Lens cleaning means for invasive viewing medical instruments with anti-contamination means

• US 5,339,800 A
• Filed: 02/05/1993
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Devmed Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Devmed Group Inc.
• Inventors: Wiita, Bruce E., Wiita, Gregory D., Teets, J. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLANAGAN, BEVERLY MEINDL
• Application Number:
  US08/014,436
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/127 with means for preventing fogging A61B1/253 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/253 with means for preventing fogging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/701 for flexible tubular instruments, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/70 Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments

Abstract

Means for preventing contamination of the surgical viewing instrument including a flexible bag mounted on the proximal end of a hollow double walled tubular elongated member concentrically mounted to a borescope or surgical viewing instrument where the space between the walls define a passage for flowing fluid to a cuff or vortex generator disposed at the distal end of the tubular member which defines a discretely configured discharge port for flowing fluid over a lens surface for cleansing and defogging purposes. The lens serves to prevent blood, body fluid and other contaminates from back flowing and contaminating the surgical viewing instrument. A two-piece locking handle may be used to lock the lens cleaning apparatus to the borescope. Another embodiment includes a flexible tube utilized with the cuff.

Claims

1. Apparatus for cleansing the lens of a viewing camera used in biological observation by penetration into the cavity of living beings, the camera having an elongated tube housing fibre optics for producing a lighted area from a light source and a image relay for a television camera the improvement comprising:

a double walled tubular member concentrically mounted around said elongated tube and including a longitudinal passageway defined between the inner wall and outer wall of said double walled tubular member,

a lens extending laterally in said elongated tube disposed at the distal end to prevent the backflow of blood, body fluids and contaminants from reaching said fiber optics and said camera,

a cuff portion extending beyond the distal end of said elongated tube to reduce lens contact with body parts to inhibit opaque fluids from obscuring visibility, said cuff portion including fluid passage means in fluid communication with said longitudinal passageway and defining at least one discharge port at the end of said elongated tube, said cuff portion including a bottom wall surface to redirecting the flow of fluid in said passage means to flow into said discharge port and flow laterally in a direction to scrub the surface of the lens mounted at the distal end of said elongated tube,

said discharge port being sized to coalesce and direct the flow of fluid to form a sheet of fluid,

means for admitting fluid into said elongated passage whereby the flow of fluid formed into a sheet is directed over the lens on demand of the operator; and

bag means attached to the proximal end of said elongated tubular member to encapsulate said camera and fiber optics,

means for generating a vortex of said fluid disposed at the end of said discharge port,

said means for generating a vortex including a plurality of spaced vanes circumferentially spaced about an axis that is disposed coaxially relative to the longitudinal axis of said lens, and,

cap means having an upper member and a lower member being in rotatable relationship, said lower member being affixed to the proximal end of said tubular member, a cam member having radially extending lobes and having a central passage adapted to fit over the proximal end of said elongated tube supported internally of said upper member, said lower member having a central opening in cooperating relationship relative to said cam and having detentes for receiving said lobes, said upper member and said lower member defining handle means so that engagement by an operator causes said upper member to rotate relative to said lower member for placing said lobes into said detentes for locking said elongated tube to said tubular member.

2. Apparatus for cleansing the lens of a viewing camera used in biological observation by penetration into the cavity of living beings, the camera having a flexible elongated tube housing fiber optics for producing a lighted area from a light source and a image relay for a television camera the improvement comprising:

a flexible tubular member concentrically mounted around said elongated tube having a helically extending rib portion defining a helical passage,

a cuff portion extending beyond the distal end of said elongated tube including fluid passage means in fluid communication with said helical passage and defining at least one discharge port at the end of said elongated tube, said cuff portion including a bottom wall surface for redirecting the flow of fluid in said passage means to flow into said discharge port and flow laterally in a direction to scrub the surface of the lens mounted at the distal end of said elongated tube, and

bag means attached to the proximal end of said elongated tube to encapsulate said camera.