Ureter resectoscope

• US 7,169,147 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nosel, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Peffley; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOY, ALEX B
• Application Number:
  US10/840,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 606/46, 600104-106
• US Class Current: 606/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/149 bow shaped or with rotatable body at cantilever end, e.g. for resectoscopes, or coagulating rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes

Abstract

A ureter resectoscope with an elongate flexible stem tube (4) of substantial length and small external diameter, of which the distal end piece (5) is made from insulating material and which accommodates an optical unit (6) as well as a rod-shaped instrument carrier (11). The instrument carrier is disposed so as to be longitudinally displaceable parallel to the optical unit and bears on its distal end an electrode (12, 12′) that can be supplied with high-frequency current and, on its proximal end after passing through a bore in a main body (1) disposed on the proximal end of the stem tube, is fixed and electrically contacted on a slider (13) mounted so as to longitudinally displaceable. The instrument carrier is guided in the vicinity of its distal end on the optical unit (6) by a sliding tube (20) A stop (19) is disposed on the optical unit (6) proximally from the sliding tube (20) in a position which, with the instrument carrier (11) retracted until the sliding tube (20) is in abutment against the stop (19), results in a sufficient electrical safety distance between the electrode (12) and the distal top of the optical unit (6).

Claims

1. A ureter resectoscope with an elongate flexible stem tube (4) of substantial length and small external diameter, of which a distal end piece (5) is made from insulating material and which accommodates an optical unit (6) as well as a rod-shaped instrument carrier (11) that is disposed so as to be longitudinally displaceable parallel to the optical unit, said instrument carrier bearing, on its distal end, an electrode (12, 12′

) that can be supplied with high-frequency current and, on its proximal end after passing through a bore in a main body (1) disposed on a proximal end of the stem tube, is fixed and electrically contacted on a slider (13) mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable, wherein the instrument carrier is guided in the vicinity of its distal end on the optical unit (6) by a sliding tube (20), and wherein on the optical unit (6) proximally from the sliding tube (20) a stop (19) is disposed in a position, which, with the instrument carrier (11) retracted until the sliding tube (20) is in abutment against the stop (19), results in a sufficient electrical safety distance between the electrode (12) and the distal top of the optical unit (6).

2. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein an internal cross-section of the stem tube (4) proximally from its distal region is sufficiently dimensioned in order to allow a lateral displacement of the instrument carrier (11) around the optical unit (6).

3. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the instrument carrier (11) is guided on the optical unit (6) with a proximal spacing from the sliding tube (20) by an additional sliding tube (21), which is slotted in the angular region of the stop (19).

4. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate flexible stem tube has a length of about 40 cm and a diameter not exceeding 4 mm.

5. A ureter resectoscope with an elongate flexible stem tube (4) of substantial length and small external diameter, of which a distal end piece (5) is made from insulating material and which accommodates an optical unit (6) as well as a rod-shaped instrument carrier (11) that is disposed so as to be longitudinally displaceable parallel to the optical unit, said instrument carrier bearing, on its distal end, an electrode (12, 12′

) that can be supplied with high-frequency current and, on its proximal end after passing through a bore in a main body (1) disposed on a proximal end of the stem tube, is fixed and electrically contacted on a slider (13) mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable, wherein the instrument carrier is guided in the vicinity of its distal end on the optical unit (6) by a sliding tube (20), and wherein immovably affixed to the optical unit (6), proximally from the sliding tube (20), a stop (19) is disposed in a position, which, with the instrument carrier (11) retracted until the sliding tube (20) is in abutment against the stop (19), results in a sufficient electrical safety distance between the electrode (12) and the distal top of the optical unit (6).

6. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 5, wherein an internal cross-section of the stem tube (4) proximally from its distal region is sufficiently dimensioned in order to allow a lateral displacement of the instrument carrier (11) around the optical unit (6).

7. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 5, wherein the instrument carrier (11) is guided on the optical unit (6) with a proximal spacing from the sliding tube (20) by an additional sliding tube (21), which is slotted in the angular region of the stop (19).

8. The ureter resectoscope of claim 5 wherein the elongate flexible stem tube has a length of about 40 cm and a diameter not exceeding 4 mm.

9. A ureter resectoscope with an elongate flexible stem tube (4) of substantial length and small external diameter, of which a distal end piece (5) is made from insulating material and which accommodates an optical unit (6) as well as a rod-shaped instrument carrier (11) that is disposed so as to be longitudinally displaceable parallel to the optical unit, said instrument carrier bearing, on its distal end, an electrode (12, 12′

) that can be supplied with high-frequency current and, on its proximal end after passing through a bore in a main body (1) disposed on a proximal end of the stem tube, is fixed and electrically contacted on a slider (13) mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable, wherein the instrument carrier is guided in the vicinity of its distal end on the optical unit (6) by a sliding tube (20), and wherein the optical unit (6) is slidably engaged within and guided at its proximal end by a guide tube (8) that distally terminates near the proximal end of the stem tube (4), and wherein on the optical unit (6) proximally from the sliding tube (20) a stop (19) is disposed in a position, which, with the instrument carrier (11) retracted until the sliding tube (20) is in abutment against the stop (19), results in a sufficient electrical safety distance between the electrode (12) and the distal top of the optical unit (6).

10. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 9, wherein an internal cross-section of the stem tube (4) proximally from its distal region is sufficiently dimensioned in order to allow a lateral displacement of the instrument carrier (11) around the optical unit (6).

11. The ureter resectoscope as claimed in claim 9, wherein the instrument carrier (11) is guided on the optical unit (6) with a proximal spacing from the sliding tube (20) by an additional sliding tube (21), which is slotted in the angular region of the stop (19).

12. The ureter resectoscope of claim 9 wherein the elongate flexible stem tube has a length of about 40 cm and a diameter not exceeding 4 mm.