Patent · US Active

Disposable fluidic self-propelling robot for traversing a tubular passage

US10420916B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by

4References

15Claims

0Family size

Assignee

NUtech Ventures · US

Inventors

Carl Nelson · Lincoln, US
Benjamin Terry · Lincoln, US
Abolfazl Pourghodrat · Broomfield, US
Hossein Dehghani · North Vancouver, CA
Dmitry Oleynikov · Omaha, US
Prithviraj Dasgupta · Omaha, US

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 13, 2038

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61M2210/1064
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A probe for traversing a tubular passage includes an introducer to be supported at an entrance to the tubular passage. The probe also includes a probe tip to traverse the tubular passage, and a tube with an inflatable tube segment. In some embodiments, the inflatable tube segment is storable in the probe tip. The inflatable tube segment is configured to be inflated to push the probe tip away from the introducer toward an end of the tubular passage. In some embodiments, the probe includes a sealing mechanism, where the sealing mechanism can be positioned between the inflatable tube segment of the tube and the introducer to maintain the inflatable tube segment in a deflated configuration until inflation of the inflatable tube segment.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.