Flexible lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9451875-B2
Application number	US-201314098714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 7, 2012
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A flexible lens is mounted to the end of an elongate medical device having a camera, such as an endoscope. The lens is generally solid and is made from a translucent, flexible, and resilient material. In a medical environment, the lens can be pressed against a vessel wall in a patient to enlarge the area viewed by the camera, and can further adapt to the shape of the wall to limit trauma on the patient. When pressed against the vessel wall, the lens can become longitudinally compressed, while becoming wider. The wider and compressed shape of the lens will push blood away from the viewing area to increase the clarity of the camera's field of view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lens for mounting to an elongate medical device having a camera, the lens comprising:
a lens body having a first longitudinal length extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end, the lens body also having a first width defined by an outermost surface of the lens body when the lens body is in a nominal state, wherein the lens body is configured for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
a translucent portion of the lens body for creating a field of view for the camera;
a tip portion at the distal end of the lens body;
a base portion at the proximal end of the lens body, wherein the base portion is sized for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
wherein the lens body has a generally flexible and resilient construction;
wherein the lens body has a generally solid cross-section;
wherein the lens body has the nominal state, in which the lens body has the first length and the first width, and a compressed state, in which the lens body has a second length that is shorter than the first length and second width defined by the outermost surface of the lens body when in the compressed state, wherein the second width is wider than the first width;
wherein the lens will transition from the nominal state to the compressed state in response to compression against a barrier and will transition from the compressed state to the nominal state in response to disengagement from the barrier;
wherein the lens body defines a mating surface that defines the proximal end of the lens body and further defining the proximal end of the base portion of the lens body, such that the lens body does not extend proximally beyond the mating surface, the mating surface extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lens body and having a mating surface outer width defined by an outermost edge of the mating surface, wherein the mating surface outer width corresponds to the first width of the lens body in the nominal state and configured to mate against a distal end of an elongate medical device.

2. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the lens body is made of a curing adhesive.

3. The lens of claim 1 , wherein the lens material refracts light.

4. The lens of claim 1 further comprising a non-thrombogenic coating.

5. A lens for mounting to an elongate medical device having a camera, the lens comprising:
a lens body having a first longitudinal length extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end, the lens body also having a first width, wherein the lens body is configured for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
a translucent portion of the lens body for creating a field of view for the camera;
a tip portion at the distal end of the lens body;
a base portion at the proximal end of the lens body, wherein the base portion is sized for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
wherein the lens body has a generally flexible and resilient construction;
wherein the lens body has a generally solid cross-section;
wherein the lens body has a nominal state, in which the lens body has the first length and the first width, and a compressed state, in which the lens body has a second length that is shorter than the first length and second width that is wider than the first width;
wherein the lens will transition from the nominal state to the compressed state in response to compression against a barrier and will transition from the compressed state to the nominal state in response to disengagement from the barrier;
an elongate medical device for visualizing a surgical area, the elongate medical device comprising:
a catheter having a body, a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween having a longitudinal axis;
a camera mounted at the catheter distal end;

wherein the lens body is mounted to the catheter at the catheter distal end;
wherein the elongate medical device further comprises a light source extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the catheter for illuminating areas near the distal end of the catheter;
wherein the light source includes an illumination end, the illumination end terminates at a shoulder portion extending proximally from a generally cylindrical body portion of the lens body, and the shoulder portion refracts light so that light emitted from the illumination end is refracted and provided at the distal end of the elongate medical device.

6. The lens of claim 5 , wherein the elongate medical device further comprises an accessory channel through the elongate medical device and a needle disposed within the accessory channel.

7. The lens of claim 6 , wherein the lens body is configured to allow the needle to penetrate through the lens.

8. The lens of claim 5 , wherein the lens is configured to seal against the anatomical wall.

9. The lens of claim 5 , wherein the lens body is mounted to the catheter via an adhesive material or via a mechanical connection.

10. The lens of claim 5 , wherein the lens is made from a curing adhesive material.

11. The lens of claim 10 , wherein the lens is attached to the catheter via an adhesive connection provided by the curing adhesive material.

12. A lens for mounting to an elongate medical device having a camera, the lens comprising:
a lens body having a first longitudinal length extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end, the lens body also having a first width, wherein the lens body is configured for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
a translucent portion of the lens body for creating a field of view for the camera;
a tip portion at the distal end of the lens body;
a base portion at the proximal end of the lens body, wherein the base portion is sized for being mounted to an elongate medical device having a camera;
wherein the lens body has a generally flexible and resilient construction;
wherein the lens body has a generally solid cross-section;
wherein the lens body has a nominal state, in which the lens body has the first length and the first width, and a compressed state, in which the lens body has a second length that is shorter than the first length and a second width that is wider than the first width;
wherein the lens will transition from the nominal state to the compressed state in response to compression against a barrier and will transition from the compressed state to the nominal state in response to disengagement from the barrier;
an elongate medical device for visualizing a surgical area, the elongate medical device comprising a catheter having a body, a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween having a longitudinal axis;
wherein the lens body is mounted to the catheter at the distal end of the catheter;
wherein the lens body comprises a generally solid cylindrical body portion and a generally hollow shoulder portion extending proximally from the body portion, and the shoulder portion surrounds a portion of the catheter;
wherein the catheter portion surrounded by the lens body shoulder portion has a smaller width than the remainder of the catheter;
wherein the shoulder portion defines a mating surface at a proximal end thereof, the mating surface extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the lens body, the mating surface mating against the distal end of the catheter.

13. The lens of claim 12 , wherein the elongate medical device further comprises a light source extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the catheter for illuminating areas near the distal end of the catheter.

14. The lens of cla

Assignees

• Cook Medical Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Sigmon Jr John C
• Surti Vihar
• Martinez Michelle D
• Mclawhorn Tyler Evans

Classifications

• A61B1/00163 Primary

  Optical arrangements (A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/00096

  Optical elements · CPC title

• G02B6/262

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G02B23/2423

  of the distal end · CPC title