Endoscope having shaft rotatably connected to handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11019987-B2
Application number	US-201916562069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An endoscope includes a shaft having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis therebetween. A handle is coupled to the proximal end of the shaft, and an image sensor is carried on the distal end of the shaft. A channel extends through at least a distal shaft portion and has a channel diameter, and a section of the channel is re-configurable between a constricted shape and a non-constricted shape to accommodate tools introduced therethrough. The combined diagonal dimension and channel diameter is usually greater than the outer shaft diameter. The image sensor may be connected to a connector on the housing by a first slack flex circuit and a lights source on the shaft may be connected to a connector on the housing by a second slack flex circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope comprising:
a handle having an interior, an axis, and an electrical connector fixed to the handle;
a shaft coupled to the handle having an axis aligned with the handle axis and configured to rotate at least about 180° about the handle axis;
an electronic image sensor carried at a distal end of the shaft; and
electrical leads extending from the image sensor to the connector fixed in the handle, wherein the electrical leads are flexible and configured with a slack portion in the interior of the handle to accommodate rotation of the shaft;
wherein one end of the slack portion is carried on a spool and extends around the axis of the shaft.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the slack portion has at least one of a coiled form, a spiral form or a folded form.

3. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the spool is concentric with the axis of the shaft assembly.

4. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the electrical leads comprise a flex circuit.

5. The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a light emitter carried at a distal end of the shaft and second electrical leads extending from the light emitter to a second connector fixed in the handle, wherein the second electrical leads are configured with a second slack portion in the interior of the handle component to accommodate rotation of the shaft.

6. The endoscope of claim 5 , wherein one end of the second slack portion is carried on a second spool.

7. The endoscope of claim 6 , wherein the second electrical leads comprise a flex circuit.

8. The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a channel in the shaft wherein a section of the channel is re-configurable between a constricted shape and a non-constricted shape to accommodate a tool introduced therethrough.

9. The endoscope of claim 8 , wherein the channel has a diagonal dimension and a diameter which may be combined to provide a combined diagonal dimension and channel diameter which is greater than an outer shaft diameter.

10. The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a fluid inflow source for providing fluid flows through an inflow channel in the shaft to an outlet in the distal shaft portion.

11. The endoscope of claim 10 , further comprising a negative pressure source for providing fluid outflows through an outflow channel in the shaft with an opening in the distal shaft portion.

12. The endoscope of claim 11 , further comprising a controller for controlling fluid flows through the inflow and outflow channels, and at least one actuator in the handle for adjusting fluid inflows and outflows.

13. The endoscope of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the fluid inflow source and the negative pressure source adapted to maintain fluid pressure within a set pressure range a working space.

14. An endoscope comprising:
a handle having an interior, an axis, and an electrical connector fixed to the handle;
a shaft coupled to the handle having and configured to rotate at least about 180° about the handle axis;
an electronic image sensor carried at a distal end of the shaft;
first electrical leads extending from the image sensor to the connector fixed in the handle, wherein the electrical leads are flexible and configured with a first slack portion in the interior of the handle to accommodate rotation of the shaft; and
a light emitter carried at a distal end of the shaft and second electrical leads extending from the light emitter to a second connector fixed in the handle, wherein the second electrical leads are configured with a second slack portion in the interior of the handle component to accommodate rotation of the shaft wherein one end of the second slack portion is carried on a second spool and wherein the second electrical leads comprise a flex circuit.

15. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein the first and second slack portions each have at least one of a coiled form, a spiral form or a folded form.

16. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein one end of the first slack portion extends around the axis of the rotating shaft assembly.

17. The endoscope of claim 16 , wherein the one end of the first slack portion is carried on a first spool.

18. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein the first spool is concentric with the axis of the shaft assembly.

19. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein the first electrical leads comprise a flex circuit.

20. The endoscope of claim 14 , further comprising a channel in the shaft wherein a section of the channel is re-configurable between a constricted shape and a non-constricted shape to accommodate a tool introduced therethrough.

21. The endoscope of claim 20 , wherein the channel has a diagonal dimension and a diameter which may be combined to provide a combined diagonal dimension and channel diameter which is greater than an outer shaft diameter.

Assignees

• Meditrina Inc

Inventors

• Truckai Csaba
• Toth Akos
• Papp Gabor
• Horvath Kornel
• Levai Katalin
• Nelson Britta

Classifications

• A61B1/00042

  for mechanical operation · CPC title

• A61B1/303

  for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes · CPC title

• A61B1/00124

  electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection · CPC title

• A61B1/00114

  Electrical cables in or with an endoscope · CPC title

• A61B1/015

  Control of fluid supply or evacuation · CPC title