A surgical instrument including an articulating region. An outer tube and an inner tube are axially fixed to one another distal to the articulating region and axially movable relative to one another proximal to the articulating region. Relative movement of the inner and outer tubes provides for articulation of the articulating tube assembly to a curved configuration. A working tool may be removably directed through a central cannula defined by the inner tube. The working tool may include a shaft having a flexible region configured to be arranged within the articulating region. The shaft may rotate within the inner tube with the articulating tube assembly in the curved configuration. The working tool may include a housing hub configured to be coupled with a handle to removably position the flexible region within the articulating region. Multiple working tools may be interchangeably directed through the central cannula.

A method, apparatus, and system for facilitating bending of an instrument in a surgical or medical robotic environment are provided. In one aspect, a surgical system includes an instrument comprising an end effector, the instrument capable of articulation via a bending section. The bending section includes a body including a first strut and a second strut, and a channel formed through the body. The first strut and the second strut form a gap therebetween, wherein the gap is in communication with the channel formed through the body.

An intraluminal retractor includes a shapeable element formed by a series of shaping segments. The shaping segments may be associated with one another in a relaxed configuration that imparts the shapeable element with a linear, substantially linear or curvilinear shape to enable its insertion into an interior space within a subject's body. When actuated, the shaping segments may assume a contracted configuration that imparts the shapeable element with a desired shape, which may move an organ within which or against which the shapeable element is positioned, change a path of the organ and/or alter a shape of the organ. Methods for altering the locations, paths and/or shapes of organs are also disclosed.

An endoscopic instrument (1, 134), for inserting into a body of a patient, includes a tubular shank (3, 47, 137) and at least two electrical, mechanical and/or optical leads (11, 13, 15, 19, 57, 59, 65, 67, 123, 181) which run through the shank (3, 47, 137). The shank (3, 47, 137) in a bendable shank section (9, 49) includes a plurality of slots (33, 55, 64). The slots (33, 55, 64) extend in a circumferential direction only over a part of the shank periphery. The slots (33, 44, 64) are arranged axially to one another such that the slots alternately lie on a first lateral side of the shank (3, 47, 137) and a second lateral side of the shank (3, 47, 137) which lies diametrically opposite the first.

A medical probe includes a shaft for insertion into a cavity of a patient body, and a distal-end assembly. The distal-end assembly is coupled to a distal end of the shaft and includes a hollow tube having (i) a first opening, located at a first section along a longitudinal axis of the hollow tube, and having a first size that limits bending of the first section by a first local radius of curvature (LROC), and (ii) a second opening, located at a second different section along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tube, and having a second different size that limits bending of the second section by a second different LROC.

An insertion apparatus includes: a bend preventing member having a first opening and a second opening; an exterior member connected to the bend preventing member in a state where the exterior member abuts against a second surface side, and a projection which is formed on the second surface circumferentially in a protruding manner toward the exterior member, the projection being elastically deformable such that the projection is inclined in an outside direction of the bend preventing member by making the projection abut against the exterior member.

An insertion device includes a bending portion provided in an insertion portion having a longitudinal axis; an operation lever provided in an operation portion and configured to cause the bending portion to bend, where the operation portion is provided on a proximal end side of the insertion portion; and an elastic member connected to the operation portion, and provided with rigidity that resists tilting when the operation lever is tilted, where first rigidity in a first tilting direction is lower than second rigidity in a second tilting direction, wherein of the elastic member, a cross-section orthogonal to an axial direction of the operation lever is formed into a rectangular shape, and any of corners of the rectangular shape of the cross-section is placed in the first tilting direction.

According to embodiments, a substantially coaxial arrangement of a camera, a light source, and an ultrasonic sensor can be positioned in an housing of a system that can be deployed from the tool port of a standard bronchoscope. Illumination from the light source facilitates positioning of the system by an operator using information from the camera. The ultrasonic system can determine when an object to be biopsied is adjacent to a biopsy needle.

An optical fiber guidewire according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one optical fiber and a sleeve surrounding the optical fiber. The sleeve includes a functional section, a guiding section and a supporting section that are connected in sequence. An asymmetric structure is provided on the sleeve itself or the surround of the sleeve along the optical fiber. Therefore, the optical fiber guidewire provided in this disclosure has good bending performance and operability, and thus can be easily manipulated, readily enters a body cavity with a larger opening angle, and achieves self-guidance and flexible detection of the optical fiber guidewire in the body cavity, thereby improving the effect of minimally invasive interventional treatment.

An optical fiber guidewire according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least one optical fiber and a sleeve surrounding the optical fiber. The sleeve includes a functional section, a guiding section and a supporting section that are connected in sequence. An asymmetric structure is provided on the sleeve itself or the surround of the sleeve along the optical fiber. Therefore, the optical fiber guidewire provided in this disclosure has good bending performance and operability, and thus can be easily manipulated, readily enters a body cavity with a larger opening angle, and achieves self-guidance and flexible detection of the optical fiber guidewire in the body cavity, thereby improving the effect of minimally invasive interventional treatment.