REPAIRABLE ENDOSCOPE

• US 20060276691A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Precision Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Robert N., Barnes, William P., Forkey, Joseph N., Forkey, Richard E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,699,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/172
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00071 Insertion part of the endoscope body A61B1/0055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

A rigid endoscope includes an outer housing subassembly that supports an optics subassembly. The outer housing subassembly includes concentric tubes with optical fiber for providing object illumination. The optics subassembly includes a tubular sheath sealed at both ends for carrying lenses and other optical elements. A slow-curing adhesive material fills an annular gap between the optics and outer housing subassemblies. The adhesive material has a tear strength that seals and positions the optics subassembly for normal use and that enables the optics subassembly to be withdrawn from the outer housing subassembly for repair.

Claims

1. An endoscope subject to a variety of forces in normal use comprising:

A) an optics subassembly including an external sheath,

B) an outer housing subassembly including a passage therethrough whereby a gap exists between said optics subassembly and said outer housing subassembly, and

C) adhesive material in at least a portion of the gap for contacting said subassemblies thereby preventing displacement therebetween during normal use, said adhesive material having a tear strength that permits the separation of said subassemblies for repair without damage to said assemblies.

2. An endoscope as recited in claim 1 wherein said adhesive material comprises a slow-curing adhesive material.

3. An endoscope as recited in claim 1 wherein said adhesive material comprises a Class VI silicone adhesive material.

4. An endoscope as recited in claim 1 wherein said adhesive material comprises a Class VI room temperature vulcanizing silicone.

5. An endoscope as recited in claim 1 wherein said external sheath of said optics subassembly is sealed at both ends and carries optical elements whereby said endoscope is autoclavable.

6. An endoscope as recited in claim 5 wherein said adhesive material is coextensive with substantially the entirety of said external sheath.

7. An autoclavable endoscope having distal and proximal ends and comprising:

A) an outer housing subassembly having a central lumen therethrough,

B) an optics subassembly in said lumen including;

i) a tubular sheath having sealed windows at each of the distal and proximal ends and extending through the central lumen, and

ii) a plurality of optical elements in said tubular sheath for forming an image of an object and presenting the image for viewing, and

C) an adhesive material intermediate said outer housing and said tubular sheath for preventing displacement therebetween during normal use, said adhesive material having a tear strength that permits the separation of said optics subassembly from said outer housing subassembly.

8. An autoclavable endoscope as recited in claim 7 wherein said adhesive material comprises a slow-curing adhesive material.

9. An autoclavable endoscope as recited in claim 7 wherein said adhesive material comprises a Class VI silicone material.

10. An autoclavable endoscope as recited in claim 7 wherein said adhesive material comprises a Class VI room temperature vulcanizing silicone.

11. An autoclavable endoscope as recited in claim 7 wherein said optics and outer housing subassemblies have first and second positioning structures, respectively and said endoscope includes means for fixing said positioning structures thereby to prevent significant compression loading on said tubular sheath.

12. An autoclavable endoscope as recited in claim 11 wherein said outer housing subassembly includes a proximal body with a proximal end opening and said second position structure includes adjustable positioning means for establishing the axial position of said optics subassembly in said outer housing subassembly.

13. A repairable, autoclavable endoscope comprising:

A) an optics subassembly including;

i) a tubular sheath having a predetermined cross section extending proximally from a distal end,

ii) a proximal collar attached to the proximal end of said tubular sheath,

iii) optical means carried in said tubular sheath and said collar for presenting an image at the proximal end of said optics subassembly representing an object proximate the distal end of said optics subassembly, and

iv) a first positioning means at the proximal end of said collar for establishing the axial position of said optics subassembly in said endoscope,

B) an outer housing subassembly including;

i) a body portion, and

ii) an outer sheath means attached to said body portion for forming a passage therethrough terminating at an open distal end for receiving said optics subassembly, said body portion including second positioning means for engaging said first positioning means thereby to define the position of said optics subassembly,

C) eyecup means for attachment to the proximal end of said body portion for applying an axial force to said first positioning means thereby to fix the position of said optics subassembly with respect to said outer housing subassembly, and

D) an adhesive material intermediate said tubular sheath and said outer sheath over a portion extending proximally from the distal end, said adhesive material having a tear strength that permits the separation of said subassemblies for repair.

14. An endoscope as recited in claim 13 when said sheath means includes an inner tube and outer tube that define an annular space there between and said endoscope includes illumination optical fibers disposed in said annular space.

15. An endoscope as recited in claim 13 wherein said optics subassembly includes means for sealing said sheath at each end whereby said optical subassembly can withstand repeated autoclaving.