Patent ID: 6638287
Filing Date: 2003-10-28
Classification: A61B,Y10T

Abstract:
A clamp, comprising:a handle assembly; a gripping assembly having a pair of jaws that can be opened and closed to grip an element; a shaft assembly having: a flexible shaft having a proximal end that is coupled to the handle assembly and a distal end that is coupled to the gripping assembly, the flexible shaft defining a bore and comprising a plurality of alternating first beads and second beads, each of the first and second beads having an outer surface; wherein each of the second beads has a larger inner diameter than each of the first beads; wherein each of the second beads is supported on the outer surface of two adjacent first beads; and a cable which extends through the bore of the flexible shaft, the cable having a proximal end that is operatively coupled to the handle assembly and a distal end that is operatively coupled to the gripping assembly; and a rigid element that can be placed in a first position where the rigid element supports the shaft in a manner where the shaft cannot be bent, and in a second position where the shaft can be bent.