US 11,672,545 B2
Rotationally balanced slot pattern for flexible shafts
Warren Scott Gareiss, Columbia City, IN (US); and Ryan Michael Ratkowski, Churubusco, IN (US)
Assigned to AVALIGN TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Bannockburn, IL (US)
Filed by Avalign Technologies, Inc., Bannockburn, IL (US)
Filed on Nov. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/949,575.
Prior Publication US 2022/0133335 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 17/16 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/1631 (2013.01) [A61B 2017/00309 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flexible shaft, comprising:
a tubular body extending along a central longitudinal axis, the tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and
a slot defined by the tubular body and extending along a helical path around and along at least a portion of the tubular body between the proximal end and the distal end,
wherein the helical path extends around the portion of the tubular body for a plurality of rotations,
wherein the slot defines at least two teeth adjacent one another along a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis, each tooth of the two teeth having a feature, and
wherein a line extending through a center point of the feature on each of the two teeth is angularly offset from the central longitudinal axis.