Patent ID: 6855106

Claim:
An endoscope for use in combination with a video camera having an imaging plane, said endoscope comprising: a sealed optical assembly ( 634 ) having a proximal end and a distal end; an objective lens ( 206 ) disposed within the distal end of the optical assembly; an ocular lens ( 646 ) disposed within the proximal end of the optical assembly; a focusing assembly ( 600 ) disposed on the proximal end of the sealed optical assembly, said focusing assembly comprising a first barrel ( 662 ) longitudinally fixed relative to the optical assembly and a second barrel ( 660 ), said second barrel being longitudinally moveable relative to the first barrel; an optical window ( 642 ) disposed within the proximal end of the sealed optical assembly, said optical window being substantially flat and establishing a substantially planar proximal face on the sealed optical assembly, said planar proximal face lying in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope; a camera mount ( 650 ) extending proximally from the second barrel and longitudinally fixed thereto, said camera mount adapted for releasable connection to the video camera, said camera mount having a substantially planar proximal face, said planar proximal face lying in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope; wherein the focusing assembly is operable to translate the second barrel and camera mount longitudinally relative to the sealed optical assembly such that the proximal face of the optical assembly is co-planar with the proximal face of the camera mount, and also to translate the camera mount longitudinally relative to the sealed optical assembly to focus the endoscope image on the imaging plane of the camera.