into which the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted, the second balloon member having a second hollow portion; a tubular light-transmissive second transmission member, wherein the second balloon member is provided at a distal end part thereof, the second transmission member being adapted to allow the insertion portion of the endoscope to pass therethrough and transmit an advance/retreat action performed by an operator to the second balloon member to move the second balloon member slidingly along the insertion portion of the endoscope; and a control portion that controls supply and exhaust of fluid to and from inside of the first hollow portion of the first balloon member and the second hollow portion of the second balloon member to expand or contract the first balloon member and the second balloon member, wherein the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope comes into contact with the curved portion of the first transmission member, which regulates a movement of the insertion portion of the endoscope distal to the curved portion.