Endoscope control unit with braking system
First Claim
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1. A control unit providing a braking system for an articulation unit of an endoscope, said control unit comprising:
- a first shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a first operating knob, the second end being coupled with a first cable drum and a first cable pair that are coupled with the articulation unit;
a second shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a second operating knob, the second end being coupled with a second cable drum and a second cable pair that are coupled with the articulation unit, wherein the first shaft is positioned within the second shaft;
a brake knob rotatable about its center axis;
a stationary sleeve arranged between the first and the second shafts;
a spring supported by the first shaft in proximity to the first end of the first shaft;
a pin extending into the first shaft and coupled to said brake knob by the spring, wherein said pin has a first position and a second position; and
at least one brake body extending from said pin, wherein said at least one brake body does not press against the stationary sleeve when the pin is in the first position;
wherein the pin is moveable by rotational motion of said brake knob, wherein said at least one brake body becomes pressed against said stationary sleeve when said pin is in said second position, and wherein said pin is movable from said second position into said first position by rotational motion of said brake knob, thereby allowing said spring to push said pin into said first position.
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Abstract
A control unit that includes a braking system for fixing the position of an endoscope tip is provided. The control system includes an up-down control knob and a right-left control knob. The brakes are engaged by rotating the control knob itself counter-clockwise from a free wheeling position. After the brakes have been engaged, a sufficient amount of force applied to the control knobs will move the endoscope tip slightly in the corresponding direction, allowing for fine tuning of tip position after braking.
337 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A control unit providing a braking system for an articulation unit of an endoscope, said control unit comprising:
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a first shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a first operating knob, the second end being coupled with a first cable drum and a first cable pair that are coupled with the articulation unit; a second shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a second operating knob, the second end being coupled with a second cable drum and a second cable pair that are coupled with the articulation unit, wherein the first shaft is positioned within the second shaft; a brake knob rotatable about its center axis; a stationary sleeve arranged between the first and the second shafts; a spring supported by the first shaft in proximity to the first end of the first shaft; a pin extending into the first shaft and coupled to said brake knob by the spring, wherein said pin has a first position and a second position; and at least one brake body extending from said pin, wherein said at least one brake body does not press against the stationary sleeve when the pin is in the first position; wherein the pin is moveable by rotational motion of said brake knob, wherein said at least one brake body becomes pressed against said stationary sleeve when said pin is in said second position, and wherein said pin is movable from said second position into said first position by rotational motion of said brake knob, thereby allowing said spring to push said pin into said first position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An endoscope comprising a braking system for an articulation unit of the endoscope, said braking system comprising:
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a first shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a first operating knob, the second end being coupled with a first cable drum that is coupled with a first cable pair that is coupled with the articulation unit; a second shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled with a second operating knob, the second end being coupled with a second cable drum that is coupled with a second cable pair that is coupled with the articulation unit, the first shaft is positioned within the second shaft; a right/left movement controller unit comprising; a brake knob rotatable about its center axis; a first stationary sleeve arranged between the first and the second shafts; a first spring being supported by the first shaft in proximity to the first end; a pin having a tapered distal end and extending into the space of the first shaft in a first pin position; and a plurality of brake bodies extending outwardly from said pin and positioned equidistant from one another about a periphery of said pin; wherein the pin is moveable from the first pin position into a second pin position by rotational motion of said brake knob and compression of said first spring, wherein each of said brake bodies becomes pressed against said first stationary sleeve when said pin is in said second pin position, thereby locking said first shaft and braking the articulation unit;
further wherein said pin is movable from second pin position into said first pin position by rotational motion of said brake knob, allowing the compressive force of said first spring to push said pin into said first pin position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification