Selectively rotatable shaft coupler
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsMichael P. Boutillette, Peter L. Dayton, Dennis R. Boulais
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a system for dissipating loops in an elongated medical device having one end secured to an anchor point, such as a housing. The system includes a selectively rotatable shaft coupler that connects a shaft to the anchor point that allows a limited amount of shaft rotation during use, but which sets a restriction on the maximum amount of shaft rotation. In another embodiment, the invention provides a shaft coupling system for connecting a proximal end of an endoscope shaft to an object without the use of adhesives or fasteners. In another embodiment, the invention provides a rotatable shaft coupling system for rotatably coupling a first and second shaft segment.
Claims17
A system for rotatably coupling a first segment of an endoscope shaft to a second segment of an endoscope shaft, the system comprising:
- (i) an endoscope shaft comprising a proximal end and a distal end and one or more internal components of the endoscope passing therethrough;
- wherein the shaft is formed into a first segment having a first threaded end and a second segment having a second threaded end;
- and
- (ii) a joint having a housing with a first end and a second end secured, respectively, to the first threaded end of the first segment and the second threaded end of the second segment, each of the first and second ends of the housing including a threaded bore adapted to rotatably receive a corresponding one of the first threaded end of the first segment and the second threaded end of the second segment, and wherein each of the threaded bores of the first and second ends of the housing includes more threads than present on a corresponding one of the first threaded end of the first segment and the second threaded end of the second segment, wherein the first and second ends of the housing are configured such that they do not rotate relative to each other, and wherein during operation of the system, at least one of the first and second segments of the shaft is rotatable in and with respect to the housing;
- wherein a first amount of rotation of the second segment in a first direction causes the second segment to move towards the first segment, and wherein further rotation of the second segment in the first direction causes the first segment to move away from the second segment;
- and
- wherein a thread of the threaded bore of the first end of the housing extends a distance along the bore such that the thread does not extend to either the first end or the second end of the housing.
A system for rotatably coupling segments of an endoscope shaft, the system comprising:
- a first housing have a first end and a second end, a first segment of the endoscope shaft being rotatably secured to the first end of the first housing and a second segment of the endoscope shaft being rotatably secured to the second end of the first housing, each of the first and second ends of the first housing including a threaded bore adapted to rotatably receive a corresponding one of a first threaded end of the first segment and a second threaded end of the second segment, wherein each of the first and second segments of the endoscope shaft includes only one continuous thread;
- wherein the first and second ends of the first housing are configured such that they do not rotate relative to each other;
- and
- wherein a first amount of rotation of the second segment in a first direction causes the second segment to move towards the first segment, and wherein further rotation of the second segment in the first direction causes the first segment to move away from the second segment;
- and
- wherein a thread of the threaded bore of the first end of the first housing extends a distance along the bore such that the thread does not extend to either the first end or the second end of the first housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.