The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 27, 2020
Filed:
Nov. 28, 2017
Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Katherine D. Stoy, Mountain View, CA (US);
Giuseppe Maria Prisco, Calci Pisa, IT;
Samuel Kwok Wai Au, Mountain View, CA (US);
Carolyn M. Fenech, San Jose, CA (US);
INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A medical device comprises a tube including a wall with a plurality of slits oriented generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the tube and defined by opposing surfaces. A pair of force transmission elements is actuatable to alter the tube between a flexible state and a stiffened state. A first force transmission element of the pair is coupled to an opposite side of the tube from the second force transmission element of the pair. The surgical device also includes a plurality of routing members coupled to the wall of the tube and configured to receive and route the force transmission elements along a length of the tube while permitting the length of the tube to flex and compress. Equal tension forces applied to the pair of force transmission elements compress the tube to create the stiffened state by deforming regions of the tube disposed between the plurality of slits.