Elongate medical device with articulating portion

• US 9,204,783 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Kappel, Gary S., Smith, Paul, Kummailil, John, MacNamara, Francis T., DeVries, Robert B., Gutierrez, Federico, Ragonese, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): SKROUPA, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US13/945,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 403/56, 403/119, 403/145, 403/149, 403/166, 403/220, 403/223, 403/291, 403/53, 464/51, 464 78- 80, 464/100, 464/101, 600/141, 600/142, 138/120
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00064 Constructional details of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00078 with stiffening means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00128 mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/008 Articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0138 having flexible regions as a result of weakened outer material, e.g. slots, slits, cuts, joints or coils
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32008 Plural distinct articulation axes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/453 Flexible sleeve-type coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/54 Flexible member is joint component

Abstract

An articulating portion for an elongate medical device is disclosed. The articulating portion may include a plurality of segments movable relative to one another, and a plurality of hinges disposed between adjacent segments. The segments can be configured to bend at the hinges upon manipulation of a control member of the device. The segments and the hinges can also be a single continuous piece of material.

Claims

1. An articulating portion for an elongate medical device, comprising:

a plurality of segments movable relative to one another; and

a plurality of hinges disposed between adjacent segments, wherein the segments are configured to bend at the hinges upon manipulation of a control member of the device,

wherein the segments and the hinges are a single continuous piece of material, and

wherein at least one of the hinges includes a strip having opposing planar surfaces that twist about a longitudinal axis of the at least one hinge to form at least one twist portion.

2. The articulating portion of claim 1, wherein the at least one twist portion includes a first twist portion and a second twist portion positioned at opposite ends of a central portion, and wherein the central portion is oriented perpendicularly to opposing ends of the strip.

3. The articulating portion of claim 2, wherein the central portion of the at least one hinge is oriented perpendicularly to an adjacent side wall of one of the segments.

4. The articulating portion of claim 1, wherein each hinge is positioned within a gap defined by edges of the adjacent segments.

5. The articulating portion of claim 1, further comprising:

a guide element connected to a rim of one of the segments and configured to guide the control member.

6. The articulating portion of claim 1, wherein at least one of the hinges comprises a first end aligned with a second end.

7. The articulating portion of claim 1, wherein the adjacent segments comprise opposing rim portions each having contours configured to slope away from each other.

8. The articulating portion of claim 7, wherein an area between the adjacent segments defines a gap having a diverging shape.

9. The articulating portion of claim 1, wherein the strip has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

10. An articulating portion for an elongate medical device, comprising:

a plurality of segments movable relative to one another; and

a plurality of hinges disposed between adjacent segments,

wherein at least one of the hinges comprises a strip of material having opposing edges that twist about a longitudinal axis of the strip to form at least one twist portion, and the strip also having a planar central surface oriented perpendicularly to opposing ends of the strip.

11. The articulation portion of claim 10, wherein each of the segments comprises at least one tab having a hole configured to guide a control member therethrough.

12. The articulation portion of claim 11, wherein the at least one tab comprises a first tab and a second tab, wherein the first tab is positioned 90 degrees from the second tab.

13. The articulation portion of claim 10, wherein the opposing ends of the strip include a first end and a second end, the first end being aligned with the second end.

14. The articulating portion of claim 10, wherein the at least one twist portion includes a first twist portion positioned at a first end of the central portion and a second twist portion positioned at a second end of the central portion, the second end of the central portion being opposite the first end of the central portion.

15. The articulating portion of claim 10, wherein the adjacent segments comprise opposing rim portions each having contours configured to slope away from each other.

16. The articulating portion of claim 15, wherein an area between the adjacent segments defines a gap having a diverging shape.

17. An articulating portion for an elongate medical device, comprising:

a plurality of segments movable relative to one another; and

a plurality of hinges disposed between adjacent segments, wherein the segments and the hinges are a single continuous piece of material, and

wherein at least one of the hinges includes two twist portions separated along a longitudinal axis of the device, at least one of the two twist portions extending between a first planar surface of the at least one hinge and a second planar surface of the at least one hinge, the first planar surface being perpendicular to the second planar surface.

18. The articulating portion of claim 17, further comprising a guide element connected to a rim of one of the segments and configured to guide a control member, wherein the control member is configured to control bending of the segments at the hinges.

19. The articulating portion of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the two twist portions is a 90°

twist.