Endoscopy equipment is used for diagnostic purposes, during surgery, and to enhance anatomy courses. There are two main categories: rigid and flexible endoscopes. Rigid endoscopes provide better resolution images and are used for parts of the body accessible to a rigid device. Flexible endoscopes are used for internal parts of the body that are not accessible using a rigid endoscope. Laparoscopes are used primarily during abdominal surgery. Capsule endoscopy uses a tiny camera placed inside a capsule that can be steered with a joystick and a magnetic field while transmitting images wirelessly. All medical endoscopes are sealed to ensure sterilization.
Endoscopy equipment is used by the medical profession to view inside a body cavity or organ using an instrument called an endoscope, which is inserted through a natural opening or a small surgical opening. These medical imaging devices are used for diagnostic purposes, during surgery, and as a tool to enhance anatomy courses. The two main categories of endoscopy equipment are rigid and flexible endoscopes. Specific endoscopes are named for the parts of the body being viewed. A colonoscope is used to view the colon, an esophagoscope to view the esophagus, and an anthroscope to view the inside of a joint.
Rigid endoscopes provide the best resolution images. They consist of a solid metal tube that uses lenses for imaging and fiber optics for illumination. Rigid endoscopes do not bend and are used to view parts of the body that are accessible to a rigid device. This type of endoscopy equipment is used to view the joints, some female reproductive organs, and the ear, nose, and throat. Colonoscopes are another example of this type of endoscopy equipment.
Flexible endoscopes allow visualization of internal parts of the body that are not accessible using a rigid endoscope. Fiber optics, using bundles of glass or plastic fibers, take the place of lenses. Optical clarity and resolution depend on the type of fiber used; the best quality images are usually provided by fused quartz fibers. Bronchoscopes, used to view the inside of the trachea and bronchi, are an example of a flexible endoscope.
Laparoscopes are a type of endoscopy equipment used primarily during abdominal surgery. The use of laparoscopes has made many surgical procedures less invasive. This instrument is used not only to illuminate and visualize organs, but can also be equipped with tools to assist in surgery. One type of surgery to reduce stomach size uses a laparoscope to place a band around part of the stomach. A cystoscope is a laparoscope-like endoscopic surgical instrument that is used to remove bladder polyps through the urinary tract.
Capsule endoscopy uses a tiny camera placed inside a capsule no bigger than a pill. This is ingested by the patient and the miniature camera records images of the gastrointestinal tract that cannot be accessed using other endoscopy equipment. The capsule can be steered with a joystick and a magnetic field while transmitting images wirelessly. This type of endoscopy is done primarily to view the small intestine, the area of the digestive tract between the stomach and the colon, which is inaccessible using upper endoscopy or a colonoscope.
All medical endoscopes are sealed to ensure sterilization. Veterinarians use endoscopy equipment for medical procedures the same way doctors do for human patients. Industrial endoscopes, known as borescopes, use similar technology to medical endoscopy equipment, but are not manufactured to withstand sterilization procedures. Advances in laparoscope optics, illumination, image viewing, and other features continue as more noninvasive trends in diagnostics and surgery develop.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
