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:
Sep. 03, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 05, 1999
Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., , JP;
Abstract
An endoscope system includes an endoscope, two control apparatuses, electric cables, and two electric connector receptacles. The endoscope has a connector unit, which includes a light source connector to be coupled to a light source apparatus, fixed to the proximal end of a universal cord extending from an operation unit. The two control apparatuses electrically control the endoscope. The electric cables electrically link the control apparatuses and the endoscope. The two electric connector receptacles are included in the connector unit of the endoscope. Connectors attached to the electric cables are coupled to the two electric connector receptacles. When the connector of one of the electric cables is mounted on a first electric connector receptacle of the two electric connector receptacles, the direction in which the connector is oriented to be mounted is orthogonal to the direction in which the light source connector is oriented to be coupled to the light source apparatus. When the connector of the other electric cable is mounted on a second electric connector receptacle, the direction in which the connector is oriented to be mounted is the same as the direction in which the light source connector is oriented to be coupled to the light source apparatus.