Diagnostic instruments

Claim 1

A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PROBE EMBODYING A LONG, THIN AND FLEXIBLE TUBULAR STRUCTURE HAVING A RELATIVELY SHORT HOLLOW FITTING ON ONE END THEREOF AND A LONG, THIN FLEXIBLE FIBER OPTICAL STRUCTURE FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE LIGHT-CONDUCTING FIBERS EXTENDING INTERNALLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE INTO SAID FITTING, GIMBAL MEANS INTERJOINING SAID FITTING AND TUBULAR STRUCTURE FOR PERMITTING LATERAL ADJUSTMENT OF SAID FITTING IN ALL DIRECTIONS INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE, FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF WIRE-LIKE MEMBERS EXTENDING IN ADJACENT SIDE-BYSIDE RELATION WITH EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE ALONG A COMMON SIDE OF SAID FIBER OPTICAL STRUCTURE WITH THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID WIRE-LIKE MEMBERS SEPARATED ADJACENT SAID HOLLOW FITTING AND CONNECTED IN PAIRS TO SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT-ANGULARLY RELATED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID RESPECTIVE FITTING AND GIMBAL MEANS, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID WIRE-LIKE MEMBERS BEING ACCESSIBLE FOR MANIPULATION ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE WHEREBY LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF ONE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE OTHER OF EACH OF THE RESPECTIVE PAIRS THEREOF WILL PRODUCE LATERAL ADJUSTMENT OF SAID HOLLOW FITTING INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE AND BECAUSE SAID WIRE-LIKE MEMBERS ARE IN ADJACENT SIDE-BY SIDE RELATION ALONG A COMMON SIDE OF SAID FIBER OPTICAL STRUCTURE FLEXING OF SAID TUBULAR AND FIBER OPTICAL STRUCTURES MAY BE EFFECTED SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT INTRODUCING RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID WIRE-LIKE MEMBERS OR IMPARTING LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLLOW END FITTING.