Disposable sheath for a miniature endoscope
OwnerPaul Remijan, James E. McDonaldinventors
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Abstract
An endoscopic has an fiber optic waveguide that transmits an image from a distal end to a proximal end, the waveguide having an outer diameter of less than 3 mm. A lens system is positioned at the distal end of the fiber optic waveguide. An imaging device is optically coupled to the proximal end of fiber optic waveguide. A disposable sheath extends about the fiber optic waveguide to provide a sterile barrier, and in a preferred embodiment the sheath includes an illumination channel. In a preferred embodiment, the lens system has a first lens element, a second lens element and an aperture stop.
Claims40
A disposable fiber optic sheath for illuminating a region within a body comprising:
- a tubular sheath having an inner tube and an outer tube with a diameter of less than 2 mm and a concentric array of illumination optical fibers within the sheath;
- a seal at the distal end of the sheath that transmits an image;
- and
- a connector assembly at a proximal end of the sheath.
A disposable fiber optic sheath for illuminating a region within a mammalian body comprising:
- a tubular sheath having an outer tube with a diameter of less than 2 mm and an inner tube;
- an array of optical fibers extending between the outer tube and the inner tube and defining a concentric illumination surface area at a distal end;
- a sealing element at the distal end of the sheath to provide a tubular cavity with an opening at a proximal end;
- and
- a hub assembly mounted at the proximal end of the tubular sheath, the hub assembly including a connector and an optical coupler that is optically coupled to a proximal end of the array of optical fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.