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Focusable optical instrument with a sealed optical system having no internal optical moving parts

  • US 6,398,724 B1
  • Filed: 03/16/2000
  • Issued: 06/04/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An endoscope comprising:

  • a replaceable sealed optical assembly without moveable parts having a distal end, a proximal end, and an image plane located outside of said replaceable sealed optical assembly;

    a focusing device connected on one side to said proximal end and on the opposite side to an external image receiving device, said external image receiving device having an image receiving plane such that focusing of said endoscope is achieved when said image plane coincides with said image receiving plane;

    said focusing device having means for relative motion with respect to said replaceable sealed optical assembly, said means for relative motion comprising an internal driver in the form of a first tubular body slidingly fit onto said distal end of said replaceable sealed optical assembly, said internal driver having an external thread on its outer surface;

    an adapter made in the form of a second tubular body having an inner thread engaged with said external thread, said adapter having a proximal end and a distal end and being rigidly connected to said image receiving device on said proximal end;

    a focus driver in the form of a third tubular body which is rigidly connected to said sealed optical assembly and to said internal driver, so that rotation of said focus driver relative to said adapter will cause relative displacement of said image plane with respect to said image receiving plane.

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