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. 24, 2023
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2017
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (US);
Nicolo Garbin, Nashville, TN (US);
Pietro Valdastri, Leeds, GB;
Keith L. Obstein, Nashville, TN (US);
Nabil Simaan, Nashville, TN (US);
Piotr Robert Slawinski, Lincoln, NE (US);
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (US);
University of Leeds, Leeds, GB;
Abstract
A steerable endoscope system includes a continuum manipulator, a plurality of syringes, and a steerable tip. The continuum manipulator includes a plurality of spaced discs and a plurality of backbones each extending through all discs. A bending movement of the continuum manipulator changes a varying linear displacement of each backbone. Each backbone is further coupled to a different one of the syringes such that the linear displacement of each backbone pushes or pulls a piston of the corresponding syringe by a varying amount. The steerable tip includes a plurality of bellows each pneumatically coupled to a different syringe such that movement of the piston of a syringe causes the corresponding bellow to inflate or deflate. Because the distal end of each bellow is fixedly coupled to the same end effector, variations in the amount of inflation or deflation on each bellow causes a bending of the steerable tip.