Variable flexibility endoscope system

Details Variable flexibility endoscope system Variable flexibility endoscope system

1993-06-24

1996-01-09

Apley, Richard J.

Surgery

Endoscope

With camera or solid state imager

604280, 604281, 600118, 600143, 600146, A61B 1005, A61B 131

Patent

active

054820294

ABSTRACT:
An endoscope system includes an endoscope section having a flexible pipe insertable into a body cavity. The flexible pipe is divided into a plurality of segments. Each segment has a mechanism, e.g. shape memory alloy, for varying the flexibility of that segment. A main frame unit has a flexibility control section for controlling the flexibility variation mechanisms to correspond to one of a plurality of flexibility control patterns stored in a database.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4176662 (1979-12-01), Frazer
patent: 4601283 (1986-07-01), Chikama
patent: 4621618 (1986-11-01), Omagari
patent: 4890602 (1990-12-01), Hake
patent: 4977886 (1990-12-01), Takehana et al.
patent: 4977887 (1990-12-01), Gouda
patent: 5179935 (1993-01-01), Miyagi
"Shape Memory Alloy Servo Actuator System With Electric Resistance Feedback And Application For Active Endoscope," Proc. of IEEE Inter. Conf. on Robotics and Automation (1988), 427.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Variable flexibility endoscope system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Variable flexibility endoscope system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Variable flexibility endoscope system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1296747