Endoscope
AssigneeSumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
InventorsKimizo Ono, Akira Nishimura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An endoscope for image-observing or measuring an area filled with an opaque liquid is disclosed. The endoscope comprises an image fiber, a lens positioned at the leading end of the image fiber, a light guide arranged in parallel to the image fiber, a transparent fluid transport passage arranged in parallel to the image fiber and the light guide and having an outlet at the leading end thereof, a sheath enclosing the image fiber, lens, light guide and transparent fluid transport passage and a means for providing a field of vision at the leading end of the endoscope by a transparent fluid from the outlet of the transparent fluid transport passage. A means for stabilizing the field of vision formed by the field of vision providing means is provided on the leading end portion of the sheath.
Claims17
An endoscope for image-observing or measuring an area filled with an opaque liquid comprising:
- an image fiber;
- a lens positioned at the leading end of said image fiber;
- a light guide arranged in parallel to said image fiber;
- a transparent fluid transport passage arranged in parallel to said image fiber and light guide and having an outlet at the leading end thereof;
- a sheath enclosing said image fiber, lens, light guide and transparent fluid transport passage;
- means for providing a field of vision at the leading end of said endoscope by a transparent fluid from said outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage;
- and
- stabilizing means provided on the leading end portion of said sheath for stabilizing said field of vision formed by said field of vision providing means
- said field of vision providing means including a transparent balloon provided at the leading end of said endoscope encircling said lens, the leading end of said light guide and the outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage and being inflatable by the transparent fluid from said opening;
- said stabilizing means including a substantially cylindrical balloon support means formed of a resilient material and provided at the leading end of said endoscope so as to encircle the joint portion of said balloon, said balloon support means in response to inflation of said balloon, being gradually expanded in a direction from a trailing end toward a leading end thereof for supporting the balloon joint portion when said balloon is inflated.
An endoscope for image-observing or measuring an area filed with an opaque liquid comprising:
- an image fiber;
- a lens positioned at the leading end of said image fiber;
- a light guide arranged in parallel to said image fiber;
- a transparent fluid transport passage arranged in parallel to said image fiber and light guide and having an outlet at the leading end thereof;
- sheath enclosing said image fiber, lens, light guide and transparent fluid transport passage;
- means for providing a field of vision at the leading end of said endoscope by a transparent fluid from said outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage;
- and
- stabilizing means for stabilizing said field of vision formed by said field of vision providing means,
- said field of vision providing means including a transparent balloon provided at the leading end of said endoscope encircling said lens, the leading end of said light guide and the outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage and being inflatable by the transparent fluid from said opening, and
- said stabilizing means including a support balloon mounted on said sheath behind said transparent balloon for supporting a backside of the transparent balloon when said transparent and support balloons are inflated to thereby limit the sway of the transparent balloon during observation operation.
An endoscope for image-observing or measuring an area filled with an opaque liquid comprising:
- an image fiber;
- a lens positioned at the leading end of said image fiber;
- a light guide arranged in parallel to said image fiber;
- a transparent fluid transport passage arranged in parallel to said image fiber and light guide and having an outlet at the leading end thereof;
- a sheath enclosing said image fiber, lens, light guide and transparent fluid transport passage;
- means for providing a field of vision at the leading end of said endoscope by a transparent fluid from said outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage;
- and
- stabilizing means provided on the leading end portion of said sheath for stabilizing said field of vision formed by said field of vision providing means,
- said field of vision providing means being provided by a flush of the transparent fluid directly exiting from said outlet of said transparent fluid transport passage into said opaque liquid, and
- said stabilizing means including an expandable hood surrounding said lens, the leading end of said light guide, the opening of said transparent fluid transport passage and said flush of the transparent fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.