Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for removing foreign matter from a body cavity comprising: an elongated sheath made of flexible material and having bores extending through a lateral wall thereof; a hollow cylindrical central channel extending through the sheath; a connecting member disposed at a distal end of the sheath and provided at a center thereof with an opening larger than the diameter of the central channel of the sheath; and a plurality of elastic, flexible trapping wires passing through respective ones of said bores so as to be individually movable lengthwise of the sheath, said trapping wires having ends at the distal end of the sheath connected to the connecting member in a circumferentially spaced relation to each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for removing foreign matter from a body cavity comprising: an elongated sheath made of flexible material and having bores extending through a lateral wall thereof; a hollow cylindrical central channel extending through the sheath; a connecting member disposed at a distal end of the sheath and provided at a center thereof with an opening larger than the diameter of the central channel of the sheath; and a plurality of elastic, flexible trapping wires passing through respective ones of said bores so as to be individually movable lengthwise of the sheath, said trapping wires having ends at the distal end of the sheath connected to the connecting member in a circumferentially spaced relation to each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of flexing wires for bending the sheath extend through in the sheath, said flexing wires having corresponding ends thereof connected to the distal end of the sheath in a circumferentially spaced relation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said flexing wires extend through the lateral wall of the sheath.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of rod members more rigid than the flexing wires extend through the lateral wall of the sheath and are movable along the sheath for defining a length of a flexing portion of the sheath between the distal end of the sheath and forward ends of the rod members.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said rod members extend through the lateral wall of the sheath in a circumferentially spaced relation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said central channel receives an optical system for observation and illumination.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said optical system comprises an objective compound lens, a bundle of image guide fibers optically connected thereto and a bundle of light guide fibers surrounding the bundle of the image guide fibers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said optical system is removable from the central channel in the sheath.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said channel comprises a fluid feeding channel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said channel comprises a sucking-in channel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said connecting member comprises a ring member.