Endoscope, in particular an arthroscope
First Claim
1. An endoscope, in particular an arthroscope, having an open front end, comprising:
- an essentially cylindrical shaft containing an optical means for conveying optical images and optical fibers, an optical axis of the optical means coinciding with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the optical fibers being arranged concentrically about the optical means;
wherein the optical fibers include a connecting piece disposed radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and by which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to a light source, a direction of viewing at an end nearer an object being viewed is inclined to the longitudinal axis, andwherein at least an end of the optical means nearer the object is arranged to rotate with respect to the connecting piece, the connecting piece not rotating when the optical means is rotated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscope, in particular an arthroscope, includes an essentially cylindrical shaft containing optics and optical fibers, where the optical axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the shaft and the optical fibers are arranged concentrically about the optics and a connecting piece preferably disposed radially to the longitudinal axis of the shaft via which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to a light source. The direction of viewing at the end nearer the object is inclined to the longitudinal axis and at least the end of the optics nearer the object is arranged so as to rotate with respect to the connecting piece.
95 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An endoscope, in particular an arthroscope, having an open front end, comprising:
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an essentially cylindrical shaft containing an optical means for conveying optical images and optical fibers, an optical axis of the optical means coinciding with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the optical fibers being arranged concentrically about the optical means; wherein the optical fibers include a connecting piece disposed radially relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and by which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to a light source, a direction of viewing at an end nearer an object being viewed is inclined to the longitudinal axis, and wherein at least an end of the optical means nearer the object is arranged to rotate with respect to the connecting piece, the connecting piece not rotating when the optical means is rotated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An endoscope, in particular an arthroscope, comprising:
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an essentially cylindrical shaft; optical means, disposed in said shaft and having an optical axis which coincides with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, for passing optical images of an area to be observed from one end of the endoscope to another; and optical fibers disposed in said shaft for illuminating the area to be observed, the optical fibers being arranged concentrically about the optical means and having a connecting piece disposed radially to the longitudinal axis of the shaft by which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to an external light source; wherein a viewing direction at an end of the endoscope nearer to the area to be observed is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shaft; wherein at least the end of the optical means nearer the area to be observed is arranged so as to rotate with respect to the connecting piece; wherein the optical means is contained in an inner sheath and said optical fibers form an illumination sheath arranged concentrically about the inner sheath; and wherein an end of the inner sheath nearer the area to be observed is provided with at least one diversion prism which can be folded out about an edge, the at least one prism being folded inside the inner sheath during insertion and withdrawal of the inner sheath from the illumination sheath, the at least one prism having spring means for folding the at least one prism outwards after insertion of the inner sheath in such a manner that a light entrance surface of the at least one prism is aligned in parallel with a light emitting surface of the illuminating sheath, so that a direction of diversion of illumination coincides with a viewing angle of the optical means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An endoscope comprising:
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an essentially cylindrical shaft; optical means, disposed in said shaft and having an optical axis which coincides with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, for passing optical images of an area to be observed from one end of the endoscope to another; and optical fibers disposed in said shaft for illuminating the area to be observed, the optical fibers being arranged concentrically about the optical means and having a connecting piece disposed radially to the longitudinal axis of the shaft by which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to an external light source; wherein a viewing direction at an end of the endoscope nearer to the area to be observed is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shaft; wherein at least the end of the optical means nearer the area to be observed is arranged so as to rotate with respect to the connecting piece; wherein a light-emitting surface of the illumination sheath is provided with a ring of flexible transparent material of a semi-circular cross-section which has a region which protrudes inwardly over the light-emitting surface; and wherein the inner sheath containing the optical means comprises a protrusion which deforms the protruding region of the ring by contact therewith so that illuminating light is diverted to correspond with a viewing direction and viewing angle of the optical means.
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26. An endoscope comprising:
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an essentially cylindrical shaft; optical means, disposed in said shaft and having an optical axis which coincides with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, for passing optical images of an area to be observed from one end of the endoscope to another; and optical fibers disposed in said shaft for illuminating the area to be observed, the optical fibers being arranged concentrically about eh optical means and having a connecting piece disposed radially to the longitudinal axis of the shaft by which the optical fibers are connected to a fiber-optic cable which leads to an external light source; wherein a viewing direction at an end of the endoscope nearer to the area to be observed is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shaft; wherein at least the end of the optical means nearer the area to be observed is arranged so as to rotate with respect to the connecting piece; wherein a cover of non-deformable transparent material is provided which is rotatably mounted on a light-emitting surface of the illumination sheath, the material having a light-emitting surface inclined with respect to the light-emitting surface of the illumination sheath; and wherein the inner sheath containing the optical means can be fixed to the cover so that illuminating light is diverted to correspond with a viewing direction and viewing angle of the optical means.
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Specification