A multi-directionally guided endoscope includes an endoscope body. The endoscope body is connected to a catheter. At least four pulling wires are evenly distributed in the endoscope body. One ends of the pulling wires are connected to an end of the catheter away from the endoscope body. The pulling wires are respectively fixed to pulling mechanisms. The pulling mechanisms are respectively sleeved on guide rods. The guide rods are fixed in the endoscope body. The endoscope body is provided with a plurality of elongated grooves. One ends of the pulling mechanisms respectively extend from the elongated grooves. The multi-directionally guided endoscope is provided with pulling mechanisms that are simple in structure, convenient to operate, and accurate and stable to pull.

An endoscope includes an insertion portion including a bending portion, an operation portion including an operation lever, a grasping portion including an actuator, and a tube body, in a continuous manner. When the operation lever is tilted, the actuator pulls a wire, whereby the bending portion is bent in a vertical direction and a lateral direction. The actuator is arranged such that a center of gravity of a portion including the insertion portion, the operation portion, the grasping portion, and the tube body is within a range in which at least one of the fourth finger or the fifth finger of the hand grasping the grasping portion is positioned, in a longitudinal direction of the grasping portion.

A medical device control handle or catheter includes deflection assembly and at least one of the following: a disk actuator, a lever actuator and a ring actuator for actuating additional puller wires in manipulation of multiple features of the medical device or catheter independently of each other. The disk actuator has a common rotational axis with but is rotationally independent of the deflection assembly. The lever actuator has a separate rotational axis. The ring is mounted outside of the control handle and rotatable relative to the control handle to actuate another puller wire for manipulating another feature of the catheter. Each of the disk, lever and ring actuators are of a design that allows existing control handles and catheters to be readily modified to include these actuators.

A method includes transmitting an instruction to a motive power supply of an elastically deformable device to drive the elastically deformable device in accordance with a drive setting; measuring a force exerted on the elastically deformable device with a sensor; outputting an observed value representative of the force; comparing the observed value with a reference value corresponding with a predetermined force to be exerted on the elastically deformable device; and adjusting the drive setting based on a determination that the observed value is outside of a predetermined range of the reference value. The method prevents slack in the elastically deformable device over time. Related apparatuses, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

A manipulator including joint mechanisms each including: first and second members extending along a central axis; the second member disposed at a distal end of the first member and being swivelable relative to the first member about a swivel axis; a guide sheath extending near the central axis, a distal end of the guide sheath being fixed to the second member; a manipulation wire introduced toward the distal end of the guide sheath; and a pulley provided in the second member such that the manipulation wire is wound at least partially around the pulley to cause a distal end of the wire to change direction towards the first member, the pulley being rotatable about an axis parallel to the swivel axis; wherein the distal end of the manipulation wire is fixed to the first member near the inner surface of the through hole.

The invention relates to a control element for an endoscopic device (A) with a retainer; at least one control wire, which can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the wire, for control purposes on the endoscopic device (A); a control wire tensioning element guided in the retainer, wherein the control wire is mounted in the control wire tensioning element; and a displacement force application device supported on the retainer, by means of the displacement force application device the control wire tensioning element can be moved relative to the retainer, in order to effect fine adjustment of the control wire. The invention further relates to a control element for an endoscopic device (A), having a housing element with a guide; at least one control wire for control purposes with the endoscopic device (A); a lever element, which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the housing element on the guide of the housing element, with the at least one control wire being anchored on the lever element. The anchoring location of the control wire in the lever element is eccentric to the displacement path of the lever element on the guide of the housing element.

An endoscope having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the endoscope comprising: a flexible elongate tube, an illumination source positioned at the distal end for illuminating a lumen of a patient, an image sensor for capturing images within the illuminated lumen of the patient, a working channel extending through the elongate tube and terminating at the distal end, an articulation assembly including at least one steering cable operably coupled to the distal end such that movement of the at least one steering cable induces the flexible elongate tube to articulate relative to the longitudinal axis, is characterized by a head being arranged at the distal end, said head carrying at least the illumination source and the image sensor and comprising a distal section of the working channel, said head being rotatable relative to the flexible elongate tube about the longitudinal axis.

A surgical apparatus includes a housing, a test port retainer, a pressure test chamber, and an image capture assembly. The housing includes a pressure test port. The test port retainer includes a test port retainer housing, a probe seal, and a liquid exclusion barrier. In one aspect, the test port retainer also includes a hydrophobic membrane mounted within the test port retainer housing. The pressure test chamber includes a manifold and a central tube. The first end of the central tube is affixed to the image capture assembly to form a pressure seal, and the second end of the central tube is coupled to the test port retainer so that the pressure test port communicates with the interior volume of the central tube through the test port retainer.

An endoscope system is provided, which comprises an endoscope having a hollow tube formed therein, a flexible elongate member having a first end for operational control and a second distal end for operation of robotic members, one or more actuators coupleable to the flexible elongate member at the first end thereof, and an anti-buckling tube arranged with respect to the hollow tube at the first end of the endoscope to prevent buckling of the flexible elongate member during translation of the one or more actuators. Different embodiments are also disclosed, including an endoscope comprising one or more flexible tendons having a wire coil sheath which includes wire having a substantially rectangular cross section, or an endoscope comprising a rotational-motion transmitting device, one or more flexible tendons and one or more electrical wires having anti-kink support thereon, a coupling means constraining the robotic member to an asymmetric range of motion, or torque joint means comprising a centrally aligned pulley for coupling the robotic member.

A detachable endoscope includes an insertion unit including an illuminating and image pickup unit, an operation unit configured to bendingly operate a front end of the insertion unit, and a detachable unit configured to detachably couple the insertion unit and the operation unit to each other, wherein the detachable unit comprises: a first detachable module disposed at the insertion unit in such a manner as to be connected to respective one ends of first and second operating wire and third and fourth operating wires juxtaposedly arranged in the insertion unit; and a second detachable module disposed at the operation unit in such a manner as to be connected to respective both ends of upper and lower chains wound around upper and lower sprockets of the operation unit.