Handheld surgical endoscope

An endoscope comprising:

• a handle extending along a longitudinal axis and having an opening at a proximal end thereof and a cannula permanently secured to said handle and extending distally therefrom along said longitudinal axis, said cannula having a distal port at a distal end thereof and a distal tip with an imaging module providing images;
• a display unit removably mounted on said handle and comprising a touch-sensitive display screen;
• wherein:
• said display unit is mounted on a longitudinal side of the handle such that all of said display screen thereof extends radially away from the handle;
• said cannula includes a working channel extending from said opening at the proximal end of the handle to said distal port at the distal end of the cannula;
• said working channel is configured to extend from said opening at the proximal end of the handle through the handle, into said cannula and to a distal region of the cannula along said longitudinal axis for insertion and removal of a surgical implement in a patient procedure and is continuous and integral and the same size inside all the way from immediately adjacent said opening at the proximal end of the handle to said distal port;
• and
• said touch-sensitive screen is configured to respond to touch commands to control said imaging module and is further configured to display said images;
• whereby said display unit is removable tool-free from said handle for disposal of the handle and cannula after a medical procedure therewith and for tool-free mounting on a new handle for another medical procedure;
• and
• a surgical device in said working channel, said surgical device comprising a tool configured to move in said working channel between extended positions in which the tool protrudes distally from the distal tip of the cannula and a retracted position in which the tool is recessed in the working channel of the cannula.

An endoscope comprising:

• a handle extending along a longitudinal axis and having an opening at a proximal end thereof and a cannula permanently secured to said handle and extending distally therefrom along said longitudinal axis, said cannula having a distal port at a distal end thereof and a distal tip with an imaging module providing images;
• a display unit removably mounted on said handle and comprising a touch-sensitive display screen;
• wherein:
• said display unit is mounted on a longitudinal side of the handle such that all of said display screen thereof extends radially away from the handle;
• said cannula includes a working channel extending from said opening at the proximal end of the handle to said distal port at the distal end of the cannula;
• said working channel is configured to extend from said opening at the proximal end of the handle through the handle, into said cannula, and to said distal port along said longitudinal axis for insertion and removal of a surgical implement in a patient procedure and is continuous and integral and the same size inside all the way from immediately adjacent said opening to said distal port;
• and
• said touch-sensitive screen is configured to respond to touch commands to control said imaging module and is further configured to display said images;
• whereby said display unit is removable tool-free from said handle for disposal of the handle and cannula after a medical procedure therewith and for tool-free mounting on a new handle for another medical procedure;
• and
• a surgical device in said working channel, said surgical device comprising a tubular biopsy tool configured to take a biological sample from the patient's body, said tubular biopsy tool configured to move in said working channel between extended positions in which the tool protrudes distally from the distal tip of the cannula and a retracted position in which the tool is recessed in the working channel of the cannula.