Endoscope with separable, disposable shaft

Abstract

Endoscopes comprising a reusable hand-piece and separable disposable shaft assembly are illustrated and described. The reusable hand-piece includes a housing having an articulation control mounted thereto and an electronics module mounted thereto. The articulation control includes control knobs and concentric drive shafts for articulation. The electronics module includes a battery, a control board, and an optical and/or electrical connector. The separable disposable shaft comprises a housing having an articulation wire actuating assembly mounted thereto and an optical and/or electrical connector mounted thereto. When the housing of the hand-piece and the housing of the separable disposable shaft assembly are joined together, the articulation control engages the articulation wire actuating assembly and the optical and/or electrical connector of the reusable hand-piece engages the optical and/or electrical connector of the disposable shaft assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 connecting a housing of a reusable hand-piece to a housing of a first disposable shaft assembly, wherein said reusable hand-piece has articulation controls and an electronics module and said first disposable shaft assembly has an articulation wire actuating assembly and a connector; and   wherein said connecting connects the articulation controls to the articulation wire actuating assembly and the electronics module to the connector of the first disposable shaft assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 separating the housing of the reusable hand-piece from the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly so as to separate the articulation controls from the articulation wire actuating assembly and the electronics module from the connector of the first disposable shaft assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising:
 connecting the housing of the reusable hand-piece to a housing of a second disposable shaft assembly, wherein said second disposable shaft assembly has an articulation wire actuating assembly and a connector; and   wherein said connecting connects the articulation controls to the articulation wire actuating assembly and the electronics module to the connector of the second disposable shaft assembly.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the articulation controls of the reusable hand-piece includes a first articulation control knob and a second articulation control knob. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first articulation control knob has a first drive shaft and the second articulation control knob has a second drive shaft, and wherein the first and second drive shafts are concentric. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the housing of the reusable hand-piece is arranged for connection to and disconnection from the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly without hand tools. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reusable hand-piece is absent a fluid connector that communicates with a lumen of the first disposable shaft assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly includes a port in fluid communication with a lumen of a shaft of the first disposable shaft assembly. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the articulation wire actuating assembly comprises a rack and pinion assembly;
 wherein the rack and pinion assembly includes a first gear rack coupled to a first articulation control knob through a first gear and a second gear rack coupled to a second articulation control knob through a second gear;   wherein the articulation wire extending along a length of the first disposable shaft assembly is a first articulation wire coupled to the first gear rack such that rotation of the first articulation control knob translates the first gear rack; and   wherein a second articulation wire is coupled to the second gear rack such that rotation of the second articulation control knob translates the second gear rack.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the rack and pinion assembly, comprises:
 a third gear rack associated with the first articulation control knob and a fourth gear rack associated with the second articulation control knob;   wherein rotation of the first articulation control knob translates the third gear rack in a direction opposite that of the first gear rack; and   wherein rotation of the second articulation control knob translates the fourth gear rack in a direction opposite that of the second gear rack.   
     
     
         26 . A method, comprising:
 attaching a housing of a reusable hand-piece to a housing of a first disposable shaft assembly, wherein said reusable hand-piece has an articulation control mounted to the housing of the reusable hand-piece and said first disposable shaft assembly has an articulation wire actuating assembly mounted to the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly, the articulation wire actuating assembly attached to an articulation wire extending along a first direction and along a length of the first disposable shaft assembly;   wherein said attaching connects the articulation control to the articulation wire actuating assembly of the first disposable shaft assembly along a second direction; and   wherein said second direction is different than said first direction.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , comprising:
 separating the housing of the reusable hand-piece from the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly so as to separate the articulation control from the articulation wire actuating assembly of the first disposable shaft assembly.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising:
 connecting the housing of the reusable hand-piece to a housing of a second disposable shaft assembly, wherein said second disposable shaft assembly has an articulation wire actuating assembly; and   wherein said connecting connects the articulation control to the articulation wire actuating assembly of the second disposable shaft assembly.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the articulation control of the reusable hand-piece includes a first articulation control knob and a second articulation control knob. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first articulation control knob has a first drive shaft and the second articulation control knob has a second drive shaft, and wherein the first and second drive shafts are concentric and extend along the second direction. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the housing of the reusable hand-piece is arranged for connection to and disconnection from the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly without hand tools. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the reusable hand-piece is absent a fluid connector that communicates with a lumen of the first disposable shaft assembly. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the housing of the first disposable shaft assembly includes a port in fluid communication with a lumen of a shaft of the first disposable shaft assembly. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the articulation wire actuating assembly comprises a rack and pinion assembly;
 wherein the rack and pinion assembly includes a first gear rack coupled to a first articulation control knob through a first gear and a second gear rack coupled to a second articulation control knob through a second gear;   wherein the articulation wire extending along a length of the first disposable shaft assembly is a first articulation wire coupled to the first gear rack such that rotation of the first articulation control knob translates the first gear rack; and   wherein a second articulation wire is coupled to the second gear rack such that rotation of the second articulation control knob translates the second gear rack.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the rack and pinion assembly, comprises:
 a third gear rack associated with the first articulation control knob and a fourth gear rack associated with the second articulation control knob;   wherein rotation of the first articulation control knob translates the third gear rack in a direction opposite that of the first gear rack; and   wherein rotation of the second articulation control knob translates the fourth gear rack in a direction opposite that of the second gear rack.