Endoscopic imaging system

Abstract

An endoscopic imaging system includes a reusable control cabinet having a number of actuators that control the orientation of a lightweight endoscope that is connectable thereto. The endoscope is used with a single patient and is then disposed. The endoscope includes an illumination mechanism, an image sensor and an elongate shaft having one or more lumens located therein. A polymeric articulation joint at the distal end of the endoscope allows the distal end to be oriented by the control cabinet. The endoscope is coated with a hydrophilic coating that reduces its coefficient of friction and because it is lightweight, requires less force to advance it to a desired location within a patient.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . An imaging endoscope, comprising: 
 a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;    an illumination port at the distal end of the shaft for illuminating tissue;    an imaging port at the distal end of the shaft that includes an imaging sensor to produce an image of the tissue;    a plastically deformable articulation joint disposed at the distal end of the shaft comprising a molded or extruded polymeric cylinder having a central lumen and a number of control cable lumens disposed about the circumference of the cylinder;    a number of live hinges formed in the cylinder; and    a number of control cables that are selectively activated to bend the articulation joint in a desired direction.    
     
     
         2 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , further comprising a working channel lumen in the shaft through which a medical device may be passed.  
     
     
         3 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1  wherein each live hinge comprises two or more diametrically opposed angled cutouts in the polymeric cylinder that are joined by flexible webs.  
     
     
         4 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 3 , wherein the control cables are aligned with the flexible webs of the live hinges.  
     
     
         5 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 3 , wherein the control cables are offset from the flexible webs of the live hinges.  
     
     
         6 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 3 , wherein adjacent live hinges along the length of the articulation joint are rotated with respect to each other.  
     
     
         7 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft is coated with a lubricious material.  
     
     
         8 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes an insufflation/irrigation lumen.  
     
     
         9 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the shaft includes a spiral wrap.  
     
     
         10 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 9 , wherein the spiral wrap is approximately 0.060 inches thick and has a pitch of about {fraction (3/16)} inches.  
     
     
         11 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the articulation joint comprises an extruded cylinder made of two or more materials having different durometers.  
     
     
         12 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 11 , wherein the control cable lumens are within a material having a higher durometer.  
     
     
         13 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft is covered by a sleeve that includes wound wrap.  
     
     
         14 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 16 , wherein the wrap has a number of threads and a pitch selected to adjust the torque characteristics of the shaft.  
     
     
         15 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 16 , wherein the threads of the wound wrap are made of wire.  
     
     
         16 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 16 , wherein the wound wrap has two or more threads that are braided.  
     
     
         17 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein the articulation joint is longitudinally retractable by tensioning all the control cables.  
     
     
         18 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve that selectively exposes the distal end of the endoscope.  
     
     
         19 . An imaging endoscope, comprising: 
 a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;    an illumination port at the distal end of the shaft for illuminating tissue;    an imaging port at the distal end of the shaft that includes an imaging sensor to produce an image of the tissue;    a plastically deformable articulation joint wherein the articulation joint includes a number of stacked annular disks each having a number of holes through which the control cables pass and camming surfaces that engage an adjacent annular disk in the articulation joint.    
     
     
         20 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 19 , wherein the camming surfaces of adjacent annular disks are rotated with respect to each other.  
     
     
         21 . An imaging endoscopic system, comprising: 
 a control cabinet including a number of actuators that operate to control the orientation of an endoscope;    an imaging board for producing images received from an image sensor in an endoscope;    one or more valves to control the delivery of an irrigation fluid and insufflation air/gas to one or more lumens in an endoscope;    a handheld controller including a number of controls that can be activated by a physician to supply commands to the control cabinet; and    a single use endoscope that is connectable to the control cabinet, the endoscope including: 
 a shaft with a proximal end and a distal end;  
 an illumination mechanism for illuminating tissue;  
 an image sensor at the distal end of the endoscope for producing images of tissue;  
 an articulation joint that permits the distal end of the endoscope to move; and  
 a number of control cables that are selectively tensioned by the actuators to orient the distal tip of the endoscope.  
   
     
     
         22 . The imaging endoscope system of  claim 21 , wherein the proximal end of the endoscope is connectable to the control cabinet.  
     
     
         23 . The imaging endoscopic system of  claim 21 , wherein the endoscope is connected to the control cabinet through the handheld controller.  
     
     
         24 . The imaging endoscopic system of  claim 21 , wherein the handheld controller is connected to the control cabinet through a wired link.  
     
     
         25 . The imaging endoscopic system of  claim 21  wherein the handheld controller is connected to the motion control cabinet through a wireless link.  
     
     
         26 . A system for obtaining images of a patient's internal body cavity, comprising: 
 a reusable control cabinet including: 
 means for controlling the movement of a distal end of an endoscope;  
 means for controlling the delivery of an irrigation fluid and/or an insufflation air/gas to lumen(s) of the endoscope;  
 means for producing images of tissue received from signals produced by an image sensor at the distal end of an endoscope;  
   an input mechanism for supplying signals to control the operation of the control cabinet; and    a disposable endoscope that is connectable to the control cabinet that obtains images of tissue in the body cavity and is controllable by the control cabinet.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the input mechanism comprises a handheld controller connected to the control cabinet with a wired link.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the input mechanism comprises a handheld controller connected to the control cabinet with a wireless link.  
     
     
         29 . An endoscope, comprising: 
 a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a central lumen extending therethrough;    an illumination port at the distal end of the shaft;    an imaging port including an image sensor at the distal end of the shaft;    an articulation joint at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft comprising a molded or extruded polymeric cylinder having a number of hinge mechanisms that can be opened and closed to bend the distal end of the shaft; and    a number of control cables that are selectively tensioned to close one or more of the hinge mechanisms of the articulation joint.    
     
     
         30 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the shaft is coated with a hydrophilic coating.  
     
     
         31 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the shaft includes a spiral wrap therein.  
     
     
         32 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the illumination port includes a number of light emitting diodes.  
     
     
         33 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the illumination port includes a number of optical fibers that direct illumination light received from an external source.  
     
     
         34 . The endoscope of  claim 29  wherein the polymeric articulation joint is formed of two or more materials each having a different durometer.  
     
     
         35 . The endoscope of  claim 34 , wherein the control cables pass through lumens in the articulation joint that are within a material having a higher durometer.  
     
     
         36 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the hinge mechanisms are equally spaced along the length of the articulation joint.  
     
     
         37 . The endoscope of  claim 29 , wherein the hinge mechanisms are not equally spaced along the length of the articulation joint.  
     
     
         38 . An imaging endoscope, comprising: 
 a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end and a working channel lumen therein;    a number of control cables that are connectable to a number of motion controllers to control the orientation of the distal tip;    an articulation joint comprising a braided stent that is moved by the control cables to orient the distal tip of the endoscope;    one or more light emitting diodes at the distal tip to produce illumination light; and    an image sensor at the distal end of the endoscope to produce images of tissue.    
     
     
         39 . The imaging endoscope of claims  40 , further comprising: 
 means for dissipating heat from the light emitting diodes and image sensor.    
     
     
         40 . The imaging endoscope of  claim 38 , further comprising a lumen into which a liquid or gas is delivered and an orifice in the lumen adjacent the light emitting diode and image sensor to direct the air or gas over the light emitting diodes and image sensor to dissipate heat.  
     
     
         41 . An endoscope for viewing internal body cavities of a patient, comprising: 
 a shaft having a central lumen and a braid embedded within a wall of the shaft;    a plastically deformable articulation joint at or adjacent a distal end of the endoscope, the articulation joint including a number of live hinges and lumens through which control cables are passed;    a number of control cables within the lumens of the articulation joint; wherein the distal end of the endoscope may be turned in a desired direction by selectively tightening control cables and the distal tip of the endoscope can be retracted by tightening all the control cables simultaneously.    
     
     
         42 . The endoscope of  claim 45 , wherein the control cables are made of metal.  
     
     
         43 . The endoscope of  claim 45 , wherein the control cables are made of PET.  
     
     
         44 . The endoscope of  claim 41 , wherein the control cables are routed within spiral wrapped lumens within the sleeve.  
     
     
         45 . An endoscope for viewing internal body cavities of a patient, comprising: 
 a shaft having a lumen therein;    an articulation joint at or near the distal end of the shaft for selectively orienting the distal end of the shaft;    an imaging system positioned at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft including a light source and an image sensor for capturing images of the patient's body cavity; and    a retractable sleeve that selectively uncovers the distal end of the shaft for use with a patient and recovers the distal end of the shaft after a patient examination procedure.    
     
     
         46 . The endoscope of  claim 45 , wherein the retractable sleeve is connected to a gripper on the shaft that is used to rotate the shaft.  
     
     
         47 . The endoscope of  claim 46 , wherein the shaft is coated with a hydrophilic coating and the gripper includes a sponge that can be wetted to activate the hydrophilic coating.