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:
Mar. 07, 2023
Filed:
Oct. 09, 2019
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Tomohiro Kitanaka, Higashimurayama, JP;
OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A variable stiffness device includes a first elongated member in a hollow shape extending along a longitudinal axis, and a second elongated member including a heater, disposed inside an inner circumference of the first elongated member, and extending in parallel to the first elongated member along the longitudinal axis. The first elongated member includes a high bending stiffness portion and a low bending stiffness portion alternately aligned along the longitudinal axis. One of the first elongated member and the second elongated member includes a shape-memory pipe. The heater extends through an inner space of the shape-memory pipe and configured to heat the shape-memory pipe to increase stiffness of the shape-memory pipe.