Endoscopy method and endoscope
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An endoscopy method comprising:
- an inserting step of inserting an inserted portion of an endoscope into a body;
a securing step of securing a distal-end portion of the inserted portion to a surface of a heart inside the body such that an observation window, which is provided on one of a side face of the inserted portion or on the distal-end portion, faces toward the surface of the heart; and
an observation-distance adjusting step of adjusting the distance between the observation window and the surface of the heart by inflating a balloon provided on a portion of the inserted portion, where the balloon is provided on less than a full circumference of the inserted portion, and the portion includes a side that the observation window faces.
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Abstract
With an endoscope including a long, thin inserted portion that is inserted into the body of a patient, securing means for securing the inserted portion to tissue inside the body, the securing means being provided at least at a distal-end portion of the inserted portion, an observation optical system that is provided at the inserted portion and that acquires an image of the tissue, and observation-distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the observation optical system and a surface of the tissue, it is possible to attain a stable field of view without having to stop the pulsation or the like of the heart or other tissue.
95 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An endoscopy method comprising:
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an inserting step of inserting an inserted portion of an endoscope into a body; a securing step of securing a distal-end portion of the inserted portion to a surface of a heart inside the body such that an observation window, which is provided on one of a side face of the inserted portion or on the distal-end portion, faces toward the surface of the heart; and an observation-distance adjusting step of adjusting the distance between the observation window and the surface of the heart by inflating a balloon provided on a portion of the inserted portion, where the balloon is provided on less than a full circumference of the inserted portion, and the portion includes a side that the observation window faces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An endoscope comprising:
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a long, thin inserted portion that is inserted into the body of a patient; securing means for securing the inserted portion to a tissue inside the body, the securing means being provided at least at a distal-end portion of the inserted portion; an observation optical system that is provided at the inserted portion and that acquires an image of the tissue or adjacent tissue adjacent to the tissue; and observation-distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the observation optical system and one of a surface of the tissue or a surface of the adjacent tissue, wherein an observation window is provided on one of a side face of the inserted portion or on the distal-end portion, and wherein the observation-distance adjusting means is provided on a portion of the inserted portion and the observation-distance adjusting means is provided on less than a full circumference of the inserted portion, where the portion includes a side that the observation window faces. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification