Patent ID: 8317689

Claim:
A miniature endoscope for orthopedic imaging comprising: a probe for orthopedic diagnostic imaging, the probe including a fiber optic imaging waveguide that transmits an image, and having a diameter of less than 2 mm and a length between 2 cm and 10 cm, the probe having a mounting hub; a fiber optic illumination channel within the probe that is concentric about the optical waveguide, the illumination channel being positioned between an inner sheath and an outer sheath; a handle removeably attached to the mounting hub of the probe with a connector; a light source that is optically coupled to the fiber optic illumination channel with the mounting hub; a cannula that receives a distal end of the probe such that the outer sheath slides within the cannula, the cannula having a locking mechanism at a proximal end that attaches to the probe; a sterile barrier attached to the mounting hub and that can be extended over the handle; an optical lens coupled to a distal end of the waveguide; an optical relay mounted in the handle and that is optically coupled to a proximal end of the waveguide; and an imaging device mounted in the handle at a proximal end of the optical relay that receives an image from the optical waveguide.