Patent ID: 9585546
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. An overtube for use with an endoscope, the overtube comprising: a substantially tubular body comprising a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending through the proximal portion and the distal portion, the lumen being configured for the passage of an endoscope there through; a plurality of ball bearings disposed within the lumen and coupled to the substantially tubular body, wherein the plurality of ball bearings are configured to engage the endoscope and freely spin to facilitate the passage of the endoscope through the lumen, the plurality of ball bearings being distributed along a substantial length of the lumen at a plurality of spaced apart locations; a first plurality of notches disposed within a surface of the substantially tubular body, the first plurality of notches being disposed along a first side of the substantially tubular body and configured to bend the substantially tubular body along a first curvilinear pathway; a second plurality of notches disposed within the surface of the substantially tubular body and spaced longitudinally apart from the first plurality of notches, the second plurality of notches being disposed along a second side of the substantially tubular body opposite the first side, the second plurality of notches being configured to bend the substantially tubular body along a second curvilinear pathway that is opposite the first curvilinear pathway, and a steering wire comprising a proximal steering wire portion and a distal steering wire portion, the distal steering wire portion being coupled to the substantially tubular body along both the first plurality of notches and the second plurality of notches, wherein the plurality of ball bearings are disposed along both the first plurality of notches and the second plurality of notches of the overtube, wherein the first plurality of notches and the second plurality of notches each comprise an asymmetric configuration relative to a cross-section of the substantially tubular body, the asymmetric configuration of the first plurality of notches being opposite the asymmetric configuration of the second plurality of notches, wherein the distal steering wire portion comprises a first distal wire portion disposed along the first side of the substantially tubular body, a second distal wire portion disposed along the second side of the substantially tubular body, and an intermediate distal wire portion that extends between the first and second sides of the substantially tubular wall, wherein the first and second distal wire portions are each disposed within the luminal wall of the substantially tubular body, and wherein the steering wire is configured to simultaneously deflect the substantially tubular body along both the first curvilinear pathway and the second curvilinear pathway when the proximal steering wire portion is pulled in a proximal direction.