SURGICAL APPARATUS
The disclosure provides a surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments with channels therein; and a plurality of bending actuation wires that are arranged to pass through the steerable member and cause the steerable member to bend, the steerable member comprising at least one outwardly opening lumen through which the bending actuation wires pass.
1 . A surgical apparatus comprising:
a steerable member having a distal end, and that is bendable, comprises a plurality of bending segments, each of the bending segments including a body and a hollow channel formed within, and surrounded by, the body, the body also surrounding a central axis thereof, each of the bending segments further comprising:
a plurality of lumens extending through a portion of the body, the lumens circumferentially spaced from one another about the central axis, and each of the lumens in a body are located the same distance from the central axis of the body;
a connecting part disposed on one end of the length of the body and extending therefrom to connect to an adjacent one of the plurality of bending segments; and
a plurality of bending actuation wires passing through lumens in the bodies of the plurality of bending segments of the steerable member, the bending actuation wires configured to cause the steerable member to bend,
wherein a first bending segment is located adjacent to the distal end of the steerable member, and a second bending segment is located further from the distal end than is the first bending segment, and the distance between a lumen in the first bending segment and the central axis of the first bending segment is greater than the distance between a lumen in the second bending segment and the central axis of the second bending segment.
2 . The surgical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body of at least one bending segment includes an outer wall, and at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens includes a first portion surrounded by the material of the body and at least one second portion which is partially open to the outer wall of the lumen.
3 . The surgical apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body of a bendable segment are equally circumferentially spaced about the central axis of the body.
4 . The surgical apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the body of a bending segment includes an outer circumferential surface; and
at least one of the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body includes a first portion surrounded by the body and a second portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the second portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body.
5 . The surgical apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the body of a bending segment includes an outer circumferential surface; and
at least one of the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body includes a first portion surrounded by the body, a second portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the second portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body, and a third portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the third portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body, and the first portion of the lumen is located between the second portion of the lumen and the third portion of the lumen.
6 . A surgical apparatus comprising:
a steerable member having a distal end and that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments, each of the bending segments including a body and a hollow channel formed within and surrounded by the body, the body also surrounding a central axis thereof, each of the bending segments further comprising:
a plurality of lumens extending through a portion of the body and in a direction parallel to the central axis of the body, the lumens circumferentially spaced from one another about the central axis, and each of the lumens in a body are spaced the same distance from the central axis of the body;
a connecting part disposed on one end of the length of the body and extending therefrom to connect to an adjacent one of the plurality of bending segments; and
a plurality of bending actuation wires passing through lumens in the bodies of the plurality of bending segments of the steerable member, the bending actuation wires and configured to cause the steerable member to bend,
wherein at least one of the connecting members of the plurality of the bending segments has a different shape than the other connecting members of the plurality of the bending segments.
7 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, in a first bending segment adjacent the distal end of the steerable member, the connecting part extends a first distance from the end of the body, and in a second bending segment, the connecting part extends a second distance from the end of the body, and the first distance is greater than the second distance.
8 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the connecting parts of a first body located toward the distal end of the steerable member are longer, in the direction of the central axis, than the connecting parts of a second body further from the distal end of the steerable member than the first body.
9 . The steerable member of claim 6 , wherein the distance between the bodies of the steerable member closer to the distal end thereof are spaced farther from each other than the distance between the bodies of the steerable member farther from the distal end thereof.
10 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the body of at least one bending segment includes an outer wall, and at least one lumen of the plurality of lumens includes a first portion surrounded by the material of the body and at least one second portion which is partially open to the outer portion of the lumen.
11 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body of a bendable segment are equally circumferentially spaced about the central axis of the body.
12 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the body of a bending segment includes an outer circumferential surface; and
at least one of the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body includes a first portion surrounded by the body and a second portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the second portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body.
13 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the lumens of the plurality of lumens in a body includes a first portion surrounded by the body, a second portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the second portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body, and a third portion only partially surrounded by the body, wherein the third portion is uncovered by the outer circumferential surface of the body, and the first portion of the lumen is located between the second portion of the lumen and the third portion of the lumen.
14 . The surgical apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the body includes an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface, and the outer sidewall of the connecting part extends from the outer circumferential surface, and the inner sidewall is spaced from the inner circumferential surface in the direction of the outer circumferential surface.