Flexible optical instrument particularly for carrying out surgical procedures

Claim 1

A FLEXIBLE OPTICAL INSTRUMENT PARTICULARLY FOR INSERTION INTO RESTRICTED OPENINGS AND PASSAGEWAYS IN THE BODY OF A PATIENT IN THE CARRYING OUT OF SURGICAL PROCEDURES, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED LIGHT AND IMAGE-CONDUCTING BUNDLE HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF VERY THIN FLEXIBLE LIGHT-CONDUCTING FIBERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM END TO END THEREOF, SAID FIBERS BEING ARRANGED IN FIRST AND SECOND GROUPS WITH THE FIBERS OF THE FIRST GROUP AT ONE END THEREOF FORMING A ROD-LIKE ARRAY EXTENDING SPACED FROM THE CORRESPONDING END OF THE FIBERS OF THE SECOND GROUP, THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE FIBERS OF THE SECOND GROUP EXTENDING ABOUT SAID SECOND GROUP AND FORMING A HOLLOW EXTENSION PROJECTING BEYOND THE OTHER END OF SAID SECOND GROUP, AND OBJECTIVE LENS MEANS POSITIONED IN SAID HOLLOW EXTENSION FOR PROVIDING TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID SECOND GROUP AN IMAGE OF A FIELD OF VIEW ADJACENT TO THE END OF SAID HOLLOW EXTENSION, WHEREBY LIGHT INCIDENT ON THE END OF SAID ROD-LIKE ARRAY IS CONDUCTED BY THE FIBERS OF SAID FIRST GROUP TO ILLUMINATE SAID FIELD AND SAID IMAGE IS CONDUCTED BY THE FIBERS OF SAID SECOND GROUP TO SAID ONE END THEREOF.