A microrobot configured to move in a viscous material, in particular in an organ of a subject such as a brain, the microrobot having a propulsion structure comprising a head portion, a rear portion and a deformable portion connecting the head portion and the rear portion. The deformable portion is deformable in elongation/contraction along a main axis connecting the head portion and the rear portion. The head portion includes at its surface at least one propulsion cilium, one end of the at least one propulsion cilium being attached to the head portion and the other end of the at least one propulsion cilium being a free end configured to move freely in the viscous material. The propulsion structure further includes a motor configured to actuate sequentially elongation/contraction cycles of the deformable portion.

Disclosed is a guidewire steering micro-robot. The guidewire steering micro-robot includes a guidewire, and a steering unit provided at an end portion of the guidewire, the steering unit including a magnetic body to control and steer a position of the guidewire by an external magnetic field.

Articulation devices, systems, methods for articulation, and methods for fabricating articulation structures will often include simple balloon arrays, with inflation of the balloons interacting with elongate skeletal support structures so as to locally alter articulation of the skeleton. The skeleton may comprise a simple helical coil or interlocking helical channels, and the array can be used to locally deflect or elongate an axis of the coil under control of a processor. Liquid inflation fluid may be directed so as to pressurize the balloons from an inflation fluid canister, and may vaporize within a plenum or the channels or balloons of the articulation system, with the inflation system preferably including valves controlled by the processor. The articulation structures can be employed in minimally invasive medical catheter systems, and also for industrial robotics, for supporting imaging systems, for entertainment and consumer products, and the like.

The present application provides a bendable sheath, including a tube assembly and a handle assembly. The handle assembly includes an inner core, a fixing seat, and a driving member; the distal end of the tube assembly is provided with a bendable section, the proximal end of the tube assembly is fixedly connected to the inner core; the driving member is fixedly connected to the inner core; the driving member is rotatably connected to the fixing seat; one of the fixing seat and the driving member includes an elastic element, and the other includes an angle indexing part; the angle indexing part includes a plurality of indexing elements arranged at intervals; the elastic element moves among the plurality of indexing elements when the driving member rotates relative to the fixing seat. Because the proximal end of the tube assembly is fixedly connected to the inner core and the driving member is fixedly connected to the inner core, quantitative rotation of the driving member drives quantitative rotation of the tube assembly, so as to achieve precise regulation of the direction of the bending angle of the tube assembly, and prevent the occurrence of too much or insufficient rotation of the tube assembly.

A steerable guidewire. The steerable guidewire is fabricated includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a hub, and a distal articulating region. The steerable guidewire hub can be removed to permit advancement of catheters over its proximal end followed by re-attachment of the hub to permit deflection of the distal end of the steerable guidewire.

A steerable medical device includes an elongate tool and a handle mounted to the tool. The handle has a handle body and a knob that is rotatable with respect to the handle body. A first gear is housed within the handle and is associated with the knob, so that rotation of the knob drives rotation of the first gear. A slider is housed within the handle body and includes a rack engaged with the first gear, so that rotation of the first gear drives translation of the slider with respect to the handle body. At least one control wire is coupled to the tool, so that translation of the slider causes tensioning of the control wire, and tensioning of the control wire causes deflection of the tool.

Various example embodiments described herein are directed to articulating surgical instruments for treating tissue comprising an end effector and a shaft extending proximally from the end effector along a longitudinal axis. In certain embodiments, the shaft comprises a plurality of transverse spacer members as well as first and second rotatable members extending through at least a portion of the plurality of transverse spacer members. The first and second rotatable members may both be biased away from the longitudinal axis such that their respective directions of bias vary with rotation of the first rotatable member. When the respective directions of bias of the first and second rotatable members oppose one another, the shaft may be substantially straight. When the respective directions of bias of the first and second rotatable members are aligned with one another, the shaft may articulate away from the longitudinal axis in the direction of the alignment.

A steerable micro-endoscope comprising a cylindrical elongated member having at least a first lumen, a tensioning wire running in the first lumen and attached at the distal end of the elongated member; the elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion, having respectively a first durometer and a second durometer lower than the first durometer; the first lumen being arranged such that the distal portion of the elongated body bends when the tensioning wire is pulled; wherein the elongated member comprises a second lumen; an electrode wire being arranged in the second lumen such that the distal end of the electrode wire does not protrude from the distal portion of the elongated member when the elongated member is not bent, and such that the distal end of the electrode wire protrudes from the distal portion of the elongated member when the elongated member is bent.

A medical device is disclosed for cutting an object in a body lumen. The medical device includes a rotation structure having a cutting portion and an outer surface of the cutting portion including a notch, and wherein a width of at least a proximal portion of the notch increases toward a proximal end of the notch; and a drive shaft connected to a motor and configured to be connected to the rotation structure to drive a rotation of the rotation structure.

Disclosed are robotic systems, surgical instruments for used therewith as well as methods of utilizing same in spinal decompression surgeries.