Sapphire protective covering for medical endoscope
First Claim
1. A protective covering for a distal end of an endoscope, the distal end being outfitted with an optical system and glass fibers serving to illuminate a viewing field, the endoscope including an optical tube for holding optical lens mountings, an inner tube for receiving the optical tube, and an outer tube for enclosing the optical tube, inner tube, and the glass fibers, the protective covering comprising:
- a first part and a second part, the first and second parts being constructed from sapphire, the first part for performing an optical function and being held in a holder which covers a distal end of the inner tube, the holder having an opening defining an optical path of observation, and the second part covering the remaining end surface of the distal end of the endoscope, and the two parts being separated at a common contacting surface by opaque means for preventing the reflection of light from the glass fibers into the optical system, the protective covering entirely covering the distal end of the endoscope, the glass fibers being guided directly up to the protective covering.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a sapphire protective covering for the distal end of endoscopes, which distal end is outfitted with an optical system and glass fibers serving to illuminate the viewing field. The sapphire protective covering substantially contains an optical tube holding the optical lens mounting, an inner tube receiving the optical tube and an outer tube enclosing the optical tube and inner tube as well as the glass fibers. The sapphire protective covering is constructed in two parts, a first part covering the optical system and a second part covering at least the light exit area of the glass fibers, and both parts are separated from one another optically at their contacting surfaces. The second part is constructed as a planar disk of determined thickness with a recess corresponding to the dimensioning of the first part. The first part can be constructed as a negative lens.
163 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A protective covering for a distal end of an endoscope, the distal end being outfitted with an optical system and glass fibers serving to illuminate a viewing field, the endoscope including an optical tube for holding optical lens mountings, an inner tube for receiving the optical tube, and an outer tube for enclosing the optical tube, inner tube, and the glass fibers, the protective covering comprising:
a first part and a second part, the first and second parts being constructed from sapphire, the first part for performing an optical function and being held in a holder which covers a distal end of the inner tube, the holder having an opening defining an optical path of observation, and the second part covering the remaining end surface of the distal end of the endoscope, and the two parts being separated at a common contacting surface by opaque means for preventing the reflection of light from the glass fibers into the optical system, the protective covering entirely covering the distal end of the endoscope, the glass fibers being guided directly up to the protective covering. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
Specification