Patent 8394014 was granted and assigned to KARL STORZ GMBH & CO. KG on March, 2013 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An endoscope comprises a shaft with an outer tube and with an inner tube extending inside the latter, the outer and inner tubes being radially spaced apart from one another such that they form between them an axially extending channel, which provides space for receiving a light guide. An intermediate tube having flexural strength is arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube, which intermediate tube at least partially surrounds the inner tube.