Vaginal speculum apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A speculum assembly comprising:
- a speculum comprising;
an upper blade;
a lower blade including a handle portion having a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity being enclosed with the exception of an open end in a lower end of the handle portion; and
a curved light pipe having a proximal end disposed in an upper end of said handle portion and a distal end disposed along an elongate portion of the lower blade; and
an illuminator comprising;
an illuminator housing;
a light source;
at least one battery, each of the light source and at least one battery being retained within the illuminator housing; and
a switch for selectively energizing the light source in which the illuminator housing is disposed within the receiving cavity of the handle portion and in which the light source is optically coupled with the proximal end of the curved light pipe wherein the receiving cavity includes a guide at a closed end of the receiving cavity, the guide having a set of centering fingers configured for aligning the illuminator with the proximal end of the curved light pipe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vaginal speculum apparatus includes a portable illumination assembly that is releasably attached to one of the upper blade and lower blade of a disposable vaginal speculum. The portable illumination assembly is defined by a housing that retains at least one LED and a portable power supply. The portable illumination assembly can be energized by an externally accessible member after the illuminator has been attached to the speculum.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A speculum assembly comprising:
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a speculum comprising; an upper blade; a lower blade including a handle portion having a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity being enclosed with the exception of an open end in a lower end of the handle portion; and a curved light pipe having a proximal end disposed in an upper end of said handle portion and a distal end disposed along an elongate portion of the lower blade; and an illuminator comprising; an illuminator housing; a light source; at least one battery, each of the light source and at least one battery being retained within the illuminator housing; and a switch for selectively energizing the light source in which the illuminator housing is disposed within the receiving cavity of the handle portion and in which the light source is optically coupled with the proximal end of the curved light pipe wherein the receiving cavity includes a guide at a closed end of the receiving cavity, the guide having a set of centering fingers configured for aligning the illuminator with the proximal end of the curved light pipe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A vaginal speculum comprising:
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an upper blade; a lower blade including a handle portion having a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity being enclosed with the exception of an open end in a lower end of the handle portion; and a curved light pipe having a proximal end disposed in an upper end of the handle portion and a distal end disposed along an elongate portion of the lower blade, a portion of the light pipe extending substantially along at least an axial portion of the lower blade and in which the speculum is configured to receive a compact illuminator housing in the receiving cavity such that a contained illumination source is optically coupled to a proximal end of the light pipe, and in which the distal end surface of the curved light pipe is defined by an angle relative to an axis extending parallel to the handle portion of the lower blade of between about 55 degrees and about 80 degrees in which a guide is disposed within a closed end of the receiving cavity at an upper end of the handle portion for aligning and optically coupling the illumination source. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for manufacturing a speculum assembly, the method comprising:
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providing a speculum with an upper blade, a lower blade including a handle portion having a receiving cavity, the receiving cavity being enclosed with the exception of an open end in a lower end of the handle portion; providing a curved light pipe in the speculum, the curved light pipe having a proximal end disposed in an upper end of the handle portion and a distal end disposed along an elongate portion of the lower blade; providing an illuminator, the illuminator comprising a housing, a light source, at least one battery retained within the housing, circuitry interconnecting the at least one battery and light source and a switch for selectively energizing the light source; in which a guide is disposed within a closed end of the receiving cavity at an upper end of the handle portion for aligning and coupling the light source of the illuminator with the proximal end of the curved light pipe. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification