Irrigation control valve for endoscopic instrument

A disposable irrigation control valve assembly, comprising:

• a housing defining a plurality of valve chambers, each of said valve chambers having an elongated cylinder, a piston and means for reciprocating movement of said piston within said valve chamber, each of said valve chambers being further provided with an inlet orifice connectable to a source of vacuum or irrigation fluid and a second orifice formed in the cylinder wall and connected to a common conduit, the piston for each valve assembly being of a defined length relative to the length of the valve cylinder to allow for reciprocating movement of the pistons within their respective cylinders, each piston being further provided with an aperture, the size and shape of which being determined by the relative distance between the inlet and second orifices within the valve cylinder wall and, upon reciprocating movement of each piston within its respective cylinder, allowing for communication between the inlet and second orifices in said cylinder wall through the aperture in said pistons;
• and a common conduit formed in the value assembly at right angles relative to the cylinders of said valve body and communicating with each cylinder in said valve body through the second orifice in the cylinder wall thus allowing for simultaneous suction and irrigation, the common conduit having means for attaching a surgical probe permitting said simultaneous suction and irrigation.