Flexible endoscope
First Claim
1. An endoscope comprising:
- an insertion tube for inserting into a human body;
a handle coupled to said insertion tube, said handle remaining outside said human body, said insertion tube being rotatably coupled to said handle for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said insertion tube;
a tubing extending from a tip portion of said insertion tube, exiting at an end region of said insertion tube and entering said handle; and
a control member means for permitting a user to selectively rotate said insertion tube about its longitudinal axis while maintaining said handle in a stationary position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various methods and mechanical devices for providing manipulation and steering of the bending section of an endoscope having a sheath thereon is disclosed. In one embodiment, the longitudinal center axis of a biopsy type is aligned with the longitudinal center of the insertion tube, both being in common with the instantaneous bending center of the insertion tube. The insertion tube is capable of only right and left movement through steering but is also rotatable with respect to the handle to permit the tip to be positioned in any desired location. In an alternative embodiment, the instantaneous bending center is radially offset from the longitudinal center of the insertion tube. The hinges are positioned in the bending section of the insertion tube for locating the instantaneous center of bending at a desired location in a groove. Four, or in an alternative embodiment, three cables are provided for controlling the movement and steering of the bending section. Because the cables are not symmetrically located with respect to the instantaneous bending center, the mechanical control assembly is designed to take into account the difference between the movements of the respective cable through the full range of motions. In an alternative embodiment, the channel is located radially offset from the instantaneous center of bending and the biopsy tube assembly is made stretchable or compressible to ensure that the biopsy tube end remains aligned with the end of the insertion tube end.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An endoscope comprising:
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an insertion tube for inserting into a human body; a handle coupled to said insertion tube, said handle remaining outside said human body, said insertion tube being rotatably coupled to said handle for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said insertion tube; a tubing extending from a tip portion of said insertion tube, exiting at an end region of said insertion tube and entering said handle; and a control member means for permitting a user to selectively rotate said insertion tube about its longitudinal axis while maintaining said handle in a stationary position. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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2. The endoscope according to claim wherein said insertion tube is rotatable through approximately 180-degrees in the clockwise and counter clockwise directions from a position of 0-degrees with respect to the handle.
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6. An endoscope comprising:
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a handle; an insertion tube coupled to said handle; tubing means within aid insertion tube extending from a region adjacent said handle to a tip portion of said insertion tube for transporting matter to and from said tip portion of said insertion tube, the length of said tubing being variable from a first length to a second length; means for fixing an end of said tubing adjacent an end of said insertion tube; and means for permitting at least a portion of said tubing to move relative to said insertion tube while maintaining said handle in a stationary position. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. An endoscope comprising:
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an insertion tube for inserting into a human body;
said insertion tube having a longitudinal central axis, and a longitudinal bending axis, the longitudinal bending axis being radially offset from the longitudinal central axis;a handle coupled to said insertion tube; and controlling means for steering a tip portion of said insertion tube. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An endoscope insertion tube having a steerable tip comprising:
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a handle; an insertion tube coupled to said handle, said insertion tube including a plurality of members hingedly coupled to each other by a first and second set of hinges, the axis of rotation of a first set of hinges and the axis of rotation of said second set of hinges crossing at a point radially offset from the longitudinal center of said insertion tube. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An endoscope having a steerable tip portion at a distal end of an insertion tube comprising:
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a handle coupled to a first end of said insertion tube; control means for steering said tip portion; a plurality of members hingedly coupled to each other, forming said steerable tip portion; a first cable extending from said control means to said steerable tip portion, said first cable being a first distance radially from a longitudinal bending center of said tip portion; and a second cable extending from said control means to said steerable tip portion, said second cable being a second distance radially from a longitudinal bending center of said tip portion, said second distance being greater than said first distance. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An endoscope comprising:
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a handle housing having first and second control rods; an insertion tube having a steerable distal tip portion for insertion into the human body, said insertion tube coupled to said handle housing; a first set of cable means coupled to said first control rod and extending to said tip portion of said insertion tube for steering said tip portion in a first plane of movement, said first set of cable means moving when said first control rod is moved a selected distance; a second set of cable means coupled to said second control rod and extending to said tip portion of said insertion tube for steering said tip portion in a second plane of movement; and a mechanical coupling means between said first control rod and said second cable means for causing said second set of cable means to move when said first control rod is moved said selected distance. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of steering an endoscope insertion tube tip comprising:
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retracting a first cable a first selected distance; and extending a second cable a second selected distance;
said second selected distance being greater than said first selected distance for causing said insertion tube to bend about an axis different from a longitudinal central axis. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A method of controlling an endoscope insertion tube comprising:
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retracting a first cable a first selected distance; retracting a second cable said first selected distance; and extending a third cable a second selected distance, said second selected distance being different from said first distance.
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36. The method of moving a biopsy tube relative to an insertion tube comprising:
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fixing a distal end of said biopsy tube to a distal end of said insertion tube; moving said insertion tube longitudinal center a first distance; and moving a longitudinal center of said biopsy tube a second distance, different than said first distance while permitting said biopsy tube to move relative to said insertion tube. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. An endoscope comprising:
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an insertion tube for inserting into a human body, said insertion tube having an instantaneous bending center which is radially offset from its longitudinal axial center; a handle coupled to said insertion tube, said handle remaining outside said human body, said insertion tube being rotatably coupled to said handle for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said insertion tube; a tubing extending from a tip portion of said insertion tube, exiting at an end region of said insertion tube; and a control member means for permitting a user to selectively rotate said insertion tube about its longitudinal axis while maintaining said handle in a stationary position. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification