公开(公告)号：US12108932B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-08

申请号：US17408935

申请日：2021-08-23

Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION

Inventor： Tomoyuki Kugo ,  Takeshi Takahashi ,  Tomohiro Kitanaka

IPC: F16C1/12 ,  A61B1/00 ,  A61B1/005 ,  F16C1/20

CPC classification number: A61B1/00078 ,  A61B1/00006 ,  A61B1/0052 ,  A61B1/0057 ,  F16C1/12 ,  F16C1/20 ,  A61B1/0051 ,  A61B1/0055

Abstract: A variable-rigidity device includes a tubular member including a plurality of high-rigidity portions and low-rigidity portions arranged along a longitudinal axis, a core member arranged on an inner side of the tubular member and including a plurality of high-rigidity core portions and low-rigidity core portions; and an actuator configured to relatively move the core member with respect to the tubular member, in which the actuator is configured to cause a first force to repeatedly fluctuate with a passage of time, the first force causing the core member to relatively move with respect to the tubular member in an axial direction along the longitudinal axis.

公开(公告)号：US11839358B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-12

申请号：US17109231

申请日：2020-12-02

Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION

Inventor： Tomoyuki Kugo

IPC: A61B1/005 ,  A61L29/02 ,  A61L29/14 ,  A61M25/00

CPC classification number: A61B1/0055 ,  A61B1/0058 ,  A61L29/02 ,  A61L29/14 ,  A61L2400/16 ,  A61M25/0054

Abstract: A rigidity variable device includes: a main body unit having an elongated shape; a plurality of higher rigidity portions made of metal, the higher rigidity portions being included in the main body unit and arrayed in a separated manner in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the main body unit; and one or a plurality of lower rigidity portions included in the main body unit and including a shape memory alloy coil disposed between adjacent ones of the higher rigidity portions and formed by winding a wire around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis. A rigidity of the shape memory alloy coil increases when heated.