Smith + Nephew

University of Massachusetts

Smith & Nephew Dyonics, Inc.

Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Inc.

Smith & Dyonics, Inc.

Paul V Lucey

Paul Alexander Torrie

Graham Smith

C Vaughan Seifert

Steven W Ek

Roger D Greeley

Yuri E Kazakevich

Richard M Beane

Gheorghe Mihalca

John E Kennedy

Clifford A Dowdy

Gary D Henley

Yury E Kazakevich

Robert J Scarchilli

In a laparoscopic surgery or the like, access is provided to an opening in a body cavity that contains insufflation gas at an insufflation pressure. The flow of insufflation gas from the body cavity through the opening is limited in response to the sensed insufflation pressure in the cavity.

Surgical valve

An endoscope system according to the present invention is characterized by an imaging assembly that a user can alternatively attach to a first deployment assembly and to a second deployment assembly. The image assembly has a distal end configured for detecting image information and a proximal end configured for delivering the image information to a location remote from the imaging assembly distal end. The deployment assembly for deploying the imaging assembly includes a support member and a connecting member. The connecting member is carried on the support member and is removably and replaceably mountable with the imaging assembly housing for connecting the support member to the imaging assembly. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support member includes a shaft member, a handle element connected to the proximal end of the shaft member for manual engagement of the deployment assembly, an articulating portion connected to the distal end of the shaft member and movable between undeflected and deflected positions for deflecting the tip of the imaging assembly, and a deflecting element. The deflecting element is attached in selected proximity to the distal end of the articulating portion for deflecting the articulating portion. The deployment assembly can include an imaging assembly guide element slidably and removably and replaceably mountable with the imaging assembly. Thus, an operator can use her hand to slidably extend the imaging assembly from the deployment means so as to position the imaging assembly's distal end in selected proximity to a target site.

Endoscope deployment apparatus

A variable-focus variable-magnification optical coupler is provided, for coupling an endoscope to a variety of different cameras having image planes at different positions while maintaining 'true-zoom' functioning of the optical coupler. By 'true-zoom', it is meant that the focal length of the optical coupler's lens system can be varied without having the image out of focus. That is, once an image is focussed with the optical coupler, the image remains in focus even when the size of the image is changed by a zoom lens of the coupler. In one embodiment, the optical coupler includes an adjustment mechanism which is actuated to move a focus lens and a zoom lens assembly together along the length of the coupler relative to a camera mount. In another embodiment, an adjustment mechanism moves a back focal lens is moved relative to the camera mount to account for the different image plane of the camera.

Optical coupler

An apparatus for viewing a region comprises a hollow member elongated between a proximal end and a distal end configured to be inserted into the region, an optical element disposed in the distal end, and an image detector disposed adjacent to the optical element. The optical element and the image detector are arranged for relative rotation. The apparatus is particularly well-suited for use in an endoscope, and in particular with an endoscope having an off-axis field of view.

Endoscope with relative rotation and axial motion between an optical

A surgical instrument in which a surgical tool is carried distally of a bend region in a stationary support member by an assembly that transmits proximally applied forces through the bend region to both operate the surgical tool and selectively change the rotational orientation of the surgical tool with respect to the stationary member. In another aspect, in which the stationary member does not include a bend region, a rotatable member supported by the stationary member transmits rotational force to the surgical tool to selectively change the rotational orientation of the tool, and a driver member supported by the stationary member transmits axial force to the surgical tool to operate it. In still another aspect in which the stationary member includes the bend region but the surgical tool is not rotatable, a movable member supported by the stationary member is constructed to transmit a proximally applied axial force through the bend region to operate a surgical tool disposed in a distal region of the instrument.

Surgical instrument

An endoscope includes an insertion member rotatably mounted to a handle. A first set of optical fibers carried by the handle meets a second set of optical fibers disposed within the insertion member at a joint constructed to allow relative rotation between the sets of optical fibers about the longitudinal axis of the insertion member.

Rotatable fiber optic joint

An endoscope includes a focusing mechanism having a focus control element at a proximal end of the endoscope and a mechanical coupling connecting the focus control element to an image transmitting device (e.g., an electro-optical sensor or one or more optical fibres) mounted at a distal end of an elongated insertion section of the endoscope. Rotation of the focus control element moves the image transmitting device with respect to a lens assembly of the endoscope to focus the image received by the lens assembly. The focus control element may be disengaged from the mechanical coupling by pulling it axially along the length of the insertion section whereby the focusing mechanism may be easily disassembled.

Growing community of inventors

Sandown, NH, United States of America

Paul V Lucey