Surgery – Endoscope – Having imaging and illumination means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-11
2004-11-16
Flanagan, Beverly M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having imaging and illumination means
C600S172000, C600S137000, C600S170000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817976
ABSTRACT:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves a deviated viewing endoscope that has the advantage of all or part of the following options:
rotation of the viewing axis;
variation of the viewing angle;
rotation of the reticle; and
focusing control.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The term endoscope designates a rigid probe which, introduced into a lit cavity, makes it possible for the user to observe the inside of the cavity. In order to do this, an endoscope integrates by its nature, an optical device and a lighting device.
The term axial viewing endoscope designates an endoscope in which the optical axis of the distal lens is integrated with the mechanical axis of the endoscope. The optical device of an axial viewing endoscope comprises a frontal optical view port, a distal lens, a system for optical transport of an image generally comprised of a series of achromatic lenses and an ocular lens having a longitudinal displacement that makes it possible for the user to adjust the sharpness of the observed image. This optical device is calculated in a manner so that the image transmitted by the ocular lens does not have bi-directional inversion relative to reality. The lighting device of an axial viewing endoscope is comprised of a bundle of lighting fibers whose distal end generally comprises a lighting window in the form of a collar arranged around the frontal optical view port. The proximal end of the bundle of lighting fibers is housed in a lateral lighting seat integrated into the handle of the endoscope. The lighting field created by the distal lighting window covers the optical field of the endoscope when the lighting base is connected, by means of a lighting cable, to a light generator.
The term deviated viewing endoscope designates an endoscope in which the optical viewing axis forms an angle with the mechanical axis of the endoscope. The viewing is prograde if this angle is less than 90°, lateral if it is equal to 90°, and retrograde if it is greater than 90°. The optical device of a deviated viewing endoscope thus comprises in all cases a distal deviator prism.
If the distal prism is a deviator prism having total reflection characterized by a bi-directional inversion of the image transmitted by the prism, the optical device of the endoscope will comprise a lateral optical view port, the distal deviator prism, a lens, an optical system for transport of the image generally comprised of a series of achromatic lenses and an ocular lens whose longitudinal displacement makes it possible for the user to adjust the sharpness of the observed image. This optical system for transport of the image is calculated in a manner so that the image delivered by the ocular lens is not totally inverted relative to reality.
If the distal prism is a deviator prism having partial reflection characterized by a unidirectional inversion of the image transmitted by the prism, the optical device of the endoscope will comprise a lateral optical view port, the distal deviator prism, a lens, an optical system for the transport of an image generally comprised of a series of achromatic lenses, a correcting prism introducing a unidirectional inversion of the image transmitted by the prism and an ocular lens whose longitudinal displacement makes it possible for the user to adjust the sharpness of the observed image. The radial positioning of the correcting prism and the structure of the optical transport system is calculated in a manner so that the image delivered by the ocular lens is not partially inverted relative to reality. The deviated viewing endoscopes having adjustable focus equipped with a distal deviator prism having partial reflection have two main types of architecture. The first of these architectures involves endoscopes where the correcting prism is directly integrated into the optical system for transport of the image, the low dimensions of this correcting prism comprising a handicap in these conditions, as far as the luminosity is concerned. The second architecture mentioned appears for the first time in the patent dated 1938 (Louis K-PITMAN/U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,523/1938), and involves the endoscopes whose correcting prism comprises the proximal end of the optical device. In this case, it rapidly appeared as very advantageous to implement in the proximal part of the endoscope a cylindrical mount functioning to house the ocular lens, a mount whose proximal end shelters the correcting prism and whose distal end contains a field diaphragm (field stop) positioned in the distal focal plane of the ocular lens. The focusing control of the endoscope is done in longitudinally displacing this mount. This type of device, described since 1961 by the American company ACMI (U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,830/1961) has since been adopted by numerous endoscope manufacturers.
The lighting device of a deviated viewing endoscope is itself generally comprised of a bundle of lighting fibers whose distal end comprises a lateral lighting window located between the lateral optical view port and the distal end of the endoscope, the axis of lighting of this window being approximately parallel to the optical viewing axis of the endoscope. The proximal end of the bundle of fibers is housed in a lateral lighting seat integrated into the handle of the endoscope. The lighting field created by the lateral lighting window covers the optical field of the endoscope when the lighting seat is connected, by means of a lighting cable, to a light generator.
The problems of operation peculiar to customary deviated viewing endoscopes involve the panoramic exploration of the inside of a cavity. Such an examination actually requires the user to make the endoscope go through a rotation of 360° around its mechanical axis, an operation that is rendered difficult by the presence of the lighting cable united with the lighting seat of the endoscope. These operational problems are the origin of the development of deviated distal “rotary” viewing endoscopes designated according to the manufacturers under the terms of “rotascope” (HENKE SASS WOLF), of “endoscope having a turning shell” (EFER), of “boroscope having a rotating light connector” (KARL STORZ), of “technoscope having a rotary light connector” (RICHARD WOLF) or of “borescope having orbital scanning” (OLYMPUS). All of these endoscopes use a deviated distal endoscopic viewing probe whose proximal end turns to the inside from a handle equipped with a ring that controls the rotation of the probe, of a lateral seat for the connection of a lighting cable, a ring for adjusting the focus, and a proximal vision eye-piece cup. This type of architecture allows the user to make the endoscopic probe go through a rotation around its axis without changing the position of the lighting cable connected to the lateral lighting seat of the endoscope. The optical devices implemented in the different rotary endoscope models cited above can be classed in one of three families described in the following.
The first family of rotary endoscopes, developed numerous years ago notably by the German company HENKE-SASS WOLF, involves endoscopes having the optical device integrated in the rotating endoscopic probe and comprised of a distal deviator prism having total reflection, of a lens and of an optical system for transport of the image. The image delivered by the proximal end of the turning endoscope probe is transmitted to an ocular lens that is fixedly connected to a field diaphragm (field-stop) positioned in its distal focal plane and housed in a sliding manner in the handle of the endoscope, the longitudinal displacement of the ocular lens being controlled by an adjustment ring for focusing. The main disadvantage of the optical device described above results from the use of relatively expensive prisms having total reflection that are difficult to implement on a large scale of dimensions and deviation angles. The German company HENKE-SASS WOLF in
Flanagan Beverly M.
Harrison & Egbert
Tokendo (S.A.R.L.)
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