Endoscope having provision for repositioning a video sensor to a location which does not provide the same cross-sectionally viewed relationship with the distal end
DCFirst Claim
1. An endoscope comprising an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, an illumination unit and a video unit arranged at the distal end of said shaft and connected by a transmission system to a supply unit arranged at the proximal end of said shaft, said video unit comprising a lens adapted to acquire images of an object field illuminated by said illumination unit and at least one image recorder which is adapted to record and transmit images acquired by said lens, said video unit being movable between a first position adjacent the distal end of said shaft, in which an outer contour of a cross section of said video unit lies substantially within an outer contour of a cross section of said distal end of said shaft during introduction and withdrawal of said endoscope into and out of a cavity to be examined, and at least a second position in which the outer contour of the cross section of said video unit lies substantially without the outer contour of a cross section of the distal end of said shaft after completion of the introduction of said endoscope into said cavity, and actuating means for causing said video unit to move between said first position and at least said second position.
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Abstract
An endoscope has a video device arranged at the distal end of the endoscope shaft. The video device is connected by means of a transmission system to a supply unit arranged at the proximal end of the endoscope shaft. The video device is provided with a lens for imaging an object field and an illumination unit. The lens and the image recorder are combined into a video unit which is held in such a movable manner at the endoscope shaft that the outer contour of the cross-section of the video unit lays essentially within the outer contour of the cross-section of the distal end of the endoscope shaft when being introduced into the cavity to be examined. After termination of the introduction procedure, the video unit can be moved in relation to the distal end of the endoscopic shaft beyond the outer contour of the cross-section and/or longitudinal section.
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Citations
52 Claims
- 1. An endoscope comprising an elongated shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, an illumination unit and a video unit arranged at the distal end of said shaft and connected by a transmission system to a supply unit arranged at the proximal end of said shaft, said video unit comprising a lens adapted to acquire images of an object field illuminated by said illumination unit and at least one image recorder which is adapted to record and transmit images acquired by said lens, said video unit being movable between a first position adjacent the distal end of said shaft, in which an outer contour of a cross section of said video unit lies substantially within an outer contour of a cross section of said distal end of said shaft during introduction and withdrawal of said endoscope into and out of a cavity to be examined, and at least a second position in which the outer contour of the cross section of said video unit lies substantially without the outer contour of a cross section of the distal end of said shaft after completion of the introduction of said endoscope into said cavity, and actuating means for causing said video unit to move between said first position and at least said second position.
Specification