The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 27, 1988
Filed:
Dec. 01, 1987
Yoshio Shishido, Sagamihara, JP;
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An endoscope is disclosed which comprises an elongated insertion section and operation section, connected to one end thereof and which controls the insertion section from outside of a pipe structure. The insertion section includes an elongated flexible section, and an angle section connected thereto. The degree of curvature of the angle section is controlled by the operation section. The insertion section also includes a rigid section which is connected to the distal end of the angle section, and which incorporates an observation window which permits observation of the inner wall of the pipe structure. A guide means is attached to the rigid section, in order to guide the rigid section smoothly around a curve or bend in the pipe structure. The guide means has an elongated arm member which extends substantially along the axial direction of the rigid section and has a structural flexibility appropriate to ensure its smooth passage through the interior of the pipe structure. The first end of the arm member is fixed to the rigid section, and its other end is fixed to a slide member which slides along the inner surface of the pipe structure.