Placing and removing surgical stents

A hand-held endoscope system comprising:

• a handle configured to be grasped by a user;
• a single-use stent deploying portion having a housing configured to removably attach to said handle and comprising:
• a shaft extending from a distal end of the housing, the shaft having a proximal portion within an annular space of the housing so that the shaft moves between proximal and distal positions;
• an outer sleeve extending distally from the shaft;
• an inner cannula fixed to the housing and configured to fit directly within the outer sleeve;
• said outer sleeve being configured to move relative to the housing and the inner cannula between the distal position and the proximal position;
• wherein when the outer sleeve is in its proximal position a distal portion of the inner cannula protrudes distally from the outer sleeve and when the outer sleeve is in its distal position a tubular stent fits in a radial space that is radially between distal portions of the outer sleeve and the inner cannula;
• and
• a camera module at the distal end of said inner cannula;
• a video screen attached to and mechanically supported by said handle and configured to show images taken with said camera module of the passage and of the stent being deployed therein;
• and
• mechanical and electrical connectors between said housing and said handle;
• wherein the housing, shaft, outer sleeve and cannula form the single-use stent-deployment portion of the endoscope system, and the handle and video screen form a reusable portion, and said connectors release by hand, without tools, for disposal of said single-use portion after use thereof in a patient procedure.

A method of deploying a stent in a passage in a patient, comprising:

• placing a tubular stent in a compressed state in a radial space that is radially between distal portions of an inner cannula and an outer sleeve of an endoscope such that the stent engages the inner cannula to prevent proximal motion but enable distal motion of the stent relative to the inner cannula;
• releasably securing said outer sleeve and inner cannula to an assembly defined by a shaft and a housing, wherein the housing is configured to be removably attached to a handle, wherein the outer sleeve extends distally from the shaft and includes a proximal portion within an annular space of the housing so that the shaft slides between proximal and distal positions, and wherein the inner cannula is fixed to the housing;
• inserting the outer sleeve in a passage in the patient's body, with the stent in said radial space between the outer sleeve and the inner cannula;
• sliding the outer sleeve directly over the inner cannula, proximally relative to the inner cannula, the stent, and the handle to thereby free the stent of being radially inwardly constrained by the outer sleeve and allow the stent to expand radially outwardly to an expanded state and remain in the passage in the patient;
• withdrawing the inner cannula and the outer sleeve from the patient;
• and
• imaging the passage with a video camera at a tip of the inner cannula while inserting the outer sleeve, moving the outer sleeve proximally relative to the inner cannula, and withdrawing the inner cannula and outer sleeve, and displaying the images on a video screen secured to and mechanically supported by said handle.