Steerable ultrasound attachment for endoscope

A method of adding elements to an endoscope, to create an ultrasound capable endoscope, comprising:

• a. providing an endoscope, having a distal end and an elongate body defining one or more lumens;
• b. providing an ultrasound assembly that includes:
• i. a multiconductor electrical connector,
• ii. a first multiconductor cable, including a multiplicity of coaxial cables, connected to said multiconductor electrical connector, and having a distal end;
• iii. an endoscope attachment element, attached to said first multiconductor cable, and sized to attach to said distal end of said endoscope;
• iv. a neck, connected and extending in a distal manner from said distal end of said first multiconductor cable, and having a distal end, said neck being resiliently deformable;
• v. a second multiconductor cable, having a proximal end connected to said distal end of said first multiconductor cable, and having a distal end;
• vi. an ultrasound transducer head, including a protective covering, supported by said distal end of said neck, and an ultrasound transducer, inside said protective covering and electrically connected to said distal end of said second multiconductor cable;
• and
• vii. a tension member, connected to said ultrasound transducer head, and extending to said proximal end of said endoscope;
• c. attaching said endoscope attachment element to said distal end of said endoscope and arranging said tension member so that it extends from a proximal point of said endoscope to said transducer head;
• d. whereby said ultrasound transducer head can be introduced into a patient body cavity, with said endoscope, and may be angle adjusted by said tension member by pulling on said tension member to bend said neck thereby adjusting position of said ultrasound transducer head, and may communicate with an imaging station by means of said first and second multiconductor cables, thereby permitting a user to more accurately aim the imaging head at a feature of interest;
• and
• e. further wherein said neck defines an aperture, permitting a needle to be extended from a lumen of said endoscope, through said aperture, to perform a medical procedure, when said neck is flexed by said tension member.