Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Jun-ichi Hiramoto

Koichi Tsuno

Norifumi Matsumiya

Shin-ichi Ohkawa

A catheter adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel is disclosed which comprises a flexible tube-like sheath including a fluid passage therein and a radially expansive and contractive balloon disposed about the peripheral surface of the distal end portion of said sheath and communicating with said fluid passage. The catheter is characterized in that a light guide formed by extrusion for transmitting illumination light to the leading end of the catheter has disposed therein, an image guide for transmitting an image from the distal end of the catheter, and a transparent liquid guide passage opening at the distal end of the catheter, are guide being disposed substantially in parallel with each other within the flexible tube-like sheath whereby the catheter includes the concurrent function of an endoscope.

Catheter

An optical transmission channel for use in such optical devices as a fiberscope or an optical fiber sensor. The optical transmission channel is formed of an optically transmissive material and extends longitudinally with a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface. At least one groove extends parallel to the axis of the channel in the periheral surface and provides an efficient space for receiving another optically transmissive member. In a preferred embodiment, a fiberscope includes a grooved illuminating light transmission channel having an image fiber mounted in one groove and a tube mounted in the other, the tube being provided to carry air between a balloon member at one end and a syringe at the other for contracting and expanding the balloon. By providing the tube and image fiber in grooves in the illuminating light transmission channel, the required cross-sectional area for these elements may be minimized.

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Konohana, Japan

Jun-ichi Hiramoto