Tubular inserting device with variable rigidity

Claim 2

An inserting device (10) tubular fiberoptic instruments comprising a flexible insertion part (14) adapted to be pushed into an object to be examined, including an inner wall (16) being formed by a hose that is radially expandable, an outer wall (18) being formed by a flexible hose that is not radially expandable, said inner wall (16) and outer wall (18) defining at least one sealed intermediate space (20) into which fluid can be introduced, and support elements (32, 36) contained within said intermediate space (20) and being fixedly arranged on the outside of the inner wall (16) and on the inside of the outer wall (18) to mutually cooperate for adding rigidity to the inserting device when the pressure in the intermediate space (20) is below ambient pressure.

Claim 3

The inserting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (32) which are arranged at the outside of the inner wall (16) each engage in a gap (38) formed between support elements (36) at the inside of the outer wall (18).

Claim 4

The inserting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (32, 36) extend around the circumference of the outside of the inner wall (16) and around the circumference of the inside of the outer wall (18) as continuous reinforcements of the inner (16) and outer walls (18).

Claim 5

The inserting device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the support elements (32) which are fixedly arranged at the inner wall (16) of the insertion part (14) are formed as sleeves, each engaging two adjacent sleeves that form support elements (36) which are firmly arranged at the outer wall (18) of the insertion part (14).

Claim 6

The inserting device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the support elements (32) arranged at the inner wall (16) are designed to be radially expansible and compressible by slots (84) over part of their axial extension.

Claim 7

An inserting device (10) for tubular fiberoptic instruments comprising a flexible insertion part (14) adapted to be pushed into an object to be examined, including an inner wall (16) being formed by a hose that is radially expandable, an outer wall (18) being formed by a flexible hose that is not radially expandable, said inner wall (16) and outer wall (18) defining at least one sealed intermediate space (20) into which fluid can be introduced, and support elements (32, 36) contained within said intermediate space (20) and being fixedly arranged on the outside of the inner wall (16) and on the inside of the outer wall (18) to mutually cooperate for adding rigidity to the inserting device when the pressure in the intermediate space (20) is below ambient pressure, wherein the support elements (32, 36) extend around the circumference of the outside of the inner wall (16) and around the circumference of the inside of the outer wall (18) as continuous reinforcements of the inner and outer walls, and wherein the support elements (32) which are fixedly arranged at the inner wall (16) are formed as sleeves, each engaging two adjacent sleeves that form support elements (36) which are fixedly arranged at the outer wall (18), and wherein the support elements (32) arranged at the inner wall are designed to be radially expansible and compressible by slots (84) over part of their axial extension, and wherein the support elements (36) arranged at the outer wall (18) comprise a non-extensible annular bead (88) each at both ends which covers only part of the axial extension of the slots (84) of the two adjacent support elements (36) so that all parts of the intermediate space (20) communicate with each other through at least part of the slots (84).

Claim 8

An inserting device (10) for tubular fiberoptic instruments comprising a flexible insertion part (14) adapted to be pushed into an object to be examined, including an inner wall (16) being formed by a hose that is radially expandable, an outer wall (18) being formed by a flexible hose that is not radially expandable, said inner wall (16) and outer wall (18) defining at least one sealed intermediate space (20) into which fluid can be introduced, and support elements (32, 36) contained within said intermediate space (20) and being fixedly arranged on the outside of the inner wall (16) and on the inside of the outer wall (18) to mutually cooperate for adding rigidity to the inserting device when the pressure in the intermediate space (20) is below ambient pressure, wherein the support elements (32, 36) extend around the circumference of the outside of the inner wall (16) and around the circumference of the inside of the outer wall (18) as continuous reinforcements of the inner and outer walls, and wherein the support elements (32) which are fixedly arranged at the inner wall (16) are formed as sleeves, each engaging two adjacent sleeves that form support elements (36) which are fixedly arranged at the outer wall (18), and wherein the support elements (32) arranged at the inner wall are designed to be radially expansible and compressible by slots (84) over part of their axial extension, and wherein the support elements (36) arranged at the outer wall (18) comprise a non-extensible annular bead (88) each at both ends which covers only part of the axial extension of the slots (84) of the two adjacent support elements (36) so that all parts of the intermediate space (20) communicate with each other through at least part of the slots (84).

Claim 9

The inserting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (32) arranged at the inner wall (16) are formed with corrugations (90) facing the outside, and that the support elements (36) arranged at the outer wall are formed with corresponding corrugations facing the inside.

Claim 10

The inserting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the support elements (32, 36) are made integral with the respective inner (16) and outer walls (18).

Claim 11

The inserting device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall (16) is deformable radially inwardly by fluid introduced into the intermediate space (20), thereby being adapted to engage a sheath surface of a fiberoptic instrument, especially a colonoscope (50) passed through the inserting device (10).

Claim 12

The inserting device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the support elements (32, 36) extend around the circumferences as continuous reinforcements of the inner (16) and outer walls (18), respectively.