Fujifilm Corporation

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

Charles Alan Brantingham

Yasunori Ohta

John J Allen

Takayuki Nakamura

Shinichi Yamakawa

Tsuyoshi Ashida

Tracee E Eidenschink

Richard G Cornelius

Rick Cornelius

Masami Taguchi

Timothy P Sheridan

An assist assembly for propulsion of a tip device of an endoscope in a body cavity includes an attachment sleeve and a support sleeve. A deformable circulation device is disposed to extend over inner and outer surfaces of the support sleeve, for endlessly moving in an axial direction of the tip device. Plural rollers are disposed on the support sleeve in a rotatable manner, for pressing an inner surface of the circulation device. An alignment projection is formed on the inner surface of the circulation device to project at a height L. A location offset prevention groove is formed in the rollers at a depth L, for receiving the alignment projection, and satisfying a condition L&#x2267;L, to prevent location offset of the circulation device from the rollers. Drive wheels tension the circulation device in cooperation with the rollers by deforming the alignment projection in the location offset prevention groove.

Assist assembly for propulsion of endoscope

An insertion assisting device includes a rotary body formed in a toroidal shape, and a support and drive unit that rotatably supports and rotates the rotary body. The support and drive unit has two supports, a first support and a second support. The first support is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and rotatably supports the rotary body. The second support is formed in a substantially triangular tubular shape, is arranged inside the first support, and supports driving gears that transmit a driving force to the rotary body. The second support is shorter than the first support, and is arranged so that front and rear end portions thereof are located inside front and rear end portions of the first support.

Endoscope insertion assisting device

A propelling device includes a traveling body that rotates in a state of being brought into contact with an inner wall of an alimentary canal, an external cylinder around which the traveling body is wound, and a mounting cylinder on which a tip end portion of an endoscope is mounted. Three driven rollers are rotatably attached to the external cylinder. The traveling body is pinched between the driven rollers and driving gears. As the driving gears rotate, the traveling body travels in a circulating manner. A rotating shaft of the driven roller located at the center among the three driven rollers is held by a shaft hole that is made long in a gear arrangement direction in which the driving gears are disposed side by side.

Endoscope propelling device

An insertion assisting device includes a rotary body in the form of toroid, and a support and drive part for supporting the rotary body in a rotatable manner and rotating it. The support and drive part has an approximately cylindrical supporting member for supporting the rotary body in a rotatable manner. The rotary body is provided with a convex portion for increasing the thickness to improve the strength thereof. A concave portion having a shape corresponding to the shape of the convex portion is formed on a portion of a front end surface of the supporting member, which is made in contact with the convex portion. The concave portion prevents the rotary body from stopping rotating, which may be caused by point contact between the convex portion and the supporting member.

Propellable apparatus, assemblies and related methods including a self-enclosed member are disclosed. The self-enclosed member can include an inner surface at least partially defining an enclosed region, and an outer surface that turns outwardly to engage a cavity or lumen wall in addition to turning inward to at least partially encompass a central region defining a longitudinal path. The apparatus can include an internal drive mechanism engageable with the outer surface of the self-enclosed member to provide relative movement between the self-enclosed member and the cavity or lumen wall. A tapered member, positioned on the apparatus adjacent an end of the self-enclosed member, can provide a size transition between an outer surface portion of the self-enclosed member and an outer surface of a payload insertable within the central region. In some examples, one or more reinforcing members can be integrated within the self-enclosed member for increased durability and rotational use.

Propellable apparatus and related methods

In an electrode assembly, an electrode holder has a forward end thereof affixed coaxially to an electrode tip. An attachment member is affixed to the holder rearwardly of the electrode. A retaining assembly includes an outer cup component, an inner cup component and a magnet therein. An electrical lead is connected to the inner cup component. The electrode assembly fits coaxially into the retaining assembly with the attachment member adjacent to and retained by the magnet. The electrode holder is seated in electrical contact with the inner cup component. The holder, cup components and attachment member are magnetically permeable, and separated in each assembly by insulators, so as to effect an outer magnetic shielding loop and an inner magnetic shielding loop.

Apparatus for retaining an electrode by a magnetically shielded magnet

A mobile component carrier in an instrument includes a disk with a scalloped periphery. A larger bearing and a smaller bearing are mounted on a support structure. The larger bearing has a radius greater, and the smaller bearing has a radius less than that of each of the scallops. The disk is urged into the bearings which have a relative spacing such that the larger bearing seats against two adjacent intersections of the scallops, and the smaller bearing seats against a dished surface between two other adjacent intersections.

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Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Charles Alan Brantingham