Scope and stent system
First Claim
1. A scope and stent comprising:
- a ureteral stent in the form of a relatively flexible tubular member having first and second stent ends;
an elongate flexible scope means having a first scope end for insertion into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract and a second scope end for remaining outside a patient'"'"'s body, said scope means having;
illumination means for illuminating objects in the vicinity of said first scope end;
imaging means adjacent said first end thereof for providing an image of objects in the vicinity of said first end of said scope means;
conveying means for conveying the image provided by said imaging means to the second end of said scope for viewing when said scope is inserted into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract;
said scope means being disposed within the lumen of said stent and supporting said stent along a longitudinal axis of said stent against buckling of said stent during insertion of said stent into the urinary tract, including the ureter, such that said stent is always locally essentially parallel with said scope means as said stent is inserted into the urinary tract, whereby said scope means may provide a viewing capability for the stent insertion procedure within the urinary tract, including the ureter.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A scope and stent system, the scope providing visibility not only through the urethra but also through the ureter during the insertion and placement of a ureteral stent. The scope is in the form of a fiber optic bundle having an appropriate provision for lighting and lensing thereof, and preferably having a video camera and monitor responsive to the image formed at the opposite end of the scope for viewing during the scope insertion process. The fiber optic bundle itself is made sufficiently small so that the entire scope may be fabricated with the appropriate dimensions of a typical stent guide wire and made sufficiently flexible for negotiating a tortuous path as required. The scope may be first inserted through an open-ended stent and through the urethra, the bladder and the ureter, and then the stent inserted thereover through the use of an appropriate stent pusher, or alternatively the scope, stent and stent pusher may be advanced together, the scope allowing observation of the procedure and the nature and extent of any obstructions encountered in the insertion process. Alternate embodiments include the provision of an additional working channel within the stent to allow an additional instrument such as a laser lithotriptor to be utilized in conjunction with the placement of the stent, as well as alternate forms of scope systems.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A scope and stent comprising:
-
a ureteral stent in the form of a relatively flexible tubular member having first and second stent ends; an elongate flexible scope means having a first scope end for insertion into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract and a second scope end for remaining outside a patient'"'"'s body, said scope means having; illumination means for illuminating objects in the vicinity of said first scope end; imaging means adjacent said first end thereof for providing an image of objects in the vicinity of said first end of said scope means; conveying means for conveying the image provided by said imaging means to the second end of said scope for viewing when said scope is inserted into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract; said scope means being disposed within the lumen of said stent and supporting said stent along a longitudinal axis of said stent against buckling of said stent during insertion of said stent into the urinary tract, including the ureter, such that said stent is always locally essentially parallel with said scope means as said stent is inserted into the urinary tract, whereby said scope means may provide a viewing capability for the stent insertion procedure within the urinary tract, including the ureter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A scope comprising;
-
an elongate flexible scope means having a first scope end for insertion into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract and a second scope end for remaining outside a patient'"'"'s body, said scope means having; illumination means for illuminating objects in the vicinity of said first scope end; imaging means adjacent said first end thereof for providing an image of objects in the vicinity of said first end of said scope means; conveying means for conveying the image provided by said imaging means to the second end of said scope for viewing when said scope is inserted into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract; said scope means being disposed within the lumen of a ureteral stent and supporting said stent along a longitudinal axis of said stent against buckling of said stent during insertion of said stent into the urinary tract, including the ureter, such that said stent is always locally essentially parallel with said scope means as said stent is inserted into the urinary tract to traverse a patient'"'"'s urethra, bladder and ureter, whereby said scope means may be used for examination purposes and may provide a viewing capability for medical procedures such as stent insertion throughout the length of the urinary tract, including the ureter. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of inserting a stent comprising:
-
(a) providing a ureteral stent in the form of a relatively flexible hollow tubular member having first and second ends; (b) providing an elongate flexible scope means having a first scope end for insertion into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract and a second scope end for remaining outside a patient'"'"'s body, said scope means having; illumination means for providing illumination through said first end thereof; imaging means in said scope means adjacent said first end thereof for providing an image of objects in the vicinity of said first end of said scope means; conveying means for conveying the image provided by said imaging means to the second end of said scope for viewing when said scope is inserted into a patient'"'"'s urinary tract; said scope means being disposed within the lumen of said stent and supporting said stent along a longitudinal axis of said stent against buckling of said stent during insertion of said stent into the urinary tract, including the ureter, such that said stent is always locally essentially parallel with said scope means as said stent is inserted into the urinary tract, whereby said scope means may provide a viewing capability for the insertion of said stent throughout the length of the urinary tract, including the ureter; (c) placing the first end of the scope means through the lumen of said stent, and; (d) inserting the first end of the scope and stent through a patient'"'"'s urethra and bladder and into patient'"'"'s ureter while observing at least part of the passage through the scope. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of inserting a ureteral stent comprising:
-
(a) providing a ureteral stent in the form of a relatively flexible hollow tubular member having first and second stent ends; (b) providing an elongate flexible scope means having a first scope end for insertion into a patients urinary tract and a second scope end for remaining outside a patient'"'"'s body, said scope means being a means for providing, outside the patient'"'"'s body, and image of the region of the patient'"'"'s body adjacent to the first end of the scope means, said scope means being disposed within the lumen of said stent and supporting said stent along a longitudinal axis of said stent against buckling of said stent during insertion of said stent into the urinary tract, including the ureter, such that said stent is always locally essentially parallel with said scope means as said stent is inserted into the urinary tract, whereby said scope means may provide a viewing capability for the insertion of said stent throughout the length of the urinary tract, including the ureter; (c) placing the first end of the scope means through the lumen of said stent, and; (d) inserting the first end of the scope and stent through a patient'"'"'s urethra and bladder and into patient'"'"'s ureter while being able to observe at least part of the passage through the scope. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification