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:
Nov. 19, 1996
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1992
John E Kennedy, Lowell, MA (US);
Paul V Lucey, Sandown, NH (US);
Yury E Kazakevich, Methuen, MA (US);
Gheorghe Mihalca, Chelmsford, MA (US);
Gary D Henley, Yukon, OK (US);
Clifford A Dowdy, Piedmont, OK (US);
Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Inc., Andover, MA (US);
Abstract
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.