Flexible viewing probe for endoscopic use

• US 3,190,286 A
• Filed: 10/31/1961
• Issued: 06/22/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert W. Stokes
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Stokes
• Inventors: Stokes, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US04/148,975
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• US Class Current: 600/141
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/06 flexible

Claims

1. A FLEXIBLE TUBULAR VIEWING PROBE COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW SEGMENTS COAXIALLY ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER, A PAIR OF PIVOT ELEMENTS POSITIONED IN ALTERNATE 90 DEGREE ANGULAR RELATIONSHIP INTERMEDIATE SAID SEGMENTS, MEANS DEFINING PAIRS OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED HOLES IN 90 DEGREE ANGULARLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH RECESSED PORTIONS IN SAID SEGMENTS RECEIVING A PORTION OF SAID PIVOT ELEMENTS PROVIDING CONCENTRIC ALIGNMENT AND PIVOTING MEANS FOR ADJACENT SEGMENTS, A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE MEMBERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID ELEMENTS AND SAID SEGMENTS, FASTENING MEANS ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID PROBE FASTENING SAID FLEXIBLE MEMBERS, AND MEANS TENSIONING SAID MEMBERS FOR PIVOTING ADJACENT SEGMENTS ON SAID ELEMENTS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND THEREBY PROVIDING MEANS FOR FLEXING SAID PROBE.