US 11,986,606 B2
Instrument for endoscopic applications
Marcel Antonius Elisabeth Verbeek, Heerlen (NL)
Assigned to Fortimedix Assets II B.V., Geleen (NL)
Filed by Fortimedix Assets II B.V., Geleen (NL)
Filed on May 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/736,129.
Application 17/736,129 is a division of application No. 16/401,127, filed on May 2, 2019, granted, now 11,571,548.
Application 16/401,127 is a division of application No. 15/838,573, filed on Dec. 12, 2017, granted, now 10,328,241, issued on Jun. 25, 2019.
Application 15/838,573 is a division of application No. 14/614,049, filed on Feb. 4, 2015, abandoned.
Application 14/614,049 is a division of application No. 12/921,475, granted, now 8,986,317, issued on Mar. 24, 2015, previously published as PCT/EP2008/005319, filed on Jun. 30, 2008.
Claims priority of application No. 08004373 (EP), filed on Mar. 10, 2008.
Prior Publication US 2022/0288355 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 25/01 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/005 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 25/0138 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00071 (2013.01); A61B 1/00073 (2013.01); A61B 1/0011 (2013.01); A61B 1/0055 (2013.01); A61B 17/00234 (2013.01); A61M 25/0013 (2013.01); A61M 25/0054 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00309 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00314 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0004 (2013.01); A61M 25/001 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing an instrument for endoscopic applications or the like, which instrument comprises a tube like member having a first end portion and a second end portion opposing said first end portion, the tube like member having a handling end portion with a flexible portion at said first end portion and actuating means located at said second end portion, the handling end portion having a cylindrical part connected to the actuating means by means of a number of longitudinal elements which can be moved in the longitudinal direction to control a bending of the flexible portion of the handling end portion, said longitudinal elements being separated from one another by a number of longitudinal slits formed in said tube like member, each longitudinal element being composed of a strip, at least two adjacent strips being separated by a gap, a plate being located in said gap and being arranged to move in a longitudinal direction of said gap but having a circumferential width filling the width of said gap such as to guide said at least two adjacent strips (101, 103; 111),
the method comprising
providing the tube like member such that the plate is still connected to another portion of the tube like member by a connection, wherein the connection can be destroyed and the method comprises
destroying the connection to allow free movement of the plate in the longitudinal direction of the gap.