Flexible endoscope with variable stiffness shaft

Abstract

A shaft for a medical device includes an outer sheath and a flexible spiral wrap therein. The flexibility of the spiral wrap is modified by changing the width of the wraps of a spiral, the thickness of the wraps of a spiral, or the gap spacing of the spiral. The spacing between wraps is maintained by attaching the spiral wrap to the cover sheath that surrounds the spiral wrap at two or more locations.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a shaft for use in a medical device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of a spiral wrap and sheath having a variable flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a spiral wrap in a shaft having a varying flexibility in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a spiral wrap in a shaft having a varying flexibility in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a spiral wrap in a shaft having a varying flexibility in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a spiral wrap in a shaft having a varying flexibility in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates one technique for fixing a spiral wrap within a shaft of a medical device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates another technique for fixing a spiral wrap within a shaft of a medical device for use in tracking the anatomy in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an endoscope having a variable flexibility shaft in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a slotted tube that can replace removed sections of a spiral wrap in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shaft for a medical device, comprising: (a) a spiral wrap contained within the shaft having wraps with gaps between the wraps, wherein the spiral wrap extends along the shaft from a proximal section to a distal section;(b) a change in the gap spacing between wraps of any two or more wraps along the spiral wrap between a first and second location of the shaft; and(c) the spiral wrap attached to the shaft, at least at the first and second location, thereby maintaining the change in gap spacing between wraps.

2. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the gap spacing of wraps in the distal section is greatest.

3. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the gap spacing of wraps in a center section disposed between the proximal section and the distal section is greater compared to the proximal section and less compared to the distal section.

4. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the gap spacing of wraps in the proximal section is least.

5. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the cover sheath is attached to the spiral wrap about 6 to about 12 inches measured from the end of the distal section.

6. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the cover sheath is attached to the spiral wrap about 8 to about 10 inches measured from the end of the distal section.

7. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the change in gap spacing provides about 1 inch of additional gap spacing in the distal section.

8. The shaft of claim 1, wherein the cover sheath is attached to the spiral wrap with one of adhesives, welding, or mechanical fasteners.

9. A shaft for a medical device, comprising: (a) a first spiral section having wraps; and(b) a second spiral section that has a different degree of flexibility compared to the first spiral section.

10. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a wrap width that is greater compared to the wrap width of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

11. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a wrap width that is lesser compared to the wrap width of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

12. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps that have a wrap width from ⅜″ to ½″.

13. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a wrap thickness that is greater compared to the wrap thickness of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

14. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a wrap thickness that is lesser compared to the wrap thickness of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

15. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a gap spacing that is greater compared to the gap spacing of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

16. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps having a gap spacing that is lesser compared to the gap spacing of the wrap or wraps of the first spiral section.

17. The shaft of claim 9, wherein the second spiral section has one or more wraps that are made of a material different compared to the material from which the one or more wraps of the first spiral section are made.

18. A method for maintaining the gap spacing of a spiral for a shaft of a medical device, comprising: (a) obtaining a spiral having wraps that define a gap spacing between adjacent wraps; and(b) attaching the shaft to the spiral at two or more locations along the axial direction of the spiral to maintain the gap spacing between wraps.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein attaching the shaft to the spiral is done with one of adhesives, welding, or mechanical fasteners.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the gap spacing is changed before attaching the shaft to the spiral.

21. A shaft for a medical device, comprising a spiral wrap within the shaft having a series of wraps separated by gaps, wherein the spiral has a distal section, a proximal section, and a center section between the distal section and the proximal section, and the gap spacing in the distal section is greater than the gap spacing in the proximal section.

22. The shaft of claim 21, wherein the shaft is attached to the spiral at two or more locations to maintain the gap spacing in the distal section greater than the gap spacing in the proximal section.

23. The shaft of claim 21, wherein the spiral wrap is made from a plastic.

24. The shaft of claim 21, wherein the gap spacing in the center section is greater than the gap spacing in the proximal section.

25. The shaft of claim 21, wherein the gap spacing in the center section is less than the gap spacing in the distal section.

26. The shaft of claim 21, wherein the shaft is attached to the spiral at one or more locations in the center section to maintain the gap spacing in the center section.

27. A shaft for medical device, comprising a spiral wrap within the shaft, wherein the spiral wrap has one or more wraps having a wrap width that differs from the wrap width of other wraps in the shaft.

28. The shaft of claim 27, comprising a distal section, wherein the distal section of the shaft has one or more wraps having a wrap width that is lesser compared to the wrap width of other sections of the shaft.

29. The shaft of claim 27, comprising a distal section wherein the wrap width of the wraps in the distal section of the shaft is between ¼″ and ⅜″.

30. The shaft of claim 27, comprising distal and proximal sections wherein the spiral wrap has wraps with a wrap width that increases in the proximal direction of the shaft.

31. A shaft for a medical device, comprising a spiral wrap within the shaft, wherein the spiral wrap has one or more wraps having a wrap thickness that differs from the wrap thickness of other wraps in the shaft.

32. The shaft of claim 31, comprising a distal section, wherein the distal section of the shaft has one or more wraps having a wrap thickness that is lesser compared to the wrap thickness of other sections of the shaft.

33. The shaft of claim 31, comprising distal and proximal sections, wherein the spiral wrap has wraps with a wrap thickness that increases in the proximal direction of the shaft.

34. A shaft for an endoscope, comprising a spiral wrap within the shaft, wherein the spiral is attached to the shaft at two or more locations along the axial direction of the shaft to maintain the spacing between the gaps and is free to move in the shaft between the attachments.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the spiral is attached to the shaft with one of welding, adhesives, or mechanical fasteners.

36. A shaft for a medical device, comprising a spiral wrap within the shaft, wherein the spiral wrap has adjacent wraps having a gap spacing that differs from the gap spacing of other wraps in the shaft.

37. The shaft of claim 36, comprising a distal section, wherein the distal section of the shaft has wraps having a gap spacing that is lesser compared to the gap spacing of other sections of the shaft.