Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Koichi Tsuno

Kimizo Ono

Kenichi Yoshida

Mitsuru Nishikawa

Yoshikazu Nishiwaki

Kiyoshi Inoue

Jun-ichi Hiramoto

Keiichi Kuwaki

Toru Iwai

Akira Nishimura

Isao Isshiki

Kunio Fujiwara

Tohru Iwai

Kunio Awazu

Tsuneo Nakahara

Norifumi Matsumiya

Chisato Kawazoe

Shin-ichi Ohkawa

Takashi Yokohara

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.

Grooved optical transmission channel

A fiberscope having a covering tube, an image fiber for transmitting picture images and equipped with an optical system at its tip end for focusing an image of an object to be observed, and light guides for transmitting light and placed along with said image fiber. The image fiber and the light guides are enclosed in said covering tube. A plastic body formed of substantially transparent material and convex shape is provided at front ends of the light guides. Liquid guide passages are also provided between an inner peripheral surface of the covering tube and outer peripheral surfaces of the image fiber and the light guides. Outlet ends of the light guides are arranged in positions substantially symmetrical with respect to an output end of the image fiber, and outlet ends of the liquid guide passages are arranged in positions substantially symmetrical with respect to the outlet end of the image fiber.

Fiberscope

An optical fiber sensor is composed of an outer portion generally in the form of a tube which constitutes an illumination light transmission path. Inside the tube is formed or inserted an image path for directing image light back to an observation point. A longitudinal hole may be formed beside or surrounding the image path for conducting a fluid to the observed location. The sensor is especially suitable for medical image catheter or endoscopic usage.

Optical fiber image sensor

An image transmitting optical fiber device is improved in contrast by limiting the incident angle of light applied thereto and/or by placing an antireflection member in the light path at one or both of the ends of the device.

Image transmission line

A fiberscope in which the cross-sectional area is maximized of a passage conveying a clear liquid through which an image of an object to be observed can be transmitted, taking into consideration constraints upon diameters of various optical fibers and a surrounding flexible tube. An image transmitting fiber is bundled together with at least one, light guiding fibers which supply illuminating light. The bundled fibers are loosely fitted within a surrounding flexible tube with a space therebetween. A cap member is provided at the end of the flexible tube and optical fiber bundle for maintaining the optical fiber bundle centered at the end of the flexible tube and for directing flows of the clear fluid around the end of the fiber bundle.

A catheter or fiberscope for the inspection of an intracardiac area or the like is proposed which has a flexible tube and a balloon mounted on its end. The flexible tube is divided into four passageways, i.e. two fluid passageways and an illumination light transmission line and an image transmission line. A flush of a physiological saline solution is spouted from one fluid passageway outside of the balloon to form a visual field without interfering natural movement of the area to be inspected. A catheter for dissolving a thrombus is also proposed which has a porous tube, instead of a balloon, at its end portion.

A fiberscope having a freely bendable tip and having a reduced weight and diameter. Two spaced cylindrical casted sections are provided at the forward end of the fiberscope, and the image fiber, light guides for transmitting illuminating light, and manipulating wires are inserted through the two cylindrical casted sections. Each of the manipulating wires may be inserted through a tube in coil form.

Fiberscope with bending mechanism

In an inspection device having a light guide, an image fiber and a mirror for reflecting light from the light guide to an object and for reflecting an image of the object to the image fiber, the mirror is rotatable about an axis coincident with the optical axis at the end of the image fiber.

Image fiber with a mechanism for rotating a field of view

Disclosed is an image observation system which employs a bellows expanded and contracted by fluid pressure to move an optical element, such as an image pick-up lens, within an image pick-up adapter. The bellows, which is operatively associated with the optical element, is communicated with a manually operated fluid pressure drive unit by a fluid pressure transfer pipe. Manipulating the drive unit forces a fluid into or withdraws a fluid from the bellows via the transfer pipe to expand or contract the bellows, thereby controlling the position or attitude of the optical element located at the end of an image fiber.

Image observation system

A monitoring device for monitoring an interior conduit wall includes a plurality of sliding members each resiliently urged by equal amounts away from the device body toward the conduit wall, so that the device can be used in conduits of different diameters while always remaining substantially centered within the conduit.

Device for monitoring the interior of a conduit

An image fiber in which the contrast of the viewed image is improved. The image fiber of the invention is composed of a plurality of optical fiber cores with a cladding layer provided around the cores and filled into the spaces between the cores. A primary coating covers the cores and cladding layer. The primary coating contains a light-absorbing substance, for instance, carbon particles. Preferably, the primary coating is composed mainly of silicone resin.

Image fibers

A composite optical fiber for use with a sensor includes an imaging optical fiber which receives information-carrying light that is reflected from a target, and a transparent material that includes the imaging optical fiber in its interior and which transmits an illuminating light from a light source to the target. The light-receiving optical fiber is an integral part of the transparent material, and it has an increased cross-sectional area for transmitting the illuminating light with respect to its overall outside diameter. The optical fiber can be produced by the extrusion technique without arranging a multiplicity of light-transmitting fibers and encasing them within a heat-shrinkable tube.

Composite optical fiber and imaging catheter and method for producing

A fiberscope, particularly, a fiberscope adapted to be inserted into a blood vessel or the like, having a reduced diameter and reduced flow rate of flushing fluid. A cylindrically shaped inflatable balloon is disposed around the flexible tube of the fiberscope somewhat rearward of the tip end. When an observation is to be performed, the balloon is inflated to reduce the flow rate of blood in the vessel. As a result, the amount and flow rate of the flushing fluid needed to provide a clear visual field between the tip of the fiberscope and the wall of the vessel to be observed are reduced.

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Osaka, Japan

Koichi Tsuno