Patent EP0260856A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0260856A2
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EP
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Distortion corrected endoscope
Assignee: Baxter International Inc
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Filing: 1987-09-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-09-07
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope (201) comprising a body including an elongated tubular distal section (203) adapted for insertion into a patient and image-transmitting optics (15, 13) for transmitting an image through the distal section so that the image can be viewed at a viewing location (205). The image-transmitting optics include an elongated image-transmitting rod (15) and a wedge surface lying at an acute angle with respect to the optical axis to provide an offset field of view. The acute angle of the wedge surface of the image-transmitting rod introduces asymmetric distortion to the image, and such distortion is reduced using one or more prisms (19).
Inventors
- 👤 John F. Forkner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:15
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00188; A61B1/06; A61B1/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus comprising: a body including an elongated tubular distal section adapted for insertion into an patient and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means for transmitting an image through the distal section so that the image can be viewed at the viewing location, said image-transmitting means having an optical axis; said image-transmitting means including an elongated image-transmitting rod for transmitting the image through at least a region of the distal section; and said image-transmitting rod having a longitudinal axis and a wedge surface at a distal end of the rod which is at an acute angle with respect to the optical axis of the image-transmitting rod to provide an offset field of view.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus comprising: a body including an elongated tubular distal section adapted for insertion into an patient and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means for transmitting an image through the distal section so that the image can be viewed at the viewing location, said image-transmitting means having an optical axis; said image-transmitting means including an elongated image-transmitting rod for transmitting the image through at least a region of the distal section; and said image-transmitting rod having a longitudinal axis and a wedge surface at a distal end of the rod which is at an acute angle with respect to the optical axis of the image-transmitting rod to provide an offset field of view.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
99 words
An apparatus comprising: a tubular body having a distal section and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means in the tubular body having an optical axis for transmitting an image through the distal section so that the image can be viewed at the viewing location; said image-transmitting means including a refracting prism forming the distal end of the image-transmitting means, said prism having a wedge surface at said distal end which is inclined at an acute angle relative to the optical axis to provide an offset field of view; and said prism refracting the centerline of the field of view.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
99 words
An apparatus comprising: a tubular body having a distal section and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means in the tubular body having an optical axis for transmitting an image through the distal section so that the image can be viewed at the viewing location; said image-transmitting means including a refracting prism forming the distal end of the image-transmitting means, said prism having a wedge surface at said distal end which is inclined at an acute angle relative to the optical axis to provide an offset field of view; and said prism refracting the centerline of the field of view.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
68 words
An apparatus comprising: a body including an elongated tubular distal section adapted for insertion into a patient and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means having an optical axis for transmitting an image through the distal section to the viewing location; said image-transmitting means having an offset field of view and providing asymmetric distortion of the image; and said image-transmitting means including means for at least reducing said distortion.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
68 words
An apparatus comprising: a body including an elongated tubular distal section adapted for insertion into a patient and a proximal viewing location; image-transmitting means having an optical axis for transmitting an image through the distal section to the viewing location; said image-transmitting means having an offset field of view and providing asymmetric distortion of the image; and said image-transmitting means including means for at least reducing said distortion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said image-transmitting rod includes an objective of gradient index material and a relay rod of gradient index material, said relay rod being proximal of the objective and having a pitch length which is longer than the pitch length of the objective, said objective and said relay rod being at least partially within said distal section.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
69 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 1, 2 or 4 including optical illumination fibers extending along at least a region of the image-transmitting means in the distal section of the body for conducting light to a region adjacent said wedge surface, said fibers having distal ends which lie at an acute angle with respect to said optical axis to direct the illumination generally toward the offset field of view.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 1, 2, 4 or 5 wherein said acute angle of the wedge surface introduces distortion to the image and said image-transmitting means includes means for at least reducing said distortion.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
37 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 3 or 6 wherein said body includes an eyepiece housing releasably coupled to said distal section, said distortion reducing means is in said eyepiece housing and said distal section is disposable.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 3, 6 or 7 wherein said distortion includes compression of one side of the image and said distortion-reducing means includes means for differentially magnifying the image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said differential magnifying means includes at least one prism located proximally of said image-transmitting rod for differentially magnifying the image in one plane.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 8 or 9 wherein said differential magnifying means includes first and second prisms having different indices of refraction and an interface for differentially magnifying the image in one plane.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the first and second prisms have Abbe numbers within about 2 percent of each other, the first and second prisms elongate the field of view and said image-transmitting means includes means for shortening the elongated field of view.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
45 words
An apparatus as defined in claims 1 or 5 wherein said image-transmitting rod includes an objective lens of gradient index material and a relay rod proximal of the objective lens and wherein the image-transmitting means includes means for enlarging the image from the relay rod.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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