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US 5,176,127 AGranted
Mandrel for medical endoscope
OwnerEnrico Dormiainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Mandrel for medical endoscope having a mandrel head, consisting of elastic head segments which can be spread apart in a radial direction, with the outer edge of the jacket of the endoscope lying under the mandrel head being covered over by the outer edge of the segments which can be spread apart. Upon insertion of the endoscope, injuries due to the sharp edge of the jacket of the endoscope are avoided.
Claims12
A mandrel for atraumatically inserting into a body cavity an elongated tubular endoscopic jacket having an open end bounded by a jacket edge, said mandrel comprising:
- (a) a hollow mandrel tube extending along a longitudinal axis within and along the jacket;
- (b) a mandrel head on the tube exteriorly of the jacket, said head having a blunt leading end region, a trailing end region, and a plurality of elastic head segments spaced around the longitudinal axis and extending between the leading and trailing end regions;
- and
- (c) means for spreading the head segments apart from one another radially of the longitudinally axis from an upspread position in which the head passes with clearance through the tube, to a spread position in which the trailing end region of the head overlies the jacket edge to resist injury to the body cavity during insertion of the jacket, said spreading means including
- (i) a push rod mounted in the tube for sliding movement along the longitudinal axis, and
- (ii) projections spaced around the longitudinal axis and connected to the head segments, said projections extending into the path of movement of the push rod to radially move the head segments upon movement of the push rod.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.