| 摘要 |
A steerable endoscope has an elongated body (102) with a selectively steerab le distal portion (104) and an automatically controlled proximal portion (104). The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller (140) operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selecte d curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope bod y is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along t he endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body that allows it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through or aroun d and between organs within the body. |
