Abstract:
A laparascope and endoscope cleaning and de-fogging device with a port located horizontally that is used to warm the scope prior to insertion into the body cavity/surgical site. The scope punctures the initial membrane and enters the cavity between two bodies of absorbent material that contain fluid. The absorbent material is arranged such that the passage of a scope would be accommodated for different sizes of surgical scopes. A circuit board is located on the bottom of the chamber that has a design element used to warm the liquid to a temperature equal to or greater than the temperature of the proposed surgical environment. When the scope is located between the two absorbent bodies, the heat generated by the circuit board is transferred via the liquid and contacts the scope, warming it in preparation for surgery.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present invention claims priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/989,220 filed May 6, 2014 and entitled “Laparascope and Endoscope Cleaning and Defogging Device,” which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery, and more specifically, to a device that warms, cleans, and defogs the laparoscope or endoscope before and during medical procedures that utilize that technology for visualization. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A laparoscope or endoscope is used in conjunction with a camera system for visualization during surgical procedures. When the scope is introduced from ambient room temperature into a cavity at body temperature, the rapid change causes the lens to fog. During surgery, the introduction of surgical tools such as an electrosurgical device deliver energy, creating heat, and vaporizes the intracellular fluid, which increases the pressure inside the cell and eventually causes the cell membrane to burst. When this happens, a plume of smoke containing mostly water vapor is created, along with the aeration of cellular debris. During procedures involving a scope, many times this water vapor, smoke plume, and/or cellular debris attach to the lens, impairing the view of the surgical site. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The new apparatus and system described and illustrated herein is designed to improve and/or maximize the visualization of the scope during surgical procedures. 
         [0005]    In one aspect, the device has a port located horizontally that is used to warm the scope prior to insertion into the body cavity/surgical site. The scope enters the cavity between two bodies of absorbent material that may or may not contain fluid. The absorbent material is arranged such that the passage of a scope would be accommodated for a size range of 1 mm up to 15 mm in diameter. A circuit board is located on the bottom of the chamber that has a design element used to warm the liquid to a temperature sufficient to reduce or eliminate issues related to temperature differences between the surrounding environment and the body of the patient. When the scope is located between the two absorbent bodies, the heat generated by the circuit board is transferred to the scope, warming it in preparation for surgery. Also within this chamber is a V-shaped member of white, non-porous material that may be used to white balance the camera. The V-shape allows for multiple different sizes of scopes ranging from 1 mm to 15 mm to accurately white balance per the camera system procedure. 
         [0006]    In another aspect, a separate stand or cradle is supplied with the device to hold the scope during the warming procedure. When the scope is aligned horizontally, there is a chance that the scope and camera could dislodge from the device and become damaged due to a fall or shock. The stand is designed and supplied with the main device to cradle the scope and camera while in the horizontal position, limiting the possibility of damage from fall or shock. 
         [0007]    The circuit board and electronics of the device are designed such that multiple and separate heater sections are built into the circuit (either flex or rigid construction). The electronic control circuit is designed to maintain temperature of the heating circuit for a period of time for warming the fluid. The heating element is designed with enough resistance to achieve the desired heating performance, and protect against thermal runaway in a single or multiple fault condition. The power supplied to the circuit board can be from a battery or batteries or alternately from a plug-in DC power supply. The battery power supply could be designed in such a way as to be removed separately for waste disposal separately from the main housing. The device would be activated by removing a non-conductive sheet located between the battery contacts, by actuating a switch, or by depressing a button. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, the device has a port located vertically that is used to clean and warm the scope after use in the surgical site. The scope punctures the initial membrane and enters the cavity comprised of a cleaning surface and liquid that has been warmed by the circuit board. The cleaning surface may be comprised of a porous material such as a sponge or non-woven material or it could be comprised of a silicone or similar flexible material in a unique pattern or design for cleaning of the lens. The cleaning surface, along with a warm fluid located in the chamber is used to remove debris and/or fog that has accumulated on the lens during surgery that limits visualization for the user. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, light emitting diodes are included in the device to illuminate both or either of the ports for identification. The LED(s) would illuminate once the heating element has been activated, confirming to the user the device was in-use. Also, during use the illumination of the port or ports would aid the user in identification of the device, especially in operation within a dimly lit room, typical of laparoscopic procedures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the main body of a scope cleaning device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 1  with a stand added. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the main body and stand of a scope cleaning device. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the stand of a scope cleaning device. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the main body and stand separated to highlight the ability to cradle a scope when arranged in the horizontal position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the scope cleaning device; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a detailed cross sectional view of a portion of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a detailed cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the portion of the scope cleaning device of  FIG. 6  containing the white balance reference material. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of the scope cleaning device and a stand for supporting a scope. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14A  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the cleaning material. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14B  is a cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 14A . 
           [0025]      FIG. 15A  is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the cleaning material. 
           [0026]      FIG. 15B  is a cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 15A . 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Turning to  FIG. 1 , the scope cleaning device  10  has a first opening  13  for receiving a generally vertically oriented scope and a second opening  16  for receiving a generally horizontally oriented scope. A plurality of illumination devices such as light emitting diodes  11  may be disposed around the openings  13 ,  16  to facilitate the insertion of the surgical scopes in darker environments. The openings  13 ,  16  may be sealed by a frangible disc  17 ,  18  made of an elastomeric material or the like. The seals are provided to seal the cleaning solution in the device prior to use. The scope cleaning device has a housing  19  that is closed and sealed to protect the internal compartments from exposure to outside elements. A microfiber wipe  22  may be mounted to the exterior of the housing  19  such that a scope  115  ( FIG. 13 ) may be brought into contact with the wipe  22  to remove debris. The device  10  uses separate compartments to clean, warm and white balance a scope. 
         [0029]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , the first opening  13  leads downward to the seal  17 . A cavity  28  formed in the body of the housing receives the scope  115 . A cleaning material  31  is positioned at the bottom of the cavity  28 . The cleaning material  31  may comprise a sponge or other soft, porous material for receiving and holding a cleaning solution  34  ( FIG. 10 ). The cleaning material  31  soaks up the liquid and transfers heat to the scope  115 . The cleaning solution may be any biocompatible, sterile solution capable of being retained by the cleaning material  31  in the cavity  28 . The end of the scope  115  is cleaned and warmed by contact with the cleaning material which may be partially immersed in the heated, cleaning solution  34 . A resistance type electrical heating circuit  30  may be located underneath the cleaning material  31 . The heating circuit  30  may include resistors on a printed circuit board  35 . The electrical circuit  30  for generating heat through the resistors may be powered by a battery  36 , battery pack, DC or AC power from an outlet. A battery compartment  38  may be located underneath the circuit board  35 . 
         [0030]    On the right hand side of the figure, second opening  16  extends to a second horizontally disposed cavity  37  for receiving the scope  115 . The horizontally disposed cavity  37  may contain a pair of sponges or a cleaning material  39  that is split to provide a channel for sliding the scope  115  through the cleaning material  39 . The two sponges are configured to accept and to warm scopes  115  of all sizes. A V-shaped white reference material  40  is disposed at the end of the cavity  37 . The white balance reference material  40  is constructed of a non-porous material such as a silicone. The white balance reference material  40  does not hold any liquid or cleaning solution and is arranged to provide a white balance for providing a reference color for optimizing the camera. The white balance reference material  40  is V-shaped so that scopes  115  of different diameters may be inserted through the cleaning material  39  and into contact with the white balance reference material  40 . 
         [0031]    A stand  46  is shown in a position abutting with the housing  19 . The stand  46  may also be disposed in spaced apart relation as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 13 . The stand  46  provides support for the scope  115  while it is inserted into the horizontally oriented cavity  37 . 
         [0032]    Turning to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the stand  46  may be provided with an opening  49  bordered by a curved upper surface  50 . The stand  46  may have a flat base  52  and a pair of side walls  55 ,  58 . The side walls  55 ,  58  extend to a top surface  61   a,    61   b  that borders the opening  49 . The opening  49  is sized to be larger than the outside diameter of the scope  115  such that the scope  115  may slide into and out of the opening  49 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 5 , the stand  46  is disposed in spaced apart relation relative to the scope cleaning device  10 . The stand  46  is disposed such that a scope  115  deployed in opening  16  will align with the opening  49  at the top of the stand  46 . 
         [0034]    In  FIGS. 6 and 7 , scope cleaning device  100  is an alternate embodiment of scope cleaning device  10 . The device  100  includes a housing  103  having a first opening  106  and a second opening  109 . A microfiber wipe  112  may be disposed at the top of the housing  103  for manually wiping off a scope  115 . As shown, the housing  103  may extend outward in both directions toward the base  118  of the device  110 . The wider portion of the housing  103  at the base  118  provides for greater stability when inserting the scope  115 . 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the device  100  includes the microfiber wipe  112  at the top of the housing  103 . The housing  103  is a formed from a hollow shell  121  that forms internal cavities and protects the interior components from exposure to external elements. The first opening  106  may extend to a first chamber  124  ( FIG. 9 ) formed in a subhousing  127 . The subhousing  127  has an opening  130  at the top that provides a seal. The exterior of subhousing  127  may be formed on the right hand side with a V-shaped section that receives a white balance reference material  133 . The subhousing  127  may be received on top of subhousing  136  that forms a base for supporting subhousing  127 , printed circuit board  139 , a first cleaning material  142  such as a sponge or the like disposed in subhousing  127 , and a second cleaning material  145  that is disposed in a horizontal chamber  148  ( FIG. 9 ). The second cleaning material  145  may comprise a pair of sponges  145   a  and  145   b  (best shown in  FIG. 12 ) or cloths or may comprise a split cleaning material having a channel formed therein for receiving the scope  115 . The subhousing  136  provides an enclosure for a battery compartment  151 . The batteries  154  may be arranged on a base  155  in a circuit for providing heat through electrical resistance in the printed circuit board  139 . The circuit board  139  may be designed to have multiple and separate heater sections built in to the circuit. The circuit may be rigid or flexible. The device is provided with an electronic control circuit to maintain printed circuit board (PCB) temperature of the heating circuit for warming the cleaning fluid. The heater is designed with enough resistance to allow heating, but to still protect against thermal runaway in a fault condition. The system may be provided with light emitting diodes or LED&#39;s to illuminate the separate ports for cleaning and white balance. The system may be provided with an on-off switch or there may simply be an insulating pull tab  157  that can be removed to complete the circuit. As shown in  FIG. 9 , two compartments are formed above the printed circuit board  139 . The cleaning fluid  34  ( FIG. 10 ) is warmed by the printed circuit board  139  and the warmed cleaning fluid  34  may be absorbed into the first and second cleaning materials  142  and  145 . Accordingly, when a scope  115  is inserted into the first opening  106 , the scope  115  can be pushed into contact with the cleaning material  142  to clean the end of the scope and to warm it for reinsertion into the cavity of the patient. When a scope  115  is inserted into the second opening  109 , the scope  115  slides between the two sides  145   a  and  145   b  of the second cleaning material  145  such that a cleaning solution wipes off the scope  115  as it slides past. The scope  115  extends to the V-shaped white balance reference material  133  where it may be inserted until it makes contact. Because of the V-shape, the white balance reference material  133  is capable of accommodating scopes  115  having many different diameters. 
         [0036]    Turning to  FIG. 10 , the cleaning fluid  34  may be contained in one or both of the chambers located above the printed circuit board  139 . As shown, the fluid level may extend above the first cleaning material  142  and, if present in the second chamber  148 , may extend for a majority of the height of the second cleaning material  145 . The white balance reference material  133  is located above the fluid level as fluid on the white balance reference material  133  would disrupt the white balancing and would not produce good results for the imaging. As an alternative, the first and second chamber  124 ,  148  may be separate and the second chamber  148  may not contain fluid. The white balance reference material  133  is preferably a non-porous silicone material that does not absorb or retain any cleaning fluid solution. Turning to  FIG. 11 , the first cleaning material  142  may comprise a sponge or it may comprise a cross-hatched silicone cleaning material  170 . The cross-hatched silicone material  170  may provide superior cleaning of the surface of the scope in comparison to a sponge. The use of a silicone or similar flexible material in a cross hatched pattern provides additional surface area for the cleaning material and provides improved cleaning of the lens. 
         [0037]    In  FIG. 12 , the arrangement of the horizontal cavity is shown in greater detail. The second opening  109  extends to a chamber having a pair of sponges  145   a  and  145   b  with a longitudinal channel  146  disposed between the sponges. A white balance reference material  133  is disposed in spaced apart relation from the end of the sponges. The scope  115  may extend through the channel  146  between the sponges and may extending into contact with the white balance reference material  133  for white balancing according to the specifications for the camera. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the stand  46  may be disposed in spaced apart relation to the scope cleaning device  100  so that the scope  115  may be supported in a substantially horizontal configuration. 
         [0038]    Turning to  FIGS. 14A-14B , an alternate embodiment of the cleaning material  31  in the first cavity  28  is shown. Cleaning material  231  includes a plurality of upstanding finger-like projections  234 . The finger-like projections  234  provide a surface for cleaning a surgical scope inside the cavity  28 . 
         [0039]    In  FIG. 15A-15B , an another alternate embodiment of the cleaning material  31  is shown. A honey-comb like structure  251  includes a plurality of openings  254  divided by connecting walls  257 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 16  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the electrical circuit. The circuit  299  includes a power source such as a battery  300 ; a heating element  303 ; a thermistor  306 ; a plurality of LED&#39;s  309 ,  312 ; and a plurality of resistors  315 ,  318 ,  321 , and  324 . The circuit components may be integrated into a single printed circuit board. With the heater and components integrated into one board, any heat generated by the power transistor  327  which controls the power going to the heating element  303  is also used to warm the fluid. Also, with the temperature sensor (thermistor  306 ) integrated into the same board that includes the heating element, there is little to no latency in sensing temperature changes. In the case of a battery powered circuit, the circuit may electronically adjust for the varying voltage over the battery life with pulse width modulation. This feature may be used to maintain the required temperature setpoint of the device over the expected range of four to six hours. 
         [0041]    The present invention contemplates that many changes and modifications may be made. Therefore, while the presently-preferred form of the emissions measuring system has been shown and described, and several modifications and alternatives discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims.