STEERABLE TUBE
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A steerable tube (100), comprising a hollow elongate tubular member (1) having a proximal end (2), distal end (3), a wall surface disposed between said proximal (2) and distal end (4), a bend-resistive zone (6) flanked by a proximal bendable zone (4) that forms a controller and a distal bendable zone (5) that forms an effector that moves responsive to movements of the controller, whereby the wall of the tubular member (1) in the bend-resistive zone (6) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal slits (7), forming a plurality of longitudinal strips (8, 8′), the wall of the tubular member (1) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and the distal bendable zone (5) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal wires (9, 9′, 10, 10′), at least one strip (8) is in connection with a wire (9) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and a wire (10) in the distal bendable zone (5), such that translation by said wire (9) in the controller is transmitted via the strip (8) to said wire (10) in the effector, a proximal annular region (11) of the tubular member (1), proximal to the proximal bendable zone (4) to which the proximal wires (9) are anchored, a distal annular region (12) of the tubular member (1) distal to the distal bendable zone (5) to which the distal wires (10) are anchored.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. (canceled)
- 2. A steerable tube, comprising a steering mechanism formed as a hollow elongate tubular member, one end being a controller the other end being an effector wherein movements of the controller are transmitted to the effector which moves responsive to movements of the controller, the steering mechanism configured for omnidirectional control of the effector.
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9. A multi jointed steerable tube having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising at least two steering mechanisms,
a first steering mechanism formed from a first hollow elongate tubular member one end being a first controller the other end being a first effector wherein movements of the first controller are transmitted to the first effector which moves responsive to movements of the first controller, the first steering mechanism configured for omnidirectional control of the first effector, a second steering mechanism formed from a second hollow elongate tubular member one end being a second controller the other end being a second effector wherein movements of the second controller are transmitted to the second effector which moves responsive to movements of the second controller, the second steering mechanism configured for directional control of the second effector, wherein the two tubular members are mutually co-axially arranged, and the second controller is provided distal of the first controller and the second effector provided proximal of the first effector, or the second controller is provided proximal of the first controller and the second effector provided proximal of the first effector.
Specification