Surgery – Endoscope – Having flexible tube structure
Reexamination Certificate
2006-08-08
2006-08-08
Flanagan, Beverly M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having flexible tube structure
C600S146000, C600S117000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07087013
ABSTRACT:
A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body allowing it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or around and between organs within the body.
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Belson Amir
Frey Paul DeWitt
McElhaney Christine Wei Hsien
Milroy James Craig
Ohline Robert Matthew
Flanagan Beverly M.
NeoGuide Systems, Inc.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
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