Endoscopic translumenal articulatable steerable overtube

• US 8,262,563 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Bakos, Gregory J., Spivey, James T., Fox, William D., McDermott, Bernard C., Kelly, Micheal E., Guinan, Michelle M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Cris L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOLER, RYNAE E
• Application Number:
  US12/172,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 600/106, 600/108, 600/114, 600/115, 600/138, 600/139, 600/140, 600/141, 600/145, 600/150, 600/142, 600/144, 604/524, 604/525, 604/526, 604/527, 604/534
• US Class Current: 600/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes

Abstract

An apparatus having an elongate hollow metal body extending along a longitudinal axis is disclosed. The hollow body defines a central opening and has a predetermined wall thickness. A pattern of laser cut slits is formed into the body. The slits define a plurality of articulatable elements. The plurality of articulatable elements enable active articulation of the body in a first plane and passive deflection in planes orthogonal to the first plane.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate hollow metal body extending along a longitudinal axis, the hollow body defining a central opening and having a predetermined wall thickness,

a pattern of laser cut slits formed into the body, the slits defining a plurality of articulatable elements, wherein the plurality of articulatable elements enable active articulation of the body in a first plane and passive deflection in planes orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the pattern of slits comprises;

at least one aperture;

an S-shaped slit; and

a spiral slit; and

a plurality of rings disposed along an outer portion of the body along the longitudinal length, the plurality of rings are configured to receive a pull cable therethrough and a distal end of the pull cable is fixedly attached to a distal ring, wherein the pull cable is to articulate the body relative to the longitudinal axis when tension is applied to the pull cable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pattern of slits is positioned along the longitudinal axis in a predetermined arrangement.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spiral slit is positioned between the aperture and the S-shaped slit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein an arrangement of the spiral slit positioned between the aperture and the S-shaped slit is repeated along the longitudinal axis of the body.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is about 1 mm wide and each of the at least one apertures are spaced apart by about 4 mm.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the S-shaped slit begins on a first side of the body and wraps around to a second side of the body.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the S-shaped slit comprises:

a first portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a second portion that forms an angle θ

with the longitudinal axis;

a third portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a fourth portion that forms an angle θ

with the longitudinal axis; and

a fifth portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the first portion has a length of about 6 mm;

the second portion forms an angle θ

between about 100 and about 110 degrees with the longitudinal axis and has a length of about 6 mm;

the third portion and has a length of about 10 mm;

the fourth portion has a length of about 6 mm; and

the fifth portion has a length of about 6 mm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each revolution of the spiral slit is formed around one revolution of the body, wherein each revolution of the spiral slit has a predetermined overlap with a subsequent revolution of the spiral slit, and wherein each revolution of the spiral slit has a predetermined pitch.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the overlap is about 1.5 mm and the pitch is about 1.25 mm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spiral slit is formed as an interrupted spiral cut pattern defined by a pitch “

p,”

a depth of interruption “

x,” and

a distance between interruptions “

y”

.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the pitch “

p”

is about 1.5 mm;

the depth of interruption “

x”

is about 16 mm; and

the distance between interruptions “

y”

is about 1.5 mm.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spiral slit is formed as a cut pattern defined by a pitch “

p.”

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pitch “

p”

is about 1.5 mm.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portion of the slits are formed on an outer surface of the body without entirely penetrating the wall thickness.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the body is in the range of about 0.25 mm to about 1 mm.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a steerable tube;

a first layer of flexible material disposed on an inner portion of the steerable tube; and

a second layer of flexible material disposed on an outer portion of the steerable tube;

an elongate hollow metal body extending along a longitudinal axis, the hollow body defining a central opening and having a predetermined wall thickness;

a pattern of laser cut slits formed into the body, the slits defining a plurality of articulatable elements, wherein the plurality of articulatable elements enable active articulation of the body in a first plane and passive deflection in planes orthogonal to the first plane; and

wherein the pattern of slits comprises;

an aperture;

an S-shaped slit; and

a spiral slit; and

a plurality of rings disposed along an outer portion of the body along the longitudinal length, the plurality of rings are configured to receive a pull cable therethrough and a distal end of the pull cable is fixedly attached to a distal ring, wherein the pull cable is to articulate the body relative to the longitudinal axis when tension is applied to the pull cable.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pattern of slits is positioned along the longitudinal axis in a predetermined arrangement.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the spiral slit is positioned between the aperture and the S-shaped slit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein an arrangement of the spiral slit positioned between the aperture and the S-shaped slit is repeated along the longitudinal axis of the body.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the S-shaped slit begins on a first side of the body and wraps around to a second side of the body.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the S-shaped slit comprises:

a first portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a second portion that forms an angle θ

with the longitudinal axis;

a third portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

a fourth portion that forms an angle θ

with the longitudinal axis; and

a fifth portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

23. The steerable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the spiral slit makes one revolution around the body with a predetermined overlap and pitch.

24. The steerable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the spiral slit is formed as an interrupted spiral cut pattern defined by a pitch “

p,”

a depth of interruption “

x,” and

a distance between interruptions “

y.”

25. The steerable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the spiral slit is formed as a cut pattern defined by a pitch “

p.”

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a portion of the slits are formed on an outer surface of the body without entirely penetrating the wall thickness.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wall thickness of the body is in the range of about 0.25 mm to about 1 mm.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

an elongate hollow metal body extending along a longitudinal axis, the hollow body defining a central opening and having a predetermined wall thickness;

a pattern of laser cut slits formed into the body, the slits defining a plurality of articulatable elements, wherein the plurality of articulatable elements enable active articulation of the body in a first plane and passive deflection in planes orthogonal to the first plane;

wherein the pattern of slits comprises;

an aperture;

an S-shaped slit; and

a spiral slit; and

at least one embedded lumen formed in the body extending along the longitudinal axis, the embedded lumen is configured to receive a pull cable therethrough; and

a plurality of rings disposed along an outer portion of the body along the longitudinal length, the plurality of rings are configured to receive the pull cable therethrough and a distal end of the pull cable is fixedly attached to a distal ring, wherein the pull cable is to articulate the body relative to the longitudinal axis when tension is applied to the pull cable.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, comprising:

a plurality of embedded lumen formed in the body extending along the longitudinal axis, the plurality of embedded lumen is configured to receive a plurality of pull cables therethrough.