Steerable instrument comprising a cilindrical diameter adaptation section
AssigneeFortimedix Assets II B.V.
InventorMattheus Hendrik Louis Thissen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A steerable instrument for endoscopic and/or invasive type of applications, such as in surgery, which has an elongated tubular body having a proximal end part with a first actuation flexible zone having a first diameter and a distal end part having a first distal flexible zone having a second diameter that is different from the first diameter. A cylindrical diameter adaptation section is arranged to connect the proximal end part to the distal end part such that a flexion in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal center axis of the longitudinal tubular body of the first actuation flexible zone results in an amplified or attenuated flexion of the first distal flexible zone.
Claims12
A steerable instrument for at least one of endoscopic and invasive type of applications, the instrument comprising
- an elongated tubular body having at least a first actuation zone at a proximal side of the steerable instrument and at least a first bendable zone at a distal side of the steerable instrument, the first actuation zone configured to control bending of the first bendable zone by means of a plurality of longitudinal steering elements, the steerable instrument having a cylindrical diameter adaptation section located proximally from the first bendable zone and comprising a first side and a second side, wherein
- the longitudinal steering elements comprise at least a first set of one or more longitudinal steering elements and a second set of one or more longitudinal steering elements,
- said one or more longitudinal steering elements of the first set of longitudinal steering elements are defined by longitudinal slits provided in a wall of a first cylindrical element and are located at a first distance from an axis of symmetry at said first side as well as within said cylindrical diameter adaptation section, the first cylindrical element having a first radius equal to said first distance,
- said one or more longitudinal steering elements of the second set of longitudinal steering elements are defined by longitudinal slits provided in a wall of a second cylindrical element and are located at a second distance from said axis of symmetry at said second side as well as within said cylindrical diameter adaptation section, said second distance being different from said first distance, the second cylindrical element having a second radius equal to said second distance,
- each longitudinal steering element of the first set of one or more longitudinal steering elements is overlapping with one longitudinal steering element of the second set of one or more longitudinal steering elements within said cylindrical diameter adaptation section in an area of overlap as seen in a radial direction from said axis of symmetry, and each longitudinal steering element of the first set of one or more longitudinal elements is connected and/or attached to one longitudinal steering element of the second set of one or more longitudinal steering elements in the area of overlap, such that a movement of each longitudinal steering element of the first set of one or more longitudinal steering elements in a longitudinal direction of said steerable instrument results in a same movement of said one longitudinal steering element of the second set of one or more longitudinal steering elements to which it is connected and/or attached in said longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.