MICROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING GROUND DISTAL COIL PORTION

摘要

A flexible microsurgical instrument (10) having a distal portion (36) which is ground to a reduced diameter and covered with a stiffening sleeve (38) is disclosed. The instrument includes a proximal actuating handle (12) coupled to a flexible coil (14) containing at least one control wire (20 or 22) and a distal end effector (18) coupled to the distal end of the coil and a control wire. A distal portion of the coil is ground to a reduced outer diameter and thus a reduced thickness. The stiffness of the distal portion is enhanced by placing a stiffening sleeve (38) over the ground distal portion. The stiffening sleeve has a thickness substantially equal to one half the difference between the reduced diameter of the ground distal portion and the diameter of the remainder of the coil so that the outer diameter of the coil is substantially constant along its length when the stiffening sleeve is in place.