Patent ID: 11877729
Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 4:
5. A laparoscope cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a tubular member adapted for having a laparoscope engaged therewith, wherein the tubular member comprises a relief extending along at least a portion of a length of a sidewall of the tubular member and wherein a longitudinal axis of the relief extends approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the central aperture of the tubular member;
a longitudinal wire member having a distal end portion and a proximate end portion, wherein at least a portion of the longitudinal wire member between said distal and proximate end portions thereof is within the relief;
a cleaning member located adjacent to a distal end portion of the tubular member, wherein the cleaning member is attached the distal end portion of the longitudinal wire member;
a handle attached to a proximate end portion of the tubular member; and
an actuation member translatably and rotatably engaged with the handle to enable independent axial translation movement and rotational movement of the actuation member, wherein the actuation member is attached to the proximate end portion of the longitudinal wire member to enable rotation of the actuation member to provide corresponding rotational movement of the cleaning member and axial translation of the actuation member to provide corresponding axial translation movement of the cleaning member, wherein the longitudinal wire member extends contiguously from the cleaning member to the actuation member and wherein a longitudinal axis of the actuation member is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the central aperture of the tubular member, wherein:
the tubular member comprises a slot extending through an exterior wall thereof at the proximate end portion thereof;
the slot is a passage extending between the relief and an interior portion of the handle; and
a portion of the longitudinal wire member between the distal and proximate end portions thereof extends through the slot.