Patent EP0454325A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0454325A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Magnetically coupled actuator
Assignee: Smith and Nephew Inc
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Filing: 1991-04-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-04-11
Abstract
Abstract A lens surrounded by a sealed protective chamber is focused by utilising a magnetically coupled actuator associated with the lens to adjust the position of the lens within the chamber. By using a magnetic field to adjust the lens position, it is not necessary to employ mechanical actuation means which have to pass through the walls of the chamber. The chamber is thereby completely sealed and contaminants are prevented from contacting the lens.
Inventors
- 👤 Randall B. Chinnock
- 👤 Norman J. Dionne
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 01:30
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00066; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00188; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; A61B34/73; G; G02; G02B; G02B7/00; G02B7/02; G02B7/04; G02B7/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/903
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
An apparatus for adjusting the position of a lens, comprising: a sealed chamber surrounding a lens, said chamber including a window to permit light to enter said chamber and pass through said lens; an actuator held inside said chamber, said actuator being coupled to said lens and movable with respect to said chamber thereby to cause motion of said lens when said actuator is moved; and an element held outside said chamber and ferromagnetically coupled to said actuator through a surface of said chamber, said element being movable relative to said chamber to cause movement of said actuator to thereby adjust the position of said lens.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator or said element comprises a magnet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said actuator and said element define a closed flux path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said actuator comprises projections which define part of said flux path, said projections being in sliding contact with an inner surface of said chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said element comprises a magnet, said apparatus further comprising two ferromagnetic washers, respectively positioned adjacent the poles of said magnet and respectively aligned with said projections.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said washers are configured to conduct flux radially.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said element comprises a magnet and a magnet support secured to said magnet, said magnet support including a stabilisation member to restrict rotational movement of said magnet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said chamber is cylindrical.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said cylindrical chamber is sealed at each of its ends by a window through which said light may pass.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the curved surface of said cylindrical chamber is continuous and free of apertures through which debris or other contaminants could pass.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said element is adapted to be moved in a direction parallel to an axis of said chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 11 wherein said magnet is ring-shaped.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12 wherein said magnet comprises a permanent magnet.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said chamber is formed from non-magnetic material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 14 wherein said actuator is formed from a ferromagnetic material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 wherein said lens is adapted to move along an optical axis on which said lens lies.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
Medical or surgical devices comprising apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
A device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the apparatus is an endoscope coupler and the device further comprises an endoscope and a viewing device coupled or adapted to be coupled to said endoscope coupler.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the viewing device comprises means for converting light to a video signal means for processing the video signal and means for viewing the process video signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
48 words
A method of operating a medical or surgical device as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 comprising moving said element held outside said chamber thereby to move said ferromagnetically coupled actuator and lens and focus light moving in a path through the chamber and lens.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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