Patent ID: 9302073
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: A61B,A61M

Claim Text:
1. A medical instrument comprising: a shaft having a distal end being bendable, a handle arranged at a proximal end of said shaft, a bend control mechanism for controlling a bending movement of said bendable distal end of said shaft, said bend control mechanism being arranged at said handle and having a pivotable control element, a pivoting of said pivotable control element causes a bending of said bendable distal end of said shaft, and a locking mechanism for locking said bend control mechanism in position, said pivotable control element running over a friction element, said friction element comprising an elongated protrusion disposed on said handle, said locking mechanism comprising a pair of brake elements biased toward each other with the friction element disposed therebetween, such that in a locked position, the brake elements of said locking mechanism are biased to engage opposite surfaces of the friction element to lock the bend control mechanism in position, and wherein the brake elements of said locking mechanism are moveable against the bias such that they are moveable out of engagement with the friction element so as to cause the bend control mechanism to be unlocked.