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:
Aug. 13, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 25, 1999
Gary R. Gust, Huntington Beach, CA (US);
B. Thomas Smith, Columbus, OH (US);
Steven B. Lovering, Yellow Springs, OH (US);
Micro Medical Devices, Inc., Elyria, OH (US);
Abstract
A method of conducting endoscopic surgeries places the camera outside the sterile field, freeing the physicians hands and eliminating costs and inconveniences associated with sterilizing the camera between surgeries. Images may be relayed to the camera by means of a fiber optic cable. Cost issues associated with the long fiber optic cable are avoided by breaking it into two segments, only one of which is likely to be damaged during use. An image preserving connection is formed between the cable segments by a connector that fixes the ends of the cables in close proximity to one another, but a certain fixed distance apart. An image preserving connection is made between two fiber optic cables without the aide of a lens.