Untitled record

Application filed June 1, 1897. Serial No. 638,891. (No model,).

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Thomas S. Pitt, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Endoscopic Instru• ments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to endoscopic instruments, and has for its object to provide io a speculum or instrument of a similar nature with an incandescent or other illuminating means which will be so located as to have its rays reflect only upon the portion of the body which it may be desired to examine or treat. 15 One of the serious objections to equipping an instrument with an electric or other incandescent has been due to the fact that the latter has been in danger of breakage and that the light emitted therefrom was reflected 20 into the eyes of the operator.

My invention consists of an instrument equipped with an incandescent-holder so arranged as to receive an incandescent and reflect its light upon the part of the body upon 25 which it is desired to operate and so constructed as to effectually protect the bulb of the incandescent from being fractured or broken.

The'invention further consists in various 30 other features of improvement, all as illustrated upon the drawings and now to be describedin detail, and pointed outin the claims hereto appended.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a per35 spectiye view of my improved endoscope. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the jaws thereof partially open, so as to allow the light from the incandescent to be reflected upon the portion of the walls of the cavity into 40 which the instrument is inserted. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section through the instrument. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents the two halves of the instrument as being dis45 jointed and also showing the pivotal connection between the said parts. . Fig. 6 is a detail view of the latch for engaging the stopbar which holds the jaws in any desired position. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view 50 of the incandescent or light holder. Fig. 8 represents the perspective view of the shield , or cover which forms a part of the holder.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated an. instrument which is especially adapted for certain cavities in the human 55 body, but it will be understood that I do not propose to limit myself to that particular form of the instrument, as the jaws thereof maybe shaped and formed for any other use, as may be desired. As illustrated, the two comple- 60 mental jaws a b, when placed side by side, form a cone with a rounded apex. Extending rearward from each jaw are handles a b', which are bent at an angle to the jaws at 2 and which diverge, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 65 2. The two handles are provided with overlapping ears or lugs a² b², the former having a pintle a³, adapted to take into an aperture b³ in the lug or ear b². The pintle or pivot a³is substantially parallel to the axis-line of 70 the cone formed by the jaws, so that when the handles are drawn together the jaws are separated in parallel lines, as shown in Fig. 2.

The jaw δ is provided with a curved plate c, which projects across the edges 3 of the 75 jaws into the recess in the jaw a, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the jaws are separated the surrounding walls of the cavity in the body are prevented from projecting between the said edges 3 3. The said plate extends 80 practically the entire length of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 3.

The jaws are held normally closed by a flat spring d, having one end secured to the handle a' and its other end pressing against 85 the inner edge of the handle δ', but they may be held apart by a rod or rack-bar e, having one end pivoted to the handle a' and the other end projecting through an aperture δ⁴ in the handle δ'. The thumb-lever c' is pivoted to 90 the handle b' and is connected at its front end with a latch e²,which is thrust into engagement with the teeth on the bar e by a spring e³, bearing against the under side of the other end of the thumb-lever e'. The pivots 95 e⁴ e⁵,which connect the thumb-lever with the handle and with the latch, may be withdrawn, so as to remove the parts for , the purpose of cleaning them or rendering them antiseptic.

My improved light-holder consists of a re- 100

605,652 ccptaele having a concavo-convex body portion f and tlie oppositely-curved guard or cover the edges f² of which are bent inwardly to take over the edges of the body 5 portion f. Into the cavity in the light-receptacle may be placed an incandescent-light bulb of any character such as conventionally illustrated at g in Figs. 3 and 4, the wires which are connected to the filament being inio dicated by g'. The front end of the shield is curved upwardly, as at f³, to act as a reflector to reflect the rays of light from the incandescent upward and forward against the edges 4 4 of the jaws. The shield is also 15 provided with apert ures /¹ and with reflectors f·', which reflect the light emitted through said apertures. The receptacle is held in place upon the plate c, which protects it by a screw f³, threaded into the handle near the so base of one of the jaws and passing through a bayonet-slot f³ in the extended end of the lower portion of the receptacle. The said end is likewise provided with another bayonetslot /⁹, so that the receptacle may be adjusted 25 in position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very simple instrument for endoscopic purposes.

The incandescent receptacle is adjustable 30 and is constructed so as to reflect the light against the walls of the cavity which are exposed to view between the edges 4 4 of the jaws when the jaws are open or separated, and the upwardly-projecting portions f³ f·’ 35 not only act as reflectors in throwing the light upward, but also prevent the rays of light from being reflected into the eyes of the surgeon or operator.

When an instrument is introduced into 40 the cavity between the jaws,there is no danger of its breaking or destroying the glass bulb of the incandescent-lamp bulb, as the reflec tors form a safeguard for it, and, moreover, the plate c prevents any portion of the body from coming into contact with the holder. 45