Laser Video Endoscope

• US 20120078042A1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beaver-Visitec International, Inc (BVI Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Beaver-Visitec International, Inc (BVI Medical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Uram, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,226,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0017 Details of single optical fibres, e.g. material or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469

Abstract

A laser video endoscope has a laser guide, an illumination guide and an image guide. These are fiber optical guides which extend through the optical probe and through a hand piece that supports the probe. The hand piece is connected by a first relatively long flexible optical fiber cable to a laser energy source and a source of illumination. By contrast, the image is transmitted from the hand piece to an image presentation site by a camera assembly that is mounted to the hand piece and a relatively long electrical cable. The camera and its electrical cable can be uncoupled from the hand piece and used in a plurality of endoscopic routines. The rest of the product, including the probe and the hand piece, can be disposed of after each medical routine thereby providing assurance of an antiseptic procedure.

Claims

1. A surgical endoscope having a hand piece and a probe extending distally from said hand piece, the probe containing an illumination guide, a laser guide and an image guide, the improvement in the combination comprising:

said hand piece having first and second proximal surfaces,

first and second channels in said hand piece extending distally from said first and second surfaces respectively,

said first channel containing illumination guide and laser guide,

said second channel containing solely said image guide,

an optical cable containing illumination guide and laser guide, said optical cable extending proximally from said first proximal surface of said hand piece to a laser source and an illumination source,

said image guide having a proximal end at said second proximal surface of said hand piece,

a camera assembly removably connected to said hand piece at said second proximal surface of said hand piece,

said camera assembly when connected to said hand piece being optically coupled to the image at said proximal end of said image guide to provide an electrical image at the output of the camera assembly, and

an electrical cable connected to the output of said camera assembly and extending proximally to a terminal adapted to be connected to a mechanism for providing an image,

whereby, after each use of the endoscope, said camera assembly can be detached from said hand piece; and

the elements comprising said probe and said hand piece can be disposed of after a single use.

2. The endoscope improvement of claim 1 wherein:

said hand piece includes a proximally extending nose for engaging said camera assembly,

said second channel extending through said nose and said second proximal surface constituting the end of said nose.

3. The endoscope improvement of claim 1 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

4. The endoscope improvement of claim 2 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

5. The endoscope improvement of claim 1 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

6. The endoscope improvement of claim 2 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

7. The endoscope improvement of claim 3 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

8. The endoscope improvement of claim 4 wherein said first channel contains solely illumination guide and laser guide.

9. The endoscope improvement of claim 1 wherein;

said camera assembly incorporates a laser blocking filter and a focusing mechanism.

10. The endoscope improvement of claim 2 wherein:

said camera assembly incorporates a laser blocking filter and a focusing mechanism.

11. The endoscope improvement of claim 3 wherein:

said camera assembly incorporates a laser blocking filter and a focusing mechanism.

12. The endoscope improvement of claim 8 wherein:

said camera assembly incorporates a laser blocking filter and a focusing mechanism,