Arthroscope-video camera assembly
First Claim
1. A video arthroscope assembly comprising:
- a video camera;
a housing for removably receiving said video camera with the video camera being enclosed within said housing, said housing being formed of a material capable of being sterilized;
a video camera electronic unit for receiving and amplifying video signals from said video camera;
a television monitor;
cable means connecting said television monitor to said video camera electronic unit;
a first electric cord connecting said video camera electronic unit to said video camera in said housing for introducing video signals from said camera to said electronic unit to be processed therein;
an arthroscope;
a mounting bracket for detachably receiving said arthroscope, said mounting bracket being detachably mounted to one end of said housing and optically coupled to the interior of said housing for introducing optical images from the arthroscope to the video camera within said housing to be converted by the video camera into corresponding video signals;
an arthroscopic light; and
means for detachably attaching said arthroscopic light to said mounting bracket so that light from said arthroscopic light may pass through said mounting bracket to said arthroscope.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An arthroscopic assembly in which a video camera is enclosed in a tubular sterile housing formed, for example, of stainless steel, and which may be autoclaved for multiple procedures. The assembly includes a arthroscope detachably plugged into a mounting bracket which, in turn, is plugged into a socket at the front end of the housing, so that the arthroscope may be changed during an operation to incorporate other arthroscopes of different lens angles without fear of contamination of the assembly. An arthroscopic light for the arthroscope is detachably plugged into the mounting bracket so that light therefrom passes through the mounting bracket to the arthroscope. The video camera enclosed in the housing is plugged into an electric socket at the rear end of the housing. The arthroscope itself does not include an eyepiece so it is shorter than the usual prior art arthroscopes, and it is optically coupled directly through the mounting bracket and through the socket at the front end of the camera housing to the video camera in the housing. A stand is provided which contains electric outlets for the arthroscope light and for the video camera. A sterile holder is provided on top of the stand on which the arthroscopic assembly may be placed when not in use. The stand may be positioned adjacent to the surgeon to make the arthroscopic assembly readily available to the surgeon so as to minimize the length of electric cords necessary for the arthroscopic light and for the camera.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A video arthroscope assembly comprising:
- a video camera;
a housing for removably receiving said video camera with the video camera being enclosed within said housing, said housing being formed of a material capable of being sterilized;
a video camera electronic unit for receiving and amplifying video signals from said video camera;
a television monitor;
cable means connecting said television monitor to said video camera electronic unit;
a first electric cord connecting said video camera electronic unit to said video camera in said housing for introducing video signals from said camera to said electronic unit to be processed therein;
an arthroscope;
a mounting bracket for detachably receiving said arthroscope, said mounting bracket being detachably mounted to one end of said housing and optically coupled to the interior of said housing for introducing optical images from the arthroscope to the video camera within said housing to be converted by the video camera into corresponding video signals;
an arthroscopic light; and
means for detachably attaching said arthroscopic light to said mounting bracket so that light from said arthroscopic light may pass through said mounting bracket to said arthroscope. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- a video camera;
-
10. A video arthroscope assembly comprising:
- a video camera;
a housing for removably receiving said video camera, with the video camera being enclosed within said housing, said housing being composed of material capable of being sterilized;
an arthroscope;
a mounting bracket for detachably receiving said arthroscope, said mounting bracket being detachably mounted to one end of said housing and optically coupled to the interior of said housing to introduce optical images from the arthorscope to said video camera to be converted thereby into corresponding video signals;
an arthroscopic light; and
bracket means for detachably attaching said arthroscopic light to said mounting bracket so that light from said arthroscopic light passes through said mounting bracket to said arthroscope. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
- a video camera;
Specification