Apparatuses and Methods for a Tubular Concentric Tube Continuum Manipulator

원문 (중국어)

The present disclosure provides for a visual inspection apparatus. The apparatus may include a concentrically nested tube assembly having a first tube, a second tube, and a third tube. In some embodiments, the first tube includes a first deflectable section, the second tube includes a second deflectable section, and the third tube includes a third deflectable section. The first, second, and third deflectable sections may be selectively weakened portions of the first, second, and third tubes. The first and second tubes may be joined at a location distal to the first and second deflectable sections. The tube assembly may be actuable to form a first bend by relative axial translation between the first tube and the second tube, and the tube assembly may be actuable to form a second bend by relative axial transaction between the second tube and the third tube. Such bending may be co-planar or non-co-planar.