Endoscope having a distally heated distal lens
First Claim
1. An instrument terminating in a distal section comprisinga transparent member having a periphery located in the distal section of the instrument;
- a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end, said fiber optic bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source producing energy at different wave lengths and a distal end which is located in the distal section of an instrument contiguous to the transparent member, said fiber optic bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the transparent member to form an energy diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source onto the periphery of transparent member to increase the temperature thereof.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscope having a distally heated distal lens for performing laparoscopic surgery is shown. The preferred embodiment of the endoscope is a laparoscope which includes a rigid elongated sheath tube which encloses means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end. The fiber optic bundle has a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source having light energy including infrared radiation and a distal end which is located in the distal section of the sheath tube contiguous the distal lens. The fiber optic bundle has a selected number of the distal ends of the plurality of optical fibers treated to form an energy diverting member for directing thermal or infrared energy from a light source into the periphery of the distal lens to increase the temperature thereof to resist fogging of the distal lens when the distal section of the endoscope is inserted into a warm, moist area such as a body cavity. The laparoscope may include a fluid flow channel which terminates in a nozzle located at the distal tip for directing a fluid flow across the distal lens to remove image impeding material therefrom. The fluid is usually at a cooler temperature and the application of the cooler fluid to the distal ends necessitates the need for continuous heating of the distal end.
-
Citations
49 Claims
-
1. An instrument terminating in a distal section comprising
a transparent member having a periphery located in the distal section of the instrument; a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end, said fiber optic bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source producing energy at different wave lengths and a distal end which is located in the distal section of an instrument contiguous to the transparent member, said fiber optic bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the transparent member to form an energy diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source onto the periphery of transparent member to increase the temperature thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
11. An instrument comprising
an elongated sheath tube having a selected length and a distal end, said distal end including means for passing an image, said image passing means having an exterior transparent surface located at said distal end; - and
means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end for carrying infrared energy, said fiber optic bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located in the distal section of the sheath tube contiguous an exterior transparent surface, said means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of said exterior transparent surface to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source onto the periphery of the exterior transparent surface to increase the temperature thereof. - View Dependent Claims (12)
- and
-
13. A laparoscope comprising
a rigid elongated sheath tube having a selected length and a distal section, said distal section having a means for defining a distal tip including a fluid tight, distal lens capable of passing an optical image, said distal lens having an exterior surface located at said distal tip; - and
means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end for carrying infrared energy, said fiber optic bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located in the distal section of the sheath tube contiguous the exterior surface of a distal lens, said means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the distal lens to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source into a distal lens to increase the temperature thereof to a temperature at which a distal lens resists fogging when a distal end of a laparoscope is inserted into a body cavity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- and
-
38. A laparoscope for performing laparoscopic surgery comprising
an elongated sheath having a distal end and including a fluid tight image means for passing an image, said image means having an exterior transparent surface having a periphery located at said distal end; - and
means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end for carrying infrared energy, said means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located at said distal end of the sheath tube contiguous said an exterior transparent surface, said means defining said light carrying fiber optic bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around the periphery of a portion of the exterior transparent surface to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source to the exterior surface to increase the temperature thereof.
- and
-
39. A method for performing a procedure in a cavity comprising the steps of
providing a laparoscope including an elongated sheath tube and means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle for carrying infrared energy formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end, said means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located in the distal section of the sheath tube contiguous a distal lens having a periphery, said fiber optic bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the distal lens to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source into the periphery of distal lens to increase the temperature thereof; -
applying light energy from a light source to the fiber optic light carrying bundle, to the thermally conductive material and onto the periphery of the distal lens for raising the temperature of the distal lens to a level that resists fogging of the distal lens when the distal end of a laparoscope is inserted into a body cavity; and viewing from the proximal section of the elongated sheath tube a body cavity through said distal lens in the laparoscope. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. A system for performing laparoscopic procedures comprising
a laparoscope comprising an elongated sheath tube having an elongated axis, a distal section and a proximal section which terminates in a proximal end, said distal section having a distal tip including a tight distal lens having a periphery, said distal lens having an exterior surface located at said distal tip; -
means for defining an image transferring means for passing an optical image which extends from the distal tip to the proximal end of the elongated sheath tube, said image transferring means being positioned to receive an image from said distal lens; means defining a fiber optic light carrying bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end for carrying infrared energy, said fiber optic light carrying bundle having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located in the distal section of the sheath tube contiguous said distal lens, said fiber optic light carrying bundle having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the distal lens to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source into the periphery of the distal lens to increase the temperature thereof; and a light source operatively coupled to said proximal end of the fiber optic light carrying bundle. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
-
-
49. In combination
an endoscope having a distal end; -
an image forming and transferring means located within said endoscope for passing an optical image and having a distal lens having a periphery; and a fiber optic light guide which directs light energy including infrared radiation out of the distal end of the endoscope, said fiber optic light guide being formed of a plurality of optical fibers each of which have a distal end, said fiber optic light guide having a proximal end which is adapted to be operatively coupled to a light source and a distal end which is located contiguous the distal lens, said fiber optic light guide having a selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers being operatively coupled to a thermally conductive material located around a portion of the periphery of the distal lens to form a light diverting member for directing infrared energy from a light source; said thermally conductive material absorbing and conducting infrared radiation received by said selected number of the distal ends of said plurality of optical fibers from a light source to the distal lens to raise the temperature of the distal lens to a temperature at which the distal lens will resist fogging when the distal end of the endoscope is inserted into a body cavity.
-
Specification