US3726272A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Endoscope
Assignee: Olympus Corp
•
Filing: 1971-03-27
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Granted: 1973-04-10
•
Expires: 1991-03-27
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope comprising a control housing and a forward end portion connected to said control housing by an elongated tube and adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion of a living body for inspection and/or photographing thereof. The endoscope comprises a flexible sheath secured at its one end to the control housing and various extension means of the endoscope to be connected to the respective various exterior devices for effecting various functions such as for illuminating the object, supplying air and/or water into the hollow portion into which the forward end portion of the endoscope is inserted, sucking undesired material such as phlegm out of the hollow portion, and controlling the photographing device of the endoscope for the proper exposure are extended together through the flexible sheath from the control housing to the free outer end of the flexible sheath. The various extension means are connected to the respective corresponding exterior devices at the free outer end of the flexible sheath so that the entanglement of the various extension means during the operation of the endoscope is prevented while the connection of the extension means to the respective exterior devices is facilitated. An air supplying device for use with an endoscope for supplying desired quantity of air into a hollow portion of a living body into which the forward end portion of the endoscope is inserted for the inspection thereof so that the hollow portion is inflated appropriately for the proper inspection and/or photographing of the hollow portion. The air supplying device comprises a foot switch, a timer and an air pump actuated by closing the foot switch through the timer for supplying air to the endoscope to which the air pump is connected. The timer is actuated each time the foot switch is closed for actuating the air pump so that the timer deenergizes the air pump after a predetermined time period set in the timer so that a predetermined quantity air is supplied to the endoscope each time the foot switch is closed while the air pump is stopped at any desired moment during the actuation of the timer by opening the foot switch so that the excess quantity of air is prevented from being supplied to the endoscope.
Inventors
- 👤 T Mori
- 👤 M Fukami
- 👤 M Sato
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 16:31
CPC Classifications
F; F04; F04B; F04B49/00; F04B49/02; A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00112; A61B1/00121; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00165
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
527 words
An endoscope comprising a control housing and a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into the hollow portion of a living body for the inspection thereof which is connected to said control housing by an elongated tube, an image of the object to be inspected being focused in said forward end portion by means of an objective lens system housed in said forward end portion, the thus focused image of the object being transmitted through an image transmitting optical system extending through said elongated tube from said forward end portion to said control housing to thereby permit the thus transmitted image of the object to be viewed through an ocular means provided in said control housing, wherein the improvement comprises a flexible sheath secured at its one end to said control housing, a great majority of various extension means of the endoscope to be connected to the respective various exterior devices for effecting various functions for the proper operation of the endoscope being extended together through said flexible sheath from said control housing to the free outer end of said flexible sheath to thereby permit the great majority of said various extension means to be connected at the outer free end of said sheath to said respective various exterior devices so that the entanglement of said various extension means with each other during the operation of the endoscope is prevented while the connection of said various extension means to said respective various exterior devices is facilitated, said various exterior devices comprising a light source, an air supplying device and a water supplying device to be connected respectively to a light transmitting means for illuminating the object, an air supplying tube and a water supplying tube constituting said various extension means, said air supplying tube being connected to the bottom of a cylindrical member provided in said control housing with its open end opening in the surface of said control housing, a water and air supplying tube extending through said elongated tube of the endoscope with its inner end connected to the side wall of said cylindrical member adjacent to the bottom thereof while said water supplying tube is connected to said water and air supplying tube intermediate the length thereof, a hollow actuator member having a throughhole and slidably fitted in said cylindrical member so that the end of said water and air supplying tube connected to said side wall of said cylindrical member is closed when said actuator member is moved inwardly of said cylindrical member while said actuator member is normally urged outwardly to its outermost position by means of a spring provided between said cylindrical member and said actuator member to thereby open said end of said water and air supplying tube, so that supplying of air is effected by closing said throughhole of said actuator member while said air supplying device is actuated and supplying of water is effected by actuating said water supplying device after said actuator member is moved inwardly of said cylindrical member against the action of said spring to close said end of said water and air supplying tube connected to said side wall of said cylindrical Member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
527 words
An endoscope comprising a control housing and a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into the hollow portion of a living body for the inspection thereof which is connected to said control housing by an elongated tube, an image of the object to be inspected being focused in said forward end portion by means of an objective lens system housed in said forward end portion, the thus focused image of the object being transmitted through an image transmitting optical system extending through said elongated tube from said forward end portion to said control housing to thereby permit the thus transmitted image of the object to be viewed through an ocular means provided in said control housing, wherein the improvement comprises a flexible sheath secured at its one end to said control housing, a great majority of various extension means of the endoscope to be connected to the respective various exterior devices for effecting various functions for the proper operation of the endoscope being extended together through said flexible sheath from said control housing to the free outer end of said flexible sheath to thereby permit the great majority of said various extension means to be connected at the outer free end of said sheath to said respective various exterior devices so that the entanglement of said various extension means with each other during the operation of the endoscope is prevented while the connection of said various extension means to said respective various exterior devices is facilitated, said various exterior devices comprising a light source, an air supplying device and a water supplying device to be connected respectively to a light transmitting means for illuminating the object, an air supplying tube and a water supplying tube constituting said various extension means, said air supplying tube being connected to the bottom of a cylindrical member provided in said control housing with its open end opening in the surface of said control housing, a water and air supplying tube extending through said elongated tube of the endoscope with its inner end connected to the side wall of said cylindrical member adjacent to the bottom thereof while said water supplying tube is connected to said water and air supplying tube intermediate the length thereof, a hollow actuator member having a throughhole and slidably fitted in said cylindrical member so that the end of said water and air supplying tube connected to said side wall of said cylindrical member is closed when said actuator member is moved inwardly of said cylindrical member while said actuator member is normally urged outwardly to its outermost position by means of a spring provided between said cylindrical member and said actuator member to thereby open said end of said water and air supplying tube, so that supplying of air is effected by closing said throughhole of said actuator member while said air supplying device is actuated and supplying of water is effected by actuating said water supplying device after said actuator member is moved inwardly of said cylindrical member against the action of said spring to close said end of said water and air supplying tube connected to said side wall of said cylindrical Member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said light source of said various exterior devices comprises an electric power source, said light transmitting means of said various extension means comprising lead wires leading to a lamp housed in said forward end portion of the endoscope for illumination of the object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
150 words
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said various exterior devices also include a suction device to be connected to a suction tube for sucking undesired material out of the hollow portion into which said forward end portion of the endoscope is inserted, said suction tube constituting a component of said various extension means and being provided with an opening at a position in said control housing, said opening being opened in the hollow space in a second cylindrical member having a closed bottom and located in said control housing with its open end opening toward the exterior of said control housing, so that suction of undesired material such as phlegm out of the hollow portion into which said forward end portion of the endoscope is inserted is effected by closing said open end of said second cylindrical member while said suction device connected to said suction tube is actuated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said light source of said various exterior devices comprises an electric power source, said light transmitting means of said various extension means comprising lead wires leading to a lamp housed in said forward end portion of the endoscope for illumination of the object.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
369 words
An endoscope comprising a control housing, a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into the hollow portion of a living body for the inspection thereof, an elongated tube connecting said forward end portion to said control housing, an objective lens system located in said forward end portion for focusing an image of an object, an image transmitting optical system extending through said elongated tube from said forward end portion to said control housing and an ocular means provided in said control housing, the forward end of said image transmitting optical system being located behind said objective lens system so as to focus said image on said forward end while the rearward end thereof is located in front of said ocular means, the thus focused image of the object being transmitted through said image transmitting optical system to thereby permit the thus transmitted image of the object to be viewed through said ocular means, a light conducting fiber optical system extending through said elongated tube and having a forward end terminating at said forward end portion so as to illuminate the object by the light supplied to said light conducting fiber optical system at a rearward end thereof and emitted from said forward end, a photoelectric element connected to lead wires and adapted to receive the light from the object so as to generate a signal indicative of the scene brightness which is lead through said lead wires, wherein the improvement comprises a flexible sheath secured at one end thereof to said control housing and having a connecting member at an outer end thereof, a mating connecting member having fittings leading to an external light source, and an external exposure control device adapted to receive said signal through said lead wires for the automatic exposure control of the endoscope, said light conducting fiber optical system and said lead wires ectending through said flexible sheath and terminating adjacent to said outer end of said sheath, thereby permitting said light conducting fiber optical system and said lead wires to be simultaneously connected to said external light source and said external exposure control device, respectively, by a single operation of said connecting member for coupling the same with said mating connecting member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
369 words
An endoscope comprising a control housing, a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into the hollow portion of a living body for the inspection thereof, an elongated tube connecting said forward end portion to said control housing, an objective lens system located in said forward end portion for focusing an image of an object, an image transmitting optical system extending through said elongated tube from said forward end portion to said control housing and an ocular means provided in said control housing, the forward end of said image transmitting optical system being located behind said objective lens system so as to focus said image on said forward end while the rearward end thereof is located in front of said ocular means, the thus focused image of the object being transmitted through said image transmitting optical system to thereby permit the thus transmitted image of the object to be viewed through said ocular means, a light conducting fiber optical system extending through said elongated tube and having a forward end terminating at said forward end portion so as to illuminate the object by the light supplied to said light conducting fiber optical system at a rearward end thereof and emitted from said forward end, a photoelectric element connected to lead wires and adapted to receive the light from the object so as to generate a signal indicative of the scene brightness which is lead through said lead wires, wherein the improvement comprises a flexible sheath secured at one end thereof to said control housing and having a connecting member at an outer end thereof, a mating connecting member having fittings leading to an external light source, and an external exposure control device adapted to receive said signal through said lead wires for the automatic exposure control of the endoscope, said light conducting fiber optical system and said lead wires ectending through said flexible sheath and terminating adjacent to said outer end of said sheath, thereby permitting said light conducting fiber optical system and said lead wires to be simultaneously connected to said external light source and said external exposure control device, respectively, by a single operation of said connecting member for coupling the same with said mating connecting member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
91 words
An endoscope according to claim 5, further comprising an air supply tube extending through said elongated tube and said flexible sheath with a forward end thereof terminating at Said forward end portion of the endoscope, said air supply tube terminating adjacent to said outer end of said sheath, and an external air pump connected to the air supply tube and coupled to said fittings simultaneously with the coupling of said light conducting fiber optical system and said lead wires with said external light source and said external exposure control device, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the connecting member is a cap nut.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-09 | 1976-10-09 | 1977-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-09 | 1980-10-09 | 1981-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-09 | 1984-10-09 | 1985-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |