Did You Know...
...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 |
| 7267647 | Endoscope An endoscope has an inserting tube to be inserted into a human body, first and second optical systems integrally secured to a tip end portion of the inserting tube. The first and second optical systems are for observing the in vivo tissues at different magnification... | 09/11/2007 |
| 5271380 | Penetration instrument An instrument is described for the penetration of body tissue with a hollow shaft, the point of which is formed as a conical, beveled, or tapered window. An optic with a lighting unit is brought into the point through the hollow shaft. The optic ends at a... | 12/21/1993 |
| 4870950 | Endoscope system This endoscope system is provided with an endoscope and an image receiving apparatus to be fitted to the eyepiece part of this endoscope. The endoscope has an elongate insertable part, an objective optical system provided in the tip part of the insertable... | 10/03/1989 |
| 4834518 | Instrument for visual observation utilizing fiber optics An instrument includes a main housing, carrying laterally adjustable eyepieces, and a probe housing which is connected to the main housing by means of a flexible joint or coupler. This flexible joint allows relative articulation and rotation of the two ho... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4718406 | Fiber optics image scope (micro-endoscope), ureteroscope An endoscope of such small size and flexibility to allow safe diagnosis and treatment of lesions and disorders of the ureter and kidney. A 2mm outer diameter tube fabricated from a low friction material includes a bundle of fiber optics shaped to conform ... | 01/12/1988 |
| 4621618 | Dual viewing and control apparatus for endoscope An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope of the motor drive type which includes at least an image pickup means within an insertable portion thereof and are operable by giving operating orders to drive units for bending, air and water feed operations. ... | 11/11/1986 |
| 4615332 | Flexible multichannel endoscope having axial shaft portions of different flexibility A flexible or partially flexible endoscope comprising several passages and image guides passing through the shaft has the features that its distal omnilaterally steerable shaft is proximally constructed semirigidly or rigidly, is secured in a coupling ele... | 10/07/1986 |
| 4565423 | Connecting device for an endoscope A connecting device includes a cylindrical body to both ends of which are connected an endoscope and a television camera and from which a light guide provided with an eyepiece section at its one end for connecting a steal camera is extended. In the cylind... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4552131 | Co-viewing device for endoscope A co-reviewing device has a body having a connecting portion detachably connected to the eyepiece section of an endoscope, and having a main eyepiece section to which a photographing device can be connected. A sub-eyepiece section is connected to the body... | 11/12/1985 |
| 4461281 | Arthroscopic surgical apparatus and method Surgical apparatus includes a first and second inserter each having a handle and a shaft secured to and extending away from the handle. A collar is secured to the distal end of the shafts. The first inserter has an elongated blade secured to and extending... | 07/24/1984 |
| 4439030 | Connecting device for an endoscopic television camera A connecting device for optically and mechanically connecting an eyepiece section of an endoscope and a light receiving section of a television camera so that the optical axes of these sections are in alignment comprises a cylindrical housing having one e... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4407272 | Endoscope system with means for detecting auxiliary apparatuses An endoscope system comprises an endoscope, a light source unit, and an auxiliary apparatus such as a camera unit or a dual viewing optical unit. The light source unit includes a discriminating circuit which discriminates the kind of the auxiliary apparat... | 10/04/1983 |
| 4369767 | Endoscope system An endoscope system comprises an endoscope, a camera unit, and a light source unit. A light splitting unit with a combined prism element for splitting light transmitted through an image guide is attached to an ocular section of the endoscope, and an eyepi... | 01/25/1983 |
| 4283115 | Beam splitters for endoscopes comprising a dual observation system This invention relates to beam splitters for use with endoscopes of the kind comprising a dual observation system whereby the image may optionally be adjusted for different proportions of the light intensity for the observer and the joint observer or a fi... | 08/11/1981 |
| 4157216 | Adapter for optically coupling a photographic camera with a viewing device An optical adapter is provided by which an image formed by the eyepiece of an optical viewing device such as an endoscope can be simultaneously viewed and photographed with a motion picture camera of the type having a through-the-lens viewing system which... | 06/05/1979 |
| 4113354 | Single-lens reflex optical system for an endoscope A single-lens reflex optical system for an endoscope comprising a first prism having a reflecting mirror with a small hole located at a position near the aperture stop of the photographing optical system, a second prism cemented to the first prism, and an... | 09/12/1978 |
| 4102333 | Head mounted lamp with joint observation eyepiece A concave mirror is mounted on a head band and is associated with a light source for lighting an area to be inspected for medical purposes. A support for the mirror has a viewing path in which is incorporated a prism which is constructed to have a main vi... | 07/25/1978 |
| 3994288 | Colposcope A colposcope including a camera selectively mountable to take photographs along one optical axis of the binocular microscope and a flash unit for illuminating the field of examination along the optical axis of the colposcope illuminator by means of a mirr... | 11/30/1976 |
