Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. Vol. 17, No. 8, pp. 843-844, 1991 0301-5629/91 $3.00 + .00 Printed in the U.S.A. © 1991 Pergamon Press pie

NEW PATENTS

This Section contains abstracts and, where appropriate, illustrations of recently issued United States patents and published patent applications filed from over 30 countries under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This information was obtained from recent additions to the Pergamon PATSEARCH ~" online database in accordance with interest profiles developed by the Editors. Further information about Pergamon PATSEARCH '~ can be obtained from Pergamon Orbit InfoLine Inc., 8000 Westpark Drive, McLean, Virginia 22102, U.S.A.

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4955882 4957112

LASER RESECTOSCOPE WITH MECHANICAL AND LASER

CUTTING MEANS

Said I Hakky

A resectoscope for prostate surgery is provided which includes a rotating cutting element moun- ted within an outer sheath adapted to be inserted into the urethra. The cutting element has helical threads along the length thereof and a cutting blade at its distal end. The outer sheath has a covered distal end portion which extends beyond and over the cutting blade and has an opening therethrough adjacent the cutting blade. Within the outer sheath is an inner sheath surrounding the cutting element except for the cutting blade. A fiber optic laser filament connected to a laser generator is positioned within the space between the inner and outer sheaths and extends along the length of the inner sheath to a position adja- cent the cutting blade. The optic filament is sur- rounded by a third sheath and is adapted to be moved by the rotation of the cutting element so that the laser light beam from the optic filament advances through tissue to cut and coagulate the resected area before the cutting blade of the cut- ting element reaches the resected tissue. Irriga- tion fluid is provided to the area between the inner and outer sheaths and is withdrawn through the inner sheath. A telescope is also pro- vided through the cutting element for viewing the area being resected. The invention further provides for the use of ultrasound in conjunction with the laser resectoscope to plot the area of the prostate to be removed and with the assistance of a computer to control the operation of the laser to prevent cutting of tissue beyond the area of tissues to be removed.

843

ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS

Takeshi Yokoi, Tsuguhis Sasai, Kenji Hirooka, Hachioji, Japan assigned to Olympus Optical Co Ltd

An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including an ultrasonic vibrating element, arotator for rotating the ultrasonic vibrating element, an il- luminating window and an observing window arranged in a side wall of an inserting portion. The apparatus is so arranged that the center axis of the inserting portion is deviated from that of the rotator with respect to the radial direction but the center of curvature of a cover window surrounding the rotator is coincident with the center axis of the rotator. Therefore, a uniform resolving power can be obtained in all directions into which the ultrasonic wave is transmitted. Then an ultrasonic image without undesired ar- tificates is displayed on a screen of a monitor and the outer diameter of the inserting portion can be made small.

4958626

METHOD FOR APPLYING ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE AND ULTRASONIC WAVE THERAPIES

Masao Nambu, Tsutom Watari, Tomoyuki Sakamoto, Kazuo Akojima, Yokohama, Japan assigned to Nippon Oil Co Ltd

A method for applying electromagnetic wave and ultrasonic wave therapies is provided. Ac- cording to the method, a material simulating a