Medical Scope Accessory, Medical Scopes Comprising The Accessory, And Use Thereof

Abstract

A cover (1) for a shaft of a medical scoping device comprises tubular member (2) arranged for application on the distal tip of the medical scoping device. The cover (1) comprises a plurality of projecting elements (3) spaced apart circumferentially around the tubular member (2), each projecting element having a base portion (13) and an arm portion. The projecting elements are pivotably mounted on the tubular member about a pivot axis. The base portion (13) comprises a detent (20), and the tubular member comprises a contact region, for example a protuberance (23), said contact region being located such that pivoting movement of the projecting element for moving the arm portion in a distal direction can effect impacting of the detent (20) on the contact region (23).

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A cover for a shaft of a medical scoping device, the medical scoping device comprising a visualization system having a field of view, the cover comprising:
 a tubular member arranged for application over a distal end of the shaft of the medical scoping device and, in use, extending along a portion of the length of the distal end of the shaft of the medical scoping device; and   a plurality of projecting elements arranged at positions spaced apart circumferentially around the tubular member, each projecting element comprising a base portion, a distal tip portion, and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion being between the base portion and the distal tip portion;   wherein at least one of the projecting elements is configured to move to a deflected position in which the distal tip portion of the projecting element is within the field of view of the visualization system of the medical scoping device.   
     
     
         42 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the distal tip portion of the at least one projecting element moves to the deflected position during the withdrawal of the medical scoping device through the body cavity.   
     
     
         43 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein at least one of the distal tip portion and the intermediate portion of the at least one projecting element is resiliently deformable, and   wherein the at least one projecting elements is deflected into the field of view of the visualization system of the medical scoping device at least in part through bending of the at least one of the distal tip portion and the intermediate portion of the projecting element.   
     
     
         44 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the at least one projecting element has a length and the length of the at least one projecting element is dimensioned so that the distal tip portion of the projecting element extends beyond a distal end of the medical scoping device when the projecting element is in the deflected position.   
     
     
         45 . The cover according to  claim 44 ,
 wherein the projecting elements are spaced apart in a ring around the tubular member, and   wherein the ring is spaced from a distal edge of the tubular member by a distance that is less than the length of the projecting elements.   
     
     
         46 . The cover according to  claim 45 ,
 wherein the projecting elements are evenly spaced around the circumference of the tubular member.   
     
     
         47 . The cover according to  claim 45 ,
 wherein the ring is located no more than 10 mm from the distal edge of the tubular member.   
     
     
         48 . The cover according to  claim 45 ,
 wherein the length of the at least one projecting element is no more than 20 mm.   
     
     
         49 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein an aspect ratio of a length of the projecting element and a width of the projecting element is no less than three.   
     
     
         50 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the cover has an overall diameter and the overall diameter of the cover is no more than 40 mm.   
     
     
         51 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the at least one projecting element has a width, and the width of the at least one projecting element is in the range of 1.5 mm to 3 mm.   
     
     
         52 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the cover has a length, and the length of the cover is in the range of 15 mm to 16 mm.   
     
     
         53 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the number of the projecting elements is at least six.   
     
     
         54 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the cover is of an elastomeric polymer selected from elastomeric polyesters, copolyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, silicones, polyetherketones, natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers, and styrene polymers, and copolymers or mixtures of any of the aforementioned.   
     
     
         55 . The cover according to  claim 54 ,
 wherein the elastomeric polymer is selected from styrene-olefin block copolymers and silicone rubbers.   
     
     
         56 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the cover comprises a polymer material of Shore A hardness from 40 to 60.   
     
     
         57 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein the cover comprises a radio-opaque dye for identification during an examination of a human body.   
     
     
         58 . The cover according to  claim 41 ,
 wherein said distal tip portion of said at least one projecting element includes a bump.   
     
     
         59 . A set of covers comprising a plurality of covers accordingly to  claim 41 , each cover of the set comprising a colored dye having a color, the color of the dye indicating the type of the cover. 
     
     
         60 . A medical scoping device comprising a visualization system and a cover according to  claim 41 . 
     
     
         61 . A cover for a shaft of a medical scoping device, the medical scoping device comprising a visualization system having a field of view, the cover comprising:
 a tubular member arranged for application over a distal end of the shaft of the medical scoping device and, in use, extending along a portion of the length of the distal end of the shaft of the medical scoping device; and   a plurality of projecting elements arranged at positions spaced apart circumferentially around the tubular member, each projecting element comprising a base portion, a distal tip portion, and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion being between the base portion and the distal tip portion;   wherein at least one of the projecting elements comprises at least one bump and is configured to bend to a deflected position in which the at least one bump is within the field of view of the visualization system of the medical scoping device.   
     
     
         62 . The cover according to  claim 61 , wherein the at least one bump comprises a measurement scale.