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US 5,632,717 AGranted
Penetrating endoscope
OwnerInBae Yooninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope includes an endoscope tube, illumination and viewing systems disposed within the endoscope tube in a manner to define a blunt distal end, and a penetrating member coupled with an operating mechanism for moving the penetrating member between a retracted position where a distal end of the penetrating member is proximally spaced from the blunt distal end of the endoscope and an extended position where the distal end of the penetrating member protrudes beyond the blunt distal end of the endoscope. The penetrating member can be a blade, one or more needles or any other type of instrument suitable for penetrating anatomical tissue. Upon being extended, the penetrating member can be held in the extended position, automatically retracted and/or reciprocatingly moved as desired.
Claims29
An endoscope comprising
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a viewing system disposed within said endoscope tube and including a viewing window at a distal end;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube, illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt distal end of said endoscope to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt distal end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue, said penetrating member being laterally offset from said viewing window in said retracted position;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions.
3 more elements
An endoscope comprising
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- viewing system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube, illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt distal end of said endoscope to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt distal end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions;
- wherein said viewing system includes an optical channel extending along a central longitudinal axis of said endoscope tube in spaced relation thereto to define an annular region around the optical channel and wherein said penetrating member is disposed within said annular region between said optical channel and said endoscope tube in said retracted position;
- and
- wherein said penetrating member includes a plurality of spaced tissue penetrating members on opposite sides of said optical channel and a curved portion wrapping around said optical channel to connect said tissue penetrating members.
6 more elements
An endoscope comprising
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a viewing system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube, illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt distal end of said endoscope to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt distal end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions;
- wherein said penetrating member includes a blade having a distal cutting edge, said blade being disposed within a penetrating channel extending through said endoscope tube;
- and
- wherein one end of said blade is pivotally connected to said penetrating channel and an opposed end of said blade is coupled with said control mechanism to induce rotation of said blade about said pivoted end.
6 more elements
An endoscope comprising
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a viewing system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube, illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt distal end of said endoscope to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt distal end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions;
- wherein said penetrating member includes a blade having a distal cutting edge and said cutting edge of said blade includes a plurality of teeth.
4 more elements
An endoscope comprising:
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a viewing system including an optical channel disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt end to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue;
- and
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions;
- a housing mounting said endoscope tube;
- a hub mounting said optical channel and having a configuration to mate with said housing in a removable manner;
- and
- an operating channel mounted by said hub next to said optical channel, wherein said distal end of said endoscope includes an opening and said operating channel communicates with said opening when said hub is mated with said housing.
7 more elements
An endoscope comprising
- an endoscope tube;
- an illumination system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a viewing system disposed within said endoscope tube;
- a penetrating member disposed at least partly within said endoscope tube and having a distal end for penetrating anatomical tissue, wherein said endoscope tube, illumination system and viewing system cooperate to define a blunt distal end of said endoscope with a smooth, rounded configuration and said penetrating member is movable between a retracted position where said distal end of said penetrating member is proximally spaced from said blunt distal end of said endoscope to permit non-traumatic tissue contact with said blunt distal end and an extended position where said distal end of said penetrating member protrudes beyond said blunt distal end of said endoscope to penetrate anatomical tissue;
- a control mechanism coupled with said penetrating member, said control mechanism being selectively operable to move said penetrating member between said retracted and extended positions, wherein said control mechanism includes a rod disposed within said endoscope tube and an advancing mechanism coupled with said rod to move said rod distally, said penetrating member being mounted at a distal end of said rod;
- and
- a housing mounting a proximal end of said endoscope tube, wherein said advancing mechanism includes a flange carried on said rod within said housing and a trigger pivotally mounted by said housing to engage said flange.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.