US 12,268,362 B2
Medical device having asymmetric bending
Sean Powell, Holden, MA (US); and Almir Velagic, Watertown, MA (US)
Assigned to Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed by Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US)
Filed on Jan. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/160,336.
Application 18/160,336 is a continuation of application No. 15/930,807, filed on May 13, 2020, granted, now 11,622,675.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/848,195, filed on May 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0172441 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 1/008 (2006.01); A61B 1/005 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/008 (2013.01) [A61B 1/0052 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An articulation joint for a medical device, the articulation joint including:
a proximal portion comprised of proximal links;
a distal portion comprised of distal links; and
an intermediate portion comprised of intermediate links, wherein the intermediate portion is disposed between the proximal portion and the distal portion, wherein the articulation joint has a straight configuration along a longitudinal axis and at least four different bent configurations when the articulation joint bends towards four sides of the articulation joint and away from the longitudinal axis,
wherein, when the articulation joint is in each of the straight configuration, a first bent configuration bent toward a second side of the four sides, a second bent configuration bent toward a third side of the four sides, and a third bent configuration bent toward a fourth side of the four sides, a first gap is defined between adjacent proximal links along a first side of the articulation joint, and the adjacent proximal links contact each other along the second side of the articulation joint, opposite the first side, to prevent the proximal portion from bending towards the second side, the third side, and the fourth side,
wherein, when the articulation joint is in a fourth bent configuration, the adjacent proximal links contact each other along the first side, closing the first gap along the first side of the articulation joint and defining a second gap between adjacent proximal links along the second side of the articulation joint, to bend the proximal portion toward the first side of the articulation joint away from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first gap on the first side is directly opposite the second gap on the second side,
wherein the proximal portion is bendable towards only the first side, wherein the intermediate portion is bendable only towards the first, third, and fourth sides, and wherein the distal portion is bendable towards each of the first, second, third, and fourth sides, and
wherein a maximum bend angle of the articulation joint in the fourth bent configuration is greater than a maximum bend angle in each of the first bent configuration, the second bent configuration, and the third bent configuration.