Patent ID: 8182418

Claim:
A system for modifying an articulating force on an articulatable elongate body deliverable within a body cavity, the system comprising: an elongate body comprising an articulatable segment, wherein the articulatable segment comprises a plurality of links having central apertures that collectively form an internal lumen of the segment, and a cross bar member coupled to at least one of the links and comprising at least one force modifying element, wherein the cross bar member is disposed within and extends transversely across the internal lumen; a coil pipe within the elongate body having a proximal end terminated outside of the elongate body and having a distal end terminated at a proximal portion of the segment; and a tendon disposed at least partially within the coil pipe, the tendon having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is coupled to an actuator outside of the elongate body, wherein the tendon interacts with the force modifying element, and wherein the distal end is coupled to a link proximal to the force modifying element.