Reusable, sterile covering for a surgical camera

• US 4,522,196 A
• Filed: 06/11/1984
• Issued: 06/11/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FWC Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: David Weir, Frank W. Cunningham
• Inventors: Cunningham, Frank W., Weir, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Application Number:
  US06/619,683
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1 R, 128/4-8, 128/132 D, 350/319, 350/579, 350/582, 350/587, 350/585, 350/589, 350/61, 150/52 J, 150/DIG. 1, 354/62
• US Class Current: 600/112
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/317 for bones or joints, e.g. osteoscopes, arthroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes

Abstract

A sterile covering enabling an endoscope to be attached to or detached from a camera coupling without contamination by either the camera or the coupling. The sterile covering encloses the camera and is disposed within a cavity of a C-mount coupling which couples the endoscope to the camera. The covering includes a system for registering an optically clear portion of the covering, an optically clear film, or an element coupled to the covering with the endoscope-to-camera optical path. In one embodiment, the same system which establishes optical registration also enables attachment of the covering to the C-mount coupling, thereby providing an optically clear, fluid-impermeable barrier between the endoscope and the camera, and eliminating possible contamination of the endoscope by either the C-mount coupling or the camera.

Claims

1. A sterile covering for use in combination with an endoscope and a camera having a lens-to-endoscope coupling characterized by a cavity adapted to receive one end of said endoscope adjacent the base of said cavity, said coupling being operative to temporarily couple said endoscope within said cavity, said covering comprising:

a flexible body portion for covering said camera; and

an end portion attached to said body portion and made of material which is rigid relative to the flexible material of said body portion for repeated insertion into and withdrawal from said cavity without losing its shape, said end portion including an end portion base for location adjacent the base of said cavity, said end portion base having an optically clear central section for providing a clear optical path between said camera and said endoscope, said end portion base further including a layer of flexible and optically clear material which is thin relative to the material of said end portion, said layer being attached to said end portion base in registry with said central section for alignment with the optical path between said camera and endoscope whereby said endoscope may be successively coupled and decoupled from said coupling without contamination of said endoscope by said camera.

2. The covering of claim 1 wherein said lens-to-endoscope coupling is a "C"-mount, said cavity is cylindrical, and said end portion comprises a cylindrical cup adapted to fit in said cavity.

3. An improvement in a sterile covering for an endoscope having a flared end collar, and for a camera having a quick-release coupling for engaging and retaining said end collar, and wherein said covering is characterized by a body portion covering said camera and an end portion covering at least part of said quick-release coupling, said improvement comprising:

an optically clear member made of thin and flexible material for providing an antiseptic barrier between said end collar and said quick-release coupling; and

cup means incorporated in said end portion made of material which is tough and rigid relative to the material of said optically clear member for repeated insertion into and withdrawal from within said quick-release coupling, and mounting said optically clear member for optical alignment with said camera, whereby contamination between said endoscope and said quick-release coupling is substantially prevented.

4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said coupling comprises a "C"-mount having a cylindrical cavity and said cup means comprises a cylindrical cup disposable within said cavity, said cup having a base mounting said optically clear member, said optically clear member being attached adjacent its periphery to said end portion whereby said end portion extends into said cavity between said end collar and said coupling.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said end portion is coupled to said cup means exteriorly of said "C"-mount.

6. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said optically clear member comprises an aperture in said cup means.

7. A method for providing a sterile covering between the coupling of a camera and one end of an endoscope during a surgical procedure, said method comprising the steps of:

disposing over said camera a sterile covering having an optically clear member;

extending said covering over and into said coupling with said member in the optical path between said one end of said endoscope and said camera;

attaching said covering to a centrally apertured preformed element with said optically clear member in alignment with the aperture in said preformed element, and disposing said preformed element within the interior of said coupling in engagement therewith, said preformed element being selected of material which is thick relative to the material of said optically clear member whereby said preformed element can be repeatedly inserted into and withdrawn from said interior of said coupling without losing its shape, thereby being adapted to maintain registry of said optically clear member with said optical path; and

disposing said one end of said endoscope into said couping adjacent said covering whereby said covering defines a barrier between said endoscope and camera to substantially prevent contamination therebetween.

8. The method claim of 7 wherein said preformed element is cup shaped.