Method of manufacturing a multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator
US5679216A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 23, 1995 |
| Grant date | Oct 21, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 23, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B1/0058
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A multi-degree-of-freedom manipulator includes a flexible tube having a plurality of flex portions provided therealong, a plurality of actuators made of shape memory alloy and respectively provided near the flex portions to correspond to the flex portions, for flexing the flex portions, two common energy transmission paths, extending along the flexible tube, for transmitting an energy to the actuators, and selective energy supply members, provided between the common energy transmission paths and the actuators in series, for controlling the energy supplied from the common energy transmission path to the actuators, thereby respectively independently driving the actuators to bend the flexible tube. The manipulator is made by forming electronic circuits in a plurality of regions on a semiconductor substrate, forming wiring regions to connect the electronic circuits with flexible wiring portions, and removing a region of the semiconductor substrate other than a region thereof on which the electronic circuits are formed, thereby forming an actuator controlled chip array, used in the manipulator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.