What is endoscopy? What is rigid endoscope?
What is endoscopy?
Endoscopy is probably the most common procedure we perform in medicine, and it is used to examine body cavities or hollow organs such as the airway, nasal cavity, lower urinary tract, oesophagus, stomach, small and/or large intestines.
This is achieved through the use of an endoscope – a hollow tube which contains either fibre-optics or video technology in order to visualize mucosal surfaces, and guide the passage of instruments.
A number of different endoscopes exist, depending on the area being examined. We can classify these as either flexible or rigid endoscopes, based on how they are designed.
Rigid endoscopes
Rigid endoscopes or telescopes are narrow, hollow tubes containing a number of glass rod lenses to magnify images back to an eyepiece, to which a camera attaches. Light is transmitted through the scope through a remote light source.
Rigid endoscopes are incredibly delicate and need to be housed within an outer working sheath during use, and stored within a plastic protective cover whenever they are not in use (including during cleaning).
The working sheath contains ports for the introduction of instruments and the administration of irrigation fluid. Fluid administration is often necessary during the use of rigid endoscopes, as the image quality is greatly improved when visualizing through a column of fluid.
The working end of the telescope may be angled, depending on the intended use; the angle will change the clinician’s field of view.
The operator end of the telescope contains an eyepiece (to which a camera is usually attached), and light guidepost (to which the light source is attached).
In internal medicine, rigid endoscopes are used to image the rostral aspect of the nose, and the female lower urinary tract. Rigid scopes are also used surgically for arthroscopic and laparoscopic procedures (the minimally invasive examination of joints, and the abdominal/thoracic cavity).
