AIR SUPPLYING DEVICE FOR AN ENDOSCOPE

• US 3,730,645 A
• Filed: 09/25/1970
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fukami Mashakaru, Masaaki Sato, Toshiyuki Mori
• Original Assignee: Fukami Mashakaru, Masaaki Sato, Toshiyuki Mori
• Inventors: Sato, Masaaki, Mori, Toshiyuki, Mashakaru, Fukami
• Primary Examiner(s): Freeh, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/075,597
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 128/276,6 318/484,487,443 417/12,44
• US Class Current: 417/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00121 Connectors, fasteners and adapters, e.g. on the endoscope handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/02 Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control

Abstract

An air supplying device for use with an endoscope for supplying desired quantity of air into a hollow portion of a living body into which the forward end portion of the endoscope is inserted for the inspection thereof so that the hollow portion is inflated appropriately for the proper inspection and/or photographing of the hollow portion. The air supplying device comprises a foot switch, a timer and an air pump actuated by closing the foot switch through the timer for supplying air to the endoscope to which the air pump is connected. The timer is actuated each time the foot switch is closed for actuating the air pump so that the timer deenergizes the air pump after a predetermined time period set in the timer so that a predetermined quantity air is supplied to the endoscope each time the foot switch is closed while the air pump is stopped at any desired moment during the actuation of the timer by opening the foot switch so that excess quantity of air is prevented from being supplied to the endoscope.

Claims

1. An endoscope having air supplying means to inflate appropriately a hollow portion of a living body, said endoscope comprising in combination, a control housing, and a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion of a living body, said forward end portion being connected by an elongated tube to the control housing, a timed air supplying mechanism, air supplying means disposed from said forward end portion through said elongated tube and control housing and in communication with said air supplying mechanism, a foot switch, a timer and an air pump actuated by closing said foot switch through said timer for feeding air to the air supplying means to which said air pump is connected, said timer being actuated each time said foot switch is closed for actuating said air pump so that said timer operates for a given time period set in said timer to stop said air pump at the end of its operation so as to feed a predetermined quantity of air to the said forward end portion thereby permitting the total quantity of air to the endoscope to be determined by the number of times said foot switch is closed while said air pump is stopped any time during the operation of said timer by opening said foot switch thereby preventing the excess air from being fed to the endoscope.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein said timer comprises an electromagnet energized by closing saId foot switch, timing lever means actuated by the energization of said electromagnet, normally closed switch means for actuating said air pump when said foot switch is closed, and timing cam means driven by closing said foot switch and cooperable with said timing lever means so as to actuate said timing lever means after a predetermined time period set to said timing cam means so that said normally closed switch means is opened by the actuation of said timing lever means caused by the cooperation with said timing cam means to thereby stop said air pump, said timing cam means being returned to its initial position by resilient means connected thereto by opening said foot switch while said lever means are returned to their initial positions by resilient means connected thereto upon deenergization of said electromagnet by opening said foot switch so that said normally closed switch means is returned to its closed position.

3. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein said timer comprises an electric circuit including a first relay means, a condenser and a resistance, a transistor circuit, a second relay means and a DC power source in which said foot switch is connected, said first relay means being actuated by closing said foot switch so as to actuate switch means thereby permitting said condenser to be charged, said transistor circuit being rendered nonconductive when said condenser is fully charged thereby deenergizing said second relay means so that a switch for actuating said air pump is opened by the deenergization of said second relay means.