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:
Jun. 29, 2021
Filed:
Jun. 25, 2018
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Yuichi Ikeda, Tama, JP;
Shuji Nakamura, Akishima, JP;
OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A flexible tube insertion apparatus includes an insertion section, a stiffness variable unit that changes a bending stiffness of the insertion section and a detection unit that detects an advance that is a movement toward a distal end of the insertion section and a retreat that is a movement toward a proximal end of the insertion section. A controller controls the stiffness variable unit to change the bending stiffness of the insertion section to a first bending stiffness when the detection unit has detected the advance of the insertion section, and that controls the stiffness variable unit to change the bending stiffness of the insertion section to a second bending stiffness higher than the first bending when the detection unit has detected the retreat of the insertion section.