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:
Aug. 08, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2003
Amir Belson, Cupertino, CA (US);
Paul Dewitt Frey, Redwood City, CA (US);
Christine Wei Hsien Mcelhaney, San Carlos, CA (US);
James Craig Milroy, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Robert Matthew Ohline, Redwood City, CA (US);
Joseph M. Tartaglia, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Amir Belson, Cupertino, CA (US);
Paul DeWitt Frey, Redwood City, CA (US);
Christine Wei Hsien McElhaney, San Carlos, CA (US);
James Craig Milroy, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Robert Matthew Ohline, Redwood City, CA (US);
Joseph M. Tartaglia, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
NeoGuide Systems, Inc., Los Gatos, CA (US);
Abstract
A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body allowing it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or around and between organs within the body.