PERISTALTIC INTERLUMENAR DEVICE ADVANCER

摘要

A medical device for advancing or retracting an elongate member is disclosed. The device is made up of a flexible tube. The elongate member is connected to a bead. The bead and elongate member are disposed axially within th e tube. An advancer is provided which squeezes the walls of the tube together arou nd the bead. The elongate member is thus advanced or retracted in the tube. The bea d is provided with grooves to facilitate the flow of fluid through the tube. The elongate object may be an obturator or a probe for detecting a physiological parameter. Also disclosed is a a method for advancing or retracting an elongate member. The method has the steps of connecting the elongate member to a bead-lik e object, enclosing the elongate member and the bead within a hollow flexible tube, squeezing the tube near the bead-like object and imparting a substantially axial force to the tube such that the force is transmitted to the bead, thereby advanc ing the bead and the elongate object axially along the tube.