Patent ID: 6645140
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A continuously rinsing, double-sheath endoscope (10b, 10c), comprising an inner sheath (11b, 11c) with a circular cross-section that includes a feed duct (18b, 18c) and receives an optics (12b, 12c) and an instrument (14b, 15b; 14c, 15c), further comprising an outer sheath (16b, 16c) enclosing the inner sheath (11b, 11c) so as to cooperate with the inner shaft to subtend a return flow duct (17b, 17c), a distal end zone of said outer sheath (16b, 16c) defining at least one aperture (19b, 19c) to set up fluid communication between the return duct (17b, 17c) and the outside of the outer sheath (16, 16c), wherein the inner sheath (11b, 11c) and the outer sheath (16b, 16c) are configured such that their particular cross-sectional, geometric centers of gravity are mutually shifted along at least most of the length of the return-flow duct (17b, 17c) subtended between them, and wherein the inner sheath and the outer sheath do not contact each other along their lengths.