Deformation analysis for a endoscope by wires restriction

Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a surgery which is performed with an endoscope passed through natural orifice. This technique does not require external incisions on the body surface and has the advantage that the recovery of a patient is early. In such a case, it is necessary for an endoscope to have the flexibility to avoid damaging other body parts. Many flexible endoscopes using multiple wires have proposed. In this paper, the endoscope which is restricted by wires at multiple points is discussed. The endoscope can change the rigidity of a part of itself by wire tensions, and the deformation of the mechanism is decided by wire lengths and wire tensions. The deformation of the mechanism for not only wire lengths but also the wire tensions is analyzed based on the beam bending theory.