Patent · US Expired

Optical coupling apparatus for coupling an arthoscope to a camera

US4413278A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
2References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 5, 1981
Grant dateNov 1, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 5, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B1/317
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical coupler which comprises a front clamping section for accomodating an arthoscope. The clamping section includes two semicircular arms which are selectively actuated by a push button. Each arm is biased by a spring which forces the arms to contact and grasp the front end of an arthoscope. Coupled to the other side of the clamp is a focusing section which includes a movable lens. The movable lens is contained within a cylinder and is coupled to an outer cylinder which is slideably positioned with respect to the inner cylinder to enable the lens to move to thereby provide a focusing action. The focusing section is coupled to the input of a television camera. The user can then focus the image from the arthoscope as coupled to the clamping section by means of the focusing section to thereby provide a well defined television signal for many different types of television cameras.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.