AN APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPY

摘要

The invention relates to an apparatus (100) for monitoring the quality of an endoscopy, in particular a colonoscopy, performed on an individual (11), said apparatus includes:
an elongate flexible endoscopic arm (2) adapted to be inserted into the large intestine (4) of an individual; anda sensor system (14) adapted to be arranged outside the body of an individual; anda quality assessment system (16) for evaluating the quality of a specific endoscopy procedure performed on an individual.;The invention provides improvements in the quality of an endoscopic insertion of an endoscope in the large intestine of an individual. Furthermore, the invention provides for an optimized training of the medical staff performing the colonoscopy in order to improve the skills of that medical staff. Finally, the invention provides for an objective assessment as to the quality of an endoscopy.

主权项

1. An apparatus for monitoring the quality of an endoscopy, in particular a colonoscopy, performed on an individual, said apparatus comprises:
an elongate flexible endoscopic arm adapted to be inserted into the large intestine of an individual; and a sensor system adapted to be arranged outside the body of an individual; and a quality assessment system for evaluating the quality of a specific endoscopy procedure performed on an individual; wherein said endoscopic arm is being adapted to be inserted into the large intestine of an individual via that individual's rectum, said endoscopic arm having a proximate end and a distal end; wherein said endoscopic arm at a position near the proximal end comprises shape controlling input means for controlling the spatial shape of said arm; and wherein said endoscopic arm along its extension comprises means for adjusting the spatial shape of said arm in response to an activation of said shape controlling input means; wherein said endoscopic arm along its extension comprises one or more position indicating means, each position indicating means being adapted to provide information as to the position of said specific position indicating means; and wherein said endoscopic arm near its distal end comprises one or more image capturing means for capturing images of the interior of an intestine; wherein said sensor system being adapted for sensing one or more of said position indicating means of said endoscopic arm; said sensor system being adapted to generate an electrical signal as a representation of the position of one or more of said position indicating means, when said one or more position indicating means are within a detection range of said sensor system; wherein said sensor system comprises a control unit comprising a microprocessor which is adapted to process the electrical signal originating from said sensor system, said control unit being adapted to translate this electrical signal into a 3D representation of the position of one or more of said position indicating means in the form of a monitor signal; wherein said apparatus comprises a monitor, said monitor being adapted to display graphically said 3D representation of the position of one or more of said position indicating means; wherein said apparatus comprises a monitor, said monitor being adapted to display graphically the imaged captured by the one or more image capturing means of said endoscopic arm; wherein said quality assessment system comprises means for determining, at predefined time intervals, the position in the three dimensional space, of one or more selected points said one or more selected points being points fixed on the elongate flexible endoscopic arm; at least one of said one or more selected points being a point located at the distal end of the elongate flexible arm; wherein said quality assessment system comprises means for determining, in respect of one or more of said selected points, one or more parameters relating to the progression of one or more of said selected points; said parameters being selected from the group comprising: speed of progression of a specific selected point, direction of the progression of a specific selected point, time span of non-movement of a specific selected point; wherein said quality assessment system comprises a data storage for storing data associated with parameters of one or more examples of an ideal progression of an endoscopic insertion; wherein said quality assessment system comprises means for calculating one or more scores by comparing one or more parameters of an actually performed endoscopy insertion with the same one or more parameters associated with one or more of said ideal progressions of an endoscopic insertion, wherein said one or more scores representing the degree of deviation from one or more selected examples of an ideal progression of an endoscopic insertion; thus allowing a quality assessment of the progression of the flexible endoscopic arm, at least as represented by the progression of a distal point of said arm; wherein said quality assessment system comprises communication means which is adapted to communicate said one or more scores to the user.