US5505686A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Endoscope with protruding member and method of utilizing the same
Assignee: Credit Suisse First Boston Management LLC
•
Filing: 1994-05-05
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Granted: 1996-04-09
•
Expires: 2014-05-05
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope including an elongated endoscope body sized and adapted for insertion into a passage, such as a passage of the body of a patient. Optical components are carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end of the endoscope body within a field of view of the endoscope. An elongated, resilient member is mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage. The resilient member extends beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and is capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope.
Inventors
- 👤 Allan F. Willis
- 👤 Richard L. Quick
- 👤 Hien Van Nguyen
- 👤 Tuoc T. Nguyen
- 👤 John P. Greelis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/303; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00071; A61B1/0008; A61B1/00087; A61B1/012; A61B1/018; A61B1/32; A61B17/00; A61B17/42; A61B2017/4233; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/09; A61M2025/09175; A61M2025/09183
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope body having an endoscope lumen and the resilient member being slidably received in said endoscope lumen; the endoscope including a controller mounted on the endoscope body for moving the resilient member longitudinally in said endoscope lumen; and the controller including a control slide coupled to the resilient member and mounted for sliding movement on the endoscope body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope body having an endoscope lumen and the resilient member being slidably received in said endoscope lumen; the endoscope including a controller mounted on the endoscope body for moving the resilient member longitudinally in said endoscope lumen; and the controller including a control slide coupled to the resilient member and mounted for sliding movement on the endoscope body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient member terminates distally in an enlarged distal tip portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 1 wherein the endoscope lumen opens at the distal end of the endoscope body and the resilient member terminates distally in an enlarged distal end portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient member has a lubricous exterior surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
166 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope body having an endoscope lumen and said resilient member being received in said endoscope lumen; and bonding material for bonding the resilient member to the endoscope body within the endoscope lumen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
166 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope body having an endoscope lumen and said resilient member being received in said endoscope lumen; and bonding material for bonding the resilient member to the endoscope body within the endoscope lumen.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 5 wherein the endoscope body has a proximal end and the endoscope lumen extends through the endoscope body from the proximal end to the distal end, the endoscope includes a hub coupled to the endoscope body adjacent the proximal end of the endoscope body, and the resilient member extends through the endoscope lumen and into said hub.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 6 including bonding material in the hub for bonding the resilient member to the hub.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of viewing an interior passage in the body of a patient with an endoscope which has an elongated endoscope body with a distal end, said method comprising: advancing the endoscope into the passage in the body of the patient with the endoscope having a field of view and an elongated resilient member which extends beyond the distal end of the endoscope body when the endoscope is at a region of the passage; relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and material within or forming the passage within the field of view of the endoscope utilizing the resilient member; and viewing the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the endoscope body and said material are relatively displaced.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of viewing an interior passage in the body of a patient with an endoscope which has an elongated endoscope body with a distal end, said method comprising: advancing the endoscope into the passage in the body of the patient with the endoscope having a field of view and an elongated resilient member which extends beyond the distal end of the endoscope body when the endoscope is at a region of the passage; relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and material within or forming the passage within the field of view of the endoscope utilizing the resilient member; and viewing the interior passage utilizing the endoscope while the distal end of the endoscope body and said material are relatively displaced.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein at least some of the displacement of the material and the distal end of the endoscope body is in a radial direction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the step of displacing includes contacting the resilient member and the material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the step of contacting is carried out during the step of advancing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the passage has a curve, the resilient member extends beyond the distal end of the endoscope body when the endoscope is near the curve and including using the resilient member to at least assist in guiding the endoscope at least part way through the curve during the step of advancing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the interior passage is a fallopian tube.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as defined in claim 8 including moving the resilient member longitudinally relative to the endoscope body during the step of displacing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the interior passage is the gastrointestinal tract.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the interior passage is a passage in the vascular system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the interior passage is a neural passage.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the interior passage is an epidural passage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the resilient member has a transition temperature, the resilient member loses at least some of its resilience below the transition temperature and becomes more easily deflectable and including heating the resilient member above the transition temperature such that the resilient member is above the transition temperature at least when the endoscope is at said region of the passage.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
170 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the elongated member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said elongated member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the elongated member having a transition temperature and the elongated member being more easily deflectable below the transition temperature than above the transition temperature.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
170 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the elongated member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said elongated member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the elongated member having a transition temperature and the elongated member being more easily deflectable below the transition temperature than above the transition temperature.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 20 wherein the elongated member is fixedly mounted on the endoscope body.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 20 wherein the elongated member is mounted on the endoscope body for generally longitudinal movement relative to the endoscope body.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 20 including a clip-on assembly coupled to the elongated member for enabling the elongated member to be clipped onto the exterior of the endoscope body.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 20 wherein the elongated member terminates distally in an enlarged distal tip portion.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
38 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 24 wherein the distal tip portion has a maximum cross sectional area which is at least about as large as the cross sectional area of the distal end of the endoscope body.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
48 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 20 wherein the endoscope body has an endoscope lumen and the elongated member is slidably received in said endoscope lumen and wherein the endoscope includes a controller mounted on the endoscope body for moving the elongated member longitudinally in said endoscope lumen.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
146 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body,said elongated member having a transition temperature, said elongated member being more easily deflected below said transition temperature then above said transition temperature; and said elongated member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
146 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body,said elongated member having a transition temperature, said elongated member being more easily deflected below said transition temperature then above said transition temperature; and said elongated member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
24 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 27 wherein the transition temperature is less than about the temperature of the interior of the human body.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
25 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 27 wherein the elongated member is soft and malleable below the transition temperature and resilient above the transition temperature.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
187 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; and a region of the resilient member proximally of the distal tip portion being of greater flexibility than a zone of the resilient member immediately proximal to such region, said zone and said region being distal of the endoscope body.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
187 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; and a region of the resilient member proximally of the distal tip portion being of greater flexibility than a zone of the resilient member immediately proximal to such region, said zone and said region being distal of the endoscope body.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
35 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 30 wherein said region and said zone of the resilient member proximally of the distal tip portion are of progressively increasing flexibility as such region and zone extend distally.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
181 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion having a maximum cross sectional dimension which is between about 0.15 millimeter and 1.2 millimeters.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
181 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion having a maximum cross sectional dimension which is between about 0.15 millimeter and 1.2 millimeters.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
187 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope, the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion having a distal end which is between about 1 millimeter and 15 millimeters from the distal end of the endoscope body.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
187 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope, the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion having a distal end which is between about 1 millimeter and 15 millimeters from the distal end of the endoscope body.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
171 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the resilient member being constructed of a nickel-titanium alloy.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
171 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on the endoscope body, said resilient member being fixed longitudinally with respect to the endoscope body; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; the endoscope being flexible and sized to be received within an interior body region of a patient, the resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the resilient member being constructed of a nickel-titanium alloy.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
193 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; said resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion being permanently enlarged to have a maximum cross sectional area which is at least about as large as the cross sectional area of the distal end of the endoscope body.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
193 words
An endoscope comprising: an elongated endoscope body having a distal end, said endoscope body being sized and adapted for insertion into a passage of an object; optical components carried by the endoscope body to enable viewing of the passage distally of the distal end within a field of view of the endoscope when the endoscope is in the passage; an elongated, resilient member mounted on and carried by the endoscope body such that the endoscope body and the resilient member are a unitary assembly which can be inserted as a unit into the passage; said resilient member extending beyond the distal end of the endoscope body and being capable of contacting material within or forming the passage and relatively displacing the distal end of the endoscope body and such material within the field of view of the endoscope to enhance viewing of the passage with the endoscope; said resilient member terminating distally in an enlarged distal tip portion; and the distal tip portion being permanently enlarged to have a maximum cross sectional area which is at least about as large as the cross sectional area of the distal end of the endoscope body.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 35 wherein the resilient member is fixedly mounted on the endoscope body.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
26 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 1 wherein the resilient member is mounted on the endoscope body for generally longitudinal movement relative to the endoscope body.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
31 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 35 including a clip-on assembly coupled to the resilient member for enabling the resilient member to be clipped onto the exterior of the endoscope body.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
59 words
An endoscope as defined in claim 35 wherein the resilient member and the endoscope body have longitudinal axes which are radially offset at the distal end of the endoscope body and the resilient member is deflected distally of the distal end of the endoscope body to bring the axes of the resilient member and the endoscope body closer together.
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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) | 1999-04-09 | 1999-10-09 | 2000-04-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-04-09 | 2003-10-09 | 2004-04-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-04-09 | 2007-10-09 | 2008-04-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |