Wire spring guide for flexible endoscope
AssigneeKarl Storz Endovision, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Barry, David Payeur
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical device having a flexible shaft is provided, the flexible shaft including an active deflection section. The medical device also includes at least one control wire passing through at least a portion of the flexible shaft such that actuation of the at least one control wire causes deflection of the active deflection section of the flexible shaft. At least one control wire guide is provided which surrounds the at least one control wire along at least a portion of a length thereof. The at least one control wire guide is formed from a superelastic metal alloy and is configured as a helical spring.
Claims26
A medical device comprising:
- a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, said flexible shaft comprising an active deflection section toward the distal end;
- at least one pull control wire having a first end and a second end, said pull control wire extending from the proximal end and passing through at least a portion of said flexible shaft to the active deflection section, wherein actuation of said at least one pull control wire causes deflection of the active deflection section of said flexible shaft;
- and
- said at least one pull control wire being axially displaceable along a length of said flexible shaft during actuation such that a force applied to the first end is transferred to the second end;
- at least one control wire guide formed of a superelastic metal alloy surrounding said at least one pull control wire along at least a portion of a length thereof, said at least one superelastic metal alloy control wire guide configured as a helical spring providing high resilience and column strength to the flexible shaft, wherein the pull control wire allows the active deflection section to deflect without causing a loss of deflection over time due to repeated use
- wherein the superelastic metal alloy from which said at least one control wire guide is formed exhibits both shape memory and superelasticity properties.
An endoscope comprising:
- a flexible shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, said flexible shaft comprising an active deflection section toward the distal end formed from a plurality of vertebrae pivotably connected together;
- two pull control wires having first and second ends, said two pull control wires extending from the proximal end and passing through at least a portion of said flexible shaft to the active deflection section, wherein actuation of said pull control wires causes the formation of a small bend radius and deflection of at least 180 degrees of the active deflection section of said flexible shaft;
- said two pull control wires being axially displaceable along a length of said flexible shaft during actuation such that a force applied to the first end of one of the two pull control wires is transferred to the second end of the pull control wire;
- and
- at least two control wire guides formed of a superelastic metal alloy surrounding each of said pull control wires respectively along at least a portion of a length thereof, said superelastic metal alloy control wire guides being configured as helical springs which exhibit both shape memory and superelasticity properties in order to provide high resilience while adding column strength to the flexible shaft and while facilitating deflection without causing a loss of deflection over time due.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.