Flexible conduit with locking element
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorStephen J. Perry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible conduit for insertion into a body lumen comprises a plurality of elements coupled end to end to define a conduit lumen. A first one of the elements includes a male portion and a female portion. A second element includes a female portion having an inner surface configured to engage a male portion of an outer surface of the first element to form a first ball joint. A third element includes a male portion, an outer surface of the male portion of the third element configured to engage an inner surface of the female portion of the first element to form a second ball joint. The male and female portions of the first element are adapted to fictionally engage the female portion of the second element and the male portion of the third element to establish a rigid connection therebetween.
Claims20
A flexible conduit for insertion into a body lumen, comprising:
- a plurality of elements, each of the elements including a lumen, wherein the plurality of elements are configured to be coupled, and the lumens of the plurality of elements are aligned to define a conduit lumen when the plurality of elements are coupled, the plurality of elements including:
- a first element including a male portion having a first plurality of bendable tabs,
- a second element including a female portion, wherein the female portion is configured to receive the first plurality of bendable tabs to form a joint,
- a first projection extending from one of the first element and the second element, and a first receptacle formed on the other of the first element and the second element, wherein the first receptacle is configured to receive the first projection, and
- a second projection extending from one of the first element and the second element, and a second receptacle formed on the other of the first element and the second element, wherein the second receptacle is configured to receive the second projection, and the second receptacle receives the second projection as the first receptacle receives the first projection, to restrict relative rotation between the first element and the second element.
A flexible conduit for insertion into a body lumen, comprising:
- a plurality of elements, each of the elements including a lumen, wherein the plurality of elements are configured to be coupled, and the lumens of the plurality of elements are aligned to define a conduit lumen when the plurality of elements are coupled, wherein:
- a first element includes a male portion having a first plurality of bendable tabs and one of a first projection and a first receptacle, and a female portion having the other of the first projection and the first receptacle,
- a second element includes a male portion having a second plurality of bendable tabs and one of a second projection and a second receptacle, and a female portion having the other of the second projection and the second receptacle, the female portion of the second element being configured to receive the male portion of the first element to form a ball and socket joint, and one of the first projection and the first receptacle being configured to engage one of the second projection and the second receptacle, to limit relative rotation between the first element and the second element.
A flexible conduit for insertion into a body lumen, comprising:
- a plurality of elements, each of the elements including a lumen, wherein the plurality of elements are configured to be coupled, and the lumens of the plurality of elements are aligned to define a conduit lumen when the plurality of elements are coupled, wherein:
- a first pair of the elements includes:
- a first element having a male portion including a first plurality of bendable tabs, and
- a second element having a female portion, the female portion of the second element being configured to receive the male portion of the first element to form a first ball and socket joint with a first frictional resistance, and
- a second pair of the elements includes:
- a third element having a male portion including a second plurality of bendable tabs, and
- a fourth element having a female portion, the female portion of the fourth element being configured to receive the male portion of the third element to form a second ball and socket joint with a second frictional resistance different from the first frictional resistance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.