Activated polymer articulated instruments and methods of insertion
First Claim
1. A method of advancing along a path an instrument having a plurality of selectively controllable segments, a plurality of automatically controllable segments, an electronic motion controller, and a plastic actuator connected to each segment to alter the geometry of the segment under the control of the electronic motion controller, the method comprising:
- selectively altering the geometry of a selectively controllable segment to assume a curve along the path using the electronic motion controller to actuate the plastic actuator coupled to the selectively controllable segment; and
using the electronic motion controller to automatically deform the plastic actuator coupled to an automatically controllable segment to alter the geometry of the automatically controllable segment to assume the curve along the path.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-polymeric articulated endoscope and method of insertion are described herein. A steerable endoscope having a segmented, elongated body with a manually or selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion can be articulated by electro-polymeric materials. These materials are configured to mechanically contract or expand in the presence of a stimulus, such as an electrical field. Adjacent segments of the endoscope can be articulated using the electro-polymeric material by inducing relative differences in size or length of the material when placed near or around the outer periphery along a portion of the endoscope.
1660 Citations
118 Claims
-
1. A method of advancing along a path an instrument having a plurality of selectively controllable segments, a plurality of automatically controllable segments, an electronic motion controller, and a plastic actuator connected to each segment to alter the geometry of the segment under the control of the electronic motion controller, the method comprising:
-
selectively altering the geometry of a selectively controllable segment to assume a curve along the path using the electronic motion controller to actuate the plastic actuator coupled to the selectively controllable segment; and
using the electronic motion controller to automatically deform the plastic actuator coupled to an automatically controllable segment to alter the geometry of the automatically controllable segment to assume the curve along the path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An endoscope, comprising:
a plurality of articulating segments wherein the shape of each segment is altered by the actuation of an electroactive polymer actuator operable in air. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
27. An endoscope, comprising:
-
an elongate body;
at least one electronic electroactive polymer actuator that when actuated bends at least a portion of the elongate body into a desired curve at a position; and
an electronic motion controller configured to actuate the at least one electronic electroactive polymer actuator to bend at least a portion of the elongate body into the desired curve and to propagate the desired curve along the unbent portion of the elongate body as the unbent portion of the elongate body passes the position. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. An articulating instrument comprising:
-
at least two segments, each segment having an outer surface and an inner surface and comprising at least two internal actuator access ports disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface; and
at least one electromechanical actuator extending through each of the internal actuator access ports and coupled to the at least two segments so that actuation of the at least one electromechanical actuator results in deflection between the at least two segments. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
-
-
70. A segmented instrument, comprising:
-
a plurality of segments;
a sheath comprising a polymer layer and a pre-strained polymer layer having an active area, the sheath disposed about the plurality of segments wherein providing a voltage across a portion of the pre-strained polymer layer produces a deflection between at least two of the plurality of segments. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
-
-
77. An articulating instrument, comprising:
-
an elongated, flexible, tubular body of multi-layered wall construction having a selectively steerable distal end for insertion into a body and an automatically controllable proximal end;
at least one pair of structural elements within the flexible tubular body at axially spaced locations;
at least one pair of compliant electrodes forming an active area on at least one polymer layer included in said multi-layered wall construction, the at least one pair of complaint electrodes between said at least one pair of structural elements; and
control means for selectively activating the active area thereby making the portion of the elongated, flexible, tubular body between the at least one pair of structural elements selectively steerable or automatically controllable. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
-
-
89. A bendable instrument, comprising:
-
An elongate body having a distal end and a proximal end, the elongate body having a pre-bias shape; and
At least one activated polymer actuator coupled to the elongate body such that when activated the at least one activated polymer actuator alters at least a portion of the elongate body out of the pre-bias shape. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
-
-
106. An articulating instrument, comprising:
-
an elongate body having a plurality of segments;
a first portion of the plurality of segments forming a selectively steerable distal portion a second portion of the plurality of segments forming an automatically controllable proximate portion;
at least one activated polymer actuator that when actuated articulates or bends either the first or second portion of the plurality of segments; and
an electronic motion controller configured to activate the at least one activated polymer actuator and to propagate a desired curve from the first portion to the second portion. - View Dependent Claims (107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118)
-
Specification