Ergonomic controls for endoscope
AssigneeGyrus ACMI, Inc. d/b/a Olympus Surgical Technologies America
InventorsKester Julian Batchelor, Anthony R. Pirozzi, Michael E. Callaghan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A controller for an auxiliary endoscope comprises a coupling piece for attaching to a main endoscope, a handpiece connected to the coupling piece, a working shaft extending from the handpiece and extending into the coupler and a first control feature located on the handpiece for operating a pull wire extending through the working shaft, the pull wire configured to steer the auxiliary endoscope, wherein the handpiece can be moved relative to the coupling piece to adjust a position of the auxiliary scope relative to the main scope.
Claims20
A controller for an auxiliary endoscope, the controller comprising:
- a coupling piece for attaching to a main endoscope;
- a control body configured to attach to the coupling piece along a control axis;
- a working shaft extending from the control body and through the coupling piece;
- a first control feature mounted to the control body and configured to rotate the working shaft about the control axis independently of rotation of the control body relative to the coupling piece;
- and
- a second control feature mounted to the control body and configured to operate a pull wire extending through the working shaft to steer the auxiliary endoscope.
A method of controlling an auxiliary scope coupled to an endoscope, the method comprising:
- coupling a controller to the endoscope, the controller comprising a coupling piece, a control body coupled to the coupling piece, and a working shaft of the auxiliary scope extending from the control body through the coupling piece;
- operating a first control feature mounted to the control body to tension a pull wire extending through the working shaft to bend a distal portion of the working shaft;
- and
- operating a second control feature mounted to the control body to rotate the working shaft about a working shaft axis.
A controller for an auxiliary endoscope, the controller comprising:
- a coupling piece for attaching to a main endoscope;
- a slide post extending from the coupling piece along a slide axis;
- a slide body configured to slide along the slide post;
- a working shaft extending from the slide body, through the slide post, and through the coupling piece;
- a first control feature mounted to the slide body and configured to rotate the working shaft about the slide axis independently of rotation of the slide body about the slide post;
- and
- a second control feature mounted to the slide body and configured to operate a pull wire extending through the working shaft to steer the auxiliary endoscope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.