A catheter system comprises an elongate catheter body including a distal end, a cannulation lumen extending through the catheter body and terminating at the distal end of the catheter body, and a steering element extending through the catheter body for steering the distal end. The catheter system also comprises an imaging element secured to a distal end portion of the catheter body and configured to obtain optical images of an area located distally of the distal end of the catheter body. The catheter body includes a ridge extending axially along an outer surface of the distal end portion, wherein a width of the ridge measured about a circumference of the catheter body is less than a length of the ridge measured along the longitudinal axis, and the imaging element is radially aligned with the ridge with at least a portion of the imaging element disposed within the ridge.

A laryngoscope blade (30) includes a blade proximal end (32), to be articulated to a handle (20), a blade distal end (38), a patient tongue side (34), a patient palate side (36), a plurality of adjacent rigid elements (40, 50, 60, 70) extending from the tongue side to the palate side, a plurality of joints (46, 56, 66) articulately connecting two of the adjacent rigid elements, and a force-transmitting mechanism (80), with a proximal end (82) and a distal end (87). The force-transmitting mechanism distal end is mechanically connected to the blade distal end. The force-transmitting mechanism is movable relative to the rigid elements in a longitudinal direction. The force-transmitting mechanism proximal end is mechanically couplable to the handle such that, by pivoting of the handle relative to the blade proximal end, the force-transmitting mechanism is moved relative to the blade proximal end.

An endoscope includes an insertion portion provided with a controllable curved tube. The controllable curved tube includes a plurality of circular tube sections connected in series. A first C-shaped engaging portion is arranged at one end of each tube section. A first included angle is formed between the opening direction of the first C-shaped engaging portion and the axial direction of the tube section to which the first C-shaped engaging portion belongs. A first C-shaped notch is arranged around the outside of the first C-shaped engaging portion. The other end of the tube section is provided with a second C-shaped engaging portion that is engaged with the first C-shaped notch of another tube section. The inner side of the second C-shaped engaging portion is provided with a second C-shaped notch and a spherical protrusion which are engaged with a first C-shaped engaging portion of another tube section.

Endoscope apparatus includes: a tube unit coupled to a rotary shaft to which a rotational force is transmitted so as to be rotatable, the tube unit being formed to extend in one direction; steering unit having one end installed at one end of the tube unit to rotate with respect to the tube unit so that a direction thereof facing forward is adjusted, the steering unit rotating together with the tube unit by the rotational force transmitted from the tube unit; an end effector installed inside the steering unit to rotate together with the steering unit due to the rotation of the steering unit, the end effector being disposed to face forward; and shaft-fixing tube body installed at the end effector, wherein the direction of the steering unit facing forward and relative rotation of the steering unit with respect to the end effector are adjustable.

The present invention discloses an insertion unit, a bending section and an intubation system for use in a body lumen of a patient. The insertion unit comprises an inner elongated shaft structure being capable of torque transmission around its length axis and having spring-like and flexibility properties and an outer elongated shaft structure at least partially surrounding the inner elongated shaft structure and having spring-like properties and a continuous and flat outer surface. The inner elongated shaft structure has a distal end, and is capable of being connected to an optical head. The insertion unit is configured to transmit pushing and rotation forces along a length of the insertion unit. The integral insertion unit is configured and operable to bend the distal tip in all directions and to fully rotate the distal tip.

A method for fixing a guide sheath of a cable for actuating the distal head of a medical device including providing a housing having at least one column made of a thermoplastic material for fixing a support sheath, arranging, from the terminal portion of the column, a groove that extends radially therethrough to allow the insertion of the support sheath, positioning the support sheath of the actuating cable inside the groove while a free end extends out of the column, and heating at least the free end of the column and applying a pressure to the column to ensure the attachment of the support sheath to the housing by means of welding.

A flexing structure for an insertion tube of a medical device including tubular vertebrae with a proximal tubular vertebra and a distal tubular vertebra and at least one actuating cable surrounded by a sheath over at least part of its length, the flexing structure including a tube cut with energy-beam cutting lines to create tubular vertebrae that nest in one another, the proximal tubular vertebra including, for each actuating cable, a radial and axial blocking system for the sheath, comprising an elongate cutout created in such a way as to delimit two stop edges that limit the radial engagement of the sheath in the cutout, this cutout opening at its distal part into a slot delimited by at least two cutout lines between which there is attached a pressing tab designed to press the sheath radially against the two stop edges of the cutout, this slot being bordered by a rim for axially stopping the sheath.

The present invention relates to a hysteresis compensation control apparatus of a flexible tube and a method thereof for compensation control of hysteresis of a surgical instrument disposed in a channel of an overtube. The hysteresis compensation control apparatus includes: an input unit receiving image information and tension information of a flexible surgical instrument required for mode switching; a mode switching determining unit for determining a current state of the surgical instrument on the basis of the image information of the surgical instrument, and generating a control mode switching signal according to the current state of the surgical instrument; a mode switching unit for switching a control mode from a flexible tube control based on the image information to a flexible tube control based on the tension information according to the control mode switching signal; and a compensation control unit for compensatingly controlling a flexible surgical instrument having hysteresis characteristics on the basis of a tension error value calculated by a learning model.

The present disclosure provides an introducer device including an outer tube defining a first lumen, and an inner tube defining a second lumen, and a sheath coupled thereto. The first end of the inner tube is positioned in the first lumen of the outer tube, and the inner tube is configured to translate within the first lumen in a direction towards the first end of the outer tube from a first position to a second position. The first end of the sheath is coupled to the first end of the outer tube, and the second end of the sheath is coupled to the first end of the inner tube. The introducer device further includes an inlet port in fluid communication with the inner surface of the outer tube, and one or more steering wires coupled to the sheath that are configured to bias a direction of a leading edge of the sheath as the sheath everts from a retracted position to an extended position.

The method for calibrating an endoscope is a method for calibrating an endoscope having a curved portion capable of being driven by bending, and includes: an arrangement step of suspending and arranging a distal end portion of the endoscope including the curved portion; a bending step of bending the curved portion of the distal end portion which has been suspended; a measurement step of measuring shape information of the curved portion; and an adjustment step of updating a control parameter by which the endoscope drives the curved portion, based on the shape information which has been measured.