Variable flexibility endoscope system
US5482029A · kind A · utility
311Cited by
7References
7Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 24, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jan 9, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 24, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B1/042
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.