Stryker Corporation
Surgical Tool Having Cables For Selectively Steering And Locking A Shaft In A Bend

Abstract:

A surgical tool with cable-based steering assembly and lock assembly. An outer tube is coupled to a handle, and an inner member includes a tissue working member. The inner member may be an inner tube rotatably disposed in the outer tube and including a flexible neck aligned with links coupled to the outer tube. A steering unit is configured to be actuated to simultaneously tension and slacken steering cables to cause relative pivoting of the links so as to provide a bend or curve. The lock assembly is configured to be actuated to place simultaneous tension on the steering cables to compress the links against each other and inhibit further pivoting of the links against side loading from the tissue. The links may be shaped to have a frame that is tube-shaped with the frames of the links have the same inner and outer diameters as the outer tube.