Medical instrument

• US 8,517,927 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Asada, Daisuke, Nakajima, Sho, Karasawa, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasztejna, Matthew J
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRY III, KEVIN GRANT
• Application Number:
  US12/842,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20110046445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/121, 600/122, 600/127, 600155-158, 600/169, 600/174, 348/65
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• 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 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00283 with a device releasably connected to an inner wall of the abdomen during surgery, e.g. an illumination source

Abstract

A medical instrument includes: an image pickup unit incorporated in a medical instrument body for picking up an image of the subject to be examined from an observation window; an airflow generating unit provided rotatably with respect to the medical instrument body so as to cover the image pickup unit by a covering unit having an opening formed therein, the airflow generating unit being configured to generate an airflow for preventing adherents from sticking to the observation window, by rotation of the covering unit; a fixing unit for indwelling and fixing the medical instrument body inside the subject to be examined; and a drive unit incorporated in the medical instrument body, for driving the airflow generation unit.

Claims

1. A medical instrument for observing an interior of a subject to be examined, comprising:

an image pickup unit incorporated in a medical instrument body, for picking up an image of the subject to be examined from an observation window;

a rotary cover having a cylindrical shape and provided rotatably on an outer circumferential portion of the medical instrument body so as to cover the image pickup unit, the rotary cover being provided with an inlet port, and an opening on the outer circumferential portion of the rotary cover for exposing the image pickup unit;

a multi-bladed fan provided on an inner perimeter of the rotary cover and configured to take in air from the inlet port and exhaust an airflow for preventing adherents from sticking to the observation window by rotation of the rotary cover;

a fixing unit for indwelling and fixing the medical instrument body inside the subject to be examined; and

a drive unit incorporated in the medical instrument body, for driving the rotary cover to be rotated,

wherein the rotary cover rotates and moves to a position where the opening aligns with the observation window in accordance with a timing of a frame rate of the image pickup unit.

2. The medical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the multi-bladed fan is provided in the vicinity of the inlet port.