US-12622577-B2 - Endoscope having multiple viewing directions

US12622577B2US 12622577 B2US12622577 B2US 12622577B2US-12622577-B2

Abstract

An endoscope may include a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a first image sensor facing a distal direction, and a second image sensor facing a lateral direction. The endoscope may further include a tubular member having a lumen, the lumen having a distal-end opening and defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the lumen. The tubular member may be movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration of the tubular member, the longitudinal axis of the lumen may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In the second configuration of the tubular member, the longitudinal axis of the lumen may extend through a lateral opening in a wall of the shaft.

Inventors

Andrew Calabrese
Louis J. Barbato
Brian Gaffney
Mark D. Wood

Assignees

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240402

Claims (20)

1 . A medical device, comprising: a shaft having a longitudinal axis; an image sensor; and an elevator having a lumen, the lumen having a distal-end opening and defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the lumen, the elevator being movable between a first configuration and a second configuration; wherein in the first configuration of the elevator, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit an instrument to extend through a front opening of the shaft; and wherein in the second configuration of the elevator, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit an instrument to extend through a lateral opening of the shaft, wherein a portion of the shaft is positioned over and blocking at least a portion of the distal-end opening of the elevator when the elevator is in the second configuration.
2 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein in the first configuration of the elevator, the longitudinal axis of the lumen is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
3 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is disposed on a wall of the shaft.
4 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor comprises a first image sensor facing a first direction, and a second image sensor facing a second direction.
5 . The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the first image sensor is disposed on a distal-facing wall of the shaft, and the second image sensor is disposed on a lateral-facing wall of the shaft.
6 . The medical device of claim 5 , wherein in the first configuration of the elevator, the distal-end opening is substantially parallel to the distal-facing wall of the shaft, and the elevator is configured to translate distally of the distal-facing wall of the shaft.
7 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising the instrument disposed within the elevator, and wherein in the first configuration of the elevator, the instrument is configured to translate distally through the front opening of the shaft.
8 . The medical device of claim 7 , wherein the shaft comprises an indentation sized and shaped to receive a portion of the instrument therein.
9 . The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the indentation is configured to form a press-fit attachment with the portion of the instrument, thereby locking the elevator in the second configuration relative to the shaft.
10 . The medical device of claim 8 , wherein the shaft comprises a first wall and a second wall that at least partially define the lateral opening, and wherein the indentation is disposed between the first wall and the second wall.
11 . The medical device of claim 10 , wherein the first wall and the second wall of the shaft are configured to guide the instrument toward the indentation in response to the elevator moving from the first configuration to the second configuration.
12 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator mechanism configured to move the elevator relative to the shaft between the first configuration and the second configuration.
13 . A medical device, comprising: a shaft having a longitudinal axis; an image sensor; an elevator disposed in the shaft, wherein the elevator comprises a lumen having a distal-end opening and defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the lumen; and an actuator mechanism configured to move the elevator between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the shaft; wherein in the second configuration, a portion of the shaft is positioned over and blocking at least a portion of the distal-end opening of the elevator.
14 . The medical device of claim 13 , further comprising: an instrument disposed within the lumen of the elevator; wherein in the first configuration, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit the instrument to extend through a front opening of the shaft; and wherein in the second configuration, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit the instrument to extend through a lateral opening of the shaft.
15 . The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the shaft comprises an indentation sized and shaped to receive a portion of the instrument therein.
16 . The medical device of claim 15 , wherein the indentation is configured to form a press-fit attachment with the portion of the instrument, thereby locking the elevator in the second configuration relative to the shaft.
17 . The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the image sensor comprises a first image sensor facing a first direction, and a second image sensor facing a second direction.
18 . The medical device of claim 17 , wherein the first image sensor is disposed on a distal-facing wall of the shaft, and the second image sensor is disposed on a lateral-facing wall of the shaft.
19 . The medical device of claim 18 , wherein in the first configuration, the distal-end opening is substantially parallel to the distal-facing wall of the shaft, and the elevator is configured to translate distally of the distal-facing wall of the shaft.
20 . A medical device comprising: a shaft having a longitudinal axis; an image sensor; an elevator disposed in the shaft, wherein the elevator comprises a lumen having a distal-end opening and defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the lumen; an actuator mechanism configured to move the elevator between a first configuration and a second configuration relative to the shaft; and an instrument disposed within the lumen of the elevator; wherein in the first configuration, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit the instrument to extend through a front opening of the shaft and not a lateral opening of the shaft; and wherein in the second configuration, the distal-end opening is positioned to permit the instrument to extend through the lateral opening of the shaft and not the front opening of the shaft, and a portion of the shaft is positioned over and blocking at least a portion of the distal-end opening of the elevator; wherein the shaft comprises an indentation sized and shaped to receive a portion of the instrument therein; wherein the indentation is configured to form a press-fit attachment with the portion of instrument, thereby locking the elevator in the second configuration relative to the shaft.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/398,871, filed on Aug. 10, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/881,907, filed on Jan. 29, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,116,391, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/453,186, filed on Feb. 1, 2017, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to an endoscope having multiple viewing directions and an adjustable elevator to provide multiple working directions. BACKGROUND Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a procedure used to diagnose and treat patients with pancreatic-biliary disorders. ERCPs are commonly completed using a side viewing endoscope with an elevator mechanism. The layout of a side viewing scope and elevator feature allow the physician to cannulate the duodenal papilla and access a target site with tools for diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP procedures. Forward viewing endoscopes are occasionally used in patients with altered anatomy, but since such endoscopes do not feature an elevator or a side viewing image sensor, the physician's diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities may be limited compared with using a side viewing endoscope having an elevator and a side viewing image sensor. In addition, the current commercially available forward viewing scopes may be longer than a side viewing scope and may require different cannulation methods and different tools to be used. The commercially available forward viewing endoscopes may succeed in certain patients with altered anatomy; however, their use may require changes to the physician's procedure and additional effort when compared to performing an ERCP with a side viewing scope. SUMMARY Examples of the present disclosure relate to, among other things, an endoscope having multiple viewing directions and an adjustable elevator (e.g., a tubular member) to provide multiple working directions. Each of the examples disclosed herein may include one or more of the features described in connection with any of the other disclosed examples. In one example, an endoscope may include a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a first image sensor facing a distal direction, and a second image sensor facing a lateral direction. The endoscope may further include a tubular member having a lumen, the lumen having a distal-end opening and defining a longitudinal axis through a center of the lumen. The tubular member may be movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration of the tubular member, the longitudinal axis of the lumen may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In the second configuration of the tubular member, the longitudinal axis of the lumen may extend through a lateral opening in a wall of the shaft. Any example of an endoscope described herein may further include one or more of the following features: the first image sensor may be positioned on a distal-facing wall of the shaft, and the second image sensor may be positioned on a lateral-facing wall of the shaft; in the first configuration, the distal-end opening may parallel to the distal-facing wall of the shaft; the distal-facing wall may positioned at a distal-most end of the shaft; the first image sensor may be adjustable relative to the distal-facing wall, and the second image sensor may be adjustable relative to the lateral-facing wall; the lateral-facing wall of the shaft may be flat, and the distal-facing wall and the lateral-facing wall may be perpendicular to each other; the distal direction and the lateral direction may be about 90° from each other; the endoscope may further include a medical device positioned within the tubular member, wherein in the first configuration, the medical device may extend from the distal-end opening of the tubular member, and the first image sensor may be configured to image the medical device; in the second configuration, the medical device may extend from the distal-end opening of the tubular member, and the second image sensor may be configured to image the medical device; the tubular member may be further movable to a third configuration, and in the third configuration, the medical device may be locked relative to the wall of the shaft; the endoscope may further include a first light source associated with the first image sensor, and a second light source associated with the second image sensor; the endoscope may further include a plurality of light sources; the wall of the shaft may include a distal-facing indentation configured to receive and secure a medical device relative to the wall of the shaft; in the first configuration of the tubular member, the longitudinal axis of the lumen may extend through a distal opening in the wall of the shaft; a range of motion of the tubular member may be at least 80°; or the tubula