Patent ID: 8460180

Claim:
An endoscopic lens cleaning apparatus, comprising: an end cap for securing the lens cleaning apparatus to an endoscope; a lens, coupled to the end cap; a first housing and a second housing, seated above and along the periphery of the lens, wherein the second housing is substantially parallel to the first housing; a first magnet housed by the first housing and capable of generating a magnetic field having a dipole moment whose principal axis is substantially parallel to the plane of the lens and substantially orthogonal to the first and second housings; at least one guide rail coupled to the first and second housings, having a principle axis that is substantially parallel to the plane of the lens and substantially orthogonal to the first and second housings; a wiper housing coupled to the at least one guide rail, and configured to glide along the guide rail between the first and second housings; a wiper magnet, housed by the wiper housing and capable of generating a magnetic field having a dipole moment whose principal axis is substantially parallel to the plane of the lens and substantially orthogonal to the first and second housings, wherein at least one of the first magnet or the wiper magnet is an electromagnet; a wiper, coupled to the wiper housing and extending from the wiper housing to the lens, wherein the wiper is configured to clean the lens when an interaction between the dipole moments of the first magnet and the wiper magnet causes the wiper housing to glide along the at least one guide rail.