Endoscope for illumination and observation of contacting distal regions

Claim 1

A CONTACT ENDOSCOPE FOR ILLUMINATING AND OBSERVING STRUCTURE AT THE DISTAL END THEREOF BY MEANS OF LIGHT INCIDENT TO THE PROXIMAL END THEREOF, COMPRISING A METALLIC SHEATH, A ROD COAXIAL AND SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE WITH SAID SHEATH AND HAVING PROXIMAL END FACE AND A DISTAL END FACE AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SHEATH, MEANS FOR INTERLOCKING SAID SHEATH AND SAID ROD, SAID ROD BEING OF OPTICALQUALITY TRANSPARENT MATERIAL AND HAVING POLISHED GENERATING LINES AND PROVIDING A TOTAL REFLECTION OF THE INCIDENT LIGHT BETWEEN SAID PROXIMAL AND DISTAL FACES, SAID PROXIMAL END FACE BEING CONVEX AND DISPOSED OUTSIDE SAID SHEATH, MEANS INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE PROXIMAL END OF SAID ROD IN COAXIAL RELATION THERETO, SAID SLEEVE COMPRISING A TRANSPARENT BODY HAVING ON ITS INNER SIDE INCLINED SURFACES FOR DIRECTING TO SAID PROXIMAL ENDS FACE LIGHT EMANATING FROM OUTSIDE SAID BODY, MOUNTING MEANS AT ONE END OF THE SLEEVE MOUNTING THE SLEEVE ON THE SHEATH ADJACENT THE PROXIMAL END OF THE ROD, AND CAP MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SLEEVE, SAID CAP MEANS INCLUDING A SIGHTING APERTURE DIRECTED THROUGH SAID SLEEVE FOR VIEWING SAID PROXIMAL END FACE IN A DIRECTION COAXIAL WITH SAID ROD.