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:
May. 22, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 30, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Michael R. Seitzinger, Greenlake, WI (US);
David Platts, Los Alamos, NM (US);
Assignee:
Other;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 1/104 ; A61B 1/06 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G02B 1/104 ; A61B 1/06 ;
Abstract
The present invention includes maintaining the region of the proximal lens of a laparoscope at greater than ambient temperature in order to prevent fogging during use. Heating is accomplished using commercially available chemical heat packs generally used for heating boots or gloves. The invention differs from other anti-fogging devices, which either immerse the distal lens region of the laparoscope in a warm fluid or treat this lens with anti-fogging solutions, in that above-ambient temperature is continuously maintained throughout the laparoscope, since it is known that a cool laparoscope fogs when placed in the vicinity of warm, wet tissue.