PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-tube propulsion device for continuously propelling a small-sized device such as an endoscope in a lumen such as a small intestine or a tube.SOLUTION: An in-tube propulsion device comprises a tube aggregation formed by spirally winding a plurality of tubes onto each other and sealing one end of each tube, where the other end on the side opposite to the sealed end of each of the plurality of tubes of the tube aggregation is connected to a fluid pressure source. The tube aggregation is made to move in a tube in the direction of the tubes axis by: (1) applying pressure from the fluid pressure source to one tube of the plurality of tubes (2) decompressing the tube while applying pressure to another tube (3) sequentially performing the processes (1) and (2) on all of the tubes without overlap until the first tubes turn comes and (4) repeating the processes (1) to (3).COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】内視鏡のような小型の装置を小腸のようなルーメンまたは管内で連続的に推進する管内推進装置を提供すること。【解決手段】管内推進装置が、複数のチューブを互いに螺旋状に巻きつけ、各チューブの一端を密閉して形成した管集成体を具備し、該管集成体の前記複数のチューブの各々の前記密閉した端部とは反対側の端部を流体圧源に接続し、(1)前記複数のチューブのうち1本のチューブに前記流体圧源から圧力を印加し、(2)該チューブを減圧すると共に他の1本のチューブを加圧し、(3)上記(1)(2)の工程を最初のチューブに戻るまで重複することなく全てのチューブについて順次に行い、(4)上記(1)~(3)の工程を繰り返すことによって前記管集成体が管内において該管の軸方向に移動するようにした。【選択図】図1
