US Patent Issued to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS on Dec. 16 for "Cleaning devices for imaging instruments, devices, and methods" (Connecticut, California Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,496,162, issued on Dec. 16, was assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

"Cleaning devices for imaging instruments, devices, and methods" was invented by Robert Reid (Fairfield, Conn.) and Paul Millman (San Jose, Calif.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A device for cleaning an instrument includes a manifold comprising one or more fluid inlets, and a tubular member rotatable relative to and extending distally from the manifold. The tubular member includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a fluid outlet at the distal end. The fluid outlet is configured to direct a flow of fluid generally across the distal end of t...