System, apparatus, and method for viewing a visually obscured portion of a cavity

A ureteroscope for viewing a portion of a body cavity in a urinary system in a body, comprising:

• a face tip assembly, having at least one input/output port, associated with a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being associated with a handle and viewing assembly;
• the shaft assembly including a longitudinal axis, a shaft having a distal end, and at least three shaft segments for use in the body, the at least three shaft segments including an actively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 2 cm. and 10 cm., disposed at the distal end of the shaft for insertion into the body cavity in the urinary system, a passively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 5 cm. and 35 cm.;
• having a proximal end and a distal end, disposed adjacent the actively flexible shaft segment and having the ability to readily flex within the body cavity in the urinary system without excessive deformation of the body cavity in the urinary system, a rigid shaft segment, having a length approximately between 25 cm. and 75 cm., disposed adjacent the handle and viewing assembly, the rigid shaft segment having a distal end, and the distal end of the rigid shaft segment being connected to the proximal end of the passively flexible shaft segment;
• at least one optical image collector adapted to gather an image from within the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one optical conductor, associated with the at least one optical image collector, and adapted to transmit the image to the handle and viewing assembly;
• at least one luminous conductor adapted to provide illumination to the body cavity in the urinary system;
• and at least one working channel disposed within the shaft assembly and adapted to permit a working instrument entry into the body cavity in the urinary system.

A ureteroscope for viewing a portion of a body cavity in a urinary system in a body, comprising:

• a face tip assembly, having at least one input/output port, associated with a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being associated with a handle and viewing assembly;
• the shaft assembly including a longitudinal axis, a shaft having a distal end, and at least three shaft segments for use in the body, the at least three shaft segments including an actively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 2 cm. and 10 cm., disposed at the distal end of the shaft for insertion into the body cavity in the urinary system, a passively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 5 cm. and 35 cm.;
• having a proximal end and a distal end, disposed adjacent the actively flexible shaft segment, and having the ability to readily flex within the body cavity in the urinary system without excessive deformation of the body cavity in the urinary system, a rigid shaft segment, having a length approximately between 25 cm. and 75 cm., disposed adjacent the handle and viewing assembly, the rigid shaft segment having a distal end, and the distal end of the rigid shaft segment being connected to the proximal end of the passively flexible shaft segment;
• at least two optical image collectors which produce a three dimensional image from within the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one optical conductor, associated with the at least two optical image collectors, and adapted to transmit the three dimensional image to the handle and viewing assembly;
• at least one luminous conductor adapted to provide illumination to the body cavity in the urinary system;
• and at least one working channel disposed within the shaft assembly and adapted to permit a working instrument entry into the body cavity in the urinary system.

A cystoscope system for viewing a visually obscured portion of a body cavity in a urinary system of a body comprising:

• a cystoscope having, a face tip assembly, having at least one input/output port associated with a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being associated with a handle and viewing assembly;
• the shaft assembly including a shaft having a distal end and at least three shaft segments for use in the body, the at least three shaft segments including an actively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 2 cm. and 10 cm., disposed at the distal end of the shaft for insertion into the body cavity in the urinary system, a passively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 3 cm. and 14 cm.;
• having a proximal end and a distal end, disposed adjacent the actively flexible shaft segment, and having the ability to readily flex within the body cavity in the urinary system without excessive deformation of the body cavity in the urinary system, a rigid shaft segment, having a length approximately between 8 cm. and 40 cm., disposed adjacent the handle and viewing assembly, the rigid shaft segment having a distal end, and the distal end of the rigid shaft segment being connected to the proximal end of the passively flexible shaft segment;
• at least one optical image collector adapted to gather an image from within the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one optical conductor, associated with the at least one optical image collector, and adapted to transmit the image to the handle and viewing assembly;
• at least one luminous conductor adapted to provide illumination to the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one working channel disposed within the shaft assembly adapted to permit a working instrument entry into the body cavity in the urinary system;
• and an imaging apparatus, associated with the at least one optical conductor, and adapted to capture the image to send it to a human interface apparatus adapted to permit viewing of the image.

A cystoscope for viewing a portion of a body cavity in a urinary system in a body, comprising:

• a face tip assembly, having at least one input/output port, associated with a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being associated with a handle and viewing assembly;
• the shaft assembly including a longitudinal axis, a shaft having a distal end, and at least three shaft segments for use in the body, the at least three shaft segments including an actively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 2 cm. and 10 cm., disposed at the distal end of the shaft for insertion into the body cavity in the urinary system, a passively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 3 cm. and 14 cm.;
• having a proximal end and a distal end, disposed adjacent the actively flexible shaft segment, and having the ability to readily flex within the body cavity in the urinary system without excessive deformation of the body cavity in the urinary system, a rigid shaft segment, having a length approximately between 8 cm. and 40 cm., disposed adjacent the handle and viewing assembly, the rigid shaft segment having a distal end, and the distal end of the rigid shaft segment being connected to the proximal end of the passively flexible shaft segment;
• at least one optical image collector adapted to gather an image from within the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one optical conductor, associated with the at least one optical image collector, and adapted to transmit the image to the handle and viewing assembly;
• at least one luminous conductor adapted to provide illumination to the body cavity in the urinary system;
• and at least one working channel disposed within the shaft assembly and adapted to permit a working instrument entry into the body cavity in the urinary system.

A cystoscope for viewing a portion of a body cavity in a urinary system in a body, comprising:

• a face tip assembly, having at least one input/output port, associated with a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly being associated with a handle and viewing assembly;
• the shaft assembly including a longitudinal axis, a shaft having a distal end, and at least three shaft segments for use in the body, the at least three shaft segments including an actively flexible shaft segment disposed, having a length approximately between 2 cm. and 10 cm., at the distal end of the shaft for insertion into the body cavity in the urinary system, a passively flexible shaft segment, having a length approximately between 3 cm. and 14 cm.;
• having a proximal end and a distal end, disposed adjacent the actively flexible shaft segment, and having the ability to readily flex within the body cavity in the urinary system without excessive deformation of the body cavity in the urinary system, a rigid shaft segment disposed adjacent the handle and viewing assembly, the rigid shaft segment, having a length approximately between 8 cm. and 40 cm., having a distal end, and the distal end of the rigid shaft segment being connected to the proximal end of the passively flexible shaft segment;
• at least two optical image collectors which produce a three dimensional image from within the body cavity in the urinary system;
• at least one optical conductor, associated with the at least two optical image collectors, and adapted to transmit the three dimensional image to the handle and viewing assembly;
• at least one luminous conductor adapted to provide illumination to the body cavity in the urinary system;
• and mat least one working channel disposed within the shaft assembly and adapted to permit a working instrument entry into the body cavity in the urinary system.