Medical diagnostic instrument
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An otoscope for conducting examinations of the ear, said otoscope comprising:
- an instrument head having an interior and a rear end;
an optical system comprising at least two lens elements aligned along an optical axis for receiving an image from the ear of the a patient; and
a focusing screen aligned along said optical axis and disposed at a focal plane of the optical system, the focusing screen being a flat section having no optical power and made from at least one of a light transmissive plastic or ground glass, wherein the focusing screen receives a focused image from said optical system, each of said optical system and said focusing screen being disposed within the interior of said instrument head, wherein said focusing screen presents the focused image to a user at a predetermined distance from the rear end of said instrument head without requiring close proximity between an eye of the user and the rear end of the instrument head.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical diagnostic instrument that enables optical viewing of a target area, includes an optical system disposed within an instrument housing, the optical system including at least one primary optical element disposed along an optical axis. A focusing screen is distally aligned along the optical axis for focusing an image of the target area received from the optical system. The focusing screen enables a user to view the target area without requiring an eyepiece, thereby permitting the caregiver to conduct examinations without requiring intimate contact between the patient and the caregiver.
51 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An otoscope for conducting examinations of the ear, said otoscope comprising:
-
an instrument head having an interior and a rear end; an optical system comprising at least two lens elements aligned along an optical axis for receiving an image from the ear of the a patient; and a focusing screen aligned along said optical axis and disposed at a focal plane of the optical system, the focusing screen being a flat section having no optical power and made from at least one of a light transmissive plastic or ground glass, wherein the focusing screen receives a focused image from said optical system, each of said optical system and said focusing screen being disposed within the interior of said instrument head, wherein said focusing screen presents the focused image to a user at a predetermined distance from the rear end of said instrument head without requiring close proximity between an eye of the user and the rear end of the instrument head. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A portable diagnostic instrument that enables optical viewing of a medical area, said instrument comprising:
-
an instrument housing having an interior, a front end, and a rear end; an optical system disposed within the interior of said instrument housing, said optical system comprising at least two lens elements aligned along an optical axis; and a focusing screen aligned along said optical axis within said instrument housing for focusing an image of the target area received from said optical system, said focusing screen being a flat section having no optical power and made from at least one of a light transmissive plastic or ground glass, the focusing screen being disposed within the interior of said instrument housing and configured to enable a user to effectively view the target area at a predetermined distance away from said instrument housing without requiring close proximity between an eye of the user and the rear end of the instrument housing. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification