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US 5,396,366 AGranted
Endoscope apparatus
AssigneeSigma Dynamics, Inc.
InventorsFrank J. Brown, Eric F. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeSigma Dynamics, Inc.
InventorsFrank J. Brown, Eric F. Brown
Estimating the term…
An endoscope is disclosed which is designed to transmit light to the area under observation and allows the light to make contact with the image plane, without the need of a fiber optic bundle. The ocular section of the endoscope, in addition to housing the lenses required to magnify the image for viewing, contains a relay lens whose diameter is less than the diameter of the rod lenses in the relay section. Light is then reflected through a beam director surrounding the ocular relay lens and transmitted to the objective through the excess diameter of the larger diameter relay lenses. Additionally, the ocular section is separable from the relay and objective sections, which are considered disposable, so that it can be reused.
An endoscope for viewing an area having an ocular end, a relay lens section, an objective lens end and a light transmitting section, comprising;
An endoscope for viewing an area comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g.…:…
Optical arrangements: with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics
Optical arrangements: with eyepieces
Medical diagnosis and surgery
Term ended 4 Mar 2013 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope for use in medical and other procedures. More particularly, the present invention provides an improved means of transmitting light from an ocular end to an objective end of the scope in order to illuminate the area under observation. The present invention also provides an improved light and image transmitting lens portion which can be a disposable item.
2. Description of Prior Art
The apparatus of the present invention should become apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded elevation view of one form of an endoscope of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the two tube sections of the present invention.
The present invention provides an improved endoscope for use in all forms of applications, including medical and veterinary procedures. It can also be used in non-medical applications in hazardous areas that could destroy conventional endoscopes.
FIG. 1 depicts the basic component parts of an endoscope 10 of the present invention. The endoscope 10 includes an ocular section 12 interfacing with an operator's eye 14, a relay section 16 of one or more lenses, and an objective lens section 18 at the forward end thereof adapted to be inserted into a body to be examined.
The relay lens section 16 of the endoscope of the embodiment of FIG. 1 comprises a series of gradient-index rod lenses. Suitable relay lenses are commercially available from Nippon Sheet Glass under the trademark SELFOC.RTM.. The relay and objective lenses are housed in a cylindrical casing 20 so that when they are inserted therein, they are oriented and maintained in coaxial relation. The casing 20 is preferably of stainless steel to provide strength and rigidity to the endoscope. Additionally, the outside surfaces of the rod lenses should be made non-reflecting by coating them with an optically black paint or similar material. It should be understood that multiple rod lenses may be arranged in series. In the illustration of FIG. 1, only a single rod lens is depicted.