Extendable tube

Abstract

An automatically operative medical insertion device ( 12 ) and method including an insertable element ( 18 ) which is adapted to be inserted within a living organism in vivo, a surface following element ( 20 ), physically associated with the insertable element and being arranged to follow a physical surface within the living organism in vivo, a driving subsystem ( 15 ) operative to at least partially automatically direct the insertable element along the physical surface and a navigation subsystem ( 274 ) operative to control the driving subsystem based at least partially on a perceived location of the surface following element along a reference pathway stored in the navigation subsystem.

1 . An automatically operative medical insertion device comprising: 
 an extendable insertable element which is adapted to be inserted within a living organism in vivo;    a surface following element, physically associated with said insertable element and being arranged to follow a physical surface within said living organism in vivo;    a driving subsystem operative to at least partially automatically direct said insertable element along said physical surface; and    a navigation subsystem operative to control said driving subsystem based at least partially on a perceived location of said surface following element along a reference pathway stored in said navigation subsystem.    
     
     
         2 - 9 . (canceled)  
     
     
         10 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 1  and wherein said insertable element is a gastroscope and wherein said physical surface comprises surfaces of the intestine.  
     
     
         11 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 1  and wherein said insertable element is a catheter and wherein said physical surface comprises interior surfaces of the circulatory system.  
     
     
         12 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 1  and also comprising a reference pathway generator operative to image at least a portion of said living organism and to generate said reference pathway based at least partially on an image generated thereby.  
     
     
         13 - 41 . (canceled)  
     
     
         42 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 1  and wherein said also comprising a medical imaging subsystem comprises including at least one of an ultrasound scanner, an X-ray imager, a CAT scan system and an MRI system.  
     
     
         43 - 56 . (canceled)  
     
     
         57 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 1  and wherein said insertable element comprises: a mounting element which is arranged to be removably engaged with an intubator assembly; and an extendable tube operatively associated with said mounting element.  
     
     
         58 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 57  and wherein said extendable tube is arranged to be pulled by a flexible guide operated by said intubator assembly.  
     
     
         59 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 57  and wherein said extendable tube comprises a coil spring.  
     
     
         60 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to clam  57  and wherein said extendable tube also comprises a forward end member, on a distal end thereof.  
     
     
         61 - 64 . (canceled)  
     
     
         65 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 57  and also comprising a flexible guide having mounted at a distal end thereof a tip sensor, wherein said flexible guide being formed with an inflatable and radially outwardly expandable guide mounted balloon.  
     
     
         66 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 65  and wherein said inflatable and radially outwardly expandable guide mounted balloon receives inflation gas through a conduit formed in said flexible guide and extending therealong.  
     
     
         67 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 66  and wherein said conduit is connected to a source of pressurized inflation gas.  
     
     
         68 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 67  and wherein said source of pressurized inflation gas is located within said intubator assembly.  
     
     
         69 . (canceled)  
     
     
         70 . An automatically operative medical insertion device according to  claim 66  and wherein said inflation gas comprises pressurized air.  
     
     
         71 . An automatically operative medical insertion method comprising: 
 inserting an insertable element within a living organism in vivo by extending said insertable element;    physically associating a surface following element with said insertable element and causing said surface following element to follow a physical surface within said living organism in vivo;    directing said insertable element along said physical surface using a driving subsystem; and    controlling direction of said insertable element based at least partially on a perceived location of said surface following element along a reference pathway stored in a navigation subsystem.    
     
     
         72 - 127  (canceled)  
     
     
         128 . An automatically operative medical insertion method according to  claim 71  and also comprising: 
 removably engaging said insertion insertable element with an intubator assembly; and    operatively associating an extendable tube with said insertion insertable element.    
     
     
         129 . An automatically operative medical insertion method according to  claim 128  and wherein said extending comprises: 
 operating a flexible guide; and    pulling said extendable tube by said flexible guide.    
     
     
         130 . An automatically operative medical insertion method according to  claim 128  and wherein said extending comprises at least one of expanding and contracting a coil spring.  
     
     
         131 . An automatically operative medical insertion method according to  claim 129  and also comprising forming a forward end member, on a distal end of said extendable tube.  
     
     
         132 - 139 . (canceled)  
     
     
         140 . An automatically operative medical insertion method according to  claim 131  and also comprising: 
 forming an inflatable and radially outwardly expandable guide balloon on said flexible guide; and    inflating said guide meted balloon to tightly engage the interior of said forward end member to provide extension of said tube in response to forward driven movement of said flexible guide.    
     
     
         141 - 142 . (canceled)