Shape-transferring cannula system and method of use
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorJaime S. VARGAS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A selectively shapeable medical device comprises an elongate tube, an activation component operatively coupled to the elongate tube, and means for actuating the activation component. The activation component has a first state and a second state different from the first state. The activation component alters a stiffness of at least a portion of the tube coupled to the activation component in the first state and does not alter a stiffness of the portion of the tube in the second state.
Claims41
A selectively shapeable medical device, comprising:
- an elongate tube;
- an activation component operatively coupled to the elongate tube, the activation component having a first state and a second state different from the first state;
- and
- means for actuating the activation component,
- wherein the activation component alters a stiffness of at least a portion of the tube coupled to the activation component in the first state and does not alter a stiffness of the portion of the tube in the second state.
A method of changing a shape of a selectively rigidizable medical device, comprising:
- increasing a flexibility of a portion of an elongate tube by changing an energy state of at least one activation component operatively coupled to the portion of the elongate tube;
- changing the shape of the elongate tube to a changed shape by moving the portion of the elongate tube;
- and
- rigidizing the elongate tube in the changed shape by restoring the energy state of the at least one activation component.
A method of changing a shape of a selectively rigidizable medical device, comprising:
- positioning at least a first portion of an elongate tube into a first shape while the portion of the tube is in a flexible state;
- rigidizing the elongate tube in the first shape;
- and
- relaxing a rigidity of at least a second portion of the elongate tube to position at least the second portion of the elongate tube into a second shape different from the first shape.
A selectively shapeable medical device, comprising:
- an elongate member comprising a plurality of links positioned end-to-end, the plurality of links being coupled together to articulate relative to one another, wherein the elongate member is actuatable between a flexible state and a rigidized state, the plurality of links being articulable relative to one another in the flexible state, at least a portion of the plurality of links being not articulable relative to one another in the rigidized state;
- and
- at least one activation component operatively coupled to the elongate member and to an energy source, the or each activation component being configured to selectively actuate the elongate member between the flexible state and the rigidized state in response to energy received from the energy source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.