Medical instrument with steerable tip

Abstract

Abstract A medical instrument consists of a relatively rigid shaft (1) and a flexible tip (3) that is attached to one end of the shaft (1) as an extension thereof. Fastened to its outer end at points opposite each other are tension cables (5, 6), which are guided in a tubular sheath parallel to the tip (3) and to the shaft (1) to its other end, and at the other end of the shaft are joined to an adjusting wheel (8) that allows shortening of one and equal lengthening of the other of the two oppositely located tension cables (5, 6) in order to impart to the tip (3) a selectable curvature in the direction of the shortened tension cable. The invention has as its object a simplification of known instruments which simultaneously allows a reduction in dimensions. According to the invention the shaft (1) and the tip (3) consist of extruded plastic parts that are provided with conduits, located just under their surface, to accommodate the tension cables (5, 6) which are firmly joined to the tip (3), and the plastic parts are adhesively butt-bonded together at the transition (10) from shaft (1) to tip (3).

Inventors

• 👤 Klaus Schmitt
• 👤 Helmut Entenmann

Bibliographic Details