公开(公告)号：US12016520B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-25

申请号：US16992599

申请日：2020-08-13

Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION

Inventor： Takeshi Takahashi ,  Ryo Tezuka ,  Tomohiro Kitanaka

IPC: A61B1/00 ,  A61B1/005 ,  G06V10/10 ,  G06V10/764 ,  G06V20/64 ,  A61B1/31

CPC classification number: A61B1/00006 ,  A61B1/00078 ,  A61B1/00158 ,  A61B1/0051 ,  G06V10/17 ,  G06V10/764 ,  G06V20/64 ,  A61B1/31 ,  G06F2218/12

Abstract: A flexible tube insertion apparatus includes a flexible tube to be inserted into a tract, a shape calculation system configured to calculate a shape of the flexible tube, and a bend detection unit configured to detect formation of first and second bend portions in the flexible tube, based on information of the calculated shape of the flexible tube. The apparatus also includes a positional relationship calculation unit configured to calculate a three-dimensional positional relationship expressed by a crossing angle between first and second imaginary planes respectively passing through the first and second bend portions, and a stiffness control system configured to control a stiffness of the flexible tube, based on the three-dimensional positional relationship.