An endoscope and methods of use thereof is provided with at least one multi-functional, multi-directional arm supporting a plurality of imaging, lighting and other sensory elements. The multi-functional arms provide a mounting platform upon which cameras, lights and sensors may be mounted to generate multiple-angled images and video, arena-like lighting and other data relevant to performing a diagnostic or MIS procedure. The multi-directional arms may be inserted through a single portal in the endoscope and deployed in multiple directions from a single portal once inserted into a body cavity. The pitch, roll, length and curvature of each of the extending arms may be individually or jointly adjusted to create a customized view of an internal space during an endoscopic procedure. The extending arms may also include communication elements to wirelessly transmit the images and other data generated by the sensory elements to a remote computing and display device.

A device that includes a body having an opening through which a wire is configured to extend; a channel defined by an upper wire guiding portion and a lower wire guiding portion; and a wire locking feature configured to immobilize a section of the wire. The channel is configured to guide the wire along a path between the body and the wire locking feature.

The present invention provides a locally invasive surgical apparatus including a manipulator for scratching the bone at a fracture site, a drive arm on which the manipulator is mounted, and a controller for controlling the manipulator and the drive arm. Therefore, it is possible to carry out minimally invasive surgery during bone fracture surgery, thereby enabling simple and quick bone fracture surgery for a speedy recovery.

An insertion device includes an insertion section extending along a longitudinal axis, a rotor provided in the insertion section rotating around the longitudinal axis, and an assistance tool attached to the insertion section in a state to cover the rotor from an outer peripheral side. The assistance tool rotates around the longitudinal axis together with the rotor when press force is applied from a first projection of the rotor to a second projection of the assistance tool by a rotation of the rotor. An angular position of the second projection around the longitudinal axis can be recognized from an outside of the assistance tool.

An insertion instrument includes a rotating member rotatable around a rotation axis, and adjacent portions adjacently provided on both sides of the rotating member in the direction along the rotation axis. The insertion instrument includes a cover tube forming a part of an outer surface of an insertion section and provided in an elastic deformation state so as to apply elastic force toward an inner peripheral side of the insertion section. A position of the rotating member in the direction along the rotation axis is adjusted by the elastic force, whereby a state where both ends of the rotating member in the direction along the rotation axis are located apart from the adjacent portions is maintained.

This invention relates to a robot to improve the inspection of a pipe or lumen. More particularly, this invention relates to a soft-pneumatic robot for endoscopy that is suitable for performing colonoscopy procedures. The robot of this invention comprises leading and tailing balloons configured for selective inflation to anchor a portion of the robot within the pipe or lumen and a soft-pneumatic actuator that is located between the leading balloon and the trailing balloon. The soft-pneumatic actuator is operable to extend or contract the robot in a longitudinal direction, in addition to positioning the leading balloon in a 360 degree circumference around the longitudinal direction by pneumatically controlling a fluid within a plurality of chambers within the soft-pneumatic actuator.

A method for treating spinal nerve compression includes sequential dilation to position an instrument cannula along a patient's spine. Instruments can be delivered through the instrument cannula to remove targeted tissue for a decompression procedure. One of the instruments can be a reamer instrument configured to abrade, cut, or otherwise affect tissue along the patient's spine.

An insertion portion mounted tool of an insertion instrument includes: an expansion and retraction section provided on an outer circumferential side of an insertion portion so as to be movable forward and backward in a longitudinal direction, and configured to be expanded in the subject by an operation from outside of the subject to thereby be held by an inner wall of the subject; a positioning portion that defines a range in which the expansion and retraction section is movable forward and backward in the longitudinal direction with respect to the insertion portion; and a rotational movement restriction portion that restricts an angle in which the expansion and retraction section is rotationally moved in an outer circumferential direction on an outer circumference of the insertion portion.

An insertion device includes a rotor rotating around a first revolution axis, and an assist tool attached to an insertion section with covering the rotor from an outer peripheral side. An assist tool rotates together with the rotor around a second revolution axis when press force is applied from a first protrusion of the rotor to a second protrusion of the assist tool by rotating of the rotor. The first revolution axis of the rotor and the second revolution axis of the assist tool move closer to each other when the rotor and the assist tool are rotating together.

A dental imager includes an elongated handle with a rotatable head coupled to a distal end thereof and having a central platform with a plurality of arcuate scanning arms pivotally coupled thereto by a hinge. The arcuate scanning arms are of a shape and size for general deployment around a tooth and each include at least one scanner and a roller guide that comfortably rolls along the surface of the tooth or gums to bias the scanners a desired distance from the surface of the tooth, conducive for imaging thereof. In this respect, such a dental imager may be used in a process to scan and record the contours of an intraoral surface, the data of which may be used to create a digital three-dimensional surface impression printable by a 3D printer or the like.