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US4576146A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fiberscope

Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd
•
Filing: 1984-03-22
•
Granted: 1986-03-18
•
Expires: 2004-03-22
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Abstract

Abstract A fiberscope for conducting observations in a region ordinarily filled with an opaque liquid, particularly, inside blood vessels or the heart. A recess is provided at a front end of a cover tube for accommodating a front end portion of an image fiber and a bundle of illuminating light transmitting optical fibers which are bonded to a light guide front end part molded to conform to a part of the inner wall of a cover tube, and an optical fiber bundle provided by bonding front end portions of the image fiber and the light guide is fixedly bonded to the inner wall of the cover tube. A transparent liquid, physiological saline in preferred embodiments, is injected from a hole near the end of the fiberscope at a flow rate determined in accordance with the flow rate of the opaque liquid to temporarily displace some of the opaque liquid to permit observation. Further, the injection of the transparent liquid may be done in synchronization with variations of the pressure and/or flow velocity of the opaque liquid.

Inventors

  • 👤 Chisato Kawazoe
  • 👤 Kenichi Yoshida
  • 👤 Koichi Tsuno

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 02:20
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B1/00; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00165; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00071; A61B1/0011; A61B1/012; A61B1/015; A61B1/313; A61B1/3137; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S600/00; Y10S600/92

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 127 words
In a fiberscope for conducting observations in a region ordinarily filled with an opaque liquid and including a fiber bundle comprising an image transmitting image fiber having an optical system at a forward end thereof for forming an image of an object under observation and illuminating light transmitting light guides arranged beside said image fiber; a cover tube covering said fiber bundle; and a liquid passageway formed between an inner wall of said cover tube and outer surfaces of said fiber bundle, the improvement comprising: means for injecting transparent liquid from a hole near the end of said fiberscope at a flow rate in synchronization with variations in a flow rate of said opaque liquid to temporarily displace some of said opaque liquid, thereby to permit observation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 127 words
In a fiberscope for conducting observations in a region ordinarily filled with an opaque liquid and including a fiber bundle comprising an image transmitting image fiber having an optical system at a forward end thereof for forming an image of an object under observation and illuminating light transmitting light guides arranged beside said image fiber; a cover tube covering said fiber bundle; and a liquid passageway formed between an inner wall of said cover tube and outer surfaces of said fiber bundle, the improvement comprising: means for injecting transparent liquid from a hole near the end of said fiberscope at a flow rate in synchronization with variations in a flow rate of said opaque liquid to temporarily displace some of said opaque liquid, thereby to permit observation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said injecting means comprises means for measuring a pressure of said opaque liquid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 28 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein said injecting means further comprises means for injecting said transparent liquid in an amount determined in accordance with said pressure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transparent liquid comprises physiological saline, and wherein injection is in synchronization with a heartbeat.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 22 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said injecting means comprises means for measuring a flow velocity of said opaque liquid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 5, wherein said injecting means further comprises means for injecting said transparent liquid in an amount determined in accordance with said flow velocity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 5, wherein said transparent liquid comprises physiological saline, and wherein injection is in synchronization with a heartbeat.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 35 words
The fiberscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow rate of said opaque liquid has periodic high and low values, injection of said transparent liquid occurring in synchronization with periodicity of said low values.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2691370A Cited
US3349762A Cited
US3866599A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-03-17 1989-09-16 1990-03-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-03-17 1993-09-16 1994-03-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-03-17 1997-09-16 1998-03-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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