Endoscope with deployable tooltip camera and methods of use thereof
Abstract:
A deployable and flexible tooltip camera is provided for integration within a shaft of an endoscopic tool. The tooltip camera includes a camera mounted to a distal tip of a curved tube which is capable of rotational and translational movement to provide a wide field of view of a tooltip of the endoscopic tool during an endoscopic procedure. The tube retains its curved shape when in use to provide a unique perspective view of the tooltip, but can then be withdrawn into a shaft of the endoscopic tool such that the entire tooltip camera and tube are retained within the shaft of the endoscopic tool and can pass through a cannula. The curved tube may be formed of a super-elastic memory alloy like Nitinol and pre-shaped into an s-curve using a two-step heat treatment process to attain the necessary curvature, and further laser-patterned with holes to attain the necessary flexibility.
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