Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue, said endoscopic resecting system comprising: a. a compartmentalized hollow tube with a first compartment of a first set of dimensions and a second compartment of a second set of dimensions larger than said first sets of dimensions; b. visualizing means for directly viewing the target tissue, a portion of said visualizing means being disposed in said first compartment; c. illuminating means for providing illumination of the target tissue, a portion of said illuminating means being disposed in said first compartment; d. resecting means for resecting the target tissue, a portion of said resecting means being disposed in said second compartment; e. inletting means for inletting said transport fluid to said resected target tissue, a portion of said inletting means being disposed in said first compartment; and f. outletting means for outletting said transport fluid to the suctioning device, a portion of said outletting means being disposed in said second compartment whereby said visualizing means, said illuminating means, said resecting means, said inletting means and said outletting means all function in an integrated and coordinated manner.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue, said endoscopic resecting system comprising: a. a compartmentalized hollow tube with a first compartment of a first set of dimensions and a second compartment of a second set of dimensions larger than said first sets of dimensions; b. visualizing means for directly viewing the target tissue, a portion of said visualizing means being disposed in said first compartment; c. illuminating means for providing illumination of the target tissue, a portion of said illuminating means being disposed in said first compartment; d. resecting means for resecting the target tissue, a portion of said resecting means being disposed in said second compartment; e. inletting means for inletting said transport fluid to said resected target tissue, a portion of said inletting means being disposed in said first compartment; and f. outletting means for outletting said transport fluid to the suctioning device, a portion of said outletting means being disposed in said second compartment whereby said visualizing means, said illuminating means, said resecting means, said inletting means and said outletting means all function in an integrated and coordinated manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
131 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue according to claim 1 wherein said visualizing means comprises: a. a hollow metal sheath which has a proximal end and a distal end and a portion of which is disposed in said first compartment; b. an eyepiece which is mechanically and optically coupled to said hollow metal sheath at its said proximal end, said eyepiece being disposed at an angle and adjacent to said resecting means; c. a lens train which has a plurality of lenses and which is mechanically and optically coupled to said eyepiece and disposed in said hollow metal sheath; and d. a focusing lens which is mechanically and optically coupled to said lens train and disposed in said hollow metal sheath at its said distal end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue according to claim 2 wherein said illuminating means comprises: a. an optical fiber a portion of which is disposed within said hollow metal sheath and which is optically aligned with said lens train; and b. a light generating means for generating light which is mechanically and optically coupled to said optical fiber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
126 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue according to claim 1 wherein said visualizing means comprises: a. a hollow metal sheath which has a proximal end and a distal end and a portion of which is disposed in said first compartment; b. an eyepiece which is mechanically and optically coupled to said hollow metal sheath at its said proximal end, said eyepiece being disposed at an angle and adjacent to said resecting means; c. a coherent optical fiber which is mechanically and optically coupled to said eyepiece and disposed in said hollow metal sheath; and d. a focusing lens which is mechanically and optically coupled to said coherent optical fiber and disposed in said hollow metal sheath at its said distal end.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a target tissue according to claim 4 wherein said illuminating means comprising: a. an optical fiber a portion of which is disposed within said hollow metal sheath and which is optically aligned with said coherent optical fiber; and b. a light generating means for generating light which is mechanically and optically coupled to said optical fiber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
188 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc, said endoscopic resecting system comprising: a. a compartmentalized hollow tube with a first compartment of a first set of dimensions and a second compartment of a second set of dimensions larger than said first sets of dimensions; b. visualizing means for directly viewing the herniated intervertebral disc, a portion of said visualizing means being disposed in said first compartment; c. illuminating means for providing illumination of the herniated intervertebral disc, a portion of said illuminating means being disposed in said first compartment; d. resecting means for resecting a portion of the herniated intervertebral disc, said resecting means being disposed in said second compartment; e. inletting means for inletting a transport fluid to said resected herniated intervertebral disc, said inletting means being disposed in said first compartment; and f. outletting means for outletting said transport fluid to the suctioning device, a portion of said outletting means being disposed in said second compartment whereby said visualizing means, said illuminating means, said resecting means, said inletting means and said outletting means all function in an integrated and coordinated manner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
188 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc, said endoscopic resecting system comprising: a. a compartmentalized hollow tube with a first compartment of a first set of dimensions and a second compartment of a second set of dimensions larger than said first sets of dimensions; b. visualizing means for directly viewing the herniated intervertebral disc, a portion of said visualizing means being disposed in said first compartment; c. illuminating means for providing illumination of the herniated intervertebral disc, a portion of said illuminating means being disposed in said first compartment; d. resecting means for resecting a portion of the herniated intervertebral disc, said resecting means being disposed in said second compartment; e. inletting means for inletting a transport fluid to said resected herniated intervertebral disc, said inletting means being disposed in said first compartment; and f. outletting means for outletting said transport fluid to the suctioning device, a portion of said outletting means being disposed in said second compartment whereby said visualizing means, said illuminating means, said resecting means, said inletting means and said outletting means all function in an integrated and coordinated manner.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
133 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc according to claim 6 wherein said visualizing means comprises: a. a hollow metal sheath which has a proximal end and a distal end and a portion of which is disposed in said first compartment; b. an eyepiece which is mechanically and optically coupled to said hollow metal sheath at its said proximal end, said eyepiece being disposed at an angle and adjacent to said resecting means; c. a lens train which has a plurality of lenses and which is mechanically and optically coupled to said eye piece and disposed in said hollow metal sheath; and d. a focusing lens which is mechanically and optically coupled to said lens train and disposed in said hollow metal sheath at its said distal end.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
64 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc according to claim 7 wherein said illuminating means comprises: a. an optical fiber a portion of which is disposed within said hollow metal sheath and which is optically aligned with said lens train; and b. a light generating means for generating light which is mechanically and optically coupled to said optical fiber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
127 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc according to claim 6 wherein said visualizing means comprises: a. a hollow metal sheath which has a proximal end and a distal end and a portion of which is disposed in said first compartment; b. an eyepiece which is mechanically and optically coupled to said hollow metal sheath at its said proximal end, said eyepiece being disposed at an angle and adjacent to said resecting means; c. a coherent optical fiber which is mechanically and optically coupled to said eyepiece and disposed in said hollow metal sheath; and d. a focusing lens which is mechanically and optically coupled to said coherent optical fiber and disposed in said hollow metal sheath at its said distal end.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
An endoscopic resecting system for viewing and resecting a herniated intervertebral disc according to claim 9 wherein said illuminating means comprises: a. an optical fiber a portion of which is disposed within said hollow metal sheath and which is optically aligned with said coherent optical fiber; and b. a light generating means for generating light which is mechanically and optically coupled to said optical fiber.