Endoscopic surgical procedures and endoscopic apparatus comprising segmented fiber optic cables

摘要

A method of conducting endoscopic surgeries places the camera outside the sterile field, freeing the physicians hands and eliminating costs and inconveniences associated with sterilizing the camera between surgeries. Images may be relayed to the camera by means of a fiber optic cable. Cost issues associated with the long fiber optic cable are avoided by breaking it into two segments, only one of which is likely to be damaged during use. An image preserving connection is formed between the cable segments by a connector that fixes the ends of the cables in close proximity to one another, but a certain fixed distance apart. An image preserving connection is made between two fiber optic cables without the aide of a lens.