An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a bendable shaft, a steerable tip, an offset balloon, and a handle. The bendable shaft has a proximal end attached to the distal end of the elongated shaft along a shaft axis, the bendable shaft configured to bend only within a pivot plane that is defined by the shaft axis and a pivot axis that is orthogonal to the shaft axis. The steerable tip is attached to a distal end of the bendable shaft and includes a camera and a light emitter. The offset balloon is attached to the external surface of the elongated shaft and has an internal volume in fluid communication with a fluid port in the elongated shaft. The handle includes at least one lever in mechanical communication with the bendable shaft to adjust a customizable angle of the steerable tip measured between the shaft axis and the tip axis.

An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a flexible shaft, a steerable tip, a handle, and a working tube. The elongated shaft extends along a shaft axis. The flexible shaft is attached to a distal end of the elongated shaft, the flexible shaft configured to bend only within a pivot plane that is defined by the shaft axis and a pivot axis that is orthogonal to the shaft axis. The steerable tip is attached to the distal end of the shaft, the steerable tip extending along a tip axis. The handle is attached to a proximal end of the elongated shaft, the handle including a lever in mechanical communication with the flexible shaft to adjust a customizable angle of the steerable tip measured between the shaft axis and the tip axis. The working tube is disposed in the elongated shaft and flexible shaft.

An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a steerable tip, an offset balloon, and a working tube. The elongated shaft has proximal and distal ends and extending along a shaft axis, the elongated shaft having a fluid port defined in an external surface at the distal end of the elongated shaft. The steerable tip is attached to the distal end of the shaft. The offset balloon is attached to the external surface of the elongated shaft, the offset balloon having an internal volume in fluid communication with the fluid port, the offset balloon having an inflated state and a deflated state, wherein in the inflated state the offset balloon is radially asymmetrically inflated with respect to the shaft axis. The working tube is disposed in the elongated shaft, the working tube forming a working channel to receive a medical instrument.

A method for controlling an epicardial ablation procedure comprises (a) inserting an instrument port comprising an ablation tool, an optical camera and an optical light emitter into an epicardial cavity proximal to a target region; (b) providing optical light into said epicardial cavity through said optical light emitter to illuminate said target region; (c) obtaining a first image of said target region using said optical camera; (d) steering a tip of said ablation tool towards said target region; (e) applying an ablation energy to said target region using the ablation tool so as to form a lesion in or on said target region; (f) obtaining a second image of said target region using said optical camera; and (g) processing at least one of said first and second images in an image processor so as to determine a characteristic of said lesion.

An endoscope system includes an insertion section, a bending portion provided in the insertion section, including a distal side and a proximal side, and deformable into an arcuate shape by bending in at least one predetermined direction, a distal-side bending portion, a proximal-side bending portion, a first variable stiffness section provided in the distal-side bending portion and configured to change a stiffness of the distal-side bending portion, a second variable stiffness section provided in the proximal-side bending portion and configured to change a stiffness of the proximal-side bending portion, and a controller for performing control to make a stiffness of the first variable stiffness section higher than a stiffness of the second variable stiffness section.

An endoscope with a folding mechanism for foldably or bendably holding an endoscopy head at the distal end of the endoscope, preferably an endoscope shaft, having a number of axially successive segments that are adjustable via an actuating element. The segments define at least one channel for the passage of minimally invasive surgical instruments, flushing media, supply lines and the like. The segments are in the form of wedge-shaped cylinder sections having end faces oriented relative to each other in a wedge-shaped manner. Each cylinder section receives a cylinder jacket portion having a minimum axial length and an opposite cylinder jacket portion having a maximum axial length. Two directly adjacent segments are mutually oriented such that they are axially supported on or axially abut the relevant cylinder jacket portions of maximum axial length, which results in hinge- or joint-contact occurring on the support or placement point.

An endoscope includes: an outer cylinder including an outer cylinder distal end portion held by a distal end holding portion provided inside an insertion section and an outer cylinder proximal end portion held by a proximal end holding portion provided on a proximal end side relative to the distal end holding portion; and an inner cylinder provided inside the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder including inside a wire coupled to a movable portion provided in the insertion section, an amount of stretch of the inner cylinder due to bending of the insertion section being larger than an amount of stretch of the outer cylinder due to the bending, the inner cylinder, in a stretch state where the inner cylinder stretches due to the bending, forming a gap in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder between the inner cylinder and the proximal end holding portion.

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.

An insert tube and an endoscope using the same are provided. The insert tube comprises a catheter. The catheter comprises a distal section, a bending section and a extend section, and the distal section. The bending section and the extend section are integrally formed through a metal material. A plurality of a first line groove and a plurality of second line groove are formed and arranged in staggered relation on two corresponding sides of the bending section along the central axis direction of the catheter, respectively. At least one the second line groove is arranged between the first line grooves. The first line groove and the second line groove have a first arc length and a second arc length, respectively. A length of the first arc length is greater than a length of the second arc length.

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.