Laser endoscope with safety device

Surgery – Endoscope – With tool carried on endoscope or auxillary channel therefore

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C600S118000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06767320

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope assembly for use in medical procedures.
II. Description of Related Art
There are many previously known endoscopes. Such endoscopes typically comprise a housing having an elongated tube with a free end. The free end of the tube is insertable into a body cavity while an optical system contained in the tube transmits light or other electromagnetic waves from the body cavity, through the tube, so that the interior of the body cavity can be viewed exteriorly of the body.
In order to obtain a view of the interior of the body cavity, it is necessary with these previously known endoscopes to transmit the light or other radiation, such as infrared radiation, (hereinafter collectively referred to as light radiation) through the tube and into the body cavity. The reflected light radiation then passes through the free end of the tube and the optical system contained in the tube for viewing exteriorly of the body.
While different forms of light sources may be used to transmit the light radiation into the body cavity, some modern endoscopes utilize a laser as the light radiation source.
A safety concern arises, however, with the previously known endoscopes which utilize a laser as the light radiation source. Specifically, due to the coherent wave emission inherent with a laser, the laser radiation may cause injury to the medical personnel in the operatory upon removal of the free end of the endoscope tube from the body cavity. Such injury can be particularly serious if the laser output is unintentionally directed into the eyes of the medical personnel.
While it is possible to avoid injury from the laser radiation upon removal of the endoscope tube from the body cavity by simply turning off the laser, mistakes can happen where the laser remains activated despite removal of the endoscope tube from the body cavity.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides an endoscope assembly which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known devices.
In brief, the endoscope assembly of the present invention comprises a housing having a tube with a free end adapted for insertion into a body cavity. The tube contains a conventional optical system to not only convey light radiation into the body cavity, but to also return the reflected light radiation from the body cavity and through the tube for viewing exteriorly of the body.
The endoscope assembly further includes a laser which emits a light radiation output beam through the free end of the tube. The laser preferably emits radiation in the infrared range, although lasers of different wavelength outputs may alternatively be used.
A light sensor is contained within the housing for detecting light of a predetermined color range, e.g. the color green, which impinges at the free end of the endoscope tube. Furthermore, when the light sensor detects light in the predetermined color range, the light sensor generates an output signal.
The endoscope assembly further comprises a circuit which receives the output signal from the light sensor as an input signal. The circuit, upon receipt of the output signal from the light sensor, generates an output signal to disable the laser. As used herein, disabling the laser means to prevent the light radiation from the laser from emitting from the free end of the endoscope tube.
Assuming that the predetermined color range is green, in operation once the tube is inserted into the body cavity the laser operates in the normal fashion to transmit light radiation into the body cavity while the reflection of that light radiation is returned through the endoscope tube for imaging exteriorly of the body. Furthermore, since the laser generates an output signal outside the predetermined color range, no light radiation within the predetermined color range is conveyed back through the endoscope tube for viewing exteriorly of the body.
Conversely, upon removal of the free end of the endoscope tube from the body cavity, the free end of the endoscope tube is exposed to light in the operatory. As a practical matter, light within the predetermined color range, e.g. green light, is common in operatories. As such, the light sensor detects the light within the predetermined range immediately upon removal of the endoscope tube from the body cavity thus activating the circuit to disable the laser.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4422457 (1983-12-01), Hattori
patent: 4543477 (1985-09-01), Doi et al.
patent: 5154707 (1992-10-01), Rink et al.
patent: 5409481 (1995-04-01), Poppas et al.
patent: 5419312 (1995-05-01), Arenberg et al.
patent: 6511422 (2003-01-01), Chatenever
patent: 6556851 (2003-04-01), Ott et al.

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