US 12,349,869 B2
Articulated tip part for an endoscope
Thomas Bachgaard Jensen, Copenhagen V (DK); Kaspar Mat Matthison-Hansen, Helsingør (DK); Jan Guldberg Hansen, Greve (DK); Troels Nicolaj Qvist, Roskilde (DK); and Michael Kappler Hansen, Vallensæk (DK)
Assigned to AMBU A/S, Ballerup (DK)
Filed by AMBU A/S, Ballerup (DK)
Filed on May 14, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/874,628.
Application 16/874,628 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/807,283, filed on Mar. 3, 2020, abandoned.
Application 16/874,628 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/718,335, filed on Dec. 18, 2019, granted, now 11,992,181.
Claims priority of application No. 18215278 (EP), filed on Dec. 21, 2018; and application No. 19160528 (EP), filed on Mar. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0268238 A1, Aug. 27, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 1/005 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/0055 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00009 (2013.01); A61B 1/00045 (2013.01); A61B 1/00071 (2013.01); A61B 1/00137 (2013.01); A61B 1/00165 (2013.01); A61B 1/005 (2013.01); A61B 1/0052 (2013.01); A61B 1/05 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical device operable to obtain images of an internal cavity of a patient, the medical device comprising:
a handle;
a flexible tube having a proximal end adjacent the handle and a distal end, the flexible tube including a first section having a first radial cross-section area and a second section distal of the first section and having a second radial cross-section area smaller than the first radial cross-section area, the second section having a cylindrical outer surface extending along an entire length of the second section;
a bending section extending from the flexible tube and including hinges and segments formed together with the hinges as a single part, the segments comprising a proximal end segment, a distal end segment, and intermediate segments between the proximal end segment and the distal end segment, the segments hingedly connected to each other by the hinges, the proximal end segment including a proximal end segment peripheral wall having an inner surface defining an internal space, the second section positioned at least partly in the internal space, wherein the intermediate segments include outer surfaces, wherein at least some of the outer surfaces of the intermediate sections segments comprise an area profile with a two-dimensional arithmetical mean height parameter, Sa, in the range of 0.9 microns to 9.0 microns as measured by standard ISO 25178;
a tubular sleeve disposed over the bending section; and
a camera assembly supported by the bending section and operable to generate images of distal views,
wherein the at least some of the outer surfaces comprising the Sa in the range of 0.9 microns to 9.0 microns traverse an articulation plane to enable the tubular sleeve to slide on the outer surfaces of the segments, and
wherein the bending section comprises a proximal outer edge surface, and
wherein the tubular sleeve comprises a proximal end with a proximal rim surface facing the proximal outer edge surface.