Patent ID: 7708687

Claim:
An endoscope propulsion device assembly, comprising: a toroidal wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface that circumscribes an interior passageway extending along a longitudinal axis, and with a length between a proximal end and a distal end relative to the longitudinal axis; a drive assembly comprising an end support on each of its proximal and distal ends, wherein the end supports maintain the toroidal wall at a single position along an endoscope during movement of the propulsion device assembly through a body lumen by way of movement of the toroidal wall; and an endoscope coupler assembly; wherein the toroidal wall is adjustable from a radially collapsed condition to a radially extended condition, respectively, transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the toroidal wall and drive assembly remain coupled in both the radially collapsed condition and the radially extended condition; wherein the toroidal wall defines an inner volume for adjusting from a radially collapsed condition to a radially extended condition, and wherein the inner volume does not comprise any mechanical elements for propulsion of the device; wherein the drive assembly is adapted to couple to the toroidal wall and to impart toroidal rotation onto the toroidal wall in the radially extended condition such that the interior surface translates in a first longitudinal direction and the exterior surface translates in a second opposite longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis; and wherein the endoscope coupler assembly is adapted to couple the toroidal wall to an endoscope extending along the interior passageway such that the toroidal wall and endoscope are adapted to be propelled together in the first direction along a body lumen during toroidal rotation of the toroidal wall when the exterior surface is engaged to a wall of the body lumen with translating force against the wall.