Patent ID: 9675781
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A continuum manipulator comprising a plurality of segments arranged in a stack, the segments being deformable in a range of directions away from the long axis of the stack to allow the stack to bend in any of the range of directions away from the long axis thereof, wherein at least one of the segments comprises a helical portion wherein the wall of the segment extends helically around and in the direction of the long axis of the stack, the helical portion being able to deform in any direction away from the long axis, wherein a plurality of segments in the stack have helical portions, and wherein a first subset of one or more segments of the plurality of segments have helical portions that wind in a clockwise direction, and a second subset of one or more segments of the plurality of segments have helical portions that wind in a counter-clockwise direction.