Neptune Medical Inc.

Nested robotic systems including rigidizing members that are configured to aid in transporting a scope, e.g., endoscope, or other medical instrument through a body. These apparatuses may include a first rigidizing device coaxially located relative to a second rigidizing device, a user-activated control for steering, advancing and/or retracting the systems, an actuator to enable axial movement and/or steering of the second rigidizing device, and a controller for coordinating the rigidity of the first and second rigidizing devices. The first and second rigidizing devices may be configured to be rigidized by the application of pressure and/or vacuum.

Methods for preventing contamination of an endoscope may include coupling a sheath device to cover both the inside and outside of the endoscope. The sheath device may include a rigidizing flexible tubular external sheath that extends over the endoscope to form an external protective barrier, a tubular internal sheath that extends within a lumen of the endoscope that forms an internal protective barrier, and a cap sealed to both the external sheath and the internal sheath. The sheath may be rigidized to enhance insertion.

Apparatuses and methods for mapping a body lumen, including but not limited to, a colon. These methods may include the robotic and/or automatic or semi-automatic use of one or more rigidizing member to create a stable foundation from which a second member (which is optionally rigidizing) may be advanced and/or withdrawn and/or rotated in order to take multiple images of the body lumen (e.g., of the walls of the body lumen) to create a coverage map of the body lumen. These methods may include controlling the first and/or second member to apply one or more techniques to ensure that the mapping is performed rapidly while achieving full or nearly full coverage of the body lumen over the full extent of the lumen or a selected sub-region.

Described herein are rigidizable apparatuses (e.g., devices, systems, etc.) that may be controlled. e.g., such as by the application of positive and/or negative pressure, to transition between rigid and flexible configurations. These apparatuses may be configured to transition between a highly flexible configuration in which the elongate device may be flexible or floppy and a highly rigid (or selectively rigid) configuration that is many times more rigid than the flexible configuration.

Apparatuses (e.g., devices, systems, etc.) and methods that may provide access to one or more tools to a remote site in the body including expandable and external working channels that may be part of a tube that is coupled to an outer surface of an elongate medical device, such as an endoscope.

Pressure control systems/sub-systems that improve the operation and safety of dynamically rigidizing devices may control the application of pressure to rigidize/de-rigidize a pressure-rigidized device. Described herein apparatuses and methods for rigidizing and maintaining rigidization using over-pressurized, transient pulses for a pressure-rigidizing medical device. These apparatuses and methods may rigidize and/or de-rigidize more rapidly and effectively.

Nested robotic systems including rigidizing members that are configured to aid in transporting a scope, e.g., endoscope, or other medical instrument through a body. These apparatuses may include a first rigidizing device coaxially located relative to a second rigidizing device, a user-activated control for steering, advancing and/or retracting the systems, an actuator to enable axial movement and/or steering of the second rigidizing device, and a controller for coordinating the rigidity of the first and second rigidizing devices. The first and second rigidizing devices may be configured to be rigidized by the application of pressure and/or vacuum.

A rigidizing device includes an elongate flexible tube, a braid layer positioned over the elongate flexible tube, an outer layer over the flexible tube and the braid layer, and an inlet between the elongate flexible tube and the outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The braid layer has a plurality of strands braided together at a braid angle of 5-40 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate flexible tube when the elongate flexible tube is straight. The rigidizing device is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet. The braid angle is configured to change as the rigidizing device bends when the rigidizing device is in the flexible configuration.

A rigidizing device includes an elongate flexible tube, a braid layer positioned over the elongate flexible tube, an outer layer over the flexible tube and the braid layer, and an inlet between the elongate flexible tube and the outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The braid layer has a plurality of strands braided together at a braid angle of 5-40 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate flexible tube when the elongate flexible tube is straight. The rigidizing device is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet. The braid angle is configured to change as the rigidizing device bends when the rigidizing device is in the flexible configuration.

A rigidizing device includes a plurality of layers and an inlet between the elongate flexible tube and the outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The rigidizing device is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet.