Medical instrument shaft capable of positive and non-positive linking of segments
First Claim
1. A shaft (1) for guiding medical instruments, particularly for guiding instruments into a body cavity, comprising at least a first group (2) of neighboring segments (5) and a second group (3) of neighboring segments (6), said segments (5, 6) being hollow on their insides, control wires (10, 11;
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13) connected respectively to said first and second groups for adjusting positions of said segments, and means for adjusting the segments of one group independently of another group, said shaft having distal and proximal end regions, the segments (5) of the first group (2) being provided in the distal end region and being flexibly linked with each other, the segments (6) of the second group (3) being provided proximally of the first group (2) and including means for axially linking the segments (6) of the second group (3) together, and a spring (19) connected to the segments (6) of the second group (3) and having variably adjustable force for tensioning the segments (6) of the second group (3), whereby the positions of the segments (5,6) may be set to form various curvatures of the shaft, and wherein the segments (6) of the second group (3) have at one end semicircular projections (25) that lie diametrically opposed to each other, each projection having a circumference formed in the shape of a wavy line with wave crests (27) and wave troughs (28), and at the other end matching recesses (26), whereby the wave crests (27) of the projections (25) of a segment (6) always interlock in the wave troughs (28) of the recesses (26) of a neighboring segment (6).
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A shaft for medical instruments, especially for guiding instruments into body cavities, has neighboring segments that are hollow on the inside and that form sections of the shaft. The segments can be adjusted in their positions by means of control wires so that various shaft curvatures can be set, whereby at least two groups of segments can be adjusted independently of one another. The segments of a first group, provided distally, are flexibly linked with each other. A tensioning device provides a variably adjustable spring force to the segments of the second group such that when under low tension, the segments are non-positively locked, and under high tension, the segments are positively locked.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A shaft (1) for guiding medical instruments, particularly for guiding instruments into a body cavity, comprising at least a first group (2) of neighboring segments (5) and a second group (3) of neighboring segments (6), said segments (5, 6) being hollow on their insides, control wires (10, 11;
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13) connected respectively to said first and second groups for adjusting positions of said segments, and means for adjusting the segments of one group independently of another group, said shaft having distal and proximal end regions, the segments (5) of the first group (2) being provided in the distal end region and being flexibly linked with each other, the segments (6) of the second group (3) being provided proximally of the first group (2) and including means for axially linking the segments (6) of the second group (3) together, and a spring (19) connected to the segments (6) of the second group (3) and having variably adjustable force for tensioning the segments (6) of the second group (3), whereby the positions of the segments (5,6) may be set to form various curvatures of the shaft, and wherein the segments (6) of the second group (3) have at one end semicircular projections (25) that lie diametrically opposed to each other, each projection having a circumference formed in the shape of a wavy line with wave crests (27) and wave troughs (28), and at the other end matching recesses (26), whereby the wave crests (27) of the projections (25) of a segment (6) always interlock in the wave troughs (28) of the recesses (26) of a neighboring segment (6). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 19)
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11. A shaft (1) for guiding medical instruments, particularly for guiding instruments into a body cavity, comprising at least a first group (2) of neighboring segments (5) and a second group (3) of neighboring segments (6), said segments (5, 6) being hollow on their insides, control wires (10, 11;
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13) connected respectively to said first and second group, for adjusting positions of said segments, and means for adjusting the segments of one group independently of another group, said shaft having distal and proximal end regions, the segments (5) of the first group (2) being provided in the distal end region and being flexibly linked with each other, the segments (6) of the second group (3) being provided proximally of the first group (2) and including means for axially linking the segments (6) of the second group (3) together, and a spring (19) connected to segments (6) of the second group (3) and having variably adjustable force for tensioning the segments (6) of the second group (3), whereby the positions of the segments (5,6) may be set to form various curvatures of the shaft, and wherein the segments (6) of the second group (3) have at one end projections (25) that are essentially semicircular and diametrically opposed to one another and whose circumference is formed in the shape of a wavy line, and at the other end semicircular recesses (26), and further comprising a lock pin (29) in the recess of each segment (6), said lock pin being located in the middle of a bowed surface which forms the semicircular recess (26), said lock pin locking into the wavy-line shaped projections (25) of a neighboring segment (6). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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Specification