...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7794395 | Apparatus for searching for and detecting defects in parts by endoscopy Apparatus for searching for and detecting defects on parts that are substantially inaccessible, being located behind a wall, the apparatus comprising a first endoscope for illumination in visible light and for observation, the first endoscope and pipes for feeding a... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7651464 | Apparatus for searching for and detecting defects in parts by endoscopy Apparatus for searching for and detecting defects on parts that are substantially inaccessible, being located behind a wall, the apparatus comprising a first endoscope for illumination in visible light and for observation, the first endoscope and pipes for feeding a... | 01/26/2010 |
| 7191438 | Computer functional architecture and a locked down environment in a client-server architecture A method, an apparatus and a computer program product are disclosed for providing a lockeddown client environment in a client-server architecture of a computer network. In the method, an asset database is checked via the computer network to validate settings for con... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7122002 | Endoscope hood and endoscopic mucosa cutting device An endoscope hood comprises a cap section which has A cap section which has a nail section inside of an inner surface of a tip margin, an attaching section which is disposed to a base terminal of the cap section to be attached to a tip of an inserting section of the... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7063663 | Endoscopic system with a solid-state light source An endoscopic system for internal inspection of an object includes an endoscope extending along a longitudinal axis between a distal end to be inserted into the object and a proximal end and an illumination assembly attached to the proximal end of the endoscope. The... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7056329 | Laparoscopic direct vision dissecting port A laparoscopic direct vision dissecting port for providing safe entry into a body cavity, as well as being operative to serve as a standard laparoscopic port for use in laparoscopic surgery. The device comprises an elongate laparoscopic port within which a laparosco... | 06/06/2006 |
| 6648815 | Medical instrument and method for endoscopic removal of the saphenous vein A medical instrument for endoscopic removal of the saphenous vein has an elongated shaft which hat at the distal end a spatula tip and in whose proximal region is arranged a laterally projecting handle. The instrument further has an endoscopic optical sys... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6490083 | Microscopy method and apparatus An assembly for viewing cells inside tissue of a living organism. The assembly includes a confocal microscope having an objective for magnifying an image positioned at a focal plane of the objective and a light source adapted to direct light through the o... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6413208 | Medical instrument and method for endoscopic removal of the saphenous vein A medical instrument for endoscopic removal of the saphenous vein has an elongated shaft which has at the distal end a spatula tip and in whose proximal region is arranged a laterally projecting handle. The instrument further has an endoscopic optical sys... | 07/02/2002 |
| 6217511 | Surgical endoscope A surgical endoscope has a shaft and a main body affixed to the proximal end of the shaft. A duct to permit passage of an operating implement extends through the main body. An optics and a fiber optics extend through the main body from an ocular and/or ca... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6074342 | Hard endoscope used for assisting micro-operation A hard endoscope used for assisting a micro-operation includes a body and an insert portion extending from the body. The insert portion includes a first linear portion, and a second linear portion longer than the first linear portion. The first and second... | 06/13/2000 |
| 5976077 | Surgical endoscopic instrument A surgical endoscopic instrument for surgery in a region directly underneath a layer of tissue covering a body cavity and traversed by the instrument which has a tubular sleeve with an operating duct and an optical system. The optical system image guide e... | 11/02/1999 |
| 5279281 | Single-handed fibre-optic flexible laryngoscope A flexible laryngoscope is intended for use with a light source which produces a light beam. The laryngoscope includes a body which has a fibre-optic bundle extending therefrom including a fibre-optic cable having a viewing end and a movable free end. An ... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5251612 | Self-aligning coupler for a laser endoscope A self-aligning coupler for a laser endoscope having a body and a lumen extending from the body includes a coupler housing; an input port adapted for connection to a laser beam source; and an output port adapted for connection to the endoscope body; a til... | 10/12/1993 |
| 5183031 | Fiberoptic intubating laryngoscope The present invention relates to a fiberoptic intubating laryngoscope attachable to a stylet. The fiberoptic intubating laryngoscope includes a pistol grip, a universal adaptor and a beveled junction and attaching the stylet to the pistol grip, the univer... | 02/02/1993 |
| 5048508 | Endoscope having sealed shaft An endoscope having an edoscope shaft, a periscope, optics removably secured to the endoscope shaft and separable from the endoscope shaft and an instrument channel having an apertured cap through which treatment instruments are introduced into the instru... | 09/17/1991 |
| 5003963 | Laryngoscope A method for moving an object in the larynx and trachea region of a patient for use with a laryngoscope having a working channel. A device device has an elongate shaft adapted for movement within the working channel of the laryngoscope. Located at a dista... | 04/02/1991 |
| 4905669 | Laryngoscope A device for moving an object in the larynx and trachea region of a patient for use with a laryngoscope having a working channel. The device has an elongate shaft adapted for movement within the working channel of the laryngoscope. Located at a distal reg... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4858595 | Mediastinoscope A mediastinoscope having a shaft which is traversed by a photoconductor and an observation optical system, with the shaft being provided at its distal end with an atraumatically shaped cap, the greatest diameter of which is greater in comparison with the ... | 08/22/1989 |
| 4838245 | Instrument for the insertion of anesthetic catheters An instrument for insertion into the body which includes a flexible image-transmitting element, a flexible light guide, and in some embodiments, a channel for intubation gas, which instrument contains a head for receiving a connection for the image-transm... | 06/13/1989 |
| 4807595 | Salpingoscope For the examination of the fallopian tube, a salpingoscope has a first endoscope telescopically receiving a second endoscope which are displaceable relative one another. The optics of the second endoscope and the distal end of the outer guide shaft of the... | 02/28/1989 |
| 4700694 | Endoscope means and ovum picker employed by inserting through endoscope means This invention relates to means for picking up the ovum from the ovarian follicle of mother's body for external fertilization and, more especially, to endoscope means and tool for picking up the ovum wherein the ovum is picked up under visual observation ... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4653475 | Embryo transferring apparatus adapted for endoscope An embryo transferring apparatus adapted for an endoscope comprises: an inner tube extending through an optical visual pipe of the endoscope so as to protrude forward its front end beyond a front end of the optical visual pipe; an outer tube in which the ... | 03/31/1987 |
| 4597380 | Endoscopic attachment to a surgical laser An endoscopic attachment to a surgical laser comprises a hollow endoscopic tube adapted to be coupled at its rear end to the surgical laser, a coupling device including a pivotable reflector in the path of the laser beam transmitted through the endoscopic... | 07/01/1986 |
| 4414962 | Operating arthroscope An arthroscope is constructed with a flattened thin cross-section as viewed from its distal end. The sheath of the arthroscope as viewed normal a plane intersecting the occular lens and the instrument channel is offset at a central housing which contains ... | 11/15/1983 |
| 4392485 | Endoscope The invention relates to endoscopes specially laparoscopes of known art with an external shaft through which passes a channel for guiding instruments and a fibre light conductor and an optic. According the invention the channel of the shaft is increased in its... | 07/12/1983 |
| 4319563 | Endoscope with a smoothly curved distal end face One end portions of a plurality of light conducting optical fibers disposed inside an outer sheath of an endoscope which is to be inserted into a body cavity are exposed directly to the outside through an opened distal end of the sheath. The exposed end f... | 03/16/1982 |
| 4294234 | Endoscope A pipe-like extension guide is inserted into a control section housing (operation section) through an insertion hole in the side wall of the control section housing connected to the base end of an elongated sheath. An elongated cut out is formed in the si... | 10/13/1981 |
| 4273110 | Ultraviolet endoscope An endoscope is disclosed for examining minute details at an inaccessible location including an image transmitting conduit, a light guide for transmitting light from a source of ultraviolet and visible light to the remote end of the endoscope, and a condu... | 06/16/1981 |
| 4267828 | Endoscope having an extension guide for observation A flexible, tubular extension guide has its one open end fixed to a control section housing constituting a grip or operation section of an endoscope and its external free end connected to an eyepiece section of an observation system. The guide can be bent... | 05/19/1981 |
| 4261346 | Endoscopes An endoscope having three offset sheaths of which one terminates in the ocular of a telescope lens system included in the instrument, the sheaths being so arranged with the instrument as a whole as to reduce fatigue in the bicep and deltoid muscles of the... | 04/14/1981 |
| 4254762 | Safety endoscope system An endoscope with an encircling sleeve slidably mounted in a needle-like trocar, at least the endoscope entering a body cavity under spring bias upon completion of a puncture by the trocar. Preferably, the viewing end of the endoscope is sealed within the... | 03/10/1981 |
| 4103680 | Multiple occlusion ring applicator and method A multiple ring applicator device and method for applying elastic occluding rings to an anatomical tubular structure which comprises a laparoscope which contains a ring applicator device integral therewith, the ring applicator device and the laparoscope c... | 08/01/1978 |