Focusing fiber-optic needle endoscope

A fiber-optic needle endoscope for viewing objects and comprising:

• a scope body,
• a hollow elongated needle having an outside diameter less than about 0.051 inches and being small enough to pass through a 17-gauge thin-wall lumbar puncture needle, said elongated needle having a forward end and a rearward end attached to said scope body,
• an image transmitting lens system at a forward end of the needle,
• an elongated image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle, said bundle having a distal end operatively located near the lens system at the forward end of the needle and the bundle extending rearwardly from said distal end to a proximate end thereof rearwardly of the needle,
• a plurality of illumination transmitting fiber-optic rods within the needle, and having distal ends at the forward end of the needle, said plurality of rods extending rearwardly and having proximate ends disposed for operative connection to a source of illumination,
• a channel means within the needle for accommodating an electrode which can be extended forwardly of the distal end of the needle and visually supervised through the image transmitting bundle, and
• means connected to the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods rearwardly of the needle for reciprocating the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle and with respect to the lens system in inorder to adjust the focus of the image transmitted to the distal end of the bundle by the lens system for a given distance between the forward end of the needle and the object to be viewed.

A method for creating radiofrequency lesions in body tissues with a fiber-optic needle endoscope having a hollow elongated needle, an image transmitting lens system at a forward end of the needle, an elongated image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle, said bundle having a distal end near the forward end of the needle in operative disposition with respect to said lens system and the bundle extending rearwardly from said distal end to a proximate end thereof, a plurality of illumination transmitting fiber-optic rods within the needle and having distal ends at the forward end of the needle, said plurality of rods extending rearwardly and having proximate ends disposed for oprative connection to a source of illumination, a channel means within the needle for accommodating an electrode which can be extended forwardly of the distal end of the needle and visually supervised through the image transmitting bundle, means connected to the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods rearwardly of the needle for reciprocating the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle and with respect to the lens system in order to adjust the focus of the image transmitted to the distal end of the bundle by the lens system for a given distance between the forward end of the needle and the object to be viewed, and means for viewing the image at the proximate end of the bundle, said method comprising the steps of:

• inserting a puncture needle and internal stylet into the body tissue,
• removing the stylet,
• inserting the elongated needle into the puncture needle and forwardly into the body tissue, while
• viewing the image transmitted to the proximate end of the bundle, and while
• adjusting the focus of the tissue object viewed by adjusting said means connected to the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods and thereby reciprocating the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods with respect to said elongated needle and said lens system,
• inserting an electrode into said channel forwardly of the forward end of the elongated needle and placing the electrode in the body tissue in which lesions are to be created, by viewing such placement through the means for viewing the image at the proximate end of the bundle, and
• generating radiofrequency impulses in said electrode to create lesions in said body tissue.

A method of treating body tissues with a needle endoscope having viewing means including a bundle of image transmitting fiber-optic rods operatively disposed with respect to a lens system at a forward end of the needle, and said endoscope having illumination means, the method comprising the steps of:

• inserting said needle into said tissues, said needle having a forward end and a rearward end,
• inserting, through said needle, an electrode into said tissues while viewing an operative end of said electrode through said needle to correctly position said electrode and forwardly of said forward end of said needle and while
• adjusting the focus of the endoscope to resolve viewed tissue as desired by reciprocating said bundle within said needle and with respect to said lens system in response to movement of a focus adjusting means connected in said viewing means rearwardly of the rearward end of said needle, and thereafter
• generating radiofrequency pulses in said electrode to create lesions in said tissue.

A method of treating body tissues comprising the steps of:

• inserting a needle into a body near tissues to be treated, said needle having viewing means for viewing a small area of tissue microscopically under in-focus magnification and said needle being adjustable to view a larger area of tissue telescopically under lesser in-focus magnification by withdrawing said needle away from said tissue, said needle also having tissue illumination means therein and having an outside diameter of approximately 18-gauge;
• focusing said viewing means to resolve the tissue viewed at a selected distance from said needle by reciprocating said viewing means with respect to said needle and in response to movement of a focus adjusting means connected to said viewing means rearwardly of a rearward end of said needle,
• inserting, through said needle, an electrode into said body;
• viewing an operative end of said electrode through said needle and within the range of magnification provided by said viewing means;
• positioning said electrode in said tissues to be treated while said electrode is under microscopic supervision, and
• generating radiofrequency pulses in said electrode to create lesions in said tissue.

A fiber-optic needle endoscope for viewing objects and comprising:

• a hollow elongated needle,
• an image transmitting lens system at a forward end of the needle,
• an elongated image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle, said bundle having a distal end near the forward end of the needle in operative disposition with respect to said lens system, and the bundle extending rearwardly from said distal end to a proximate end thereof,
• a plurality of illumination transmitting fiber-optic rods within the needle and having distal ends at the forward end of the needle, said plurality of rods extending rearwardly and having proximate ends disposed for operative connection to a source of illumination, and
• means connected to the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods rearwardly of the needle for reciprocating the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle and with respect to the lens system in order to adjust the focus of the image transmitted to the distal end of the bundle by the lens system for a given distance between the forward end of the needle and the object to be viewed.

A fiber-optic needle endoscope for viewing objects and comprising:

• a hollow elongated needle having a forward end and a rearward end,
• an image transmitting lens system mounted at the forward end of the needle,
• an elongated image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods within the needle, said bundle having a distal end near the forward end of the needle in operative disposition with respect to said lens system, and the bundle extending rearwardly from said distal end to a proximate end thereof rearwardly of said needle,
• a plurality of illumination transmitting fiber-optic rods within the needle and having distal ends at the forward end of the needle, said plurality of rods extending rearwardly and having proximate ends disposed for operative connection to a source of illumination, and
• focus adjusting means operatively connected between the rearward end of said needle and the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods rearwardly of the needle for moving the image transmitting bundle of fiber-optic rods and the combined needle, and lens system with respect to each other in order to adjust the focus of the image transmitted to the distal end of the bundle by the lens system for a given distance between the forward end of the needle and the object to be viewed.