360 degree panning stereo endoscope
AssigneeConmed Corporation
InventorsYuri Kazakevich, Douglas D. Sjostrom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A panning stereo endoscope which maintains an up-down orientation as the stereo endoscope pans an operative field, the panning stereo endoscope comprising: a shaft having an axis; first and second optical channels extending along the shaft, each of the first and second optical channels having an off-axis direction of view; and an actuating mechanism carried by the shaft and adapted to (i) synchronously rotate the first and second optical channels about their respective axes, and (ii) synchronously, inversely piston the first and second optical channels along their respective axes.
Claims8
A panning stereo endoscope which maintains an up-down orientation as the stereo endoscope pans an operative field, the panning stereo endoscope comprising:
- a shaft having an axis;
- first and second optical channels extending along the shaft, each of the first and second optical channels having an off-axis direction of view;
- and
- an actuating mechanism carried by the shaft and adapted to (i) synchronously rotate the first and second optical channels about their respective axes, and (ii) synchronously, inversely piston the first and second optical channels along their respective axes.
-10. (canceled)
A method for stereoscopically viewing an operative field, the method comprising:
- providing a panning stereo endoscope which maintains an up-down orientation as the stereo endoscope pans an operative field, the panning stereo endoscope comprising:
- a shaft having an axis;
- first and second optical channels extending along the shaft, each of the first and second optical channels having an off-axis direction of view;
- and
- an actuating mechanism carried by the shaft and adapted to (i) synchronously rotate the first and second optical channels about their respective axes, and (ii) synchronously, inversely piston the first and second optical channels along their respective axes;
- positioning the panning stereo endoscope adjacent to an operative field;
- and
- viewing the operative field through the panning stereo endoscope and actuating the actuating mechanism.
-20. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.