Vision Sciences, Inc.

Robert J Herrington

Robert E Ailinger

James J Frassica

Alan Irving West

James S Surette

Mary L DeBaryshe

A partially elastic protective sheath surrounding the insertion tube of an endoscope. The sheath is partially inflated while being installed on the endoscope and remains partially inflated during endoscopy. The sheath has an end cap with a gasket shaped to provide a seal around the insertion tube during installation and endoscopy. The sheath is provided with a window near its distal end positioned in front of the viewing window of the endoscope. The sheath may have one or more channels extending along its length to accommodate one or more biopsy or fluid tubes of the endoscope. The sheath may be used with either end-viewing endoscopes or side-viewing endoscopes.

Partially inflated protective endoscope sheath

A removable control knob/brake assembly for an endoscope having a handle and an insertion tube. The assembly is intended to be used with endoscopes which use protective bags or sheaths to isolate the insertion tube and the remainder of the handle from the internal environment of a patient. The control knob/brake assembly is not otherwise protected so, after being used, it must be removed for cleaning. A simple push button release mechanism is provided to easily remove the assembly from the handle. Retaining screws and a retaining clip are provided to prevent the control knob/brake assembly from coming apart when the assembly is removed from the handle. To attach the assembly to the handle, it merely is pushed on the handle.

Endoscope control assembly with removable control knob/brake assembly

A bending section of an endoscope is constructed from non-round vertebrae. The vertebrae are D-shaped, having a planar portion and an arcuate portion. A first pair of protrusions extends from a first surface of the vertebra, defining a vertical bending axis. A second pair of protrusions extends from a second surface of the vertebra, defining a horizontal bending axis. Because the vertebra is D-shaped, the second pair of protrusions are farther from the longitudinal bending axis of the bending section than the first pair of protrusions. To provide uniform, symmetrical bending of the bending section, the first pair of protrusions are shorter than the second pair of protrusions. In addition, the first pair of protrusions extends at a different angle than the second pair and thus have a different shape, so that the first and second pair of protrusions are not symmetrically shaped with respect to each other. The asymmetrical shape of the non-round vertebra is exactly compensated for by the asymmetrical shape of the protrusions to provide symmetrical bending of the bending section. In addition, the apex of each protrusion is flat, providing a flat contact surface between adjacent vertebrae.

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Holland, MA, United States of America

Robert J Herrington