A steerable medical instrument (136) includes a control handle (144), a shaft (140), steering control wires, and an end effector (100) at the distal end of the shaft. The end effector is a separate component engineered to distribute the stress and strain of bending moments along the length of the end effector to achieve predicable, repeatable, fine motion control over the distal end of the instrument. The end effector may be customized for any medical application. For example, the end effector may comprise a grasping device, a cutting devise, a snare, a specimen retrieval device, or a wound closure device (such as a stapler).
A61M 25/01 - Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters
A61B 17/00 - Surgical instruments, devices or methods
A61B 10/00 - Instruments for taking body samples for diagnostic purposesOther methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. for vaccination diagnosis, sex determination or ovulation-period determinationThroat striking implements
Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring movement of an elongated instrument. The apparatus including a guide adapted to receive the elongated instrument and a sensor module that includes an optical image sensor or an optical rotary encoder to sense the received elongated instrument moving within the guide. In particular, the elongated instrument is a medical instrument like an endoscope, and its axial and optionally angular movement is sensed indirectly by a tracking wheel or ball, or directly by optically tracking microstructures on the elongated instrument.
A61B 19/00 - Instruments, implements or accessories for surgery or diagnosis not covered by any of the groups A61B 1/00-A61B 18/00, e.g. for stereotaxis, sterile operation, luxation treatment, wound edge protectors(protective face masks A41D 13/11; surgeons' or patients' gowns or dresses A41D 13/12; devices for carrying-off, for treatment of, or for carrying-over, body liquids A61M 1/00)
