| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 600169000 | Fog prevention | 8 |
| 20090247832 | HEATER FOR SURGICAL VIEWING INSTRUMENTS - A system and associated method is used for warming an endoscope, laparoscope, or other such instrument to minimize fogging. A flexible pad has a length, a width and a periphery for wrapping around the instrument and a plurality of separate chambers defined through partitions. Each of the separate chambers includes an activation disc and a mixture of water and sodium acetate to generate heat through an exothermic reaction initiated through manual manipulation of the disc for that chamber. The pad is preferably made from two plastic sheets of substantially equal size, with the chambers being formed by heat-sealing or otherwise bonding the periphery of the sheets and the partitions. At least some of the partitions establish lengthwise and/or widthwise fold lines in the pad. At least one of the partitions may include a gap to facilitate fluid transfer of the mixture. The disc is preferably made of perforated stainless steel. A housing may be provided to contain the pad in sleeve form, and an optional heat-conductive tube may be used to receive the instrument around which the pad is wrapped. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20100010313 | MEDICAL ENDOSCOPE WITH HEATED WINDOW - A medical endoscope ( | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100016671 | ENDOSCOPE WITH RESISTANCE HEATER - A medical endoscope and insertion portion for a medical endoscope having a fiber tube that encloses an image guide and is surrounded by optical fibers, the distal opening of said fiber tube being sealed by a window, which is heated by an electric resistance heater located close by, wherein the heater is designed as heating foil arranged on the outer surface of the fiber tube. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100168520 | VIEW OPTIMIZER AND STABILIZER FOR USE WITH SURGICAL SCOPES - The present application discloses several devices for maintaining visualization with a surgical scope. The embodiments of the device are adapted to shield, defog or clean the lens of the surgical scope while the surgical scope is being used to perform a surgical procedure within a patient's body. In some embodiments, the view optimizer is provided in multiple parts enabling separation of one or more operator control features from engagement with the surgical scope. In some embodiments, the view optimizer features stabilization means for securement and positioning with the surgical scope. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100268032 | ENDOSCOPE WITH AN ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEM - An endoscope is provided, comprising a first tube ( | 10-21-2010 |
| 20140088366 | Telescope Antifogging and Defogging System - A system for preventing or removing fogging from and endoscope which includes an endoscope having a distal end and a heating module disposed over the distal end of the endoscope. The heating module may include a heating element arranged as a single-segment heater, or in a series of elongated portions extending circumferentially around the distal end of the endoscope connected by bend portions that are parallel or tangent to a longitudinal axis of the endoscope. The heating module may also be disposed on or adhered to an outside surface of the endoscope, and may include a heating element made from a resistive heating material. The heating module may be provided as a single-use disposable device, and may include an outside surface made from a biocompatible or sterilizable insulating material. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20150342449 | VIEW OPTIMIZER AND STABILIZER FOR USE WITH SURGICAL SCOPES - A method of defogging a lens of a laparoscope includes: (1) inserting the laparoscope into a sheath; (2) engaging a fork stabilizing feature of the sheath with a light post of the laparoscope to prevent rotational movement of the sheath relative to the scope; (3) activating a locking mechanism on the sheath to longitudinally fix a distal end of the laparoscope relative to a distal end of the sheath; and (4) providing gas to a plurality of gas lumens within a wall of the sheath such that the gas flows through the gas lumens and over the lens of the laparoscope to defog the lens while the laparoscope is in a body cavity. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20160081541 | ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM - An endoscopic system uses the distribution of a luminance level of a photographic image taken by an imaging unit at the distal end of an endoscope to determine whether an observation window has fogged up, and then raises the temperature by a heater and remove the fog on the observation window. | 03-24-2016 |
