Steerable tube

US8398587B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Steerable Instruments BVBA · BE

Inventors

• Frank Dewaele · Zevergem, BE
• Cyriel Mabilde · Oudenaarde, BE
• Bart Blanckaert · Eeklo, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 5, 2009
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/496
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A steerable tube (100), comprising a hollow elongate tubular member (1) having a proximal end (2), distal end (3), a wall surface disposed between said proximal (2) and distal end (4), a bend-resistive zone (6) flanked by a proximal bendable zone (4) that forms a controller and a distal bendable zone (5) that forms an effector that moves responsive to movements of the controller, whereby the wall of the tubular member (1) in the bend-resistive zone (6) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal slits (7), forming a plurality of longitudinal strips (8, 8′), the wall of the tubular member (1) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and the distal bendable zone (5) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal wires (9, 9′, 10, 10′), at least one strip (8) is in connection with a wire (9) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and a wire (10) in the distal bendable zone (5), such that translation by said wire (9) in the controller is transmitted via the strip (8) to said wire (10) in the effector, a proximal annular region (11) of the tubular member (1), proximal to the proximal bendable zone (4) to which the proximal wires (9) are anchored, a distal annular region (12…