Endoscope bending section
Summary
USPTO granted patent US12588804B2 to Cook Medical Technologies LLC for an endoscope bending section capable of bending in four directions independent of the viewing configuration. The patent includes 19 claims covering continuous and discontinuous rib designs that allow accessory channels to move laterally within the device interior cavity.
What changed
USPTO granted patent US12588804B2 to Cook Medical Technologies LLC for an endoscope bending section technology. The invention provides bending sections that can bend in four directions independently of the rotatable viewing configuration, using continuous and discontinuous ribs to enable accessory channel structures to move laterally into and out of a longitudinal interior cavity. The patent application was filed November 1, 2023, under Application No. 18499951, with 19 claims covering both the device configuration and methods of using the endoscope system in a patient's body.
Medical device manufacturers developing endoscopic equipment should conduct freedom-to-operate analyses to determine whether their products may infringe this patent. Companies should review existing product lines for any licensing requirements. Legal counsel should be consulted to assess the patent's scope and validity, particularly regarding the specific rib configurations and accessory channel mobility features disclosed in the claims.
What to do next
- Conduct freedom-to-operate analysis for endoscopic device products
- Review existing product lines for potential licensing requirements
- Consult intellectual property counsel to assess patent scope and validity
Archived snapshot
Mar 31, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Endoscope bending section
Grant US12588804B2 Kind: B2 Mar 31, 2026
Assignee
COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Inventors
John Crowder Sigmon, Jr., Shaun D. Gittard
Abstract
Endoscope systems with bending sections that can bend in four directions independent of the rotatable viewing configuration of the endoscope systems are provided. Embodiments include continuous and uncontinuous ribs that provide for at least one accessory channel structure to be movable laterally into and out of a longitudinal interior cavity circumferentially defined by the ribs. Methods of using the endoscope systems in a patient's body are further provided.
CPC Classifications
A61B 1/00098 A61B 1/0051 A61B 1/0052 A61B 1/0053 A61B 1/0055 A61B 1/0056 A61B 1/0057 A61B 1/0058 A61B 1/008 A61B 1/018 A61B 1/00073 A61B 1/00174 A61B 1/00177 A61B 1/00179 A61B 1/00181 A61B 1/00183
Filing Date
2023-11-01
Application No.
18499951
Claims
19
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Source
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