US Patent Issued to EndoChoice on July 1 for "Disposable air/water and suction valves for an endoscope" (Georgia Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 3 -- United States Patent no. 12,342,988, issued on July 1, was assigned to EndoChoice Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.).

"Disposable air/water and suction valves for an endoscope" was invented by Justin Wolfe (Lawrenceville, Ga.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A disposable air/water valve for an endoscope, including a shaft having a passage from an opening to a vent. The shaft has grooves and ridges and a protrusion formed at the vent. Seals are set within some of the grooves. An inner ring, having a diaphragm, extends from an outer circumference of the inner ring to an internal circumference of an outer cap. Hinges extend vertically downward from the diaphragm and ribs are formed ...