Video camera drape with lens

The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved surgical drape for an endoscopic video camera device which provides a sealed, sterile encasement of the camera and its associated transmission cable and which permits quick, easy interchanging of various endoscopic rod lenses without contamination of the camera head or cable or distortion of the camera image. More particularly, it is concerned with a drape having an opening for insertion of a camera and cable, a clear lens, and structure for constricting the drape around the camera and cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved surgical drape 
for an endoscopic video camera device which provides a sealed, sterile 
encasement of the camera and its associated transmission cable and which 
permits quick, easy interchanging of various endoscopic rod lenses without 
contamination by the camera head or cable or distortion of the camera 
image. More particularly, it is concerned with a drape having an opening 
for insertion of a camera and cable, a clear lens, and structure for 
constricting the drape around the camera and cable. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Medical examination of the interior of the body and associated therapeutic 
procedures are now commonly accomplished by video endoscopy. This 
technique employs a video camera system coupled with an endoscopic 
telescope to relay images of the interior of the body for projection on a 
remote video monitor. In practice, a telescope is inserted through a small 
incision into a joint or cavity portion of the body. Because the telescope 
has a narrow diameter, surgical trauma to the tissue is minimized, as well 
as postoperative morbidity and associated extended immobilization and 
required rehabilitation of the patient. 
Use of a video camera head coupled to the telescope permits clear 
visualization by members of the surgical team and attachment of video 
recorders for recording of the procedure. However, the camera head is a 
delicate instrument which may be damaged by conventional sterilization 
methods such as autoclaving. While cold sterilizable camera heads are 
available, they are costly and may not be sterilized by the autoclave 
method which is recommended for destruction certain viruses, including 
HIV. 
Previous surgical drapes for video endoscopic procedures have consisted of 
conventional drapes in which a hole is made to accommodate the telescope. 
The telescope may be sterilized, however it must be coupled with the 
non-sterile camera head to provide a viewing image. In conventional 
methods, a telescope coupled with the camera head is inserted through a 
hole in the drape and the drape is attached to the telescope by taping. 
The body of the drape is swathed around the camera cable. Such 
installation is time consuming and the drape employed in this manner is 
bulky, cumbersome, and may partially occlude the surgical field during 
necessary movement of the camera. 
Because the surgical field is wet from blood, body PG,4 fluids, and fluids 
such as saline employed to irrigate or distend the body cavity under 
examination, the tape frequently fails, permitting contamination of the 
camera head. Once contaminated, the surgical staff as well as subsequent 
patients are at risk from cross contamination. Moreover, the camera is 
typically provided with multiple grooves and apertures to enhance gripping 
by gloved hands, and is consequently extremely difficult to decontaminate. 
Moreover, even if the makeshift drape does not fail, it does not permit the 
telescope to be changed on the sterile field. Since viewing endoscopes are 
generally fixed focused, e.g. at viewing angles of 0.degree., 30.degree., 
70.degree., the camera head must be installed on a new telescope in order 
to change the surgeon's angle of view. Under conventional methods this 
would require installation of a new drape, thus extending the duration of 
the procedure, the anesthesia of the patient, and increasing the 
possibility of patient morbidity. In addition, since several telescopes 
and new drapes may commonly be required in a single procedure, the cost of 
surgical supplies would be increased. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the problems described above and provides a 
greatly improved sterile drape for a video camera having an attached 
transmission cable. The drape provides a water and airtight sterile seal 
which prevents contamination of the camera and its cable while permitting 
interchanging of telescopes without changing the video camera drape. 
The drape in accordance with the present invention broadly includes an 
elongated tubular member having an open end for insertion of the camera 
and cable and a closed end having an integral lens for interposition 
between the rod lens telescope and the camera lens. 
Additional embodiments provide removable supports adjacent the open end for 
supporting the tubular drape in a telescoped fashion and forming an 
insertion canal for the camera and cable. A constricting means is also 
provided for constricting the tubular drape around the camera cable. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
The principal objects and advantages of the present invention include: 
providing a video camera drape with a lens and method; providing such a 
drape and method including a water and air tight seal which does not 
require taping; providing such a drape and method for use with a remote 
surgical visualization system having a rod lens assembly; providing such a 
drape and method which permit interchanging of the rod lens assembly 
without changing the drape; providing such a drape and method including a 
rigid, optically clear lens which does not distort the camera image; 
providing such a drape and method including removable support means for 
supporting the drape in telescoped relationship and forming a canal for 
quick, easy insertion of a video camera; providing such a drape and method 
including means for constricting the drape around the cable of a video 
camera for reducing bulk and permitting easy manipulation of the camera 
and attached cable; providing such a drape and method for use in 
combination with existing video endoscopic equipment on hand. 
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from 
the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, 
certain embodiments of this invention. 
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary 
embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and 
features thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed 
herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are 
merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. 
Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are 
not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims 
and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to 
variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately 
detailed structure. 
Referring now to the drawing, a remote surgical visualization system 10, 
which is the functional application for a video camera drape with lens 12 
in accordance with the invention, broadly includes a rod lens assembly 14, 
camera head assembly 16 (best shown in FIG. 2), video display device 18, 
and intercoupling cable 20. Drape 12 broadly includes tubular member 22 
having an open end 24, an opposed closed end 26, including an aperture 27 
(best shown in FIG. 5) sealed in covering relationship by lens 28. 
In more detail, drape 12 is of flexible tubular construction which may be 
folded into a flat, telescoped conformation. It is preferably formed of a 
lightweight, disposable, transparent or translucent synthetic resin 
material which is obtained in sterile condition from the manufacturer. 
Alternatively, an unsterile drape may be sterilized according to 
conventional methods prior to use. Lens 28 is preferably of optically 
clear, rigid synthetic resin construction such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl 
chloride, or polypropylene. 
As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 7, and 8, drape 12 may also include a removable 
flattened, support member 30 adjacent open end 24. In such embodiments, 
tubular member 22 further includes an inner attachment area 35 adjacent 
open end 24 and preferably covered with an adhesive substance for 
attachment of support 30. Support 30 is preferably formed of a pair of 
opposed flat, semirigid rectangular members 32, 34 which may be 
transversely compressed while in place in the drape to form an insertion 
canal 36 within tubular member 22. Those skilled in the art will 
appreciate that support 30 may also be of unitary construction, 
longitudinally scored or otherwise formed so as to lie flat. They may be 
formed of compressed paper such as cardboard, synthetic resin, or any 
other suitable material. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, drape 12 may also include one or more 
constriction devices 38, which may be in the form of elastic bands, 
adhesive or interlocking fabric tabs, or any other easily fastenable 
construction. 
Remote visualization system 10, as depicted in FIGS. 1-5, includes a rod 
lens assembly 14 having a guide sheath 40 of elongated, rigid tubular 
metal construction presenting an internal channel in order to accommodate 
a lens therein. Guide sheath 40 includes an insertion end (not shown) and 
a flange 42 at the opposed end for mechanical coupling with camera head 
assembly 16. A lens cover 44 seals the internal channel against 
contamination. An illumination port 46 is transversely connected to the 
rod lens assembly adjacent the flanged end and is coupled with an 
illumination cable 48 which, in turn, is remotely coupled with a light 
source. 
Guide sheath 40 may be of any dimensions, but typically measures from about 
2 mm to about 15 mm, being designed for insertion into the body of a 
patient with a minimum of tissue trauma. The preferred rod lens assembly 
14 is a viewing endoscope, such as an arthroscope, having a rigid guide 
sheath with a single, undivided lumen to accommodate a conventional, fixed 
angle lens. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other forms of 
endoscopic instruments could be employed having flexible guide sheaths 
employing fiber optic lenses and including various channels coupled with 
access ports for the passage of fluids, instruments, or vacuum suction 
therethrough. 
Camera head assembly 16 is of conventional construction and is shown in 
FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 to include a connection collar 50 including an outer 
sleeve 52, an inner socket 54, transversely coupled with a barrel 56. 
Outer sleeve 52 is grooved to permit easy grasping by gloved hands and 
includes a pair of finger pieces 58, 60, one of which is slidable along a 
transverse groove 62 towards the other. Finger pieces 58, 60 are coupled 
with spring biased flanges not shown extending axially from the walls of 
inner socket 54 to facilitate adjustable gripping of rod lens assembly 
flanges of various sizes in mating relationship. A lens cover 66 seals 
barrel 56 against contamination. Barrel 56 includes a rotatable focusing 
knob 68 (best shown in FIG. 2), an objective lens 70, and an image 
transmission cable port 72. 
Cable 20 remotely intercouples cable port 72 and video display device 18 
depicted in FIG. 1 with video inset 74. Device 18 may be a cathode ray 
tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD). Accessories such as a video 
recorder may be remotely coupled with visualization system 10 as well. 
In use, camera head cable port is remotely coupled with video display 
device 18 by means of connecting cable 20. Non-sterile camera head 
assembly 16 is then inserted into open end 24 of the sterile drape and 
urged forward until inner socket 54 faces drape lens 28 and non-sterile 
cable 20 projects outwardly from open end 24. Drape lens 28 is next 
aligned over lens cover 66 and constricting bands 38 fastened at spaced 
intervals around cable 20 to hold the drape in place. The combination of 
the tubular configuration of member 22 and constricting bands 38 result in 
a drape which is not baggy or cumbersome and does not unnecessarily 
occlude the surgical field. 
As shown in FIGS. 6-8, in certain embodiments, drape 12 is provided with 
support members 30, installed adjacent the open end 24. Drape 12 is folded 
over the support members in telescopic manner. Compression of the 
transverse ends of support members 30 causes formation of a rigid 
insertion canal 36, which greatly facilitates insertion of the camera. In 
cases where draping must occur during surgery, this beneficially results 
in decreased draping time. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the insertion end of a sterile rod lens assembly 
14 such as an endoscope is inserted through an incision and into a joint 
area or body cavity of a patient. A light source is remotely coupled to 
illumination port 46 by means of sterile illumination cable 48. 
The sterile drape-encased camera head finger pieces 58, 60 are grasped by 
the fingers and slidable piece 60 is urged along groove 62 toward piece 
58. This action causes retraction of attached flange members not shown 
into the walls of inner socket 54 until the maximum open adjustment of 
connection collar 50 is achieved. Connection collar 50 is then installed 
in mating engagement over endoscope flange 42 with camera lens 70, drape 
lens 28 and endoscope lens cover 44 in alignment. Release of finger pieces 
58, 60 results in constriction of the attached spring-biased flange 
members to lock flange 42 in place, with drape lens 28 sandwiched between 
camera lens 70 and lens cover 44. Because drape lens 28 is rigid and 
clear, there is no resulting distortion of the camera image as displayed 
on video device 18. 
Advantageously, the joint area or body cavity may be viewed through a 
different portal or a through the same portal with a different fixed angle 
lens by uncoupling camera head assembly 16 from endoscope and recoupling 
camera 16 with an endoscope in a different portal, while leaving the 
original endoscope in place for subsequent reviewing. Alternatively, a new 
sterile endoscope may be inserted in the same portal and coupled with 
camera 16 following the procedure previously described. Because the drape 
forms a sterile, water and air-tight encasement which completely seals the 
non-sterile camera 16 and cable 20 from contact with the sterile endoscope 
without taping or other means subject to failure, the procedure may be 
repeated any number of times. In this manner different viewing angles of 
the joint area or body cavity may be obtained without compromising the 
sterility of the field or the requiring a change of the drape each time a 
new endoscope is employed. Since a new sterile drape 12 is employed for 
each surgical procedure, there is no risk of cross contamination of 
subsequent patients from the non-sterile camera. Similarly, because the 
camera is completely encased, there is no risk of cross contamination of 
surgical or other hospital personnel who may handle the camera following 
its use in surgery. 
The present invention is especially adapted for use with existing 
endoscopic surgical equipment, such as cameras and their associated cables 
which may not be sterilized. It may also be employed with newer cameras 
which may be cold sterilized in cases where heat sterilization is 
preferable because of the presence of infection. 
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention 
have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the 
specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.