US-12616361-B2 - Medical device including a tube

US12616361B2US 12616361 B2US12616361 B2US 12616361B2US-12616361-B2

Abstract

The tube has a first lumen with a proximal end and an open distal end to be placed inside a body cavity. An outer wall encloses the first lumen and a camera lumen. A camera module ( 10 ) is arranged in the camera lumen at a distal end thereof so that the camera module is positioned adjacent the distal end of the first lumen. An image transmission cable ( 13 ) attached to the camera module extends through the camera lumen to connect to an image display device. The camera module is fixed in the camera lumen by means of a camera housing ( 14 ) including a tubular housing part ( 17 ) surrounding the camera module and a distal end wall ( 18 ). The tubular housing part and the distal end wall are integrally moulded and form one single housing element ( 19 ). The tubular housing part fits tightly into the camera lumen of the tube.

Inventors

Jesper Domino Rask
Morten Sørensen
Martin Lund STØRUP
Lars Ulrik Nielsen

Assignees

AMBU A/S

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20210823
Priority Date: 20200922

Claims (20)

1 . A medical device including: a tube having an outer wall, a first lumen and a camera lumen, the first lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, the camera lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, and the outer wall enclosing the first lumen and the camera lumen; a camera housing including a proximal portion and a singular housing element affixed to the proximal portion, the singular housing element comprising a tubular housing part integrally moulded in one-piece with a distal end wall, the tubular housing part sized to fit tightly into the camera lumen of the tube, the tubular housing part having an inner face, a proximal end and a distal end; a support structure positioned in the camera housing and comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a tubular end part at the proximal end of the support structure, the tubular end part having an outer face forming a gap with the inner face of the tubular housing part; an adhesive in the gap affixing the support structure to the singular housing element; and a camera module supported by the support structure inside the camera housing, the camera module including an image sensor and a light source positioned at the distal end of the camera lumen adjacent the distal end of the first lumen, wherein the outer face of the tubular end part of the support structure and/or the inner face of the tubular housing part of the camera housing are/is tapered or conical so that the gap has a cross-section that decreases in the direction from the proximal end to the distal end of the support structure.
2 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising an image transmission cable having an outer face, wherein the inner face of the tubular end part of the support structure is adhesively bonded to the outer face of the image transmission cable.
3 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion of the camera housing comprises a proximal end, a distal end and a tapering part between the proximal end and the distal end, and wherein an outer diameter of the proximal end is smaller than an outer diameter of the distal end.
4 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the camera lumen is formed in the outer wall between the inner surface and the outer surface of the outer wall.
5 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion of the camera housing comprises a proximal end, a distal end and a tapering part between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein an outer diameter of the proximal end is smaller than an outer diameter of the distal end, wherein the distal end comprises an end face transverse to a longitudinal axis of the camera housing and protrusions extending longitudinally from the end face.
6 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the camera assembly includes a lens barrel having a central axis, wherein the distal end wall of the singular housing element comprises a recess, wherein at least a portion of the lens barrel is positioned in the recess, and wherein the distal end of the tubular housing part comprises guide tabs configured to guide the camera module during insertion of the camera module into the singular housing element.
7 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the inner face of the singular housing element comprises a guide rib, wherein a distal end of the guide rib is wedge-formed, wherein the support structure comprises an elongated part extending distally from the tubular end part, and wherein the elongated part comprises a longitudinally extending groove configured to receive the guide rib.
8 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the proximal portion of the camera housing comprises a proximal end, a distal end and a tapering part between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein an outer diameter of the proximal end is smaller than an outer diameter of the distal end, wherein the inner face of the singular housing element comprises a guide rib, wherein the support structure comprises an elongated part extending distally from the tubular end part, the elongated part comprising a longitudinally extending groove configured to receive the guide rib.
9 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the outer face of the tubular end part of the support structure comprises pivot forming ribs, and wherein a plane traversing the pivot forming ribs also traverses the guide rib.
10 . A visualization system comprising the medical device of claim 1 and a monitor or image display device, the medical device further comprising an image transmission cable, the monitor or image display device connected to the image transmission cable directly or via a wireless connection.
11 . The visualization system of claim 10 , wherein the outer wall further comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, the camera lumen formed in the outer wall between the inner surface and the outer surface.
12 . The visualization system of claim 11 , wherein the tube comprises a second lumen and a partition wall separating the first lumen and the second lumen, and wherein the camera lumen is formed an intersection of the outer wall and the partition wall.
13 . The visualization system of claim 12 , wherein the camera assembly includes a lens barrel having a central axis, and wherein the central axis is closer to the first lumen than to the second lumen.
14 . A medical device including: a tube having an outer wall, a first lumen and a camera lumen, the first lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, the camera lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, and the outer wall enclosing the first lumen and the camera lumen; a camera housing including a proximal portion and a singular housing element affixed to the proximal portion, the singular housing element comprising a tubular housing part integrally moulded in one-piece with a distal end wall, the tubular housing part sized to fit tightly into the camera lumen of the tube, the tubular housing part having an inner face, a proximal end and a distal end; a support structure positioned in the camera housing and comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a tubular end part at the proximal end of the support structure, the tubular end part having an outer face forming a gap with the inner face of the tubular housing part; an adhesive in the gap affixing the support structure to the singular housing element; and a camera module supported by the support structure inside the camera housing, the camera module including an image sensor and a light source positioned at the distal end of the camera lumen adjacent the distal end of the first lumen, wherein the outer face of the tubular end part of the support structure and/or the inner face of the tubular housing part of the camera housing are/is provided with ribs, and wherein the ribs include two pivot forming ribs arranged diametrically opposite of the tubular end part of the support structure and/or of the tubular housing part of the camera housing and together providing a pivot fit with the corresponding outer face or inner face, and wherein the ribs further include two distance ribs distributed peripherally about the tubular end part of the support structure and/or of the tubular housing part of the camera housing and together providing a distance fit with the corresponding outer face or inner face.
15 . The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the ribs only extend at a distal end of the tubular end part of the support structure.
16 . The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the two pivot forming ribs extend further radially than the two distance ribs.
17 . The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the distance fit is looser than the pivot fit.
18 . The medical device of claim 17 , wherein the distal end of the support structure is provided with two spaced tabs arranged generally symmetrically about a plane extending through the two pivot forming ribs, and wherein the two spaced tabs are adapted to abut the camera module.
19 . The medical device of claim 18 , wherein the support structure includes an elongated part having generally semi-circular cross-section, and wherein the elongated part connects the proximal end of the support structure with the two spaced tabs.
20 . The medical device of claim 19 , wherein the elongated part is provided with a peripherally extending recess facing the inner face of the tubular part of the camera housing next to the tubular end part of the support structure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2021/073278, filed Aug. 23, 2021, which claims the benefit of and priority from Denmark Patent Application No. PA 2020 70622, filed Sep. 22, 2020; said applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a medical device including a tube having at least a first lumen and a dedicated camera lumen, the first lumen having a proximal end and an open distal end, the distal end being adapted to be placed inside a body cavity during use of the medical device, the tube having an outer wall enclosing at least the first lumen and the camera lumen, the camera lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, a camera module including at least an image sensor and one or more light sources being arranged in the camera lumen at the distal end thereof so that the camera module is positioned adjacent the distal end of the first lumen, and an image transmission cable attached to the camera module extending through at least part of the camera lumen in order to connect to an image display device. BACKGROUND EP 2 754 384 B1 (Ambu A/S) discloses an endobronchial tube which contains an integrated camera and light source and a cleaning nozzle arrangement disposed within a dedicated peripheral lumen within the tube's wall. The endobronchial tube may for instance be made of plastic, rubber, polymers or silicone. In the illustrated embodiment, the endobronchial tube is a double lumen tube including a tracheal lumen and a bronchial lumen. The camera is arranged in said peripheral lumen of the tube at the distal end of the tracheal lumen in order to visualise the tracheal carina and the distal end of the bronchial lumen during its insertion into the left or right bronchus. However, in known solutions, the fitting of a camera module in said dedicated peripheral lumen may be cumbersome. In a manual procedure, firstly, said peripheral lumen may be dilated in order to fit the camera module, and, secondly, the camera module may be fixed in the lumen by means of glue. Following this procedure, correct positioning of the camera module in the peripheral lumen may be difficult. Furthermore, in a double lumen tube, it may be a disadvantage that the angle of view of the camera may be restricted in such a way that the captured image shows to a large degree the distal end of the bronchial lumen rather than the anatomy of the patient. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a medical device being easier to assemble correctly. SUMMARY In view of this object, the camera module is fixed in the camera lumen by means of a camera housing extending in a longitudinal direction and having a proximal end and a distal end, in that the camera housing includes a tubular housing part at least partly surrounding the camera module and a distal end wall, in that the tubular housing part and the distal end wall are integrally moulded and form one single housing element, and in that the tubular housing part fits tightly into the camera lumen of the tube. Thereby, precise mounting of a camera module in the camera lumen may be facilitated in that a tight fit between the tubular housing part and the camera lumen may ensure precise positioning of the camera module in the lumen without any adjustments being necessary. In particular, dilatation of the camera lumen of the tube in order to mount the camera module in the camera lumen may not be necessary. In an embodiment, the camera housing includes a support structure for the camera module, the support structure has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the support structure has a tubular end part arranged inside the tubular housing part of the camera housing, the image transmission cable extends through the tubular end part of the support structure, and the distal end of the support structure is engaged with the camera module. Thereby, the arrangement of the camera module in the camera housing may be facilitated in that the tubular end part of the support structure may fit inside the tubular housing part and thereby ensure correct positioning of the support structure with the camera module inside the camera housing. Thereby, precise mounting of the camera module in the camera lumen may be further facilitated. Furthermore, the tubular end part of the support structure may seal against the tubular housing part, and the image transmission cable may seal against an inside of the tubular end part. Thereby, the camera module may be protected against the environment. In an embodiment, the tubular end part of the support structure has an outer face being glued to an inner face of the tubular part of the camera housing. Thereby, the tubular end part of the support structure may seal even better against the tubular housing part. In an embodiment, the outer face of the tubular end part of the support struc