by
Keith Loria, Reporter | August 10, 2009
Stryker 1288 HD 3-Chip®
Endoscopic Camera
This report originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News
Although the first endoscope was designed more than 200 years ago (in 1806 to be exact), by scientist Philip Bozzini, his "Lichtleiter" and its ability to examine the canals and cavities of the human body was disallowed by the Vienna Medical Society. As a result, a Michigan army surgeon by the name of William Beaumont gets credit for introducing the first endoscope used on a human in 1822.
As a quick overview, endoscopy is the examination and inspection of the interior of body organs, joints or cavities through an endoscope, which is a device that uses fiber optics and powerful lens systems to provide lighting and visualization of the interior of a joint. The instrument may have a rigid or flexible tube and not only provide an image for visual inspection and photography, but also enable taking biopsies and retrieval of foreign objects.
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An endoscope uses two fiber optic lines. A light fiber carries light into the body cavity and an image fiber carries the image of the body cavity back to the physician's viewing lens. There is also a separate port to allow for administration of drugs, suction, and irrigation, and may also be used to introduce small folding instruments such as forceps, scissors, brushes, snares and baskets for tissue removal, sampling, or other diagnostic and therapeutic work.
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Endoscopes run the gamut in size and are characterized as being minimally invasive and, in addition to being a primary diagnostic tool, sometimes are used as an alternative to surgery. Various scopes are used to perform biopsies, repair sports-related injuries and remove polyps and other growths.
"Endoscopy continues to evolve into the choice for invasive procedures in a variety of areas including removal of small tumors in virtually any area of the body, as well as extensive therapies like removal of non essential organs," says Dan Spivey, Chairman of FrontLine Medical Corp. "Endo means inside and scope means see; endoscopy, however, encompasses just more than seeing. Visualizing is one aspect. Being able to perform needed therapy (such as removal, biopsy, etc.) is the growing trend in endoscopy."
