Multiple lumen assembly for use in endoscopes or other medical devices
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorDennis R. Boulais
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope or other medical device includes a number of lumens positioned in an outer shaft. The lumens are formed as a multiple lumen assembly. In one embodiment, individual lumens are connected to each other with a sheet or webbing material. The lumen assembly is rolled or folded along its length for incorporation into the outer shaft of the medical device. The sheet or webbing material may be notched or perforated to facilitate folding the lumen assembly and/or separating individual lumens from the lumen assembly.
Claims21
1-21. (canceled)
An apparatus, comprising:
- a flexible sheet including a plurality of lumens and a webbing material connecting each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens,
- wherein the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism that allows the flexible sheet to transition from a planar configuration defining a sheet width to a circular configuration defining a central lumen with a central lumen diameter, and each of the plurality of lumens includes a lumen diameter smaller than the central lumen diameter.
The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the pair of opposing notches allows at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens to be separated from the remainder of the plurality of lumens.
An apparatus having a central longitudinal axis, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of lumens extending in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis, each lumen of the plurality of lumens having a lumen diameter;
- and
- a webbing material extending between each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens,
- wherein the plurality of lumens are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the central longitudinal axis and the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism to allow formation a central lumen having a central lumen diameter greater than the lumen diameter of each of the plurality of lumens.
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of lumens;
- and
- a webbing material extending between each opposing pair of the plurality of lumens,
- wherein the webbing material has a flexibility enhancing mechanism configured to form a radial array with the plurality of lumens, the radial array defines a central lumen having a central lumen diameter, and each lumen of the plurality of lumens includes a lumen diameter smaller than the central lumen diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.