Deflectable endoscope
First Claim
1. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular device, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the steering section comprising:
- a hollow flexible tubular member; and
a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires radially stacked and contained within said tubular device and attached along a first longitudinal side of said tubular member at axially spaced locations, said locations being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and substantially in a single plane intersecting said axis so as to divide said steering section into a plurality of deflectable segments, wherein a cross-section of each of said actuating wires has a first area moment of inertia for bending about a first axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis which is substantially less than a second area moment of inertia of said cross-section about a second axis perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A minimally intrusive endoscope having a deflectable tip. A remotely bendable section adjacent a distal viewing tip enables movement of the tip between a neutral position and angularly disposed positions. A deflection control lever on a proximal control member causes deflection of the viewing tip by means of two sets of operating cables which are operatively connected at one end to the control member and at the other end to axially spaced locations along the controllably bendable section. The control member includes a mechanism for sequentially displacing cables within each set. The operating cables are constructed of flat ribbons to increase their flexibility in the bending plane while still providing axial strength. The wires are closely encased in an oval-shaped sheath along the length of the endoscope.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular device, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the steering section comprising:
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a hollow flexible tubular member; and a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires radially stacked and contained within said tubular device and attached along a first longitudinal side of said tubular member at axially spaced locations, said locations being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and substantially in a single plane intersecting said axis so as to divide said steering section into a plurality of deflectable segments, wherein a cross-section of each of said actuating wires has a first area moment of inertia for bending about a first axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis which is substantially less than a second area moment of inertia of said cross-section about a second axis perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A deflectable endoscope, comprising:
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a distal insertion tube; a proximal end attached to said insertion tube; a distal flexible portion on said insertion tube comprising a hollow flexible tubular member; a plurality of axially aligned and radially stacked actuating wires extending from said proximal end along said insertion tube attached to said tubular member at axially spaced locations so as to segment said flexible portion; coherent fiber optic image bundle, means for illumination and a working channel extending from said proximal end through said insertion tube and tubular member; and means on said proximal end of said endoscope for sequential loading of said actuating wires wherein sequential loading of said actuating wires produces a segmentalized deflection of said flexible portion in a bending plane. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A remotely deflectable tubular non-rigid endoscope, wherein deflection of a flexible distal portion is achievable by a sequential axial loading of various segments of said distal flexible portion of the endoscope, comprising:
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a plurality of radially stacked actuating wires passing axially through an interior of said endoscope and attached to said flexible portion of said endoscope so as to axially segment said flexible portion; means provided at a proximal end of said endoscope for sequentially axially loading said actuating wires, wherein sequential loading of said actuating wires effects a remote deflection of said flexible portion of said endoscope by providing moments distributed along the axial length of said flexible portion of said endoscope; and a coherent fiber optic image bundle, an illumination fiber and a working channel tubing extending through the endoscope and flexible portion.
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23. A method of deflecting an elongated tubular device, comprising the steps of:
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stacking a plurality of wires within said tubular device along a longitudinal axis such that said wires collectively stacked are substantially less rigid in a desired bending plane of the tubular device parallel to said longitudinal axis than in any other plane parallel to said longitudinal axis; attaching a distal end of each of said plurality of wires to axially spaced points along a distal flexible steering portion of said device; and axially loading said plurality of wires to cause deflection of said flexible steering portion. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular endoscope, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, said endoscope including:
a coherent fiber optic image bundle, an illumination fiber and a working channel tubing extending from said proximal end through said endoscope and steering section;
said steering section comprising;a hollow flexible tubular member; and a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires contained within said endoscope, the wires being radially stacked toward the longitudinal axis of said endoscope, said actuating wires capable of applying an axial force to a plurality of axially spaced locations along said steering section for deflecting said endoscope. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular endoscope, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the steering section comprising:
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a hollow flexible tubular member comprising a stainless steel variable pitch helical spring; a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires contained within said endoscope and attached along a first longitudinal side of said tubular member at axially spaced locations, said actuating wires attach to closely wound regions of said spring which are separated by loosely wound regions, said axially spaced locations being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and substantially in a single plane intersecting said axis so as to divide said steering section into a plurality of deflectable segments, wherein a cross-section of each of said actuating wires has a first area moment of inertia for bending about a first axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis which is substantially less than a second area moment of inertia of said cross-section about a second axis perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis; and a coherent fiber optic image bundle, an illumination fiber and a working channel tubing extending through the endoscope and steering section. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular endoscope, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the endoscope comprising:
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a hollow flexible tubular member in said steering section; a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires contained within said tubular endoscope and attached along a first longitudinal side of said tubular member at axially spaced locations, said locations being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and substantially in a single plane intersecting said axis so as to divide said steering section into a plurality of deflectable segments, wherein a cross-section of each of said actuating wires has a first area moment of inertia for bending about a first axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis which is substantially less than a second area moment of inertia of said cross-section about a second axis perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis; a coherent fiber optic image bundle, an illumination fiber and a working channel tubing extending through the tubular device and steering section; and a control member attached to a proximal end of said endoscope containing a control mechanism capable of sequentially pulling said actuation wires to cause said deflectable segments of said steering section to deflect at different times, wherein said control mechanism comprises; a plurality of stacked plates having different sized aligned slots; and an actuation pin extending through said slots, wherein each of said plurality of actuation wires is attached to one plate and wherein translation of said pin causes sequential translation of said plates due to said different sized slots.
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36. A remotely deflectable non-rigid tubular endoscope, having a flexible steering section at a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the endoscope comprising:
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a hollow flexible tubular member in said steering section; a plurality of axially aligned actuating wires contained within said endoscope and attached along a first longitudinal side of said tubular member at axially spaced locations, said locations being radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and substantially in a single plane intersecting said axis so as to divide said steering section into a plurality of deflectable segments, wherein a cross-section of each of said actuating wires has a first area moment of inertia for bending about a first axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis which is substantially less than a second area moment of inertia of said cross-section about a second axis perpendicular to both said first axis and said longitudinal axis; a coherent fiber optic image bundle, an illumination fiber and a working channel tubing extending through the tubular endoscope; and a control member attached to a proximal end of said endoscope containing a control mechanism having a single control handle, wherein actuation of said single control handle sequentially pulls said actuation wires to cause said deflectable segments of said steering section to deflect at different times.
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Specification