Patent ID: 6716161
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: A61B,A61L,G02B

Abstract:
An endoscope suitable for autoclave sterilization comprising:an insertion section having a surrounding, watertightly sealed protective shell, an objective lens section being disposed at one extreme end of the insertion section for focusing a subject image; an eyepiece section located on a base end of said endoscope and including at least an eyepiece lens; an image guide fiber disposed in said insertion section and composed of an optical fiber bundle for transmitting the subject image focused by the objective lens section; an eyepiece lens unit disposed in said eyepiece section, in a manner that causes the eyepiece lens to confront a base end surface of said image guide fiber and provides a hermetic seal level at least as high as the watertight seal level of the protective shell of the endoscope; and a focus position changing structure at said eyepiece section which allows changing the focus of the eyepiece lens; wherein a soft section acting as the protective shell of the insertion section formed using a flexible polymeric material is provided to at least a portion of the insertion section, and the protective shell at the soft section is formed with a watertight seal level for preventing the penetration of the liquid in using the endoscope into the interior thereof but permitting the penetration of the high pressure/high temperature water vapor in autoclave sterilization into an interior thereof, and wherein said eyepiece lens unit is sufficiently pressure resistant to prevent the breakage thereof caused by negative pressure and positive pressure encountered in autoclave sterilization and has a hermetic seal level that prevents the penetration of high pressure/high temperature water vapor during autoclave sterilization into an interior thereof.