Apparatus and methods for cleaning the lens of an endoscope

• US 8,986,199 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Weisenburgh, William B. II, Hess, Christopher J., Nobis, Rudolph H., Griffith, David B., Trusty, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nia, Alireza
• Application Number:
  US13/399,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 600156-158, 600/104, 600/106, 600/114, 600/153, 600/154
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning a lens, or one or more lenses, of an endoscopic camera while the endoscope is deployed in a patient during a medical procedure, such as a minimally invasive procedure, or a therapeutic or diagnostic procedure, is disclosed. The cleaning apparatus generally includes a conduit having a fluid delivery port, an alignment system, and a flexible supply tube to fluidly connect the conduit to one or both of a source of a fluid and a suction device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning at least one of a lens of an endoscopic camera and endoscopic illumination source of an endoscope, the endoscope being deployable into an internal site of a patient, the apparatus comprising:

a conduit for removable attachment to the endoscope, the conduit defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end and being structured for the passage of fluid therethrough;

the distal end of the conduit defining at least one fluid delivery port;

an alignment system for aligning the delivery port in a desired position relative to the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source of the endoscope, said alignment system comprising an alignment member on the conduit and a recess formed on the outer surface of the endoscope for receiving the alignment member,

the recess having a recessed engaging section for maintaining the alignment member in a locked position when engaged therewith, and a recessed unlocking section, the alignment member movable between the recessed sections for movement between locking and unlocking positions;

the alignment member comprising a protrusion extending outwardly from the conduit in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the conduit, the recessed unlocking section maintains the protrusion in an unlocked position when received therein;

a biasing member for maintaining the protrusion in the locked position;

the at least one delivery port being positioned on the conduit such that the delivery port is directed towards the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source when the protrusion is in the locked position; and

,

a supply tube attached to the proximal end of the conduit, the tube defining at least one lumen for passage of fluid therethrough.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the endoscope comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a passage extending from the proximal to the distal end of the endoscope, the conduit being disposed within the passage.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein the passage is positioned within the endoscope and the conduit is rigid.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein the passage is positioned on the exterior of the endoscope.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 further comprising a plurality of elastic prongs for releasably attaching the conduit to the passage of the endoscope.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein the conduit is flexible and the supply tube is flexible.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein the alignment system further comprises an engagement head positioned at the distal end of the conduit, the engagement head extending outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the conduit to engage the endoscope and position the at least one fluid delivery port adjacent the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a carrier member having a distal end and a proximal end and being sized to at least partially encase the length of the endoscope, the carrier member having at least a partial opening at the distal end thereof to expose the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source and at least a partial opening at the proximal end thereof for passage of the supply conduit.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein the alignment system further comprises at least one engagement member for securing the carrier member to the endoscope.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein the carrier member comprises at least one passage formed along the length of the carrier member from the proximal to the distal end thereof, the passage fluidly connected to the at least one delivery port.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein the at least one passage of the carrier member forms the conduit.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein the at least one passage of the carrier member is sized to receive the conduit.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein the at least one passage is fluidly connected to the lumen of the supply tube for passage of fluid from the supply tube through the passage to the fluid delivery port.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein there are at least two passages formed along the length of the carrier member.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein the supply tube has a proximal end and a distal end, at least two lumens extending from the end, and wherein the supply tube is fluidly connected at the proximal end of at least one of the at least two lumens to a source of fluid and fluidly connected at the proximal end of another of the at least two lumens to a source of vacuum.

16. The apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a handle for moving the protrusion between the locked and unlocked positions.

17. A method for cleaning a lens of at least one of an endoscopic camera and an endoscopic illumination source, the endoscope being deployable into an internal site of a patient, the method comprising:

attaching a removable cleaning apparatus to the endoscope, the cleaning apparatus comprising a conduit for removable attachment to the endoscope, the conduit defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end and being structured for the passage of fluid therethrough;

the distal end of the conduit defining at least one fluid delivery port;

an alignment system for aligning the delivery port in a desired position relative to the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source of the endoscope, said alignment system comprising an alignment member on the conduit and a recess formed on the outer surface of the endoscope for receiving the alignment member, the recess having a recessed engaging section for maintaining the alignment member in a locked position when engaged therewith, and a recessed unlocking section, the alignment member movable between the recessed sections for movement between locking and unlocking positions, the alignment member comprises a protrusion extending outwardly from the conduit in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the conduit;

the recessed unlocking section maintains the protrusion in an unlocked position when received therein;

a biasing member for maintaining the protrusion in the locked position; and

, the at least one delivery port being positioned on the conduit such that the delivery port is directed towards the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source when the protrusion is in the locked position; and

, a supply tube attached to the proximal end of the conduit, the tube defining at least one lumen for passage of fluid therethrough;

aligning the fluid delivery port into the desired position facing the lens of the camera and the illumination source;

locking the conduit and the fluid delivery port into the desired position;

directing a cleaning fluid selected from a liquid, a gas or a combination thereof from at least one source of cleaning fluid external to the patient through the supply tube, the conduit and to the at least one delivery port;

directing the cleaning fluid onto the surface of the lens of at least one of the camera and the illumination source; and

,

suctioning from the distal surface of the endoscope.