Patent ID: 8388519

Claim:
An actively steerable endoscopic medical device, comprising: a flexible inner tube having a first lumen; a flexible outer tube that receives the inner tube; a multiplicity of overlapping, rigidizable scale-like strips each coupled with the inner tube and positioned between the inner and outer tubes, the strips being actuatable between a non-rigidized state in which overlapping strips are slideable relative to one another and a rigidized state in which overlapping strips are not slideable relative to one another; an electrical source, wherein an electrostatic force is used to press adjacent overlapping strips together thereby substantially increasing frictional forces between the adjacent overlapping strips; and wherein when pressure within the first lumen is suitably elevated the pressure results in a force that acts to longitudinally expand the inner tube and thereby the device and wherein the device is steerable at a predetermined region along the length of the device by: selectively rigidizing a number of the overlapping strips adjacent the predetermined region, and elevating the pressure within the first lumen such that a portion of the inner tube diametrically opposite a rigidized portion expands while the rigidized portion is substantially prevented from expanding, thereby bending the device at the predetermined region.