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:
Jan. 28, 1992
Filed:
Jul. 25, 1990
George E Cho, Sudbury, MA (US);
Horace Furumoto, Wellesley, MA (US);
Candela Laser Corporation, Wayland, MA (US);
Abstract
A fiber optic endoscope has a shaft with a varying outer diameter. The distal end of the shaft is sufficiently small in outside diameter for maneuvering it through various body canals, and is useful in dilating body orifices to allow more proximal, longer-diameter portions of the shaft to penetrate. The endoscope shaft changes in thickness and is preferably in stages of different constant outside diameter. A flexible tip portion at the distal end of the shaft which is controllable from the endoscope handle may be included. Transitions between adjacent stages are smooth to provide a gradual transition between stages. The endoscope outer shaft is preferably made from a one-piece structure, portions of which are reduced in outside diamter to provide the different stages of the endoscope shaft.