Abstract: An endoscope's solid-state camera and illumination emitter are mounted on opposite sides of a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is mounted at the distal end of the insertion shaft by engaging in a slot in a chassis. The chassis is formed as two subcomponents designed to mate together. The slot is formed as two opposing sub-slots each formed into the two subcomponents. The sub-slots are designed to capture the flexible circuit board during assembly, and to bend the flexible circuit board into a desired shape as the two chassis subcomponents are brought together. The camera is urged into a desired position by the resilience of the flexible circuit board as bent by the slot. The flexible circuit board has a retaining clip at its distal end. The retaining clip is clipped to hold the camera and illumination emitter in desired relationship within the distal tip of the insertion shaft.

Abstract: An arthroscope's insertion shaft has near its distal end a solid state camera. The shaft has an outer diameter of no more than 6 mm, and has rigidity and strength for insertion of the camera into joints for arthroscopic surgery. Light conductor(s) have a flattened region shaped to lie between an endoscope camera and an inner surface of an outer wall of an endoscope shaft. The flattened region is shaped to conduct illumination light though the space between the camera and inner surface of the other wall to a distal end of the endoscope shaft for illumination of a surgical cavity to be viewed by the camera. The flattened region is formed by heating a region of a plastic optical fiber, and squeezing the heated region in a polished mold.

Abstract: An electrode for stimulating a neuromuscular response includes a backing layer, an electrode layer, and a hydrogel layer, and an electrode cable configured to provide an electrical signal to the electrode. The electrode is divided into a first removable portion including a first removable activation area, a second removable portion including a second removable activation area, and a main body including a main activation area, the first removable portion is configured to separate from the second removable portion and the main body by a first perforation, and the second removable portion is configured to separate from the main body by a second perforation.

Abstract: An endoscope with a handle and an insertion shaft. The insertion shaft has solid state illumination and imaging circuitry at or near a tip designed to provide illumination and imaging of a body cavity for a surgeon during surgery. At least a portion of the insertion shaft is flexible or articulated. Controls on the handle permit control of flex or articulation of the insertion shaft to permit direction of illumination and field of view of the imaging circuitry. Control force transfer elements permit a surgeon to direct a direction of the imaging circuitry by transfer of mechanical force directed by a surgeon to the bendable distal portion to cause the bendable portion to bend under the surgeon's control.