Flexible endoscope
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An endoscope comprising:
- a handle; and
a shaft extending from the handle, the shaft having a front end comprising a first active deflection section including a plurality of rings pivotably connected to each other and a second active deflection section including a plurality of rings pivotably connected to each other, wherein the first active deflection section is limited to deflection in a first plane and the second active deflection section is limited to deflection in a second different plane, and wherein the first plane is angled to the second plane.
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Abstract
An endoscope including a handle; and a shaft extending from the handle. The shaft has a front end with a first active deflection section and a second active deflection section. The first active deflection section is limited to deflection in a first plane and the second active deflection section is limited to deflection in a second different plane. The first plane is angled to the second plane.
1508 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An endoscope comprising:
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a handle; and
a shaft extending from the handle, the shaft having a front end comprising a first active deflection section including a plurality of rings pivotably connected to each other and a second active deflection section including a plurality of rings pivotably connected to each other, wherein the first active deflection section is limited to deflection in a first plane and the second active deflection section is limited to deflection in a second different plane, and wherein the first plane is angled to the second plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A nephroscope adapted to be inserted through an incision in a renal pelvis of a patient, the nephroscope comprising:
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a handle having a control section; and
a shaft extending from the handle, the shaft comprising a front end with a first active deflection section connected in series with a second active deflection section, the control section being adapted to independently deflect the first and second deflection sections, wherein the first and second active deflection sections are adapted to deflect such that a distal end of the nephroscope can be placed in a calyx of a lower pole of a kidney without the need to passively deflecting the front end of the shaft against tissue of the kidney of a patient to reach the calyx of the lower pole, and wherein the first and second active deflection sections are each limited to deflection in a single common plane relative to each other. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of viewing an area inside a patient with an endoscope, the method comprising steps of:
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a) moving a second user actuated control of the endoscope to move a second active deflection section at a front end of a shaft of the endoscope, the second active deflection section being limited to movement along a single plane, the step of moving the second user actuated control moving a distal tip of the shaft of the endoscope along a first path limited to the plane without moving a first user actuated control of the endoscope;
b) moving the first user actuated control to move a first active deflection section at the front end of the shaft to move the distal tip in a second path angled relative to the first path at an angle of about 73°
-90°
without moving the second user actuated control; and
c) repeating steps a) and b) for methodically scanning the area inside the patient by a series of adjacent parallel ones of the first paths.
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19. A cysto-nephroscope comprising:
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a handle;
a shaft extending from the handle, the shaft having a front end comprising a first active deflection section and a second active deflection section, wherein the first active deflection section is limited to deflection in a first plane and the second active deflection section is limited to deflection in a second different plane, wherein the first plane is angled to the second plane, and wherein the first active deflection section comprises rings which are each pivotably connected to an adjacent ring by two ball sections on opposite sides of each ring; and
means for viewing an inside of a generally spherical shape through a fixed entrance into the generally spherical shape by an optical lens at the front end of the shaft without axially rotating the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification