Patent ID: 8517921

Claim:
A medical instrument device, comprising: a flexible, filamentous shaft, comprising: a) a plurality of filaments forming a filamentous core, wherein the plurality of filaments comprise: a deflection system comprising at least one deflecting filament with a distal end portion operatively coupled to a distal end portion of the medical instrument device and proximal end operatively coupled to a proximal end portion of the medical instrument device, and a control mechanism at the proximal end portion of the medical instrument device enabling a user to pull the at least one deflecting filament and deflect the distal end portion of the deflecting filament; and an imaging system comprising an image sensor carried on the distal portion of the medical instrument device; b) a jacket binding the plurality of filaments together forming the filamentous core; and c) a flexible sheath slideably disposed over the jacket; wherein the flexible sheath has a functional element at the distal end of the medical instrument device for performing a procedure on an object or tissue at a target site in a patient's body, wherein the at least one deflecting filament is slideably housed in a sleeve, and wherein one or more of the plurality of filaments are in contact with an inner wall of the jacket, and the plurality of filaments being in contact with each other lengthwise along the flexible, filamentous shaft so that the filamentous core is bundled within the jacket.