EP-4739190-A2 - ENDOSCOPE

Abstract

A portable endoscope with controlled suction including a proximal component and a distal component. The proximal component includes a handle and the distal component includes an insertion tube. The insertion tube includes an internal working channel extending from the distal end to the proximal component. A powered suction system includes a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the internal working channel. The powered suction system provides suction to the distal end and includes a source of negative pressure from a pump and a liquid trap in the fluid circuit configured to separate liquids from the air delivered to the source of negative pressure. The endoscope includes a suction control system configured to use a sensed pressure to regulate the negative pressure applied to the working channel.

Inventors

• Heck, Benjamin
• REDDY, Chakravarthy

Assignees

• Heck & Reddy Innovations, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240703

Claims (20)

1. 1. A portable endoscope with controlled suction, the endoscope comprising: a proximal component and a distal component, the proximal component including a handle and the distal component comprising a flexible insertion tube extending from the proximal component to a distal end, the insertion tube including an internal working channel extending from the distal end to the proximal component; a powered suction system including a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the internal working channel of the proximal component, the powered suction system providing suction to the distal end, the powered suction system including, a source of negative pressure from a pump; a liquid trap in the fluid circuit, the liquid trap in fluid communication with the source of negative pressure; and a suction control system comprising at least one user input element, the suction control system configured to use a sensed pressure to manipulate the negative pressure applied to the working channel.
2. 2. The portable endoscope of claim 1, wherein the powered suction system includes a pressure sensor configured to sense the negative air pressure applied to the trap and the suction control system includes an electrical processing unit electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and providing the sensed pressure.
3. 3. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the suction control system includes a mechanically actuated negative pressure release valve.
4. 4. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the proximal component includes one or more user input elements that provide input to the suction control system to selectively adjust the regulated negative pressure applied to the working channel of the distal component, wherein the electrical processing unit is responsive to the user input for regulating suction pressure.
5. 5. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein suction control system regulates the pressure applied to the working channel by changing the pump pressure.
6. 6. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the suction control system regulates the pressure applied to the working channel by releasing pressure in the fluid circuit.
7. 7. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the pump is located in the proximal component.
8. 8. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the pump is located in a handle portion of the proximal component.
9. 9. The portable endoscope as in any of claims 1-6, wherein the pump is located in an external component in fluid communication with the proximal component.
10. 10. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the fluid circuit includes an air valve, wherein the electrical processing unit actuates the air valve in response to a sensed pressure in the fluid circuit that is greater than a user selected pressure.
11. 11. The portable endoscope as in claim 10, wherein the air valve is a solenoid valve.
12. 12. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the suction control system includes the pressure sensor on a circuit board and a manifold mounted to the circuit board over the pressure sensor, the manifold providing fluid communication with an air outlet of the fluid trap and the air inlet to the negative pressure pump.
13. 13. The portable endoscope as in claim 12, wherein the manifold provides fluid communication to an air valve.
14. 14. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the proximal end includes a fluid trap port, the port including an inlet connector that is in fluid communication with the working channel and receives liquids and air from the working channel, and an outlet connector that is in fluid communication with the source of negative pressure.
15. 15. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the inlet connector and the outlet connector are tubing connectors.
16. 16. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, further comprising a hydrophobic filter in the fluid circuit between the outlet connector and the negative pressure pump.
17. 17. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, further comprising an accessory port for inserting fluid in the working channel, the fluid circuit including a fluid valve configured to prevent backflow of liquids from the accessory port toward the source of negative pressure.
18. 18. The portable endoscope of any of the foregoing claims, further comprising a flexion control system including a thumb lever, a flexion wheel, and a plurality of steering wires, the flexion control system providing user control of the flexible tubing of the distal component.
19. 19. A portable bronchoscope with controlled suction of the airway, the bronchoscope comprising: a proximal component and a distal component, the proximal component including a handle and the distal component comprising a flexible insertion tube extending from the proximal component to a distal end, the insertion tube including an internal working channel extending from the distal end to the proximal component; a powered suction system including a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the internal working channel of the proximal component, the powered suction system providing suction to the distal end, the powered suction system including, a negative pressure pump positioned in a handle portion of the proximal component; a liquid trap in the fluid circuit, the liquid trap in fluid communication with the source of negative pressure; a pressure sensor configured to sense the negative air pressure applied to the liquid trap; a suction control system including an electrical processing unit electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and responsive to user input for regulating suction pressure, the suction control system configured to use the sensed pressure to regulate the negative pressure applied to the working channel; wherein the proximal component includes, a flexion control system including a thumb lever, a flexion wheel, and a plurality of steering wires, the flexion control system providing user control of the flexible tubing of the distal component; and one or more user input elements that provide input to the suction control system to selectively adjust the regulated negative pressure applied to the working channel of the distal component; and wherein the suction control system regulates the pressure applied to the working channel by (i) changing the negative pressure generated by the pump and/or (ii) releasing pressure in the fluid circuit.
20. 20. A portable endoscope, comprising: a proximal component and a distal component, the proximal component including a handle and the distal component comprising an insertion tube extending from the proximal component to a distal end, the insertion tube including an internal working channel extending from the distal end to the proximal component; a powered suction system including a fluid circuit in fluid communication with the internal working channel of the proximal component, the powered suction system providing suction to the distal end, the powered suction system including, a negative pressure pump positioned in the proximal component; a liquid trap in the fluid circuit, the liquid trap in fluid communication with the pump; and a suction control system comprising at least one user input element, the suction control system configured modulate the negative pressure applied to the working channel.

Description

ENDOSCOPE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63/511,812 filed 03 July 2023, titled Suction Inducing Endoscope and 63/542,092 filed 03 Oct 2023, titled Endoscope Accessory. The foregoing applications are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to endoscopes with improved and/or controlled suction and computer implemented methods for controlling the pressure of the endoscopes. BACKGROUND A bronchoscope is a medical instrument which is placed in the lower respiratory tract of a patient through the mouth or the nose. It is used for observing the pathological changes of lung lobes, segments and subsegments of bronchus, biopsy sampling, bacteriological examination and cytological examination, and can be used for photographing, teaching and dynamic recording in cooperation with a display system. Bronchoscopes typically have a flexible insertion tube with an imager and light source at the tip for viewing the airways of the lung while performing procedures in the airway. The flexible tube includes a working channel that can be used to introduce an instrument into the lungs through an accessory port and perform procedures on the lung tissue. These procedures typically require suction. For example, bronchoalveolar lavage is a procedure where fluid is introduced into the lung and then suctioned out. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Non-limiting and non-exhaustive implementations of the disclosure are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various drawings are for illustrative purposes only. The nature of the present disclosure, as well as other embodiments in accordance with this disclosure, may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, to the appended claims, and to the several drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of bronchoscope according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is another view of the bronchoscope of FIG. 1 with the distal component truncated to better illustrate the proximal component; FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the bronchoscope of FIG. 2 showing the internal parts of the proximal component; FIG. 4 illustrates the principle internal components of the proximal component that make up the fluid circuit of the bronchoscope of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the manifold and circuit board of the endoscope shown in Fig. 4; FIG. 6 is a cross section of Figure 2 showing a cavity for positing tubing and wires above the flexion assembly; FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a portion of the components shown in Fig. 3 showing the flexion components in more detail; FIGS. 8A-8F illustrate a user input element for controlling pressure according to one embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate a negative pressure regulator that can be used in an alternative embodiment of an endoscope according to one embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 10A-10E illustrate the flexible portion, camera, and LEDs of the insertion tube of the endoscope of Fig. 1; FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an endoscope according to the invention where components of the pressure control system are in an external component of the bronchoscope; FIG. 12 illustrates an endoscope according to another embodiment of the invention showing a support bracket that can be rotatably attached to a proximal component and provide physical support for the liquid trap 16 to prevent it from undesired movements; and FIG. 13 is a flow diagram describing aspects of the computer executable instructions for operating an endoscope according to an embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Provided herein are endoscopes for performing medical procedures that utilize suction. In several of the embodiments, the endoscopes use a pressure sensor and a pressure control system to regulate a source of negative pressure. The controlled suction gives the clinician control to select negative pressures that are higher and/or lower than the typical wall suction pressure used with traditional endoscopes. The endoscopes include a negative pressure pump that generates a desired negative air pressure for use in suctioning through the working channel of the endoscope. The endoscope may also include a suction control system responsive to user input for selectively lowering or raising the pressure. Examples of such user input include, but is not limited to, a position sensor, voice control, adjustment of mechanical mechanisms, and external buttons. To control the suction pressure in the working channel, some embodiments of the invention use a liquid trap. The liquid trap is positioned between the working channel and the source of the negative pressure. The fluid trap can facilitate the suctioning in