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US3670721A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Endoscope

Assignee: Olympus Corp
•
Filing: 1970-02-05
•
Granted: 1972-06-20
•
Expires: 1990-02-05
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Abstract

Abstract Endoscope having a bendable tube connected to a forward end member adapted to be inserted into a hollow body portion to be inspected and controlled from a control housing and an elongated flexible tube connecting the bendable tube and the control housing. The flexible tube has a thin tubular synthetic resin layer having a tubular net-like braid of non-metallic fibers embedded therein and another thin tubular synthetic resin layer having a tubular net-like braid of metallic fibers embedded therein, the superimposed resin layers coaxially covering the flexible core of the flexible tube, and the bendable tube comprises a tubular, knitted net-like braid of crimped synthetic fibers closely enveloping a bendable tubular core and a pliable resin tube closely enveloping the braid, thus providing adequate wall thickness for the flexible tube and the bendable tube while retaining sufficient flexibility and twist-resisting property.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masaharu Fukami
  • 👤 Toshiyuki Mori

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-22 21:07
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/005; A61B1/0051; A61B1/0055; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S273/00; Y10S273/05

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 121 words
In an endoscope including a control housing and an elongated tubular element having one longitudinally terminal portion secured to said housing, another longitudinally terminal portion remote from said housing and formed with a viewing window, and a longitudinal, flexible portion intermediate said terminal portions, said intermediate portion having a tubular, flexible, metallic core, the improvement of said intermediate portion which comprises: a. a first, tubular, synthetic resin layer substantially coaxially engagingly superimposed on said core; b. a second, tubular, synthetic resin layer substantially coaxially superimposed on sAid first layer; c. a first tubular, net-like braid of non-metallic fibers embedded in one of said resin layers; and d. a second tubular, net-like braid of metal fibers embedded in the other resin layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 121 words
In an endoscope including a control housing and an elongated tubular element having one longitudinally terminal portion secured to said housing, another longitudinally terminal portion remote from said housing and formed with a viewing window, and a longitudinal, flexible portion intermediate said terminal portions, said intermediate portion having a tubular, flexible, metallic core, the improvement of said intermediate portion which comprises: a. a first, tubular, synthetic resin layer substantially coaxially engagingly superimposed on said core; b. a second, tubular, synthetic resin layer substantially coaxially superimposed on sAid first layer; c. a first tubular, net-like braid of non-metallic fibers embedded in one of said resin layers; and d. a second tubular, net-like braid of metal fibers embedded in the other resin layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 91 words
In an endoscope as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tubular element has a bendable portion longitudinally intermediate said other longitudinally terminal portion and said flexible portion thereof, the endoscope including operating means on said housing for bending said bendable portion, the bendable portion having a tubular core adapted to be bent by said operating means and an outer shell of elastomeric material, the improvement in said bendable portion which comprises a tubular, net-like braid of crimped synthetic fibers closely enveloping said core and being closely enveloped by said shell.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1995196A Cited
US2243992A Cited
US2453862A Cited
US3256875A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-06-20 1975-12-20 1976-06-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-06-20 1979-12-20 1980-06-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-06-20 1983-12-20 1984-06-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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