Patent ID: 11964387
Assignee: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  A | IPC A  B

Claim 11:
12. A concentric tube steerable device comprising:
an outer tube, wherein the outer tube comprises:
precurved portion, wherein the precurved portion is defined by an axis of precurvature,
a first plurality of discrete openings distributed along a first side of the outer tube, and
a second plurality of discrete openings distributed along a second side of the outer tube, wherein the second side is opposite the first side,
wherein the first plurality of discrete openings and the second plurality of discrete openings introduce asymmetric stiffness properties in the outer tube including a reduction in a flexural rigidity of the outer tube along the axis of precurvature relative to a flexural rigidity of the outer tube along a second axis that is perpendicular to the axis of precurvature, wherein a ratio of the flexural rigidity of the outer tube along the axis of precurvature to the flexural rigidity of the outer tube along the second axis is less than 0.8;

an inner tube that is nested and extends coaxially within the outer tube, the inner tube terminating at a distal tip, wherein a pose of the distal tip is effectuated through individual or collective rotation or translation of the outer tube and/or the inner tube,
an actuator for rotating at least one of the outer tube about an outer tube axis or the inner tube about an inner tube axis; and
a translator for translating at least one of the outer tube along the outer tube axis or the inner tube along the inner tube axis.