A medical instrument may comprise a first articulatable segment having a first diameter, and a second articulatable segment having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the second articulatable segment is coupled to the first articulatable segment and extends in a distal direction past the first articulatable segment. The instrument may also comprise a first force transmission element coupled to the first articulatable segment and extending in a proximal direction from the first articulatable segment to a first connector portion, the first connector portion being configured to be releasably coupled with a first actuator, and a second force transmission element coupled to the second articulatable segment and extending in a proximal direction from the second articulatable segment to a second connector portion, the second connector portion being configured to be releasably coupled with a second actuator. The first and second force transmission elements may be configured to transmit actuation forces, respectively, to articulate the first and second articulatable segments independently of one another.

A flexible tube insertion apparatus includes an insertion section, one or more stiffness variable portion, and a detection unit. The flexible tube insertion apparatus includes a bending information calculator, a main determiner, and a controller that performs control to increase a stiffness of the stiffness variable portion provided in a segment located in a bent part, when the main determiner determines that the bent part is present and the segment provided in the stiffness variable portion is located in the bent part.

A highly articulated robotic probe (HARP) is comprised of a first mechanism and a second mechanism, one or both of which can be steered in desired directions. Each mechanism can alternate between being rigid and limp. In limp mode the mechanism is highly flexible. When one mechanism is limp, the other is rigid. The limp mechanism is then pushed or pulled along the rigid mechanism. The limp mechanism is made rigid, thereby assuming the shape of the rigid mechanism. The rigid mechanism is made limp and the process repeats. These innovations allow the device to drive anywhere in three dimensions. The device can remember its previous configurations, and can go anywhere in a body or other structure (e.g. jet engine). When used in medical applications, once the device arrives at a desired location, the inner core mechanism can be removed and another functional device such as a scalpel, clamp or other tool slid through the rigid sleeve to perform. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

A hand-holdable steering mechanism is used as part of a medical device such as a catheter or an endoscope to allow movement of a steerable distal portion of the catheter or endoscope. The mechanism can include a housing, a first actuator, and a second actuator. The first actuator is configured to move the steerable portion along a first plane when the first actuator is moved between first and second positions. The second actuator is configured to move the steerable portion along a second plane different than the first plane when the second actuator is moved between first and second positions.

Certain aspects relate to manually and robotically controllable medical instruments. A manually and robotically controllable medical instrument can include an elongated shaft articulable by pull wires. The elongated shaft can be connected to an instrument handle that attaches to an instrument drive mechanism. The instrument handle can include a pulley assembly on which the pull wires can be mounted. Rotation of the pulley assembly can actuate the pull wires to cause articulation of the elongated shaft. The medical instrument also includes a manual drive input connected to the pulley assembly such that manual actuation of the manual drive input causes rotation of the first pulley assembly and a robotic drive input configured to engage with a robotic drive output of the instrument drive mechanism such that rotation of the first robotic drive output causes rotation of the pulley assembly.

An arthroscope having an elongated core with a square radial cross section.

An articulated device may include a first steerable multi-linked mechanism and a second steerable multi-linked mechanism. The second steerable multi-linked mechanism may include a first link, a plurality of intermediate links and a second link movably coupled to a second one of the intermediate links. A first one of the intermediate links may be movably coupled to the first link. The articulated device may include a camera located within at least a portion of the second link and a protective shield connected to a distal end of the second link. The protective shield may surround at least a portion of the camera.

A flexible tube insertion apparatus includes an insertion section including a plurality of segments, a plurality of stiffness variable portions provided in the respective segments and configured to vary stiffness of the respective segments, and a state detector configured to detect a shape of the insertion section. The apparatus includes a state calculator configured to acquire a shape of a tube at a time when the insertion section advances into the tube, and configured to calculate a relative position of the segment to the tube, and a control device configured to control, based on the shape of the tube, the stiffness variable portion provided in the segment which is calculated the relative position to the tube by the state calculator.

A variable-stiffness actuator, installed in a flexible member and capable of providing different stiffnesses for the flexible member, includes a shape-memory member that can transit in phase between first and second phases and an inducing member that causes phase transition between the first and second phases into the shape-memory member. The shape-memory member takes, in the first stare, a flexible state in which it is easily deformable by an external force, so as to provide lower stiffness for the flexible member, and, in the second stare, a rigid state in which it tends to take a memorized shape against an external force, so as to provide higher stiffness for the flexible member. The actuator further includes a stiffness calculator that calculates the stiffness of the actuator.

In an introduction assembly for an articulated probe, a feeding mechanism has actuators for controlling the articulated probe. The introduction device is fixed in a positional relationship to the feeding mechanism. The introduction device includes a support member configured to support an articulated probe. A proximal end of the support member has an entrance configured to guide the articulated probe into contact with the support member. A distal end of the support member has an exit configured to guide the articulated probe from the support member into a region of interest.