| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a steerable structure of a catheter or endoscope type that avoids drawbacks of the prior art in a manner that is simple, effective and inexpensive, giving access to portions of a system that are inaccessible using known means. <P>SOLUTION: The steerable structure (21, 27) of the catheter or the endoscope type comprises an elastically or deformable longitudinal body (22, 28) including at least one actuator (16, 38) of material of the shape memory type incorporated longitudinally with the body (22, 28) together with Joule-effect heater means enabling the actuator (16, 38) to be contracted longitudinally in order to cause the longitudinal body (22, 28) to bend, wherein the actuator (16, 38) extends over at least one portion of the body (22, 28) that presents varying stiffness. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT |
