10.2 Endoscopy
Thefield ofendoscopyuses a photonics-based instrument containing one or more
opticalfibers that allow a clinician to examine the inside of a hollow organ or body
cavity. The wordendoscopeis a generic name for this instrument. The endoscope
type and the endoscopic procedure generally are named based on the body region
being examined or treated, as shown in Table10.1. For example, laparoscopy deals
with operations within the abdominal or pelvic cavities, rhinoscopy is used for
examinations of the nasal cavity, arthroscopy refers to imaging procedures for
joints, and bronchoscopy visualizes the inside of the respiratory tract.
The designs of different endoscope types are continually improving to yield
more information from biological tissues, such as acquiring images in colors,
achievingfiner image resolution, or observing molecular or metabolic functions.
New opticalfiber types and miniaturized cameras have helped to enable these
capabilities and have resulted in smaller, faster-performing devices. This section
first describes some endoscopic applications using different opticalfiber designs,
then gives examples of endoscopic or minimally invasive surgery techniques, and
concludes with a description of a procedure called tethered capsule
endomicroscopy.
Example 10.7The laparoscope is a widely used endoscope for examining
the peritoneal cavity. (a) What is the peritoneal cavity? (b) What is a generic
structure of a laparoscope?Table 10.1 Endoscope type examples and the endoscopic procedures
Endoscope type Endoscope application
Angioscope The angioscope is used to observe blood vessels
Arthroscope The arthroscope is used for examining the interior of a joint
Bronchoscope The bronchoscope is used to examine the respiratory tract
Colonoscope The colonoscope is used to examine the lower part of the bowel
Cystoscope The cystoscope is used for examining the urinary tract
Encephaloscope The encephaloscope is used for examining cavities in the brain
Esophagoscope The esophagoscope is used to examine the inside of the esophagus
Gastroscope The gastroscope is used for inspecting the interior of the stomach
Laparoscope The laparoscope is used to examine the peritoneal cavity
Laryngoscope The laryngoscope is used to examine the larynx
Mediastinoscope The mediastinoscope examines the area separating the two lungs
Nephroscope The nephroscope is used to examine the kidneys
Proctoscope The proctoscope is used for inspecting the rectum
Rhinoscope The rhinoscope is used in nasal examinations
Thoracoscope The thoracoscope is used for examining the chest cavity10.2 Endoscopy 303