US2016151908A1PendingUtilityA1

Tendon-actuated articulating instruments, and related systems

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Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONSPriority: Oct 11, 2007Filed: Dec 3, 2015Published: Jun 2, 2016
Est. expiryOct 11, 2027(~1.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A61B 1/0055A61B 1/0057G02B 23/2476B25J 9/065A61B 1/0053F16C 1/106B25J 18/06
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Claims

Abstract

A steerable device may comprise an elongate, flexible body comprising a plurality of articulatable segments along at least part of a length of the body, a plurality of coil pipes extending in a spiral configuration along the articulatable segments, a plurality of tendons respectively received within the plurality of coil pipes, and an actuator coupled to the plurality of tendons, the actuator being configured to apply an actuation force to the tendons to selectively actuate articulation of the articulatable segments.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A steerable device, comprising:
 an elongate, flexible body comprising a plurality of articulatable segments along   at least part of   
       a length of the body;
 a plurality of coil pipes extending in a spiral configuration along the articulatable segments; 
 a plurality of tendons respectively received within the plurality of coil pipes; and 
 an actuator coupled to the plurality of tendons, the actuator being configured to apply an actuation force to the tendons to selectively actuate articulation of the articulatable segments.

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