A joint ring includes a main body part and a pair of protrusion parts protruding from a first surface of the main body part in a direction of a central axis thereof and having spherical surfaces on protruding portions. The main body part includes a pair of engagement holes and a pair of receiving holes. The protrusion parts include engagement parts which are configured to be capable of being inserted into the engagement holes. When the joint rings are arranged in the direction of the central axis and the protrusion parts of a first joint ring enter the receiving holes of a second joint ring, the spherical surfaces come into contact with receiving surfaces inside the receiving holes, and the first joint ring and the second joint ring become rotatable relative to each other with a line segment connecting centers of the respective spherical surfaces as a rotational center.

A joint ring includes a main body part and a pair of protrusion parts protruding from a first surface of the main body part in a direction of a central axis thereof and having spherical surfaces on protruding portions. The main body part includes a pair of engagement holes and a pair of receiving holes. The protrusion parts include engagement parts which are configured to be capable of being inserted into the engagement holes. When the joint rings are arranged in the direction of the central axis and the protrusion parts of a first joint ring enter the receiving holes of a second joint ring, the spherical surfaces come into contact with receiving surfaces inside the receiving holes, and the first joint ring and the second joint ring become rotatable relative to each other with a line segment connecting centers of the respective spherical surfaces as a rotational center.

A method and apparatus for positioning a camera to capture images inside a body cavity of a patient during a medical procedure is disclosed. The apparatus includes an insertion tube, a plurality of connected linkages extending from a distal end of the insertion tube, each linkage having a threaded actuator received on a threaded end of a drive shaft extending between the threaded actuator and a proximal end of the insertion tube. The apparatus also includes a camera disposed at a distal end of the plurality of connected linkages. Each connected linkage has at least one associated movement actuated by movement of the threaded actuator in response to rotation of the drive shaft, the associated movements of the connected linkages together operable to facilitate positioning of the camera within the body cavity of the patient.

A method and apparatus for positioning a camera to capture images inside a body cavity of a patient during a medical procedure is disclosed. The apparatus includes an insertion tube, a plurality of connected linkages extending from a distal end of the insertion tube, each linkage having a threaded actuator received on a threaded end of a drive shaft extending between the threaded actuator and a proximal end of the insertion tube. The apparatus also includes a camera disposed at a distal end of the plurality of connected linkages. Each connected linkage has at least one associated movement actuated by movement of the threaded actuator in response to rotation of the drive shaft, the associated movements of the connected linkages together operable to facilitate positioning of the camera within the body cavity of the patient.

A robotic device is provided. The robotic device comprises: an articulatable elongate member comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and the distal end is steerable via a first driving mechanism; an articulatable imaging instrument removably coupled to the articulatable elongate member via a first lumen of the articulatable elongate member, and the articulatable imaging instrument comprises a camera located at a distal portion of the articulatable imaging instrument; an articulatable instrument removably coupled to the articulatable elongate member via a second lumen, and an operation of the articulatable instrument is captured by the camera of the articulatable imaging instrument.

A robotic device is provided. The robotic device comprises: an articulatable elongate member comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and the distal end is steerable via a first driving mechanism; an articulatable imaging instrument removably coupled to the articulatable elongate member via a first lumen of the articulatable elongate member, and the articulatable imaging instrument comprises a camera located at a distal portion of the articulatable imaging instrument; an articulatable instrument removably coupled to the articulatable elongate member via a second lumen, and an operation of the articulatable instrument is captured by the camera of the articulatable imaging instrument.

In a wire-driven continuum robot, in accordance with a profile of a first bending angle regarding a bending angle of a follow-up bending section that corresponds to a forward movement of a continuum robot, and is set in accordance with an input first target bending angle of a distal bending section, a bending angle of the following-up bending section is controlled to reach the first target bending angle. Before a movement amount of a forward movement reaches a first movement amount, the control is performed as follows. More specifically, a profile of a second bending angle that is different from the profile of the first bending angle is set, and by a further forward movement of the continuum robot, a bending angle of the following-up bending section reaches the second target bending angle in accordance with the profile of the second bending angle.

An articulating, steerable surgical probe includes an elongated, flexible transfer tube adapted for insertion into a surgical region for endoscopic laryngeal laser surgery. A lumen is defined by an interior of the transfer tube, and a laser fiber extends through the lumen for delivering a therapeutic laser signal to a distal end of the laser fiber. An articulating tip at the distal end of the transfer tube is responsive to articulating forces from a retractable tether for directing the treatment probe in a direction of the articulation, and a linkage to the tether from a control module effects controlled retraction of the tether for articulating the tip towards a surgical target, such that the articulating tip imposing a bend radius based on a signal loss through the laser fiber.

An articulating, steerable surgical probe includes an elongated, flexible transfer tube adapted for insertion into a surgical region for endoscopic laryngeal laser surgery. A lumen is defined by an interior of the transfer tube, and a laser fiber extends through the lumen for delivering a therapeutic laser signal to a distal end of the laser fiber. An articulating tip at the distal end of the transfer tube is responsive to articulating forces from a retractable tether for directing the treatment probe in a direction of the articulation, and a linkage to the tether from a control module effects controlled retraction of the tether for articulating the tip towards a surgical target, such that the articulating tip imposing a bend radius based on a signal loss through the laser fiber.

A medical system according to the present invention comprises: a medical device comprising an insertion part comprising an angulating part, and angulation wires attached to the angulating part; and an actuator, detachably connected to the medical device, that electrically actuates the angulation wires to angulate the angulating part. The angulation wires comprise a first angulation wire and a second angulation wire. When the medical device is not attached to the actuator, the first angulation wire and the second angulation wire are in a mechanically connected looped state. When the medical device is connected to the actuator, the first angulation wire and the second angulation wire are in a second state in which the two are independently electrically actuated.