Endoscopic insertion aid, endoscopic system, and method of inserting insertion portion of endoscope into body cavity by use of endoscopic insertion aid

Abstract

An endoscopic insertion aid includes a tube member, a pipeline and a plurality of balloons. The tube member allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough, and guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section. The pipeline is provided in the tube member, and communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member. The balloons are disposed on the outer periphery of the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member, communicate with the pipeline, and inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline. The balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side than the balloon disposed on the distal side when the balloons are inflated.

1 . An endoscopic insertion aid comprising:
 a tube member which allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough and which guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section;   a pipeline which is provided in the tube member and which communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to the distal end of the tube member or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member;   a plurality of balloons which are disposed at the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member and which communicate with the pipeline and which inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline; and   a regulator configured to regulate so that a balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of a balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member when the plurality of balloons are inflated,   wherein the regulator is arranged so that the length from the distal end to proximal end of the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is larger than the length from the distal end to proximal end of the balloon closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         2 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the regulator is arranged so that the same material is used for the plurality of balloons and so that the thickness of the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is smaller than the thickness of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         3 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the balloon disposed on the distal side among the plurality of balloons is formed of a material having an expansion rate higher than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         4 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the pipeline includes:   a connection pipeline connected to the supply/discharge unit which supplies/discharges the fluid to/from the plurality of balloons; and   a plurality of balloon communication pipelines which branch from the connection pipeline to communicate with the plurality of balloons and which supply/discharge the fluid to/from the plurality of balloons,   the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member among the balloon communication pipelines being less resistant to the fluid than the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         5 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the cross-sectional area of the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member among the balloon communication pipelines is larger than the cross-sectional area of the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         6 . An endoscopic insertion aid comprising:
 a tube member which allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough and which guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section;   a pipeline which is provided in the tube member and which communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to the distal end of the tube member or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member;   a plurality of balloons which are disposed at the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member and which communicate with the pipeline and which inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline; and   regulating means for regulating so that the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member when the plurality of balloons are inflated,   wherein the regulating means are arranged so that the same material is used for the plurality of balloons and so that the thickness of the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is smaller than the thickness of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         7 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the balloon disposed on the distal side among the plurality of balloons is formed of a material having an expansion rate higher than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member than the balloon disposed on the distal side.   
     
     
         8 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the pipeline includes:   a connection pipeline connected to the supply/discharge unit which supplies/discharges the fluid to/from the plurality of balloons; and   a plurality of balloon communication pipelines which branch from the connection pipeline to communicate with the plurality of balloons and which supply/discharge the fluid to/from the plurality of balloons,   the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member among the balloon communication pipelines being less resistant to the fluid than the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side of the tube member.   
     
     
         9 . The endoscopic insertion aid according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the cross-sectional area of the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member among the balloon communication pipelines is larger than the cross-sectional area of the balloon communication pipeline communicating with the balloon closer to the proximal side of the tube member.