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Autosteering vision endoscope

  • US 20070015967A1
  • Filed: 09/20/2006
  • Published: 01/18/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. A method of examining a body cavity with a medical device including an elongated shaft that is inserted into the body cavity, an imager for obtaining images of the body cavity, and one or more control wires that are selectively tensioned by one or more actuators in response to signals from a controller that accepts manually input signals to tension the control wires and operates in an autoexamination mode that automatically tensions the control wires to orient the distal tip of the shaft in a repeating sweep pattern, comprising:

  • inserting the distal tip of the shaft into the body cavity;

    advancing the distal tip to a point of interest in the body cavity by manually inputting signals to the controller to orient the distal tip;

    activating the autoexamination feature of the medical device upon reaching the point of interest, whereby the actuators are controlled to selectively tension the one or more control wires such that the distal tip is oriented in a repeating sweep pattern until the autoexamination feature is deactivated by a user;

    viewing images from the imager as the distal tip is being oriented in the repeating sweep pattern; and

    manually withdrawing the shaft as the distal tip is being oriented in the repeating sweep pattern to complete the examination of the body cavity.

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