Repeatably flexible surgical instrument
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A flexible-shaft surgical instrument, comprising:
- at least one rigid tube portion;
at least one semi-rigid tube portion connected to the at least one rigid tube portion, the semi-rigid tube portion comprising a plurality of wound elements, each of the wound elements are interleaved together about a central axis such that any adjacent portions of each of the plurality of wound elements experience a degree of friction between them, the at least one semi-rigid tube portion being configured to be bent to a predetermined angle and returned to a pre-bent orientation repeatably and without plastic deformation; and
at least one surgical device,wherein an internal diameter of the at least one rigid tube portion and the at least one semi-rigid tube portion accommodates the at least one surgical device, and access for the at least one surgical device to a target site in a patient'"'"'s body is provided through the surgical instrument via at least one opening in or adjacent to a distal end of the surgical instrument.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible-shaft surgical instrument is provided that can be repeatably bent to one or more desired angles on demand by a user without the use of a special bending tool. The flexible-shaft surgical instrument can be repeatably bent and re-bent into multiple positions without plastic deformation of the flexible-shaft surgical instrument occurring in any of one or more bend portions.
36 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A flexible-shaft surgical instrument, comprising:
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at least one rigid tube portion; at least one semi-rigid tube portion connected to the at least one rigid tube portion, the semi-rigid tube portion comprising a plurality of wound elements, each of the wound elements are interleaved together about a central axis such that any adjacent portions of each of the plurality of wound elements experience a degree of friction between them, the at least one semi-rigid tube portion being configured to be bent to a predetermined angle and returned to a pre-bent orientation repeatably and without plastic deformation; and at least one surgical device, wherein an internal diameter of the at least one rigid tube portion and the at least one semi-rigid tube portion accommodates the at least one surgical device, and access for the at least one surgical device to a target site in a patient'"'"'s body is provided through the surgical instrument via at least one opening in or adjacent to a distal end of the surgical instrument. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification