US 11,864,735 B2
Continuous flow endoscope
Nikolai D. Begg, Wayland, MA (US); Dalia Leibowitz, White Plains, NY (US); and Mireille Akilian, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Covidien LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed by COVIDIEN LP, Mansfield, MA (US)
Filed on May 23, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/603,209.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/341,908, filed on May 26, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2017/0340192 A1, Nov. 30, 2017
Int. Cl. A61B 1/015 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/018 (2006.01); A61B 1/313 (2006.01); A61B 1/07 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/015 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00128 (2013.01); A61B 1/00165 (2013.01); A61B 1/018 (2013.01); A61B 1/3132 (2013.01); A61B 1/00167 (2013.01); A61B 1/07 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A continuous flow endoscope device comprising:
an elongated tubular member defining a lumen and a longitudinal axis;
a first channel disposed within the lumen of the elongated tubular member, the first channel defining a first cross-sectional area substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
a second channel disposed within the lumen of the elongated tubular member externally of and separately from the first channel, the second channel configured to receive an instrument having a circular cross-section during a first portion of an operation, the second channel defining a second cross-sectional area substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the second cross-sectional area of the second channel is different from the first cross-sectional area of the first channel, and wherein the second cross-sectional area of the second channel includes a first portion configured to complement the circular cross-section of the instrument and a second portion that extends away from the circular cross-section of the instrument such that, with the instrument inserted through the second channel, the second portion of the second cross-sectional area defines additional space not occupied by the instrument; and
an optics device disposed in a first free space of the lumen of the elongated tubular member, the first free space being a space within the lumen of the elongated tubular member not occupied by either the first channel or the second channel,
wherein the lumen of the elongated tubular member defines a second free space, the second free space separated from the first free space by the first and second channels and being a space within the lumen of the elongated tubular member not occupied by either the first channel or the second channel,
wherein the first channel is arranged to pass a fluid in a first direction and the second channel is arranged, with the instrument inserted through the second channel, to pass the fluid through the additional space in a second direction different from the first direction, the first and second channels arranged to isolate the fluid from the first free space of the lumen of the elongated tubular member.