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US 11,395,579 B2Granted
Portable endoscope with disposable steerable cannula
AssigneeUroViu Corp.
InventorsXiaolong Ouyang, Chih-Yu Ting, Shih-Ping Wang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A handheld endoscope has a disposable, single-use portion that includes a fluid hub, cannula, distal tip and is steerable by the operator though actuation of one or two levers. The endoscope also includes re-usable portion that has a handle and display module. The distal tip includes LED illumination and an imaging module that feeds live video to the display module that is rotatable to allow viewing by the operator and others. The single-use and re-usable portions mate and un-mate with each other via physically separated mechanical and electrical connectors. The single use portion can include grasper device that can be actuated by an operator using an actuation tab.
Claims18
An endoscope comprising:
- a steering actuation hub and a cannula extending distally therefrom along a longitudinal axis and having a bendable distal portion;
- a pistol-grip handle to which the steering actuation hub and the cannula are releasably attached to form said endoscope;
- an elongated, rod-shaped first lever mounted to the steering hub for pivoting motion about a pivot axis transverse to said longitudinal axis and extending away from the steering hub in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal axis;
- an elongated, rod-shaped second lever mounted to the steering hub for pivoting motion about said pivot axis and extending away from the steering hub in a second direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and is different from the first direction;
- wherein each of said first and second levers is positioned relative to the handle to be engaged with a finger of a user holding said handle in a pistol-like grip;
- and
- cables operatively connecting said first and second levers with the bendable distal portion of the cannula to cause said bendable distal portion of the cannula to bend relative to said longitudinal axis of the cannula in response to pivoting said first and second levers about said pivot axis;
- wherein said bendable distal position of the cannula is configured to bend to an angle and in a direction relative to said longitudinal axis determined by degrees and directions of pivoting of said levers;
- and
- wherein said levers and cables are coupled to each other such that pulling the first lever through a first angle pivots the second lever distally and pushing said first lever distally bends said distal portion through a second angle different from the first angle and pivots the second lever proximally;
- wherein pulling the second lever proximally bends said distal portion of the cannula through said second angle and pivots the first lever distally and pushing said second lever distally and pushing said second lever distally bends said distal portion through said first angle and pivots the first lever proximally;
- wherein said bendable portion of the cannula is configured to bend through said first angle to a maximum angle that is less than a maximum angle through which said bendable portion is configured to bend in said second angle;
- and
- wherein said cannula is mounted for rotation about said longitudinal axis relative to said pistol-grip handle.
11 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a single-use disposable portion comprising a steering actuation hub and a cannula extending distally from said hub along a longitudinal axis and having a distal bendable portion;
- a pistol-grip handle to which the steering actuation hub and the cannula are releasably attached to form said endoscope;
- wherein said cannula is mounted for rotation about said longitudinal axis relative to said handle;
- an elongated first lever extending from the hub in a first direction transverse to said longitudinal axis and positioned to be engaged by a finger of a person holding said handle with the same hand in a pistol-like grip;
- an elongated second lever extending from the hub in a second direction transverse to said longitudinal axis and positioned to be engaged by a finger of a person holding said handle with the same hand in a pistol-like grip;
- each of said first and second levers being mounted to the steering actuation hub for pivoting motion about a pivot axis transverse to said longitudinal axis;
- and
- lines operatively connecting said first and second levers with said distal bendable portion of the cannula to cause said distal bendable portion to bend relative to said longitudinal axis through a first angle in response to pivoting said first lever and through a second angle, opposite said first angle, in response to pivoting said second lever;
- and
- wherein one of said first and second angles is more than 180 degrees and the other is less than 180 degrees.
7 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- a steering actuation hub and a cannula extending distally therefrom along a longitudinal axis and having a bendable distal portion;
- a pistol-grip handle to which the steering actuation hub and the cannula are releasably attached to form said endoscope;
- wherein said cannula is mounted for rotation about said longitudinal axis relative to said pistol-grip handle;
- an elongated, rod-shaped first lever mounted to the steering hub for pivoting motion about a pivot axis transverse to said longitudinal axis and extending away from the steering hub in a first direction transverse to the longitudinal axis;
- an elongated, rod-shaped second lever mounted to the steering hub for pivoting motion about said pivot axis and extending away from the steering hub in a second direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and is different from the first direction;
- wherein each of said first and second levers is positioned relative to the handle to be engaged with a finger of a user holding said handle in a pistol-like grip;
- and
- cables operatively connecting said first and second levers with the bendable distal portion of the cannula to cause said bendable distal portion of the cannula to bend relative to said longitudinal axis of the cannula in response to pivoting said first and second levers about said pivot axis;
- wherein said bendable distal position of the cannula is configured to bend to an angle and in a direction relative to said longitudinal axis determined by degrees and directions of pivoting of said levers;
- and
- wherein said levers and cables are coupled to each other such that pulling the first lever through a first angle and pivots the second lever distally and pushing said first lever distally bends said distal portion through a second angle different from the first angle and pivots the second lever proximally;
- and
- wherein pulling the second lever proximally bends said distal portion of the cannula through said second angle and pivots the first lever distally and pushing said second lever distally and pushing said second lever distally bends said distal portion through said first angle and pivots the first lever proximally.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.