Disposable endoscope sheath

A sheath for an endoscope comprising; a) a disposable elongated sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion with a free terminal end and being of generally circular cross section with a predetermined inner diameter, such that an annular irrigation space of predetermined size ranging from about 0.002 inches to about 0.012 inches is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal end of the sleeve having at least one opening, c) the distal portion of said sleeve having flange means at the terminal end of said sleeve to maintain the endoscope shaft in a stopped predetermined position in the sleeve, said flange means comprising a flange and a plurality of spacer members of predetermined size provided on said flange and extending away from said flange to engage the viewing end of said endoscope shaft to step away the viewing end of the endoscope shaft a predetermined distance from the flange and establish a distal gap ranging from about 0.005 inches to about 0.020 inches between the stepped away viewing end of the endoscope shaft and the flange such that the flange directs irrigation fluid from the irrigation space directly into the distal gap and onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope, through the terminal end opening of the sleeve, said annular irrigation space being sized to retain the irrigation solution by means of surface tension when it is no longer being directed into said irrigation space.

A sheath for an endoscope comprising, a) a disposable elongated sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion being of generally circular cross section with a longitudinal axis and a predetermined inner diameter, said distal portion of said sleeve being formed with a terminal end inclined at an angle ranging from 5.degree. to 70.degree. to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve and formed with an inwardly projecting flange portion such that a predetermined irrigation space is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal inclined end flange portion having a circumferential range of less than 360.degree. with respect to said longitudinal axis, c) said flange portion being provided with means for stepping the viewing end of the endoscope shaft away from the flange in a predetermined retracted position in the sleeve to establish a distal gap of predetermined magnitude between the flange portion and the viewing end of the endoscope such that irrigating solution directed into the irrigation space can be redirected by said flange to flow onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope through the terminal end opening of the sleeve.

A method of cleaning surgical debris from the viewing end of an endoscope comprising the steps of, a) inserting the endoscope shaft in a disposable endoscope sheath having a sleeve for receiving the endoscope shaft to establish an irrigation space between the sleeve and shaft, with the viewing end of the endoscope shaft stepped from a terminal end of the sleeve to establish a predetermined distal gap between the viewing end of the endoscope shaft and the terminal end of the sleeve, b) directing irrigation fluid into the irrigation space for movement toward the viewing end of the endoscope shaft, c) locating the viewing end of the endoscope shaft at a predetermined position with respect to the sleeve member where the irrigation fluid can flow onto the viewing end to flush away surgical debris from the endoscope shaft, d) providing the sleeve member with an inside diameter that together with the outside of the endoscope shaft enables the irrigation space to retain irrigation fluid by capillary action when the irrigation fluid is no longer being directed into the irrigation space; and e) initiating a suction pulse at the end of an irrigation fluid flush cycle to draw droplets of irrigation fluid back into the irrigation space.

A sheath for an endoscope comprising; a) an elongated sleeve formed of a flexible material with a flexible bellows positioned in at least one distinct area along said elongated sleeve, said elongated sleeve being sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion with a free terminal end and being of generally circular cross section with a predetermined inner diameter, such that an irrigation space of predetermined size is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal end of the sleeve having at least one opening, c) the distal portion of said sleeve having means to maintain the endoscope shaft in a predetermined position in the sleeve such that irrigating solution directed into the irrigation space can flow onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope through the terminal end opening of the sleeve, said irrigation space being sized to retain the irrigation solution when it is no longer being directed into said irrigation space.

A sheath for an endoscope comprising, a) an elongated sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion with a free terminal end and being of generally circular cross section with a predetermined inner diameter, such that an irrigation space of predetermined size is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal end of the sleeve having at least one opening, c) the distal portion of said sleeve having means to maintain the endoscope shaft in a predetermined position in the sleeve such that irrigating solution directed into the irrigation space can flow onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope through the terminal end opening of the sleeve, said maintaining means including means for engaging and stopping the viewing end of the endoscope in a selected predetermined position, said sleeve has a longitudinal axis and an inner surface, and said engaging and stopping means comprising a substantially semi-annular shaped flange projecting toward said longitudinal axis to engage the viewing end of an endoscope in the form of a flange, said flange being provided at the terminal end of said sleeve and is longitudinally spaced a predetermined amount from said projecting means to establish said distal gap between the terminal end of said sleeve member and the viewing end of said endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives said endoscope shaft, said irrigation space being sized to retain the irrigation solution when it is no longer being directed into said irrigation space.

A sheath for an endoscope comprising, a) an elongated sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion with a free terminal end and being of generally circular cross section with a predetermined inner diameter, such that an irrigation space of predetermined size is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal end of the sleeve having at least one opening, c) the distal portion of said sleeve having means to maintain the endoscope shaft in a predetermined position in the sleeve such that irrigating solution directed into the irrigation space can flow onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope through the terminal end opening of the sleeve, said maintaining means include means for engaging and stopping the viewing end of the endoscope in a selected predetermined position, said sleeve has a longitudinal axis and an inner surface, and said engaging and stopping means including means projecting from said inner surface toward said longitudinal axis to engage the viewing end of an endoscope in the form of a flange being formed as diametrically opposed flange portions, said flange being provided at the terminal end of said sleeve and is longitudinally spaced a predetermined amount from said projecting means to establish said distal gap between the terminal end of said sleeve member and the viewing end of said endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives said endoscope shaft, said irrigation space being sized to retain the irrigation solution when it is no longer being directed into said irrigation space.

A sheath for an endoscope comprising; a) a reusable elongated sleeve sized to accommodate an endoscope shaft having a light transmitting member and a viewing end, said sleeve having a predetermined length and a distal portion with a free terminal end and being of generally circular cross section with a predetermined inner diameter, so that a cross section taken perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve yields an annular irrigation space between said sleeve and said endoscope shaft ranging from about 0.002 inches to about 0.012 inches is defined between said sleeve and the endoscope shaft when said sleeve receives the endoscope shaft, b) the terminal end of the sleeve having at least one opening, c) the distal portion of said sleeve having flange means at the terminal end of said sleeve to maintain the endoscope shaft in a stopped predetermined position in the sleeve, said flange means comprising a flange and a plurality of spacer members of predetermined size provided on said flange and extending away from said flange to engage the viewing end of said endoscope shaft to step away the viewing end of the endoscope shaft a predetermined distance from the flange and establish a distal gap ranging from about 0.005 inches to about 0.020 inches between the stepped away viewing end of the endoscope shaft and the flange such that the flange directs irrigation fluid from the irrigation space directly into the distal gap and onto the viewing end of the endoscope to flush surgical debris from the viewing end of the endoscope, through the terminal end opening of the sleeve, said annular irrigation space being sized to retain the irrigation solution by means of surface tension when it is no longer being directed into said irrigation space.