Endoscope designs and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention comprise endoscopes for viewing inside a cavity of a body such as a vessel like a vein or artery. These endoscopes may include at least one solid state emitter such as a light emitting diode (LED) that is inserted into the body cavity to provide illumination therein. Certain embodiments of the invention comprise disposable endoscopes that can be fabricated relatively inexpensively such that discarding these endoscopses after a single use is cost-effective. The endoscope may comprise a lens holder on a distal end of the endoscope for collection of light reflected from surfaces within the body in which the endoscope is inserted. This lens holder may have an inner cavity through which light passes along an optical path. Reflective surfaces on sidewalls of the inner cavity may direct light along this optical path. The endoscope may further comprise an elongated support structure for supporting a plurality of lenses disposed along the optical path. This optical path may lead to a detector onto which images are formed.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A cordless endoscope assembly, comprising:
 a housing configured to be held by a user's hand;   an endoscope tube that extends distally of the housing to an aperture at a distal end of the endoscope tube; and   electronics housed in the housing and configured to operate one or more light sources in the endoscope tube, the electronics comprising one or more batteries,   wherein the endoscope tube is configured to collect light emitted by the one or more light sources via the aperture and to transmit said collected light and an image captured by the endoscope along an optical path from the distal end of the endoscope tube toward the proximal end of the housing.   
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the housing is rotatable by a user via the handpiece about an axis of the endoscope tube. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the housing, endoscope tube and electronics are disposable as an integral unit. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the housing, endoscope tube and electronics are disposable as an integral unit after a single use. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more light sources comprise one or more solid state emitters. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more solid state emitters comprise one or more light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more solid state emitters are disposed at the distal end of the endoscope tube. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising a switch selectively actuatable to apply or remove power from the one or more batteries to the one or more light sources to power-on or power-off the one or more light sources of the endoscope assembly. 
     
     
         10 . A cordless endoscope system, comprising:
 a housing configured to be held by a user's hand;   an endoscope tube that extends distally of the housing to an aperture at a distal end of the endoscope tube, the endoscope tube configured to collect light emitted by the one or more light sources via the aperture and to transmit said collected light and image captured by the endoscope along an optical path from the distal end of the endoscope tube toward the proximal end of the housing;   one or more batteries;   one or more optical sensors distally of the optical tube and configured to receive the collected light and the image from the endoscope tube and produce and electrical output corresponding to the image; and   a wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the electrical output corresponding to the collected image.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is rotatable by a user via the handpiece about an axis of the endoscope tube. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the housing and endoscope tube are disposable as an integral unit. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the housing and endoscope tube are disposable as an integral unit after a single use. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more light sources comprise one or more solid state emitters. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more solid state emitters comprise one or more light emitting diodes. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more solid state emitters are disposed at the distal end of the endoscope tube. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a switch selectively actuatable to power-on or power-off the one or more light sources of the endoscope assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless transmitter is a radiofrequency transmitter 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the optical sensor is an optical camera.