Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-09
2001-09-11
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S010000, C606S013000, C607S088000, C607S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287300
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment and arm device for the optical fiber. In particular, the invention relates to an optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment which is able to cure or treat an affected part by a heating effect, etc. by irradiating infrared rays to the affected part, and an arm device for the optical fiber which is able to retain the optical fiber unit so as to easily operate the same.
Conventionally, this kind of optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment was such that, like an optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 27172 of 1994, light including infrared rays emitted from a light source was guided through an optical fiber light guide, condensed by a light condensing lens group and irradiated onto an affected part.
Furthermore, a conventional arm device for optical fibers is formed so that the two arm parts thereof are formed of two or three joint parts, and when an optical fiber unit to which the arm device is attached is operated, the arm device flexes or turns, following the operation thereof, thereby causing the operation of the optical fiber unit to be improved.
Since the abovementioned optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment was constructed so that infrared rays emitted from a light source were guided through a fiber light guide, condensed by a light condensing lens group and irradiated onto an affected part, a light condensing lens group was an indispensable factor due to its precision as an optical component. Such structure is disadvantageous in that the production cost was increased, and the assembling thereof was not made easy.
Furthermore, the conventional arm device for optical fibers have two arm parts of a fixed length. This caused further problems in that they were insufficiently flexible, did not adapt themselves to the operating environments, and an excessive load is applied to the joint parts due to gravity when the arm part was elongated in the horizontal direction, resulting in a posture that could not be kept constant.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the abovementioned points, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment in which no light condensing lens group is required by making the tip end part of the optical fiber light guide a tapered conduit part, the diameter of which is gradually made smaller toward the tip end thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide an arm device for the optical fiber, having flexible arm parts and a joint part which can be locked in one direction, and which is able to adapt itself to the operating environments of the optical fiber unit and to keep the posture thereof constant with the arm parts thereof elongated in the horizontal direction.
An optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment according to the invention, and which treats or cures an affected part by irradiating light including infrared rays emitted from a light source onto the affected part through a flexible optical fiber light guide, is characterized in that the tip end side of the optical fiber light guide consists of a tapered conduit part, the diameter of which is made smaller toward the tip end thereof, whereby the tapered conduit part condenses light including the infrared rays and irradiates the same to the affected part.
According to an optical fiber unit for medical examination and treatment of the invention, since the tip end part of the optical fiber light guide is made a tapered conduit part and no light condensing lens group is required, there are effects by which the production cost of the device can be decreased by elimination of expensive optical components, and the assembling thereof can be made easier.
Furthermore, an arm device for an optical fiber according to the invention is characterized in having a base part fixed at the light source main body, a first joint part which is rotatable around the shaft of the base part and is attached so as to be rockable in one direction via a one-way clutch in the perpendicular plane with respect to the rotating plane, a first flexible arm part flexibly attached to the first joint part, a second joint part which is rotatable around the shaft of the first flexible arm part and is attached so as to be rockable in one direction via a one-way clutch in the perpendicular plane with respect to the rotating plane, a second flexible arm part flexibly attached at the second joint part, a third joint part rotatably and rockably attached to the second flexible arm part, and a probe retaining part for retaining a probe of an optical fiber unit attached to the third joint part.
Since an arm device for optical fiber according to the invention is provided with two flexible arm parts, two joint parts having a one-way clutch, and one joint part having a universal joint, it is possible to move the probe so as to adapt the arm device to the operating environments of an optical fiber unit, and simultaneously the posture of the arm device can be kept constant even though the arm part is elongated in the horizontal direction, whereby there is an effect of remarkably increasing the operation efficiency of the optical fiber unit.
Furthermore, the first joint part is provided with an operating member for cancelling the locking of one-way clutch, thus providing an effect by which the movement of the first flexible arm part toward any optional inclined position can be further facilitated.
Still furthermore, the second joint part is provided with a guiding part for insertably nipping a flexible guide tube of the optical fiber unit therebetween, thus providing an effect by which the followability of the arm device for optical fiber to the optical fiber unit can be further improved.
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Medical studies report, Nishikawa, et al. —“Influence of Rectilinearly Polarized Light to a Painkilling effect of Infrared Ray Irradiation”.
Takahashi, et al. —“Facts of Physical Therapy” —pp. 179-198, Nanzando.
Hoya-Schott Company's Catalogue (extract).
Catalogue of Starbeam, which is a medical examination and treatment device produced by Nagai Seisakusho (seller: Kanaken) (04B-0769 is a medical goods approval number of Heisei 4).
Catalogue of Spot Beam DX, which is a medical examination and treatment device dealt by Kansai Radiation Company (it is a medical goods approved in Showa 63.
Super Lizen catalogue; and Part of Minato catalogue.
Kobayashi Takemi
Kondo Hiroaki
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Farah A.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Tokyo Iken Co., Ltd.
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