EP0184399A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Endoscope
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1985-11-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-11-29
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope comprising a flexible tube (10) having a proximate end portion (27) in communication with a control unit (8), a body portion and a distal end portion (10'), the tube containing light transmitting means (20) whereby objects outside the free end of the distal end portion may be illuminated and viewed through the control unit; a further flexible outer tube (9) being co-axially slideable about the body and distal end portion (10') of the inner tube (10) is provided with means (11) guarding the distal end of the inner tube whilst allowing relative incremental axial movement of the inner and outer tubes without the risk of tissue being trapped between them.
Inventors
- 👤 Jayendrakumar I. Patel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:53
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/005; A61B1/0051; A61B1/00147; A61B1/00156; A61B1/31
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
An endoscope (6,7,21,22) comprising a flexible tube (10) having a proximate end portion (27) in communication with a control unit (8), a body portion and a distal end portion (10'), the tube containing light transmitting means (20) whereby objects outside the free end of the distal end portion may be illuminated and viewed through the control unit CHARACTERISED IN THAT a further flexible (outer) tube (9) co-axially slideable about the body portion and the distal end portion (10') of the (inner) tube (10) is provided with means (11,31, 23) guarding the distal end of the inner tube whilst allowing relative incremental axial movements of the inner and outer tubes without the risk of tissue being trapped between them.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
An endoscope (6,7,21,22) comprising a flexible tube (10) having a proximate end portion (27) in communication with a control unit (8), a body portion and a distal end portion (10'), the tube containing light transmitting means (20) whereby objects outside the free end of the distal end portion may be illuminated and viewed through the control unit CHARACTERISED IN THAT a further flexible (outer) tube (9) co-axially slideable about the body portion and the distal end portion (10') of the (inner) tube (10) is provided with means (11,31, 23) guarding the distal end of the inner tube whilst allowing relative incremental axial movements of the inner and outer tubes without the risk of tissue being trapped between them.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 1 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the guard means comprise expansion and contraction means (11) so attached between the distal end (17) of the outer tube (9) and a point (16) near the distal end portion (10') of the inner tube (10) that the means can expand and contract axially of the inner and outer tubes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 2 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT further expansion and contraction means (12) are attached between the proximate end (18) of the outer tube (9) and the proximate end portion (15) of the inner tube (10).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the expansion and contraction means (11,12) consist of a tubular accordion or bellows-shaped member co-axially about the inner tube (10) and extending from an end of the outer tube (9).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the axial distance by which both expansion and contraction means (11,12) may expand is essentially equal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
An endoscope as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the free space between the inner and outer tubes (10,9) and within the expansion and contraction means (11,12) is filled with a lubricant (19).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 1 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the guard means (31) comprise a tubular shield (24) co-axially encompassing the distal end portion of the outer tube (9), the distal end (25) of the tubular shield being attached to the inner tube (10) adjacent the distal end portion (10') thereof; the outer tube being axially reciprocable between the inner tube and the tubular shield.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An endoscope as claimed in claim 1 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT the guard means comprise a radially outwardly flared, bell-shaped end (23) to the distal end portion of the outer tube (9).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
71 words
An endoscope as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 and FURTHER CHARACTERISED IN THAT either the outer wall surface of the outer tube (9), the inner wall surface of the outer tube (9) or the outer wall surface of the inner tube (10), or the outer wall surfaces of the outer and inner tubes or the outer and inner wall surfaces of the outer tube is/are provided with undulations.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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