Laparoscopic lens cleaner
View Patent ↗A laparoscopic lens cleaner which is suitable for maintaining the lens of a laparoscope in a clean, dry condition during a laparoscopic surgical procedure is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the laparoscopic lens cleaner includes an elongated cleaner sheath having a sheath interior, a fluid conduit provided in the cleaner sheath, a fluid discharge nozzle provided in the sheath interior and communicating with the fluid conduit, a gas conduit provided in the cleaner sheath and a gas discharge nozzle provided in the sheath interior and communicating with the gas conduit.
1. A laparoscopic lens cleaner for a laparoscope having a laparoscope lens, comprising:
an elongated cleaner sheath having a sheath interior adapted to receive the laparoscope;
a fluid conduit carried by said cleaner sheath;
a fluid discharge nozzle provided in said sheath interior and communicating with said fluid conduit and oriented to discharge a cleaning fluid against the laparoscope lens;
a gas conduit carried by said cleaner sheath; and
a gas discharge nozzle provided in said sheath interior and communicating with said gas conduit and oriented to discharge a drying gas against the laparoscope lens.
2. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 1 wherein said cleaner sheath comprises a generally tubular sheath wall defining said sheath interior and wherein said fluid conduit and said gas conduit each extends within and along said sheath wall.
3. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 1 further comprising at least one sheath flange carried by said cleaner sheath and extending into said sheath interior.
4. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 1 further comprising an attachment clip carried by said cleaner sheath.
5. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a ring gasket carried by said cleaner sheath.
6. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a nozzle plate carried by each of said fluid discharge nozzle and said gas discharge nozzle and at least one nozzle opening provided in said nozzle plate.
7. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 6 wherein said at least one nozzle opening comprises a plurality of nozzle openings provided in said nozzle plate.
8. A laparoscopic lens cleaner for a laparoscope having a laparoscope lens, comprising:
a generally elongated, tubular cleaner sheath having a sheath wall and a sheath interior defined by said sheath wall and adapted to receive the laparoscope;
a fluid conduit carried by said cleaner sheath;
a fluid discharge nozzle communicating with said fluid conduit and extending into said sheath interior and oriented to discharge a cleaning fluid against the laparoscope lens;
a fluid connecting conduit communicating with said fluid conduit and extending from said cleaner sheath;
a gas conduit carried by said cleaner sheath;
a gas discharge nozzle communicating with said gas conduit and extending into said sheath interior and oriented to discharge a drying gas against the laparoscope lens;
a gas connecting conduit communicating with said gas conduit and extending from said cleaner sheath;
a fluid pump and supply apparatus disposed in fluid communication with said fluid conduit and adapted to pump the cleaning fluid through said fluid conduit and from said fluid discharge nozzle; and
a gas pump and supply apparatus disposed in fluid communication with said as conduit and adapted to pump the drying gas through said gas conduit and from said gas discharge nozzle.
9. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 8 wherein said cleaner sheath comprises a generally tubular sheath wall defining said sheath interior and wherein said fluid conduit and said gas conduit each extends within and along said sheath wall.
10. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 8 further comprising at least one sheath flange carried by said cleaner sheath and extending into said sheath interior.
11. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 8 further comprising a spring-biased attachment clip carried by said cleaner sheath.
12. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 8 further comprising a ring gasket carried by said cleaner sheath.
13. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 8 further comprising a nozzle plate carried by each of said fluid discharge nozzle and said gas discharge nozzle and at least one nozzle opening provided in said nozzle plate.
14. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 13 wherein said at least one nozzle opening comprises a plurality of nozzle openings provided in said nozzle plate.
15. A laparoscopic lens cleaner comprising:
a laparoscope having a laparoscope lens;
an elongated cleaner sheath having a sheath wall and a sheath interior defined by said sheath wall and receiving said laparoscope;
a fluid conduit including an elongated fluid distribution segment having an inlet end and an outlet end extending within and along said sheath wall of said cleaner sheath and having a diameter larger than a thickness of said sheath wall;
a fluid pump and supply apparatus communicating with said inlet end of said fluid distribution segment and adapted to pump a cleaning fluid through said fluid conduit;
a fluid discharge nozzle communicating with said outlet end of said fluid distribution segment and extending into said sheath interior and oriented toward said laparoscope lens, said fluid discharge nozzle adapted to discharge the cleaning fluid against the laparoscope lens;
a gas conduit including an elongated gas distribution segment having an inlet end and an outlet end extending within and along said sheath wall of said cleaner sheath and having a diameter larger than a thickness of said sheath wall;
a gas pump and supply apparatus communicating with said inlet end of said gas distribution segment and adapted to pump a drying gas through said gas conduit; and
a gas discharge nozzle communicating with said outlet end of said gas distribution segment and extending into said sheath interior and oriented toward said laparoscope lens, said gas discharge nozzle adapted to discharge the drying gas against the laparoscope lens.
16. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 15 wherein said fluid conduit and said gas conduit are disposed in generally diametrically-opposed relationship with respect to each other on opposite sides of said sheath interior of said cleaner sheath.
17. The laparoscopic lens cleaner of claim 15 further comprising an elongated, flexible fluid connecting conduit communicating with said inlet end of said fluid distribution segment and an elongated, flexible gas connecting conduit communicating with said inlet end of said gas distribution segment, and wherein said fluid pump and supply apparatus is connected to said fluid connecting conduit and said gas pump and supply apparatus is connected to said gas connecting conduit.