A flexible snake-bone cannula that can switch between soft and hard endoscopes, along with a flexible cannula and a rigid endoscope.

Abstract

This invention discloses a flexible and rigid snake-bone tube, as well as a flexible insertion cannula and a rigid endoscope. It relates to the field of snake-bone tubes and solves the problem that the rigidity of existing endoscopes is difficult to meet universal requirements due to variations in application scenarios, doctors, and individual patients. The invention includes a snake-bone structure composed of several segments connected sequentially. Adjacent segments have insertion structures along the axial direction. Each insertion structure includes a male connector at one end of a segment and a female connector at one end of the adjacent segment. Adjacent segments are rotatably connected via the male and female connectors. The male connector has several locking grooves, and an electromagnetic locking mechanism is provided between adjacent segments to abut against the locking grooves. This invention utilizes electromagnetic principles to enable the snake-bone structure to switch between flexible and rigid modes. This allows the invention to be easily inserted into the patient's body like a rigid tube, and also allows for angle adjustment like a rigid tube, effectively improving the applicability of the snake-bone tube.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of snake bone tube technology, specifically relating to a snake bone tube that can switch between soft and hard, as well as a flexible cannula and a rigid endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] Endoscopes are commonly used medical devices. Based on their structural characteristics, endoscopes in the current technology can be divided into rigid endoscopes and flexible endoscopes. Flexible endoscopes include gastroscopes and colonoscopes, while rigid endoscopes include laparoscopes, thoracoscopes, and arthroscopes. Due to their different shapes, rigid endoscopes and flexible endoscopes have their own advantages and disadvantages when used, and therefore their applications are also different.

[0003] Currently, rigid endoscopes are widely used in procedures involving incisions in the surgical area, greatly aiding in both clinical lesion observation and minimally invasive surgery. While rigid endoscopes are easy to insert, they cannot bend, making it difficult to adapt to changes in the patient's internal structures and physical characteristics. Furthermore, due to the limited operating space in the surgical area, interference between the rigid endoscope and other surgical instruments after insertion through the incision is inevitable, thus affecting the surgical procedure.

[0004] Flexible endoscopes are widely used in scenarios involving insertion into the human body through the mouth and other natural orifices. This is because flexible endoscopes are flexible, can be bent and adjusted at different angles, and can adapt to various shapes and characteristics of the tubes inside the patient's body, providing good comfort. However, the flexible endoscope is not easy to insert into the patient's body, and the image resolution of flexible endoscopes is usually not as good as that of rigid endoscopes, which may affect the accuracy of diagnostic results.

[0005] In summary, both rigid and flexible endoscopes have certain impacts on doctors' operations. The rigidity of existing endoscopes is set to a fixed value at the factory, and its rigidity is difficult to meet universal requirements due to differences in application scenarios, doctors, and individual patients. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention discloses a flexible and rigid serpentine tube, a flexible cannula, and a rigid endoscope. It aims to solve the technical problem that the rigidity of existing endoscopes is difficult to meet the universality requirements due to the differences in application scenarios, doctors, and individual patients. The purpose is to enable this invention to be both easy to insert into the patient's body like a rigid endoscope and adjustable in angle like a flexible endoscope, thereby improving the applicability of this invention.

[0007] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A flexible and rigid snake-bone tube includes a snake-bone structure, which is composed of several segments connected sequentially. Adjacent segments are provided with an insertion structure along the axial direction. The insertion structure includes a male connector at one end of a segment and a female connector at one end of an adjacent segment. Adjacent segments are rotatably connected by the male and female connectors. The male connector is provided with several locking grooves. An electromagnetic locking mechanism that abuts against the locking grooves is also provided between adjacent segments.

[0009] In the above-described scheme, the present invention utilizes a snake-bone structure composed of several segments connected sequentially. Adjacent segments can rotate through an insertion structure, effectively achieving the bending of the snake-bone structure, i.e., the bending of the snake-bone tube. An electromagnetic locking mechanism is provided between each adjacent segment. Utilizing electromagnetic principles, the snake-bone structure is controlled to be in a locked or unlocked state. By energizing the electromagnetic locking mechanism, it separates from the locking groove on the male connector, unlocking the adjacent segments. Once unlocked, the adjacent segments of the snake-bone structure can rotate relative to each other, thus making the snake-bone tube behave like a flexible tube, capable of bending and adjusting its shape. Conversely, by de-energizing the electromagnetic locking mechanism, it abuts against the locking groove on the male connector, locking the adjacent segments. Once locked, the adjacent segments of the snake-bone structure cannot rotate, thus making the snake-bone tube behave like a rigid tube, maintaining its locked shape. Compared to the existing rope-controlled snake-bone tube, this design offers more convenient and flexible adjustment while maintaining its shape. By combining the snake-bone structure and the electromagnetic locking structure, the rigidity of the snake-bone tube can be changed, allowing it to switch between soft and hard modes. Like a flexible tube, it can be bent at an adjustable angle. Alternatively, by pre-bending the snake-bone tube to the desired shape and locking it with the electromagnetic locking structure, it maintains the characteristics of a rigid tube. This allows for convenient insertion and a combination of soft and hard modes, effectively improving the applicability of the snake-bone tube. It can handle different application scenarios, usage habits, and tube bending angles, meeting versatility requirements and facilitating use.

[0010] Preferably, the electromagnetic locking mechanism includes a housing, a magnetic locking block, a reset component, and an electromagnetic attraction assembly. The housing is installed below the joint on the side near the female connector. The magnetic locking block is slidably connected to the housing. The front end of the magnetic locking block abuts against the locking groove. The rear end of the magnetic locking block is connected to the reset component. The other end of the reset component is connected to the housing. The electromagnetic attraction assembly is located on the side of the reset component away from the magnetic locking block. The electromagnetic attraction assembly is magnetically engaged with the magnetic locking block.

[0011] In the above scheme, by energizing the electromagnetic attraction component to generate magnetic force, the magnetic locking block compresses the reset component and slides towards one side of the electromagnetic attraction component, so that the magnetic locking block no longer abuts against the locking groove on the male connector, thereby achieving the unlocking effect. The snake bone structure can then be bent by rotating the adjacent joints, thereby bending the snake bone tube to the required angle. After the electromagnetic attraction component is de-energized, the magnetic force disappears, and the magnetic locking block returns to its original position under the elastic force of the reset, abutting against the locking groove again, completing the joint locking, thereby achieving the effect of turning the snake bone tube into a rigid tube.

[0012] Preferably, the housing is provided with a receiving box, the electromagnetic suction assembly is located inside the receiving box, the end of the reset member is connected to the outer side wall of the receiving box, the receiving box is provided with a mounting post above it, the joint is provided with a mounting hole on the side near the female connector, and the mounting post is engaged in the mounting hole.

[0013] In the above solution, the electromagnetic suction component is installed inside the joint by snapping the mounting post on the housing box into the mounting hole on the joint. This facilitates installation and disassembly, and makes it easy to replace when damaged. Furthermore, the housing box separates the electromagnetic suction component from the reset component, which facilitates installation, avoids mutual interference, and is beneficial to use.

[0014] Preferably, the electromagnetic attraction assembly includes an insulating tube and a wire. The insulating tube is installed in the receiving box, and the installation direction of the insulating tube is the same as the extension and retraction direction of the reset member. The wire is wound around the insulating tube, and both ends of the wire extend out of the receiving box and are connected to a power connector.

[0015] In the above scheme, by energizing the power connector, the wires wrapped around the insulating tube generate an electromagnetic field, which in turn attracts the magnetic locking block, thus unlocking the joints. After the power is turned off, the electromagnetic field disappears, thus locking the joints.

[0016] Preferably, the front end of the magnetic locking block is provided with locking teeth, the shape of which matches the shape of the locking groove, and the housing is provided with a sliding groove, the lower end of the magnetic locking block being slidably disposed in the sliding groove.

[0017] In the above scheme, the locking teeth slide in the groove to maintain stability, and the locking teeth extend into the locking groove to complete the engagement, effectively locking the adjacent skeletal segments and keeping the snake bone tube in a rigid tube state.

[0018] Preferably, the male connector is an annular protrusion, the locking grooves are evenly distributed on the outer edge of the annular protrusion, the female connector is an annular groove that mates with the annular protrusion, the joint has a slide rail on the rear side of the annular groove, and the locking teeth are movably disposed in the slide rail.

[0019] In the above scheme, the male connector and the female connector are respectively set as an annular protrusion and an annular groove to make the rotation smoother, and the joint has a slide rail on the rear side of the annular groove for the locking teeth to slide, so as to prevent the locking teeth from deviating in direction.

[0020] Preferably, each of the adjacent vertebrae is provided with a side wing and a side groove at both ends along the axial direction. The side wing of the vertebrae fits into the side groove of the adjacent vertebrae. The top wall of the side wing of the vertebrae and the bottom wall of the side groove of the adjacent vertebrae are located on both sides of the horizontal plane of the rotation center of the insertion structure.

[0021] In the above scheme, the distance between the top wall of the side wing and the bottom wall of the side groove and the horizontal plane of the rotation center of the insertion structure is reduced, thereby reducing the radial offset of the side wing when the snake bone structure bends and ensuring the stability of the snake bone structure in use.

[0022] A flexible cannula includes an inner flexible tube, a sheath, and a snake-bone tube as described above, the snake-bone tube being sleeved outside the inner flexible tube, and the sheath being sleeved and connected to the snake-bone structure.

[0023] In the above scheme, the covering layer is attached to the snake bone structure, so that the snake bone structure is connected together without pins. Adjacent spurs can rotate through the insertion structure and will not fall apart when wrapped by the covering layer. This effectively realizes the bending of the snake bone structure. By applying the snake bone tube to the field of cannulation, the cannula can be pre-bent, which facilitates the use of the operator.

[0024] A flexible rigid endoscope includes the insertion tube as described above, and also includes a cable tube, a handle, a four-way bending section, and a head end. The cable tube, handle, insertion tube, four-way bending section, and head end are connected in sequence. The handle is provided with at least one set of soft-hard switching control components for controlling the electromagnetic locking mechanism inside the insertion tube. The handle is also provided with a four-way bending component for controlling the bending of the four-way bending section.

[0025] In the above-described solution, the rigid endoscope of this invention has the function of switching between rigid and flexible cannulation. When using this invention, doctors can control the switching between rigid and flexible cannulation according to factors such as the patient's condition and comfort, avoiding the need for different endoscopes for different application scenarios, doctor's usage habits, and individual patient differences, thus meeting the need for universality and having good applicability. The remaining cable, handle, four-way bending section, and tip are the same as those in the prior art. In the minimally invasive surgery of the prior art, the rigid endoscope and other surgical instruments are all inserted into the human body. Due to the limited operating space, interference between the rigid endoscope and other surgical instruments is inevitable, thus affecting the surgical operation. However, this invention can adjust the bending angle of the cannula through the rigid-flexion control component, and by adjusting the relative angle and position of the handle and the snake-bone tube, interference between the rigid endoscope and other surgical instruments is avoided, which is beneficial to the operation.

[0026] Preferably, the number of soft-hard switching control components is three, which are respectively connected to the electromagnetic locking mechanisms inside the front, middle and rear sections of the cannula. Each soft-hard switching control component includes a closing control button, a power supply, and a power line. The power line is connected to a power connector. The power supply and the closing control button are both connected to the power line. The closing control button is installed on the handle.

[0027] In the above scheme, the intubation cannula is divided into three sections: the front section, the middle section, and the rear section, and controlled separately. By closing the control button to close the power circuit, the electromagnetic suction component is powered on and off. When the power is turned on, the power connector is powered, thereby generating a magnetic field to achieve the unlocking effect. Different closing control buttons can be operated according to the patient's condition to achieve separate control. It can accurately and independently switch between soft and hard modes for the front, middle, and rear sections of the intubation cannula. It can be pre-bent into different shapes and can be bent in multiple directions, which is beneficial for patients with various physical signs. Depending on the usage, the soft and hard switching control component can be set to more groups to adapt to different situations.

[0028] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0029] 1. This invention utilizes electromagnetic principles to facilitate convenient and quick unlocking and locking control between adjacent joints. By passing current through the guide of the electromagnetic suction component, an electromagnetic field is generated to attract the magnetic locking block to slide backward, thereby unlocking the adjacent joints and realizing the function of angle bending adjustment. After power is cut off, the magnetic locking block resets and inserts into the locking groove, locking the adjacent joints and maintaining the rigid shape, achieving a combination of soft and hard. By switching between soft and hard, the applicability of the snake tube is effectively improved.

[0030] 2. Compared with the existing rope-controlled snake bone tube, the present invention is more convenient and flexible to adjust. By energizing the electromagnetic suction component, the snake bone structure is pre-bent into the required shape and then locked by de-energizing. This allows the snake bone tube to cope with different application scenarios, usage habits and individual patient differences, effectively meeting the needs of universality and facilitating its use.

[0031] 3. The side wings and side grooves of adjacent spurs in the snake bone structure of the present invention reduce the radial offset generated by the side wings when the snake bone structure is bent, thus ensuring the stability of the snake bone structure in use.

[0032] 4. This invention can divide the cannula into multiple segments for controlled switching between soft and hard modes, and can precisely and independently control each segment. It can be pre-bent into different shapes and achieve multi-directional bending, which is beneficial for patients with various physical signs and morphology.

[0033] 5. This invention uses a cannula mounted on a rigid endoscope, giving the rigid endoscope a flexible function. By adjusting the relative angle and position of the handle and the cannula, interference between the rigid endoscope and other surgical instruments can be avoided, which is beneficial for the operation. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The present invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the snake-bone tube structure of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0037] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the axial structure of the electromagnetic locking mechanism of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the axial structure of the electromagnetic locking mechanism of the present invention from another direction;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rigid mirror structure of the present invention.

[0041] Reference numerals: 1-Inner flexible tube, 2-Covering layer, 3-Joint, 4-Male connector, 5-Female connector, 6-Locking groove, 7-Housing, 8-Magnetic locking block, 9-Reset component, 10-Receiving box, 11-Mounting post, 12-Mounting hole, 13-Insulating tube, 14-Wire, 15-Power connector, 16-Close control button, 17-Locking tooth, 18-Slide groove, 19-Slide rail, 20-Side wing, 21-Side groove, 22-Cable conduit, 23-Handle section, 24-Four-way bending section, 25-Head end, 26-Four-way bending knob. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and marked in the accompanying drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely represents selected embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] The following is combined Figures 1-6 The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0045] Example 1:

[0046] This embodiment provides a snake-bone tube that can switch between soft and hard modes. (See attached document.) Figure 1 This includes a snake-bone structure, which is composed of several bone segments connected sequentially using pin connections. (See also...) Figure 2 and Figure 3 Adjacent vertebrae 3 are provided with an insertion structure along the axial direction. The insertion structure includes a male connector 4 at one end of the vertebrae 3 and a female connector 5 at one end of the adjacent vertebrae 3. The male connector 4 is an annular protrusion, and the female connector 5 is an annular groove that mates with the annular protrusion. Adjacent vertebrae 3 are rotatably connected through the male connector 4 and the female connector 5 to achieve bending and turning of the vertebrae. Several locking grooves 6 are provided on the male connector 4. The locking grooves 6 are evenly distributed on the outer edge of the annular protrusion. An electromagnetic locking mechanism that abuts against the locking grooves 6 is also provided between adjacent vertebrae 3.

[0047] In another embodiment, adjacent joints 3 are connected together by a membrane, which can reduce the cost of pin connections.

[0048] In another embodiment, two sets of insertion structures are provided along the axial direction of adjacent vertebrae 3. The adjacent insertion structures are symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of the vertebrae 3, so that the bending and turning of the vertebrae in the left and right directions is more stable.

[0049] In another embodiment, the insertion structures on some adjacent skeletal segments 3 are arranged on the left and right sides of the skeletal segment 3, and some are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the skeletal segment 3. Through orderly staggered arrangement or disordered arrangement, the snake bone tube can achieve partial left and right bending and turning, and partial up and down bending and turning, which is beneficial for the pre-bending of other shapes.

[0050] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The electromagnetic locking mechanism includes a housing 7, a magnetic locking block 8, a reset component 9, and an electromagnetic attraction assembly. A receiving box 10 is located at the rear end of the housing 7, and a mounting post 11 is located above the receiving box 10. A mounting hole 12 is located on the side of the joint 3 near the female connector 5. The housing 7 is installed inside the joint 3 by being engaged with the mounting post 11 on the receiving box 10 within the mounting hole 12. A locking tooth 17 is located at the front end of the magnetic locking block 8. The locking tooth 17 matches the shape of the locking groove 6, and the locking tooth 17 and the locking groove 6 abut against each other, completing the locking between adjacent joints 3. A slide rail 19 is provided between the female connector 5 and the mounting hole 12 on the joint 3 for the locking tooth 17 to slide. A sliding groove 18 is located at the front end of the housing 7, and the lower end of the magnetic locking block 8 is slidably installed within the sliding groove 18. The rear end of block 8 is connected to the reset member 9, and the other end of the reset member 9 is connected to the outer wall of the receiving box 10. The electromagnetic attraction assembly includes an insulating tube 13 and a wire 14. The insulating tube 13 is installed inside the receiving box 10, and the installation direction of the insulating tube 13 is the same as the extension and retraction direction of the reset member 9. The wire 14 is wound around the insulating tube 13, and both ends of the wire 14 extend out of the receiving box 10 and are connected to a power connector 15. A soft-hard conversion control assembly is connected to the power connector 15. There are three sets of soft-hard conversion control assemblies, which are respectively connected to the power connectors 15 of the wires 14 inside all the skeletal segments 3 contained in the front, middle and rear sections of the snake bone structure. Each set of soft-hard conversion control assemblies includes a power line, and each set of power lines is connected to a power supply and a closing control button 16 for closing the control line. Utilizing electromagnetic principles, an electromagnetic field is generated by energizing the wire 14, which attracts the magnetic locking block 8 to slide, causing the locking tooth 17 and the locking groove 6 to separate, thus unlocking the snake bone structure and making the snake bone tube appear as a flexible tube. After the power is turned off, the locking tooth 17 and the locking groove 6 are locked together, thus locking the snake bone structure and making the snake bone tube appear as a rigid tube.

[0051] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3Each adjacent segment 3 has a side wing 20 and a side groove 21 at both ends along the axial direction. The side wing 20 of segment 3 fits into the side groove 21 of the adjacent segment 3. There are two sets of side wings 20 and side grooves 21, symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of segment 3. The top wall of the side wing 20 of segment 3 and the bottom wall of the side groove 21 of the adjacent segment 3 are located on both sides of the horizontal plane of the rotation center of the insertion structure. Specifically, the distance between the top wall of the side wing 20 and the bottom wall of the side groove 21 and the horizontal plane of the rotation center of the insertion structure is reduced, thereby reducing the radial offset of the side wing 20 when the snake structure bends, ensuring the stability of the snake structure in use.

[0052] The specific usage method of this embodiment is as follows:

[0053] This snake-bone tube uses press-to-close control buttons 16 at the front, middle, and rear sections of the snake-bone mechanism to close the power circuit, thereby controlling the unlocking of the front, middle, and rear sections of the snake-bone tube. This allows current to enter the conductor 14, forming an electromagnetic field that attracts the magnetic locking block 8. The magnetic locking block 8 slides backward, causing the locking teeth 17 at its front end to separate from the locking groove 6 on the male connector 4, thus unlocking the adjacent joints 3. This makes the snake-bone tube behave like a flexible tube. After manually pre-bending it to the desired angle, releasing the closure control button 16 disconnects the power circuit, the electromagnetic field disappears, and the magnetic locking block 8 returns to its original position under the elastic force of the reset member 9. That is, the locking teeth 17 extend into the locking groove 6 to complete the locking, thus making the snake-bone tube behave like a rigid tube. By switching between soft and hard modes, a combination of soft and hard modes is achieved, effectively improving the applicability of the snake-bone tube.

[0054] Example 2:

[0055] This embodiment provides a flexible cannula, see reference. Figure 1 It includes an inner flexible tube 1, a covering layer 2, and a snake bone tube as described in Example 1. The snake bone tube is sleeved on the outside of the inner flexible tube 1, and the covering layer 2 is sleeved and connected to the snake bone structure.

[0056] Specifically, the inner tube 1 provides a channel for the instrument, and the covering layer 2 connects the joints 3 together to ensure that the snake bone structure does not fall apart. By applying the snake bone tube to the field of cannulation, the cannula can be pre-bent, which facilitates the use of the operator.

[0057] Example 3:

[0058] This embodiment provides a flexible rigid mirror, see reference. Figure 6The device includes the insertion tube as in Embodiment 2, as well as a cable tube 22, a handle 23, a four-way bending section 24, and a head end 25. The cable tube 22, handle 23, insertion tube, four-way bending section 24, and head end 25 are connected in sequence. The handle 23 is provided with three sets of soft-hard switching control components for controlling the electromagnetic locking mechanism inside the insertion tube. The three sets of soft-hard switching control components are respectively connected to the electromagnetic locking mechanism inside the front, middle, and rear sections of the insertion tube. Each set of soft-hard switching control components includes a closing control button 16, a power supply, and a power line. The power line is connected to the power connector 15. The power supply and closing control button 16 of each set of soft-hard switching control components are connected to the power line. The closing control button 16 is installed on the handle 23. The handle 23 is also provided with a four-way bending component for controlling the bending of the four-way bending section 24.

[0059] Specifically, by dividing the intubation cannula into three sections—the front, middle, and rear—and controlling them separately, different closure control buttons 16 can be operated according to the patient's condition to achieve separate control. This allows for precise and independent switching between rigid and flexible cannula operation for the front, middle, and rear sections, which is beneficial for patients with various physical signs and morphology. Furthermore, the bending angle of the intubation cannula can be adjusted through the rigid-flexion control component. By adjusting the relative angle and position of the handle 23 and the intubation cannula, interference with rigid endoscopes and other surgical instruments can be avoided, facilitating the surgery. The four-way bending component includes four traction wires and a four-way bending knob 26 consisting of two bending knobs. The traction wires are connected to the four-way bending section 24 through the inner flexible tube 1. One bending knob connects two traction wires in opposite directions. Rotating the bending knob pulls the traction wires, thereby causing the four-way bending section 24 to bend in two directions. The four-way bending knob 26, consisting of two bending knobs, can control the four-way bending section 24 to bend in four directions. The specific implementation method is similar to existing technologies.

[0060] In this embodiment, the cable conduit 22, handle part 23, insertion tube, four-way bending section 24 and head end 25 are all the same as those in the prior art, and those skilled in the art can fully implement them. This invention does not involve any changes to its structure and usage method, and will not be described in detail here.

[0061] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A snake-bone tube with switchable hard and soft modes, characterized in that, The structure includes a snake bone structure, which is composed of several bone segments (3) connected in sequence. An insertion structure is provided on the adjacent bone segments (3) along the axial direction. The insertion structure includes a male connector (4) at one end of the bone segment (3) and a female connector (5) at one end of the adjacent bone segment (3). The adjacent bone segments (3) are rotatably connected by the male connector (4) and the female connector (5). Several locking grooves (6) are provided on the male connector (4). An electromagnetic locking mechanism that abuts against the locking grooves (6) is also provided between the adjacent bone segments (3). The electromagnetic locking mechanism includes a housing (7), a magnetic locking block (8), a reset component (9), and an electromagnetic attraction assembly. The housing (7) is installed below the joint (3) on the side near the female connector (5). The magnetic locking block (8) is slidably connected to the housing (7). The front end of the magnetic locking block (8) is abutted against the locking groove (6). The rear end of the magnetic locking block (8) is connected to the reset component (9). The other end of the reset component (9) is connected to the housing (7). The electromagnetic attraction assembly is located on the side of the reset component (9) away from the magnetic locking block (8). The electromagnetic attraction assembly is magnetically engaged with the magnetic locking block (8).

2. The flexible serpentine tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (7) is provided with a receiving box (10), the electromagnetic suction assembly is located inside the receiving box (10), the end of the reset member (9) is connected to the outer wall of the receiving box (10), the receiving box (10) is provided with a mounting post (11) above it, the joint (3) is provided with a mounting hole (12) on the side near the female connector (5), and the mounting post (11) is snapped into the mounting hole (12).

3. The flexible-hard switchable snake-bone tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electromagnetic attraction assembly includes an insulating tube (13) and a wire (14). The insulating tube (13) is installed in the receiving box (10). The installation direction of the insulating tube (13) is the same as the extension and retraction direction of the reset member (9). The wire (14) is wound around the insulating tube (13). Both ends of the wire (14) extend out of the receiving box (10) and are connected to a power connector (15).

4. The flexible-hard switchable snake-bone tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front end of the magnetic locking block (8) is provided with locking teeth (17), the shape of the locking teeth (17) matches the shape of the locking groove (6), the housing (7) is provided with a sliding groove (18), and the lower end of the magnetic locking block (8) is slidably disposed in the sliding groove (18).

5. A flexible snake-bone tube according to claim 4, characterized in that, The male connector (4) is an annular protrusion, the locking groove (6) is evenly distributed on the outer edge of the annular protrusion, the female connector (5) is an annular groove that matches the annular protrusion, the joint (3) has a slide rail (19) on the rear side of the annular groove, and the locking tooth (17) is movably disposed in the slide rail (19).

6. A flexible-hard switchable snake-bone tube according to any one of claims 1-4 or 5, characterized in that, The two ends of the adjacent vertebral segments (3) are respectively provided with side wings (20) and side grooves (21) along the axial direction. The side wings (20) of the vertebral segments (3) fit into the side grooves (21) of the adjacent vertebral segments (3). The top wall of the side wings (20) of the vertebral segments (3) and the bottom wall of the side grooves (21) of the adjacent vertebral segments (3) are respectively located on both sides of the horizontal plane of the rotation center of the insertion structure.

7. A flexible cannula, characterized in that, It includes an inner flexible tube (1), a covering layer (2), and a snake-bone tube as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the snake-bone tube is sleeved on the outside of the inner flexible tube (1), and the covering layer (2) is sleeved and connected to the snake-bone structure.

8. A flexible rigid mirror, characterized in that, The device includes the insertion tube as described in claim 7, and further includes a cable tube (22), a handle (23), a four-way bending section (24), and a head end (25). The cable tube (22), handle (23), insertion tube, four-way bending section (24), and head end (25) are connected in sequence. The handle (23) is provided with at least one set of soft-hard switching control components for controlling the electromagnetic locking mechanism inside the insertion tube. The handle (23) is also provided with a four-way bending component for controlling the bending of the four-way bending section (24).

9. A flexible rigid mirror according to claim 8, characterized in that, The number of soft-hard switching control components is three, which are respectively connected to the electromagnetic locking mechanism inside the front, middle and rear sections of the cannula. The soft-hard switching control components include a closing control button (16), a power supply and a power line. The power line is connected to the power connector (15). The power supply and the closing control button (16) are both connected to the power line. The closing control button (16) is installed on the handle (23).

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