An apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory and a method for operation thereof

An apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:

• a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
• b. an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length, said elongated member comprising a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis;
• and
• c. a deflecting member extending along said main axis so as to have a first state with a first extension along at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment, and a second state with a second extension along said part of the segmented assembly, the second extension exceeding the first extension;
• said deflecting member having a distal end mechanically associated at least with said most distal segment of said segmented assembly so as to allow said distal end to exert a pushing force on at least said most distal segment at least when the deflecting member changes its state from the first state to the second state;
• said segmented assembly being configured to change its configuration, at least when said pushing force is exerted, from a straight configuration associated with said first state of the deflecting member, in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration associated with said second state of the deflecting member, in which at least said part of the segmented assembly extends beyond said conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments form an angle therebetween, and so that said part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape.

An apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:

• a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
• b. an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length, said elongated member comprising a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis;
• and
• c. a deflecting member extending along said main axis and configured to change configuration of the segmented assembly from a straight configuration in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration, in which at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment extends beyond said conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments form an angle therebetween, and so that said part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape;
• said segmented assembly when in its curved configuration having a concave side and a convex side;
• at least in a majority of the segments, each pair of adjacent segments having stabilizing portions closer to the convex side than the concave side and being other than the hinged connection therebetween, said stabilizing portions being configured to engage each other in both the straight and the curved configurations of the segmented assembly so as to resist torsion of the adjacent segments with respect to each other.

An apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, comprising:

• a. a conduit having a conduit distal end;
• b. an elongated member, having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length, said elongated member comprising a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis;
• and
• c. a deflecting member extending along said main axis and configured to change configuration of the segmented assembly from a straight configuration in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration, in which at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment extends beyond said conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the latter segments form an angle therebetween, and so that said part of the assembly is rendered a curved shape;
• said segmented assembly when in its curved configuration having a concave side and a convex side, said hinges being disposed closer to the concave side than the deflecting.

A method for operating an apparatus for advancement along a predetermined curved trajectory, the method comprising steps of:

• a. obtaining said apparatus, comprising:
• a conduit having a conduit distal end;
• an elongated member having a main axis, at least partially extending within said conduit and movable therein along its length, said elongated member comprising a segmented assembly formed of a plurality of segments hingedly connected with each other, each having an orientation axis perpendicular to the main axis;
• and a deflecting member extending along said main axis so as to have a first state with a first extension along at least a part of the segmented assembly including its most distal segment, and a second state with a second extension along said part of the segmented assembly, the second extension exceeding the first extension;
• said deflecting member having a distal end mechanically associated at least with said most distal segment of said segmented assembly;
• b. moving said elongated member along the conduit so as to cause at least said part of the segmented assembly to extend beyond said conduit distal end;
• c. changing the state of the deflecting member from the first to the second state, thereby causing said distal end of the deflecting member to exert a pushing force on at least said most distal segment;
• and
• d. causing the segmented assembly, at least by way of said pushing force, to change its configuration from a straight configuration associated with said first state of the deflecting member, in which all the segments have their orientation axes parallel to each other, into a curved configuration associated with said second state of the deflecting member, in which at least said part of the segmented assembly extends beyond said conduit distal end and the corresponding segments of said part change their orientation with respect to each other by means of their hinges so that the orientation axes of the corresponding segments, thereby rendering said part of the segmented assembly a curved shape.