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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8182418 | Systems and methods for articulating an elongate body Systems and methods for articulating an elongate articulatable body which is adapted to be delivered within a body cavity. Particularly, systems and methods for enhancing an articulating force on the elongate body without increasing an actuation force applied by an ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 7837620 | Medical tubular assembly A medical tubular assembly includes four medical coilpipes together having a distal end portion insertable into a patient. The four medical coilpipes include a central coilpipe and three peripheral coilpipes disposed outward of the central coilpipe. The four medical... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7828724 | Endoscope including a flexible tube There is provided a flexible tube for an endoscope, including a framed structure unit having a plurality of joint members rotatably coupled to each other so that the framed structure unit is able to bend freely, each joint member having a form of a short cylinder, a... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7785252 | Articulating sheath for flexible instruments A sheath useful for remote steering, guidance and/or manipulation of a flexible instrument, including e.g. an endoscope, received through the sheath. ... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7766821 | Bendable portion of an insertion tube of an endoscope and method of producing it A bendable portion, which is arranged at the distal end of an insertion tube of an endoscope, comprises a plurality of tube segments, each of said tube segments having connecting means that cooperate with the connecting means of the adjacent tube segment, as well as... | 08/03/2010 |
| 7695430 | Reverse current controlling electrode with oversize backing A medical electrode includes a moderately conductive flexible member having a top side and a bottom side with a connector and contact with a flexible member top side for establishing electrical contact with an external apparatus. An oversize non-conductive flexible ... | 04/13/2010 |
| 7670284 | Medical device with articulating shaft A medical device (10) includes an articulating shaft (20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, or 20f) with a pair of slat assemblies (31, 33). By moving an articulator (37)... | 03/02/2010 |
| 7591783 | Articulation joint for video endoscope A video endoscope system includes a reusable control cabinet and an endoscope that is connectable thereto. The endoscope may be used with a single patient and then disposed. The endoscope includes an illumination mechanism, an image sensor, and an elongate shaft hav... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7578786 | Video endoscope A video endoscope system includes a reusable control cabinet and an endoscope that is connectable thereto. The endoscope may be used with a single patient and then disposed. The endoscope includes an illumination mechanism, an image sensor, and an elongate shaft hav... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7553275 | Medical device with articulating shaft A medical device includes an articulating shaft with a pair of slat assemblies. By moving an articulator, the slat assemblies are configured to concurrently push while the other pulls in order to bend the articulating shaft. The articulating shaft includes a series ... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7387179 | Toroidal propulsion and steering system An apparatus comprises a body having a torus skin with inner and outer layers, and a drive system configured to propel the apparatus by moving the inner layer relative to the outer layer. The active skin propulsion system allows movement and steering of a device. A ... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7367939 | Rotational, translational and torqueing control members for an endoscopic instrument A flexible endoscopic dip applier includes a flexible coil with a manual actuator coupled to one end and a jaw assembly coupled to the other end. A store of clips is arranged adjacent to the jaw assembly and a clip pusher is arranged adjacent to the store of clips. ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7326176 | Endoscope angle portion An endoscope angle portion comprises an angle portion structure. The angle portion structure includes angle ring units each of which comprises pivoting joint portions extending from its both ends and has a shape that is notched obliquely in directions away from the ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7250027 | Articulating vertebrae with asymmetrical and variable radius of curvature An endoscope has a first segment with a proximal end and a distal end and is symmetric about an axis. A second segment, comprising a flexible and interconnected linkage system, is pivotably coupled to the first segment and, when subject to an applied force, is confi... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7235046 | Toroidal propulsion and steering system An apparatus comprises a body having a torus skin with inner and outer layers, and a drive system configured to propel the apparatus by moving the inner layer relative to the outer layer. The active skin propulsion system allows movement and steering of a device. A ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7122020 | Linkage steering mechanism for deflectable catheters A dual 4-bar linkage steering mechanism consists of four strip/rod-like prismatic or disk/sphere-like revolute side links, called, side link 1A, side link 1B, side link 2A and side link 2B; two strip/rod-like prismatic coupler links, call... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7090637 | Articulating mechanism for remote manipulation of a surgical or diagnostic tool The invention provides an articulating mechanism useful, for example, for remote manipulation of various surgical instruments and diagnostic tools within, or to, regions of the body. Movement of segments at the proximal end of the mechanism results in a correspondin... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7090684 | Apparatus and method for resectioning gastro-esophageal tissue A system for stapling tissue comprises a flexible endoscope and an operative head including a pair of opposed, curved tissue clamping jaws sized to pass through an esophagus, the jaws being moveable with respect to one another between an open tissue receiving config... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7044245 | Toroidal propulsion and steering system An apparatus comprises a body having a torus skin with inner and outer layers, and a drive system configured to propel the apparatus by moving the inner layer relative to the outer layer. The active skin propulsion system allows movement and steering of a device. A ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7041052 | Shape lockable apparatus and method for advancing an instrument through unsupported anatomy Apparatus and methods are provided for placing and advancing a diagnostic or therapeutic instrument in a hollow body organ of a tortuous or unsupported anatomy, comprising a handle, an overtube, a distal region having an atraumatic tip. The overtube may be removable... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7008375 | Articulating shaft An articulating shaft includes an outer tubular member having a longitudinal axis and portions defining a slot. An inner tubular member is disposed within the outer member and movable about the axis of the outer member. A wedge carried by the inner member is movable... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6976956 | Stereoendoscope wherein images having passed through plural incident pupils are transmitted by common relay optical systems The illuminating light transmitted by the light guide inserted through the elongate inserted section is projected out of the distal end surface of the inserted section. The illuminated objects pass through the respective pupils of the two objective lens systems arra... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6941974 | Cable or the like protection and guide device To provide a cable or the like protection and guide device excellent in endurance and reliability by preventing breakage of a flexible cable-shaped body (cable, rope, wire or the like). A cable or the like protection and guide device of the invention includes link f... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6940610 | Optical measuring device The present invention relates to an optical measuring device (1) for measuring the shape of particularly rough surfaces of a test object (O), the measuring device including a device that has at least one light source (LQ), one illumination optics, one measuri... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6875170 | Positioning, exploration, and/or intervention device, in particular in the field of endoscopy and/or mini-invasive surgery The positioning, intervention, and/or exploration device has two endpieces (6a-6d, 7) and at least one cable (20) extending from one endpiece to the other (6a-6d, 7), it has at least two be... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6817974 | Surgical tool having positively positionable tendon-actuated multi-disk wrist joint The present invention is directed to a tool having a wrist mechanism that provides pitch and yaw rotation in such a way that the tool has no singularity in roll, pitch, and yaw. A positively positionable multi-disk wrist mechanism includes a plurality of disks or ve... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6641528 | Bending part of endoscope The bending part of an endoscope is constructed in which plural joint rings are connected with each other. The adjacent joint rings are rotatably connected with rivets after overlapping a connecting part with another connecting part. A guide hole is forme... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6527706 | Insertion instrument of an endoscope In an endoscopic insertion instrument having a rigid tip end section, an elongated flexible body, and an angle section connected between the rigid tip end section and the flexible body, a joint construction connects an angle section to the fore end of the... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6482149 | Curved part of endoscope A curve control wire, which is inserted in a curved part of an endoscope, is inserted and guided in guide holes of connecting pins, which are rotatably provided inside a plurality of joint rings. A body of the connecting pin is inserted into a hole formed... | 11/19/2002 |
| 6471641 | Joint construction for connecting an angle section to a flexible body section of endoscopic insertion instrument In joining an angle section with an elongated flexible body of an endoscopic insertion instrument, a connector ring on the side of the angle section and a connector ring on the side of the flexible body are connected by fitting engagement, one connector r... | 10/29/2002 |
| 6454703 | Angle portion of an endoscope Within a flexible angling joint tube which is connected to a rigid tip end section of an endoscopic insertion instrument and which is formed by connecting a predetermined number of angle rings successively and pivotally by the use of pivoting pins, a plur... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6408889 | Bendable tube and method for manufacturing the same A bendable tube used for an endoscope or the like, includes a plurality of joint pieces 11 arranged in a row. Each of the joint pieces is provided at one end portion thereof with a pair of first connecting portions 12 and at the other end portion with a p... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6364828 | Elongated flexible inspection neck An articulating elongated inspection neck effective to shield radio frequency interference. The inspection neck includes a series of individual electrically conducting parts each having a passageway there through. The parts are pivotally joined together w... | 04/02/2002 |
| 6302841 | Bendable tube of endoscope In a bendable tube of an endoscope, a plurality of joint rings each having a rotational axis perpendicular to a direction of bending of an insertion section of the endoscope are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section. A pair of conn... | 10/16/2001 |
| 5928136 | Articulated vertebra for endoscopes and method to make it A vertebra for an endoscope and a joinder for segments of the vertebra. A pair of tubular segments have tangs that overlap one another. One tube is imperforate and the other is perforate, with a hinge aperture through it. The perforate tang has a dimensio... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5868760 | Method and apparatus for endolumenally resectioning tissue Surgical method and apparatus for resectioning tissue, preferably lumenal tissue, with a remaining portion of an organ being anastomized with staples or other fastening means, preferably endolumenally. The apparatus may be inserted via a naturally occurri... | 02/09/1999 |
| 5857964 | Endoscope with interlocking articulating deflection system An endoscope having a shaft with a deflectable section. The deflectable section has a plurality of rings movably connected in series to each other. The rings are connected to each other by first and second interlocking sections. The first interlocking sec... | 01/12/1999 |
| 5810716 | Articulated manipulator for minimally invasive surgery (AMMIS) A mechanism is described to provide dexterity through articulation. The mechanism includes a plurality of concatenated segments for transferring angular rotational motion from a driving device located at its base to the distal end. Each segment in the mec... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5807241 | Bendable tube and method for its manufacture An bendable endoscope is disclosed which comprises tube sections. Neighbouring tube sections are completely materially separated from one another via a circumferential separating gap and are only connected to one another with a positive fit. By providing ... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5772578 | Endoscopic instrument An endoscopic instrument is disclosed which comprises a shank with a bendable region. The bendability is achieved by almost complete circumferential transverse recesses which form segments bendable to each other. To increase the robustness of the shank, t... | 06/30/1998 |
