CN114391791A - Minimally invasive endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an endoscope, wherein a reusable part is inserted into a sheath of a disposable part, said sheath comprising a needle carrying an imaging module at the tip, the part of the reusable part not covered by the sheath being covered by an initially sterile flexible cap and covering the open end of the sheath, whereby the entire reusable part is covered by the cap and the sheath during a medical procedure and protected from the environment.

Description

Minimally invasive endoscope

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of the following provisional applications, which are incorporated by reference: 63/112,739, filed on 12/11/2020; 63/113,960, filed on 11/15/2020; 63/118,617, filed on 25/11/2020; 63/128,105, filed on 12/20/2020; 63/138,528, filed on 18/1/2021.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to endoscopes. And more particularly to endoscopes for medical procedures that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and may be fully or partially disposable.

Background

In conventional endoscopy, or in cases where an organ or the interior of a human body is to be examined visually, a complicated lens system is generally used to transmit an image from the front end of the endoscope to the observer. Rigid endoscopes typically use relay lens systems; flexible endoscopes typically use fiber optic bundles or objective lens systems. Conventional rigid and flexible endoscopes, lenses or fiber optic systems are relatively expensive and are reused multiple times. Therefore, each time it is used, it must be rigorously sterilized and disinfected.

Disposable endoscopes are an emerging class of endoscopic instruments. In some cases, the manufacturing cost of the endoscope may become inexpensive enough to be used for only a single patient. Disposable or single use endoscopes reduce the risk of cross-contamination and nosocomial disease, enable procedures to be performed in doctor's offices, as well as clinics and hospitals, and reduce the overall cost of performing procedures, as they reduce the costs associated with sterilizing and maintaining conventional endoscopes and the personnel required for such maintenance.

Embodiments of endoscopes, including partially or fully disposable endoscopes, are discussed in the following patents and patent applications, each of which is incorporated by reference herein: PCT/US2017/053171, filed on 25.9.2017; U.S. patent application No. 16/363,209 filed on 25.9.2017, published on 18.7.2019 at 20190216325; PCT/US2019/036060, filed on 7.6.2019; U.S. patent application No. 16/972,989 filed on 7.6.2019, published on 19.8.2021 at 20210251789; U.S. patent application No. 17/362,043 filed on 29/6/2021; PCT/US21/50095, filed on 9/13/2021; U.S. patent application No. 17/473,587 filed on 9/13/2021; U.S. patent No. 8,702,594; PCT/US16/65396, filed on 2016, 12, 7; U.S. patent No. 9,649,014; PCT/US2018/014880, filed on 23.1.2018; U.S. patent No. 10,874,287; U.S. patent No. 9,895,048; U.S. patent No. 10,524,636; U.S. patent No. 10,426,320; U.S. patent No. 10,278,563; U.S. patent No. 10,292,571; U.S. patent application No. 16/407,028 filed on 8/5/2019, published on 29/8/2019 at 20190261836; PCT/US2020/038349 filed on 18.6.2020; PCT/US2020/046018 filed on 12.8.2020; U.S. patent No. 10,869,592; U.S. patent No. 11,013,396; U.S. patent No. 11,071,442; U.S. patent application No. 17,122,282 filed on 12/15/2020, published on 202110093169 on 4/1/2021; U.S. patent application No. 17/145,466 filed on 11/1/2021, published on 20210137352/5/13/2021; U.S. patent application No. 17/349,674 filed on 16/6/2020, published on 20210307591/10/7/2021; U.S. patent application No. 17/370,575 filed on 7/8/2021.

The subject matter described or claimed in this patent specification is not limited to what has been described in terms of solving any particular disadvantages or to only what has been described in particular embodiments operating in environments such as those described above. Rather, the above background is provided merely to illustrate the feasibility of some embodiments described herein in an exemplary technology area.

Disclosure of Invention

In some embodiments, an endoscope comprises: a disposable portion comprising (a) an elongated, hollow, funnel-shaped sheath having an open rear end, and (b) a needle extending from a forward end of the sheath, the forward end of the needle having an imaging module; a reusable portion comprising a rear end portion and an elongated front end portion configured to fit within the sheath through the open rear end of the sheath; a first connector within said sheath associated with said imaging module, a second connector at a forward end portion of said reusable portion; wherein the connectors are electrically coupled to each other when the front end portion of the reusable part is within the sheath; wherein when the endoscope is assembled with the front end portion of the reusable part and the connector within the sheath electrically coupled to each other, the sheath covers a majority of the length of the reusable part; electronics in the reusable portion configured to communicate with the imaging module in the needle, including for processing image data from the imaging module and transmitting the image data for remote display in a unit that is not physically coupled to the endoscope.

The endoscope may further include one or more of the following features: (a) a sterile cap that optionally seals the open end of the sheath prior to assembly of the disposable portion and the reusable portion into the endoscope; (b) a cover optionally covering and sealing a rear end portion of the reusable part, wherein when the endoscope is assembled, the sheath covers a front end portion of the reusable part so that the reusable part is not exposed to the environment during a medical procedure; (c) the reusable part may have one or more manually operated switches at its rear end, and the lid may be configured to fit securely over the one or more switches and to fluidly seal it from the exterior while allowing manual operation of the one or more switches through the lid; (d) a sterile cap that optionally seals the open end of the sheath prior to assembly of the disposable portion and the reusable portion into the endoscope, wherein the cap is configured to thereafter securely fit over the rear end portion of the reusable unit to fluidly seal it from the exterior; (e) an imaging module at the forward end of the needle may include a video sensor with a viewing direction having a central axis that is tilted with respect to the long axis of the needle and one or more LEDs configured to illuminate the field of view of the sensor; (f) an imaging module at the forward end of the needle comprising a video sensor having a line of sight with a central axis at a 30 degree angle relative to the long axis of the needle and one or more LEDs configured to illuminate the field of view of the camera; (g) an imaging module at the forward end of the needle including a video sensor having a field of view with a central axis that is angled relative to the long axis of the needle, a reusable portion that may include an LED-implemented light source, a disposable portion that may include an optical port and one or more optical conductors from the optical port to the forward end of the needle, and a reusable portion that includes an optical port coupled to the optical port of the disposable portion to transmit light from the light source of the reusable portion to the forward end of the needle to illuminate the field of view of the sensor; (h) the reusable part comprises a battery, a LED light source powered by the battery, and a heat sink for the light source; (i) the disposable part comprises a first fluid port at a forward end portion of the sheath and the needle comprises a second fluid port at a forward end thereof and the disposable part comprises a lumen connecting the first and second ports for fluid flow; (j) the needle has an outer diameter of 1-1.6 mm and may include an inner dimension equivalent to a diameter greater than 0.55 mm and matching 22Ga or greater; the forward end of the needle may be beveled and may have a sharp tip to facilitate penetration and penetration of tissue; (k) said imaging module including a video sensor having an imaging plane at an angle of 20-80 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the needle, thereby providing a central viewing direction of the camera at an angle relative to said axis; (l) The reusable part comprises a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit image data to a remote display; (m) the reusable portion includes a port for a cable configured to transmit the image date to a remote display.

In some embodiments, a method comprises: manually enclosing the reusable portion of the endoscope within a hollow, funnel-shaped sheath of the disposable portion, the sheath having a needle extending from a forward end of the sheath; pushing the front end of the reusable part into the sheath to generate electric coupling between the connector in the reusable part and the connector in the sheath, thereby assembling a sight glass; performing a surgery with the assembled endoscope, which includes taking an image with an imaging module at a front end of the needle and transmitting image data to an electronic device of the reusable part through a cable of the disposable part and the connector; processing image data with the electronic device of the reusable part; transmitting the processed image data from the reusable part to an external device including an image display; the endoscope is disassembled by pulling the reusable part out of the sheath.

The method may further include one or more of the following features: (a) when the endoscope is assembled, the rear end portion of the reusable part may protrude from the rear end of the sheath, and a cap may be placed on said rear end portion of the reusable part, whereby the entire reusable part is covered by said sheath and said cap during a medical procedure in which the endoscope is used; (b) placing a sterile cap over the open end of the sheath and sealing the sheath, sterile cap and needle in a sterile package prior to performing a procedure using the disposable portion; removing the sterile cap from the sheath and placing the sterile cap on the rear end portion of the reusable part; keeping the entire reusable part covered by the sterile cap and sheath and protected from the environment during the medical procedure.

In some embodiments, an endoscope comprises: a disposable portion comprising a funnel-shaped sheath having an open rear end and a needle extending from the front end of the sheath; a reusable part, the front end of which optionally fits in a sheath to assemble the endoscope, the rear end of the reusable part extending from the sleeve; electrical connectors in the reusable part and the sheath, electrically coupled to each other when the endoscope is assembled; the disposable portion further includes a needle extending from the forward end of the sheath and having an imaging module at the forward end; a cable connecting said imaging module to a connector in said sheath; image processing electronics in the reusable portion that receive image data from the imaging module through the cable and the connector and generate processed image data; a transmission facility in the reusable portion configured to transmit the processed image data for display in a remote entity device.

The endoscope of the immediately preceding paragraph further includes a flexible cover configured to initially cover the open end of the sheath and be manually removed therefrom and placed over the portion of the assembled endoscope from which the reusable portion extends from the distal end of the sheath, wherein the reusable portion of the assembled endoscope is completely covered by the cover and sheath and protected from the environment.

Drawings

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the subject matter of this patent specification, a specific embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are to be understood as depicting exemplary embodiments only, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the patent specification or the appended claims. The subject matter of the invention will be described and explained with specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an endoscope and a remote device (e.g., a display) in some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another exploded perspective view of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a needle housing and needle in some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a needle housing mounted within an endoscope sheath in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view within the sheath of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a reusable portion of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 8a and 8b are side and perspective views, respectively, of the forward end portion of an endoscopic needle in some embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 8c is a cross-sectional view of the front tip;

FIG. 9 shows a non-limiting example of other aspects of an endoscope in some embodiments of the present invention;

figures 10 a-10 d show perspective details of an alternative nose portion of an endoscopic needle in some embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided below. While several embodiments have been described, it should be understood that the novel subject matter described in this patent specification is not limited to any one embodiment or combination of embodiments described herein, but includes many alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding, some embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, certain technical material that is known in the prior art has not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the new subject matter described herein. It is to be understood that each feature of one or more specific embodiments described herein may be used in combination with other features of other described embodiments. Further, like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an endoscope 100 in some embodiments of the present invention communicating with a remote unit 102 via a cable or wirelessly. Fig. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of endoscope 100 in some embodiments of the present invention. The remote unit 102 may be a display screen, a tablet or mobile device with a display screen, or a camera application in a computer. The endoscope 100 includes a single use portion 108 (fig. 2) including a needle 104 with an imaging module 106 at its forward end, a funnel-shaped sheath 110 open at its rearward end 110a and having a forward end 110b from which the needle 104 extends, and a fluid port 110c communicating with an internal fluid chamber in the needle 104 terminating at a fluid port 810, 820 and 830 (fig. 8) at the forward end of the needle 104. The endoscope 100 also includes a reusable portion 112 (FIG. 2) that contains electronics and other components. The reusable part 112 has a smaller cross-sectional front end portion 112a which cooperates with the sheath 110 to form the assembled endoscope 100 seen in FIG. 1, and a larger cross-sectional rear end portion 112b which extends below the sheath 110 in the assembled endoscope 100 seen in FIG. 1. The cap 114 serves two distinct functions-the cap 114 is sterile and covers and seals the open end 110a of the sheath 110 prior to assembly of the endoscope 100. After the reusable part 108 and the disposable part 112 are assembled, the cap 114 covers and seals the larger cross-sectional portion 112b of the reusable part 112 from the fluid.

Preferably, the disposable portion 110, with its cover 114 covering the open end 110a, is sterilized at the time of manufacture, shipped to the user in sterile packaging, and stored in a pouch until needed for a medical procedure. In use during a medical procedure, the user removes the disposable part 108 from the sterile packaging, removes the cap 114, inserts the smaller cross-section 112a of the reusable part 112 into the sheath 110, and places the cap 114 over the larger cross-section 112b of the reusable part 112. Reusable portion 112 communicates with remote device unit 102 through a cable 113 (cable indicated by broken line 113) extending from port 112c at the rear end of reusable portion 112 to remote device unit 102, or wirelessly through WiFi or BLE 5.0, in which case cable 113 is not used. The remote unit 102 is configured to display images emanating from the endoscope 100 and may include electronics for processing and/or storing the images and/or transmitting the images to other equipment, such as a workstation or archival storage. The rear end of the reusable part 112 preferably includes a manual shut off switch 112d and a manual image control switch 112e for controlling the capturing of images with the imaging module at the front end of the needle 104. The cap 114 is made of a flexible and bendable material and has flexible portions 114a, 114b and 114c that align with the switches 112d and 112 and the cable port 112c, respectively, to allow manual manipulation of the switches by the cap 114 and entry of a cable into the port 112e when the endoscope is assembled, as shown in FIG. 1. The cap 114 is open at its front end.

Notably, as shown in FIG. 1, the only surfaces of the endoscope 100 that are exposed to the environment, such as fluids during a medical procedure, are disposable-the sheath 110 and needle 104 forming the disposable portion 108, and the entire portion 112b (FIG. 2) of the endoscope 100 that covers and seals the reusable portion 112 when assembled (i.e., the rear end of the sheath 110). The reusable portion 112 is not exposed at all. When connected to the remote unit 102 by a cable, the connector of the reusable part 112 fits tightly in the opening 114c (fig. 2) of the cover 114 to prevent liquid from reaching the reusable unit 112. When a wireless connection is used, the cable connector opening is sealed with a plug 114d (fig. 3). Thus, after one medical procedure is completed, and after cap 114 and disposable portion 108 are discarded, little sterilization is required to be performed when reusable portion 112 is used in another medical procedure. The assembled endoscope is completely sterile.

Fig. 3 illustrates the components of endoscope 100 in some embodiments. The reusable part 112 comprises a housing made of molded halves 112f and 112g that are snapped or glued to each other in a fluid tight arrangement. The housing includes a circuit board 116 with image processing electronics, a rechargeable battery 118 for powering the electronics on the circuit board 116 and an imaging module 800 (fig. 8) at the front of the needle 104, and an electrical connector 120 for making electrical contact with a mating contact 600a (fig. 6) in the disposable part 108.

Fig. 4 shows the needle housing 122 in more detail. The needle housing 122 includes a cylindrical member 122a having ribs on its circumference which are forced into and frictionally fit within the forward end opening of the sheath 110 as the housing 122 is forced therebetween in the direction of the arrow seen in fig. 3. The pin housing 122 has a male contact 600a at its rear end that engages a female connector 120a (fig. 7) at the front end of the reusable part 112. Registration pin 600b mates with registration opening 120b (fig. 7) at the front end of reusable portion 112. The needle housing 122 also includes a passage for electrical wires 806 (fig. 8) from the connector 600a to the imaging module 800, which passes within the needle 104.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the needle housing 122 fitted at the forward end of the sheath 110 in a plane transverse to the long axis of the needle 104.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the open rear end of the access sheath 110 with the connector 600a and the registration pin 600b visible. To ensure that the reusable part 112 is inserted into the sheath 110 in the correct orientation, a channel 124 (fig. 6) may be included on the lower portion of the inner wall of the sheath 110, and a mating rib (not shown) may be included on the lower portion of the outer wall of the front end portion 112a of the reusable part 112 to ensure that the two parts of the endoscope can only be assembled in the correct manner. Additionally, or alternatively, the inner wall of the sheath 110 and the outer wall of the leading end portion 112a of the reusable part 112 may be shaped such that the reusable part 112 can only enter the sheath 110 in the correct relative orientation-for example, the inner wall of the sheath 110 and the leading end portion 112a or the outer wall of the reusable part 112 may be narrower in cross-section on one side than the other. Thus, if an effort is made to place the reusable part 112 in the sheath 110 in the wrong mutual orientation, it will easily appear that this needs to be corrected.

Fig. 8a is a side view and fig. 8b is a perspective view of the forward end portion of needle 104. A cable 806 extends from the connector 600a (fig. 4 and 6) to the imaging module 800, which includes an illumination source 802, such as one or more LEDs, and an imaging sensor 804, such as a CMOS sensor. Notably, the sensor 804 is mounted in the needle 104 such that its imaging plane is tilted with respect to the long axis of the needle 104, for example at an angle such that the central axis of the line of sight of the sensor 804 is at 30 degrees to the long axis of the needle 104. The illumination source 802 is also tilted to illuminate the field of view of the sensor 804. This allows a larger volume of tissue to be viewed by rotating the needle 104 relative to the tissue being examined. It is also worth noting that the forward end of the needle 104 is beveled, being a sharpened tip 808, to facilitate penetration and entry of tissue as desired. Forward fluid ports 810, 820 and 830 are provided in needle 104 and communicate with fluid port 110c through fluid passage 812 formed in the space surrounding cable 806 in needle 104. The opening 814 of the needle 104 is sealed with adhesive on the security imaging module 800 at the forward end of the needle 104. In one non-limiting embodiment, needle 104 has an outer diameter of 1-1.6 mm and fluid chamber 812 corresponds to a chamber having an inner diameter greater than 0.55 mm, corresponding to 22Ga or greater.

In some embodiments, the illumination source in imaging module 800 is not an LED at the front of needle 104, but rather includes a preferably more powerful light source 300 having a heat sink (FIG. 3), which may be one or more LEDs in reusable portion 112. Light from the light source 300 passes through a light port (not shown) in the distal or reusable portion 112 and then through a mating light port 600c (fig. 4 and 6) in the sheath 110 into a light transmission channel 104a (shown in fig. 4) extending from the light port 600c to the forward end of the needle 104 and configured to illuminate the sensor 804 (fig. 8). The optical channel may be one or more fiber strands. Of course, in this case, the LED 802 is not present in the imaging module 800. In this embodiment, the disposable portion 108 is less expensive to manufacture because it does not include the LED 802, and the cross-section of the needle 104 can be reduced because it does not need to accommodate the LED 802.

Fig. 9 shows a non-limiting example of the dimensions of the endoscope 100 in millimeters. At the upper left, the rear outer dimensions of reusable portion 112 are 40.9 mm and 46.9 mm, the length of reusable portion 112 on cap 114 and needle housing 122 is 184 mm, the length of needle 104 is 213.1 mm, and the distance from the rear end of reusable portion 112 on cap 114 to the center of fluid port 110c is 167.5 mm.

Fig. 10 a-10 d are perspective views of the forward tip of some embodiments mated at the forward end of needle 104. Fig. 10a shows an embodiment with an internal cavity 1001 for a sensor 804 (fig. 8), a window 1002 for illumination, which may be a light conductor (fiber strand) or LED mounted in window 1004, and a front end fluid port 1004. Fig. 10b shows a different configuration, with lumen 1006 for sensor 800, window 1008 for optical access, and front port 1010. Fig. 10c shows an arrangement with an internal cavity 1012 for the sensor 800, a window 1014 for an optical conductor, and a front end fluid port 1016. Fig. 10d shows the lumen 1018 for the sensor 800, and the front end fluid port 1020; illumination may be provided by an LED (not shown) above sensor 800 or a light conductor window (not shown) above sensor 800. Note that the forward end of each tip in fig. 10a and 10b is oval with the forward end surface in a plane angled relative to the long axis of the needle 104, while the forward end of each tip in fig. 10c and 10d may be rounded.

The endoscope 100 may be used for different medical procedures. One example is arthroscopic surgery or arthroscopy, which is a minimally invasive orthopedic procedure used to diagnose and treat joint problems. Such a procedure may use the endoscope 100 and specialized surgical tools to access the joint through a tiny keyhole incision. Other non-limiting examples include providing a way to view and treat other tissues of the patient, such as the breast and other soft tissue and bone structures.

Although the foregoing has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes and apparatuses described herein. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the subject matter described herein is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. An endoscope, comprising:

a disposable portion comprising (a) an elongated, hollow, funnel-shaped sheath having an open rearward end and (b) a needle extending from a forward end of the sheath, the forward end of the needle having an imaging module;

a reusable portion comprising a rear end portion and an elongated front end portion configured to fit within the sheath through the open rear end of the sheath;

a first connector within said sheath for connection to said imaging module and a second connector at a front end of said reusable portion;

wherein the connectors are electrically coupled to each other when the leading end portion of the reusable part is in the sheath;

wherein when the endoscope is assembled, the forward end portion of the reusable part is within the sheath and the connectors are in electrical contact with each other, the sheath covers a substantial length of the reusable part; and

electronics in the reusable portion configured to communicate with the imaging module in the needle, including for processing image data from the imaging module and transmitting the image data for remote display on a unit physically disconnected from the endoscope.

2. The endoscope of claim 1, comprising a sterile cap that optionally seals the open end of the sheath prior to assembly of the disposable and reusable portions into the endoscope.

3. The endoscope of claim 1, comprising a cap that optionally covers and seals the rear end portion of the reusable portion, and wherein the sheath covers the front end portion of the reusable portion when the endoscope is assembled so that the reusable portion is not exposed to the environment during a medical procedure.

4. The endoscope of claim 3, wherein: the rear end of the reusable part has one or more manually operated switches, and the lid is configured to securely fit over and fluidly seal the one or more switches from the exterior while allowing manual operation of the one or more switches through the lid.

5. The endoscope of claim 1, comprising a sterile cap that optionally seals the open end of the sheath prior to assembly of the disposable and reusable portions into the endoscope, wherein the cap is configured to thereafter securely fit over the rear end portion of the reusable portion to fluidly seal it from the exterior.

6. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: an imaging module at the forward end of the needle includes a video sensor having a line of sight with a central axis angled relative to the long axis of the needle and one or more LEDs configured to illuminate the field of view of the sensor.

7. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: an imaging module at the forward end of the needle includes a video sensor with a central axis of line of sight at a 30 degree angle relative to the long axis of the needle and one or more LEDs configured to illuminate the field of view of the camera.

8. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the imaging module at the forward end of the needle includes a video sensor having a field of view with a central axis that is angled relative to the long axis of the needle, the reusable portion includes a light source implemented as an LED, the disposable portion includes an optical port and one or more optical conductors from the optical port to the forward end of the needle, and the reusable portion includes an optical port coupled to the optical port of the disposable portion to transmit light from the light source of the reusable portion to the forward end of the needle to illuminate the field of view of the sensor.

9. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the reusable part comprises a battery, a battery-powered LED light source, and a heat sink for the light source.

10. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the disposable part comprises a first fluid port at the front end portion of the sheath, the needle comprises a second fluid port at its front end, and the disposable part comprises an internal cavity connecting the first and second ports for fluid flow.

11. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the needle has an outer diameter of 1-1.6 mm and comprises a fluid chamber having an inner dimension corresponding to a diameter of greater than 0.55 mm and matching 22Ga or greater.

12. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the forward end of the needle is beveled and has a sharp tip to facilitate penetration and penetration of tissue.

13. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the imaging module includes a video sensor having an imaging plane at an angle of 20-80 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the needle, thereby providing a central line of sight orientation of the camera that is angled with respect to the axis.

14. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the reusable part includes a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit image data to a remote display.

15. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein: the reusable portion includes a port for a cable configured to transmit image data to a remote display.

16. A method, comprising:

manually enclosing the reusable portion of the endoscope within a hollow, funnel-shaped sheath of the disposable portion, the sheath having a needle extending from a forward end thereof;

pushing the front end of the reusable part into the sheath to make electrical contact between the connector in the reusable part and the connector in the sheath, thereby assembling an endoscope;

performing a medical procedure with the assembled endoscope, including taking an image with an imaging module at the forward end of the needle and transmitting the image data to the electronics of the reusable part via the cable of the disposable part and the connector;

processing image data with the electronic device of the reusable part;

transmitting the processed image data from the reusable part to an external device including an image display; and

thereafter, the endoscope is detached by pulling the reusable portion out of the sheath.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: when the endoscope is assembled, the rear end portion of the reusable part protrudes from the sheath, and further comprising placing a cap over said rear end portion of the reusable part, whereby the entire reusable part is covered by said sheath and said cap during a medical procedure in which the endoscope is used.

18. The method of claim 16, including placing a sterile cap at the open end of the sheath and sealing the sheath, sterile cap and needle in a sterile package prior to using the disposable portion for a medical procedure, thereafter removing the sterile cap from the sheath and placing the sterile cap at the rear end of the reusable portion in a sterile environment, thereafter maintaining the entire reusable portion covered by the sterile cap and sheath and free from environmental influences during the medical procedure, and the outer surface of the endoscope sterile at the beginning of the medical procedure.

19. An endoscope, comprising:

a disposable portion comprising a funnel-shaped sheath having an open rearward end and a needle extending from the forward end of the sheath;

a reusable part, the front end portion of which is optionally fitted by hand in a sheath to assemble said endoscope, the rear end portion of the reusable part protruding from the sleeve;

when the endoscope is assembled, the electrical connectors in the reusable part and the sheath make electrical contact with each other;

the disposable portion further includes a needle extending from the forward end of the sheath, the needle having an imaging module at the forward end;

a cable connecting said imaging module and said connector in said sheath;

image processing electronics located on the reusable portion that receive image data from the imaging module through the cable and the connector and generate processed image data; and

a transmission facility at the reusable portion configured to transmit the processed image data for display on a physically remote device.

20. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising a flexible cover configured to initially cover the open end of the sheath and be manually removed therefrom and placed over a portion of the assembled endoscope where the reusable portion extends from the distal end of the sheath, wherein the reusable portion of the assembled endoscope is completely covered by the cover and sheath and protected from the environment.

Images