Imaging element cleaning apparatus with single hand operability

An imaging element cleaning apparatus, comprising:

• a chassis engageable with an endoscope to retain the endoscope in a fixed seated position relative to the chassis;
• a cleaning member at a distal end portion of the chassis;
• a coupling element attached at a distal end portion thereof to the cleaning member whereby rotational movement of the coupling element causes corresponding rotational movement of the cleaning member;
• and
• a cleaning member movement mechanism at a proximate end portion of the chassis, wherein the cleaning member movement mechanism includes a rotational movement body and a linear movement body moveably coupled to the rotational movement body, wherein the rotational movement body and the linear movement body are jointly configured whereby linear movement of the linear movement body from an at-rest position to a fully-displaced position and back to the at-rest position causes the rotational movement body to correspondingly rotate in a first rotational direction from a home rotational position to a displaced rotational position and back to the home rotational position, and wherein the rotational movement body is coupled to a proximate end portion of the coupling member for enabling said rotation of the rotational movement body to correspondingly cause said rotational movement of the coupling element.