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. 20, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 19, 2001
Applicant:
Inventor:
Tatsuya Ishizuka, Hachioji, JP;
Assignee:
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61B 1/00 ;
Abstract
An elongated built-in component formed with a hollow resin tube is passed through a flexible tube that is an integral part of a soft insertion member of an endoscope. Assuming that a critical radius of curvature the flexible tube exhibits after completion of sterilization with high-temperature high-pressure steam is Rj, and a critical radius of curvature the elongated built-in component exhibits after completion of the sterilization is Rn, the condition of Rj≧Rn is met. Unless the flexible tube is bent to exhibit so small a radius of curvature as to cause the flexible tube to buckle, the built-in component will not buckle.