Endoscope shaft with superelastic alloy spiral frame and braid
First Claim
1. An endoscope having a control section and a shaft extending from the control section, the shaft comprising:
- an outer cover;
a tubular braid member located, at least partially, inside the outer cover; and
a support frame located, at least partially, inside the tubular braid member, the support frame comprising a shape memory member which is spiral shaped, wherein the shape memory member is comprised of a superelastic shape memory alloy, and wherein a first length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a first width and a second length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a different second width such that the support frame has different respective stiffnesses along the first and second lengths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscope having a control section and a shaft extending from the control section. The shaft comprises an outer cover; a tubular braid member located, at least partially, inside the outer cover; and a support frame located, at least partially, inside the tubular braid member. The support frame comprises a shape memory member which is spiral shaped. The shape memory member is comprised of a superelastic shape memory alloy. A first length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a first width and/or thickness a second length of the tubular shape comprises the shape memory member having a different second width and/or thickness such that the support frame has different respective stiffnesses along the first and second lengths.
201 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An endoscope having a control section and a shaft extending from the control section, the shaft comprising:
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an outer cover;
a tubular braid member located, at least partially, inside the outer cover; and
a support frame located, at least partially, inside the tubular braid member, the support frame comprising a shape memory member which is spiral shaped, wherein the shape memory member is comprised of a superelastic shape memory alloy, and wherein a first length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a first width and a second length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a different second width such that the support frame has different respective stiffnesses along the first and second lengths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23)
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12. An endoscope having a control section and a shaft extending from the control section, the shaft comprising:
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an outer cover;
a tubular braid member located, at least partially, inside the outer cover; and
a support frame located, at least partially, inside the tubular braid member, the support frame comprising a shape memory member which is spiral shaped, wherein the shape memory member is comprised of a superelastic shape memory alloy, and wherein a first length of the support frame comprises the shape memory member having a first width and a second length of the tubular shape comprises the shape memory member having a different second width such that the support frame has different respective stiffnesses along the first and second lengths, wherein the tubular braid member comprises interwoven thread members comprised of superelastic shape memory alloy, wherein the tubular braid member is heat treated at a first longitudinal length for the thread members to memorize their shapes while at the first longitudinal length and the tubular braid member is attached over the support frame as a second longer longitudinal length.
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13. An endoscope having a control section and a shaft extending from the control section, the shaft comprising:
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a front end member;
a rear end member;
a support frame connecting the front end member to the rear end member; and
a tubular braid member surrounding the support frame, the tubular braid member being comprised of interwoven thread members comprised of superelastic shape memory alloy, wherein the tubular braid member is heat treated to memorize home shapes of the thread members and the tubular braid member is then subsequently elongated and fixedly attached to the front and rear members with the thread members being elastically deformed towards a straightened shape. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of manufacturing an endoscope shaft comprising steps of:
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providing a member comprised of superelastic shape memory alloy;
forming the member into a support frame having a general spiral shape, wherein a first length of the support frame has spiral sections which each have a first width measured along an axis of the spiral shape and a second length of the member has spiral sections which each have a second different width measured along the axis of the spiral shape;
connecting the support frame to a front end member and a rear end member; and
connecting a tubular shaped braid member to the front and rear end members over the support frame. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31)
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28. A method of manufacturing a tubular braid member for use in an endoscope shaft comprising steps of:
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weaving thread members into a general tubular woven shape, the thread members being comprised of super elastic shape memory alloy; and
heat treating the general tubular woven shape such that the thread members memorize a first wavy shape as home positions, wherein a longitudinal length of the tubular woven shape, when the tubular woven shape is heat treated, is provided as less than an intended longitudinal length of the tubular braid member when assembled into the endoscope shaft such that the tubular woven shape must be longitudinally lengthened when assembled into the endoscope shaft with the thread members being elastically deformed from their shape memory memorized home positions towards a straightened position, and wherein internal forces from within the thread members allow the thread members to individually resist being deformed from their memorized home positions.
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29. In an endoscope having a control section and a shaft connected to the control section, the improvement comprising:
the shaft including a support frame comprising a first bendable frame member having a general tubular shape connected with a second frame member having a general tubular shape, wherein the second frame member is connected to a front end of the first frame member, and wherein the first frame member is comprised of super elastic material, is spiraled to form its general tubular shape, and is located along a majority of the length of the shaft, and the shaft further comprises a tubular braid member located over the first and second frame members. - View Dependent Claims (32)
Specification