Bending device for an endoscope, catheter or the like

Claim 1

A bending device comprising: (a) a frame having a generally cylindrical shape as a whole and having an internal space therein, said frame having annular portions disposed respectively in planes substantially perpendicular to an axis of said frame, and said annular portions being juxtaposed in an axial direction of said frame; (b) a single resilient thin plate received in said internal space of said frame to divide said internal space into a pair of space portions, said resilient thin plate being elongated along the axial direction of said frame, recesses being formed in each of opposite lateral edges of said resilient thin plate and juxtaposed in a longitudinal direction of said resilient thin plate, diametrically-opposite sections of each of said annular portions of said frame being engaged respectively in a corresponding pair of said recesses formed respectively in the opposite lateral edges of said resilient thin plate, so that any adjacent ones of said annular portions are spaced from each other, and said resilient thin plate having a number of holes formed therethrough; (c) operating wire means for bending said frame and said resilient thin plate, said operating wire means having a proximal end portion adapted to receive an operating force, and said operating wire means having a distal end portion substantially fixed relative to a distal end portion of said frame; and (d) a tube accommodating said frame, said resilient thin plate and said operating wire means, through which tube said operating force is transmitted by said operating wire means to said distal end of said frame to flexibly bend said tube, said frame and said resilient thin plate.