Instrument and method for making the same

摘要

A process for producing the actuating part of an instrument for endoscopic applications, which instrument comprises a tubular member having a handling end portion with a flexible portion and an actuating device located at another end portion, which actuating device comprises a cylindrical part connected to the handling end portion, a cylindrical part connected to the actuating device and a number of longitudinal elements for transferring the movement of the actuating device to the handling end portion, the actuating device being made beginning with a full cylindrical tube which is provided with a number of longitudinal slits thereby forming the longitudinal elements.

主权项

1. A process of producing an instrument for endoscopic applications, the instrument comprising a tubular member that includes three coaxial cylindrical members, the process including:
providing an inner cylindrical member including a first rigid inner member end part connected to a handling end portion of the instrument, a first flexible inner member part, an intermediate rigid inner member part, a second flexible inner member part, and a second rigid inner member end part connected to an actuating end portion of the instrument; providing a full cylindrical tube, and making a number of longitudinal slits in the cylindrical tube so as to form separate longitudinal elements in the cylindrical tube and to produce an intermediate cylindrical member including a first rigid intermediate member end part at the handling end portion of the instrument, and a second rigid intermediate member end part at the actuating end portion of the instrument that is connected to the first rigid intermediate member end part via three or more of the separate longitudinal elements, each of the longitudinal elements being connected to both the first rigid intermediate member end part and the second rigid intermediate member end part; providing an outer cylindrical member including a first rigid outer member end part at the handling end portion of the instrument, a first flexible outer member part, an intermediate rigid outer member part, a second flexible outer member part, and a second rigid outer member end part at the actuating end portion of the instrument; inserting the inner cylindrical member into the intermediate cylindrical member and inserting the intermediate cylindrical member into the outer cylindrical member; connecting the first rigid inner member end part, the first rigid intermediate member end part and the first rigid outer member end part to each other; and connecting the second rigid inner member end part, the second rigid intermediate member end part and the second rigid outer member end part to each other such that the longitudinal elements of the intermediate cylindrical member are arranged to control a radial deflection of the handling end portion of the instrument by a radial deflection of the actuating end portion of the instrument through a movement of the longitudinal elements in a longitudinal direction.