Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7315249 | System and method for ergonomic tracking for individual physical exertion A system and method are provided for tracking a user's posture. The system and method include an environmental module for determining the user's physical environment, a biomechanical module for determining at least a user's posture in the user's physical environment... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7300397 | Endoscope electronics assembly A method for assembling an endoscope that includes an imaging subassembly inside an insertion tube having distal and proximal ends. The method includes coupling the imaging subassembly to a plurality of wires, which have respective first and second ends, by fixing t... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7060026 | Diassembly of endoscope having adhesively bonded parts An endoscope comprises a plurality of members constituting the endoscope, and parts-bonded sections each having at least members thereof bonded together using an adhesive. The temperatures of thermal destruction at which the adhesives included in the parts-bonded se... | 06/13/2006 |
| 6991603 | Insertion tube device Insertion tube devices are disclosed. ... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6932812 | Large area thermal ablation A large area thermal ablation apparatus for use with an endoscope includes a housing and at least one electrode. The housing is removably attachable to a distal terminating end of the endoscope. The housing includes an outer surface and a cross-sectional area that i... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6733497 | Clamshell distal catheter assembly Distal catheter assemblies, catheters, and methods for minimizing damage to heat and/or magnetically sensitive components are provided. A distal catheter assembly comprises a composite housing having a cavity formed therein and first and second complementary lateral... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6733440 | Apparatus and method for forming thin-walled elastic components from an elastomeric material A thin-walled elastic sheath that can be stretched axially over an elongated imaging device to closely conform to the device and isolate the device from an external environment, and a method of forming such a sheath, are shown and described. The method includes the ... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6730082 | Two-piece distal catheter assembly Distal catheter assemblies, catheters, and methods for minimizing damage to heat and/or magnetically sensitive components are provided. A distal catheter assembly comprises a distal housing having a cavity and a separate proximal mounting member. A first component, ... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6643533 | Method and apparatus for displaying images of tubular structures A method and an apparatus for displaying a structure of a vessel are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a centerline of the vessel within a portion of the vessel that includes the structure, identifying a contour of the vessel w... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6585640 | Method for controlling relative deformation between an endoscope and components thereof An endoscope where problems due to a difference of deformation amount in the longitudinal direction generated between the flexible tube and the integrated object during autoclave sterilization are prevented, wherein the insertion part is comprised of a ha... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6579582 | Apparatus and method for forming complex-shaped components in a heated polymeric film A thin-walled polymeric component that may have a selected complex shape, and a method of forming the component. The method includes heating a portion of a polymeric film to a selected malleable temperature, and forming a protrusion in the heated portion ... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6565505 | Endoscope An endoscope comprises a plurality of members constituting the endoscope, and parts-bonded sections each having at least members thereof bonded together using an adhesive. The temperatures of thermal destruction at which the adhesives included in the part... | 05/20/2003 |
| 6520214 | Flexible tube for endoscope A flexible tube for an endoscope is provided with a spirally-wound tube, a braided tube covering the spirally-wound tube, and a sheath provided on the braided tube. The sheath material is fused and coated on the braided tube to form the sheath. When the s... | 02/18/2003 |
| 6372357 | External component of endoscope An external component of an endoscope includes an aluminum alloy base member whose surface is subjected to anodic oxidation, and thereafter, is subjected to an electrolytic deposition thereon.... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6179782 | Method and related apparatus for measuring and analyzing a physical quantity of interest through the application of fuzzy logic rules A method measures and analyzes a physical quantity of interest having first and second significant values dependent on a plurality of characteristic parameters. The method includes storing the characteristic parameters in a storage support external of the... | 01/30/2001 |
| 5954637 | Laparoscope A multi-use disposable endoscope capable of being sterilized and reused for a number of surgical procedures and then discarded is disclosed. The endoscope is adapted to withstand a number of sterilization cycles without experiencing degradation of the fun... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5944656 | Endoscope An endoscope contains no adhesives, epoxies, or other organic materials. The endoscope includes a set of lenses held in position by cylindrical spacers. A pair of windows seal the ends of the endoscope, and prevent the lenses and spacers from falling out.... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5876330 | Endoscope with semi-rigid shaft and malleable tip and method of manufacture An endoscope having a shaft with a semi-rigid tube and a malleable tube. The malleable tube is connected to and extends from a distal end of the semi-rigid tube. The connection of the two tubes includes dimples stamped into the semi-rigid tube that inward... | 03/02/1999 |
| 5846184 | Swaging of a sheath to a fiber A method of connecting a fiber-protective sheath to a fiber assembly having a fiber covered by a protective multi-layer skin, and the combination of the sheath and the fiber assembly. The skin has an inner cladding and an outer jacketing. The fiber-protec... | 12/08/1998 |
| 5634881 | Laparoscope A multi-use disposable endoscope capable of being sterilized and reused for a number of surgical procedures and then discarded is disclosed. The endoscope is adapted to withstand a number of sterilization cycles without experiencing degradation of the fun... | 06/03/1997 |
| 5630784 | Method of making and using a rigid endoscope having a modified high refractive index tunnel rod The invention provides a rigid endoscope utilizing a high refractive index (HRI) tunnel rod, preferably made of glass, for transfer of image light from a distal end to a proximal end of the device, such HRI tunnel rod being modified so that a minimum of l... | 05/20/1997 |
| 5591120 | Joint construction for angle section of endoscopic insertion rod A joint construction for connecting a flexibly bendable angle section of an endoscopic insertion rod with an anteriorly and/or posteriorly located section of the insertion rod, including a line-wrapping layer formed on a fore end portion of a resilient ou... | 01/07/1997 |
| 5554100 | Arthroscope with shim for angularly orienting illumination fibers A disposable rigid arthroscope having an inclined angle of view includes a frame member, an outer tube member extending distally from the frame member, an inner lens tube member eccentrically disposed within the outer tube member, an optical system dispos... | 09/10/1996 |
| 5456245 | Flexible endoscope probe and method of manufacture A flexible endoscopic probe includes a fiber optic image guide, a lens adhered to the distal end of the fiber optic image guide, and one or more fiber optic illumination fibers surrounding the image guide and terminating at the distal end of the probe. Du... | 10/10/1995 |
| 5354518 | Method for manufacturing a fiberscopic catheter A method of manufacture of a fiberscopic catheter having a tightly fitted optical glass fiber bundle received within an internal lumen of the catheter. The lumen for receiving the optical glass fiber bundle is heated and expanded under internal fluid pres... | 10/11/1994 |
| 5335647 | Potted endoscope An endoscope includes a handle assembly and an elongate probe defining a channel which extends to a distal end of the endoscope. A fiber is disposed in the channel and has a failure mode characterized by a first bending radius. The channel is potted with ... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5213093 | Endoscope with non-circular probe and method of making same An endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end includes a housing disposed at the proximal end and a probe attached to the housing and extending along an axis to the distal end of the endoscope. The probe has a wall with an outer surface and an inner... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5210814 | High resolution optical device with rigid fiber optic bundle Improved image guides for use in endoscopes, borescopes and analogous optical viewing scopes and a method for the manufacture of such image guides. An image guide is manufactured by drawing a three-glass fiber to a minimal diameter. Plural fibers are then... | 05/11/1993 |
| 5199417 | Endoscope having a deflectable distal section and a semi-rigid proximal section An endoscope having an elongated shaft which terminates in a deflectable distal tip is shown. The elongated shaft includes a first elongated sheath tube having a deflectable distal section. The deflectable distal section terminates in a distal tip having ... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5193525 | Antiglare tip in a sheath for an endoscope An antiglare tip for the sheath of an endoscope to prevent glare in an image viewer is disclosed. The antiglare tip includes an interfitting region with the endoscope to ensure that all light entering the image viewer is reflected from objects external to... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5190028 | Method for manufacturing a disposable arthroscopic probe A method is provided for assembling an arthroscopic probe which includes bending a linear image-transmitting optical fiber about a heated pivot point so that the distal end of the fiber is oblique to the proximal end. A lens is then attached to the distal... | 03/02/1993 |
| 5178129 | Method of producing bending device A method of producing a bending device is disclosed. There are provided a plurality of elongated arcuate assemblies each formed by pivotally connecting a row of arcuate members to one another by connecting elements, the arcuate assembly extending in a dir... | 01/12/1993 |
| 5125143 | Device for securing skin tube to bendable tube portion of endoscope A device for securing a skin tube to a bendable tube portion that is formed at the distal end of the insert part of an endoscope, the bendable tube portion being bendable by remote control. The method of securing a skin tube to a bendable tube portion com... | 06/30/1992 |
| 5088178 | Ultrasonic endoscope provided with protective sheath A method and device are described for fitting a flexible elongated thin-walled protective sheath around the head and tranmission tube of an ultrasonic endoscope. First, the protective sheath is slid onto the nozzle section of a fitting funnel in a gathere... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5029574 | Endoscopic balloon with a protective film thereon This invention relates to a balloon and its process which is used in endoscope for observing, diagnosing and curing diseased parts within blood vessel or tubes, a transparent thin film body is provided in forming an inflating portion incorporatedly with a... | 07/09/1991 |
| 4871229 | Method for assembling optical fiber bundles in an endoscope A method for assembling optical fiber bundles in an endoscope, comprising an insertion step of passing at least one optical fiber bundle through a flexible tube constituting an insertion section of the endoscope, a fitting step of fitting a reinforcement ... | 10/03/1989 |
| 4869238 | Endoscope for use with a disposable sheath An endoscope specially adapted for use with a disposable sheath having an outer casing and one or more internal channels. The endoscope includes a tip portion connected to a control handle through a flexible insertion tube. The insertion tube is formed by... | 09/26/1989 |
| 4822154 | Improvements in or relating to borescopes An optical assembly 7, 8 providing an optical relay of a borescope 1 has a plurality of lenses 7 spaced apart by tubular spacers 8 through which the optical path extends. The spacers 8 include formations 9, 10 and 11 for connecting adjacent spacers and fo... | 04/18/1989 |
| 4807597 | Fiberscope A fiberscope having a covering tube, an image fiber for transmitting picture images and equipped with an optical system at its tip end for focusing an image of an object to be observed, and light guides for transmitting light and placed along with said im... | 02/28/1989 |
| 4796604 | Endoscope and a light guide thereof and a method for manufacturing the light guide An endoscope comprises an insertion section and a light guide contained in the internal space of the insertion section and adapted to guide an illumination light. The light guide includes a number of elongated optical fibers having individual distal end p... | 01/10/1989 |
