Flexible Endoscope and Methods of Making Same

Abstract

An endoscope includes a handle connected to a flexible, steerable, kink-resistant insertion tube. An endoscope insertion tube may include a shaft, a lower durometer section proximate to a distal end of the shaft, and a higher durometer section positioned between the lower durometer section and a medium durometer section. The endoscope insertion tube may further include a fourth thermoplastic laminate section proximate to a proximal end of the shaft and having a higher durometer. A method of making an endoscope insertion tube may include inserting a mandrel with one, two, or more lateral slots and a liner into a shaft, wherein the liner is positioned between the mandrel and the shaft, bonding a bonded portion of the liner to an inner surface of the shaft, separating other portion(s) of the liner from the shaft, and inserting a first deflection wire in a gap between the shaft and the unbonded portion(s) of the liner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making an endoscope insertion tube or components thereof, the method comprising:
 a. positioning a primary liner on a primary mandrel having an hourglass shape and at least a first slot and a second slot;   b. positioning a secondary liner on each of at least two secondary mandrels;   c. nesting each of the two secondary mandrels with deflection channel liners within the first slot and the second slot of the primary mandrel;   d. wherein the primary liner is between the primary mandrel and the secondary mandrels;   e. braiding a shaft around the primary liner and the secondary mandrels;   f. positioning a plastic laminate on an exterior of the shaft;   g. bonding portions of the primary liner and the plastic laminate to the shaft;   h. removing the primary mandrel from the primary liner such that the primary liner defines a hollow inner lumen; and   i. removing the secondary mandrels from the deflection channel liners such that the deflection channel liners define at least two hollow deflection channels positioned within the shaft and outside the inner lumen of the primary liner.   
     
     
         2 . A method of making an endoscope insertion tube or components thereof, the method comprising:
 a. positioning at least a portion of a primary mandrel within a primary liner, the primary mandrel having at least a first slot and a second slot;   b. positioning each of at least two secondary mandrels within the first slot and the second slot of the primary mandrel;   c. wherein the primary liner is positioned between the primary mandrel and the secondary mandrels;   d. braiding a shaft around the primary liner and the secondary mandrels, wherein the secondary mandrels are positioned between the primary liner and the braided shaft;   e. fixing portions of the primary liner to the shaft;   f removing the primary mandrel from the primary liner such that the primary liner defines an inner lumen; and   g. removing the secondary mandrels to form at least two gaps between the shaft and the primary liner.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: positioning a plastic housing around at least a portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: positioning a shrinkable tube around at least a portion of the plastic housing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: laminating at least two thermoplastic sections around at least a portion of the shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein an end of a first thermoplastic section at least partially overlaps an end of a second thermoplastic section. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: inserting a deflection wire within each of the at least two gaps. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: positioning at least a working channel within the inner lumen of the primary liner. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: positioning at least two optics channels within the inner lumen of the primary liner. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: positioning at least a portion of at least one light source within at least one of the optics channels and proximate to a distal end of the shaft; and
 positioning at least a portion of at least one image sensor within at least one of the optics channels and proximate to the distal end of the shaft.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: attaching a cap to a distal end of the shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: attaching the cap to a distal end of at least one deflection wire. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: casting a plastic housing over at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the primary mandrel has a width across the at least two slots that is less than a maximum diameter of the primary mandrel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mandrel has a length and the width across the at least two slots is greater at a first point along the length of the mandrel than at a second point along the length of the mandrel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the primary mandrel has a length and the slots of the primary mandrel have a depth that varies along the length of the primary mandrel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the shaft has a first end and a second end and the braiding has a variable PIC rate such that the braiding is more rigid at the first end than the second end. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the shaft has a length and comprises a braided material having a variable PIC rate along the length of the shaft, and the shaft has first, second, third, and fourth portions corresponding to first, second, third, and fourth sections of a thermoplastic laminate laminated to an outer surface of said portions of the shaft, and wherein the first portion of the shaft has a PIC rate that is different than PIC rates of the second, third, and fourth portions. 
     
     
         19 . The product made according to the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The product made according to the method of  claim 2 .