Endoscope with non-circular probe and method of making same

Claim 2

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a lumen which extends through the probe; a first axial portion of the wall wherein the outer surface has a tapered shape in axial cross-section; and a second axial portion of the wall wherein the outer surface has a non-circular configuration in radial cross-section.

Claim 3

The endoscope recited in claim 1 wherein the lumen of the probe in radial cross-section is substantially constant in size and shape along the second axial portion of the wall.

Claim 4

The endoscope recited in claim 1 wherein the first axial portion of the wall is coextensive with the second axial portion of the wall.

Claim 5

The endoscope recited in claim 1 wherein the non-circular configuration is oval.

Claim 6

The endoscope recited in claim 1 wherein the first axial portion of the wall has an inner surface which in radial cross-section is similar in shape to the outer surface of the first axial portion of the wall.

Claim 7

The endoscope recited in claim 5 wherein the wall in the first axial wall portion has a substantially constant radial wall thickness.

Claim 8

The endoscope recited in claim 1 wherein the first axial portion of the wall has a proximal region and a distal region, and the wall in the first axial portion has a thickness which decreases from the proximal region to the distal region of the first axial portion.

Claim 9

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope and adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; the outer surface having a first configuration in a first radial cross-section of the probe, and a second configuration in a second radial cross-section of the probe; the inner surface has a third configuration in the first radial cross-section and a fourth configuration in the second radial cross-section; and the first configuration having a different shape than the third configuration.

Claim 10

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope and adapted to be grasped by the hand of the user; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; the outer surface having a first configuration in a first radial cross-section of the probe, and a second configuration in a second radial cross-section of the probe; the inner surface has a third configuration in the first radial cross-section and a fourth configuration in the second radial cross-section; and the first configuration having a different shape than the third configuration.

Claim 11

The endoscope recited in claim 8 wherein the first configuration of the outer surface and the second configuration of the outer surface are similar in shape.

Claim 12

The endoscope recited in claim 8 wherein the third configuration in the first cross-section is similar in shape to the fourth configuration in the second cross-section.

Claim 13

The endoscope recited in claim 10 wherein one of the first configuration and the third configuration is circular in shape and the other of the first configuration and the third configuration is non-circular in shape.

Claim 14

The endoscope recited in claim 11 wherein the non-circular shape is oval.

Claim 15

The endoscope recited in claim 12 wherein the oval has a major axis and a minor axis, and the bending moment of the probe along the major axis is greater than the bending moment of the probe along the minor axis.

Claim 16

The endoscope recited in claim 10 wherein the third configuration is the same as the fourth configuration.

Claim 17

The endoscope recited in claim 12 wherein the first configuration has the oval shape.

Claim 18

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end,. comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the wall defining a lumen which extends through the probe; the outer surface of the probe in a first radial cross-section having a first configuration and a first radial circumference; the outer surface in a second radial cross-section having a second configuration and a second radial circumference; the inner surface in the first radial cross-section having a third configuration and a third radial circumference; the inner surface in the second radial cross-section having a fourth configuration and a fourth radial circumference; the first configuration being non-circular in shape; and the second radial circumference being less than the first radial circumference.

Claim 19

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end,. comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the wall defining a lumen which extends through the probe; the outer surface of the probe in a first radial cross-section having a first configuration and a first radial circumference; the outer surface in a second radial cross-section having a second configuration and a second radial circumference; the inner surface in the first radial cross-section having a third configuration and a third radial circumference; the inner surface in the second radial cross-section having a fourth configuration and a fourth radial circumference; the first configuration being non-circular in shape; and the second radial circumference being less than the first radial circumference.

Claim 20

The endoscope recited in claim 16 wherein the third configuration is similar in shape to the first configuration.

Claim 21

The endoscope recited in claim 16 wherein the third configuration is dissimilar in shape to the first configuration.

Claim 22

The endoscope recited in claim 16 wherein the second configuration is smaller in size and similar in shape to the first configuration.

Claim 23

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface; one of the inner surface and the outer surface being non-circular in radial cross-section; and the outer surface being tapered.

Claim 24

An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an outer surface and an inner surface; one of the inner surface and the outer surface being non-circular in radial cross-section; and the outer surface being tapered.

Claim 25

The endoscope recited in claim 20 wherein the non-circular surface and the tapered surface are the same surface.

Claim 26

The endoscope recited in claim 20 wherein the non-circular surface and the tapered surface are different surfaces.

Claim 27

An endoscope having an axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; one of the inner surface and the outer surface having a configuration in a radial cross-section which is non-circular; the other of the inner surface and the outer surface having a configuration in radial cross-section which is different than the configuration of the one surface; and the outer surface being tapered along the axis of the endoscope.

Claim 28

An endoscope having an axis extending between a proximal end and a distal end, comprising: a housing disposed at the proximal end of the endoscope; a probe attached to the housing and having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; one of the inner surface and the outer surface having a configuration in a radial cross-section which is non-circular; the other of the inner surface and the outer surface having a configuration in radial cross-section which is different than the configuration of the one surface; and the outer surface being tapered along the axis of the endoscope.

Claim 29

The rigid endoscope recited in claim 23 wherein the one surface has a configuration in radial cross-section which is oval.