In-tube self-traveling type endoscope

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To enable the endoscope to run in a conduit by itself by providing a 1st and a 2nd balloon and an elastic actuator which varies in long-axis length. CONSTITUTION:When a selector valve 20 is switched to an air feed side and a 1st opening/closing valve 23 is opened, air is sent into the 1st balloon 6, which expands and is pressed against the internal surface of the conduit 27. Then when an opening/closing valve 25 for the actuator is opened, air is sent into four elastic actuators 8, which expand radially. Consequently, a movable annular body 11 is drawn toward a fixed annular body 10. Then when a 2nd opening/ closing valve 24 is opened, the 2nd balloon 7 expands and is pressed against the internal surface of the conduit 27. Then when the air in the 1st balloon 6 and respective actuators 8 is sucked by a suction pump 18, they contract and the 1st balloon 6 leaves the internal surface of the conduit 27, so that the elastic actuator 8 increases in long-axis length. Consequently, the fixed annular body 10 is pushed out to the deep part of the conduit 27.

Inventors

• 👤 Hirobumi Miyanaga
• 👤 宮永　博文
• 👤 Yasuhiro Ueda
• 👤 康弘 植田
• 👤 Hideyuki Adachi
• 👤 英之 安達
• 👤 Shuichi Takayama
• 👤 修一 高山
• 👤 Hiroki Hibino
• 👤 浩樹 日比野
• 👤 Tsutomu Yamamoto
• 👤 勉 山本
• 👤 Yoshio Shishido
• 👤 宍戸　芳雄
• 👤 Seiji Yamaguchi
• 👤 山口　征治
• 👤 Noriyasu Aoki
• 👤 義安 青木

Bibliographic Details