Disclosed are methods for performing endoscopy comprising directing a distal end of an endoscope to proximity of a portion of a surface of a bodily cavity; and directing a liquid-gas stream at a portion of the surface of the bodily cavity. Disclosed are also devices useful in endoscopy, comprising: an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; a nozzle at the distal end; a gas channel configured for conveying a gas from the proximal end to the nozzle; and a liquid channel configured for conveying a liquid from the proximal end to the nozzle, wherein the nozzle is configured to generate a liquid-gas stream directed in a specified direction from a gas conveyed by the gas channel and a liquid conveyed by the liquid channel.

In one embodiment, a calibration apparatus includes a jig body, a camera, an elongated strip which is deflectable and resilient, a lower groove which is disposed in the jig body, and is configured to receive and grasp the camera therein, an upper groove, which is disposed in the jig body above the lower groove, and is configured to receive and grasp the elongated strip therein so as to position the elongated strip above, and in a fixed relation to, the camera, the upper groove being wider than the lower groove, and an alignment element, which is disposed in the jig body, and is configured to align an end of the camera with an end of the elongated strip.

A method of one aspect may include receiving an encapsulated image acquisition device having an internal memory. The internal memory may store images acquired by the encapsulated image acquisition device. The images may be transferred from the internal memory to an external memory that is external to the encapsulated image acquisition device. An image analysis station may be selected from among a plurality of image analysis stations to analyze the images. The images may be analyzed with the selected image analysis station. Other methods, systems, and kits are also disclosed.

An instrument driving mechanism includes an instrument drive assembly (140) including a first set of wheels (136) coupled to a first end portion and a second set (138) of wheels coupled to a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The first set of wheels is configured to engage an elongated instrument (104) therein such that a rotation plane of the first set of wheels is coplanar with a longitudinal axis of the instrument. The second set of wheels is configured to engage the elongated instrument therein such that a rotation plane of the second set of wheels is obliquely oriented with the longitudinal axis of the instrument wherein motion of the instrument is controlled by controlling rotations of the wheels. The instrument drive assembly mounts to a mounting position (149) of a medical device that permits the instrument to pass therethrough and is configured to fix a position of the instrument drive assembly to enable positioning of the instrument.

A flexible tubular portion of an endoscope includes a spiral tube portion. The spiral tube portion includes a closely wound portion to at least a part of which an initial tension is applied, and a sparsely wound portion provided at least at one end of the closely wound portion.

An adhesive composition comprising a main agent including at least one epoxy resin selected from a bisphenol A epoxy resin, a bisphenol F epoxy resin, and a phenol novolac epoxy resin, and an acrylic rubber; a curing agent including xylylene diamine; and a filler including silica. The adhesive composition further comprises an ion exchanger.

This disclosure relates to instruments and methods of performing an endoscopy. An endoscope for producing images of a surgery in vivo may include a hub and an imaging rod extending from the hub, the imaging rod being configured to receive light and direct the light to an imaging sensor located adjacent to a distal end of the imaging rod, the hub and the imaging rod being attached to form an assembly having a center of mass established distally of the hub. In other implementations, the hub may be omitted.

An operation switching mechanism includes a wire, a reciprocating movement member, a first biasing member, a second biasing member, switching members configured to switch states in which the first biasing member and the second biasing member perform biasing, and an operation member configured to operate the switching members according to operation from an outside and move the reciprocating movement member to a first movement position or a second movement position.

An endoscope includes a prism disposed in a distal end portion of an insertion section and configured to change a direction of a field of view in an upward, downward, leftward, or rightward direction, an operation lever disposed in an operation section, being turnable from a neutral position around a third axis and a fourth axis that are perpendicular to each other, and including a second longitudinal axis, a cylindrical member disposed such that turning around a fourth axis of the lever is transmitted and configured to turn around the fourth axis by inclining the operation lever, a transmission wire configured to transmit turning around a first axis to the prism in response to an inclination operation around the third axis of the lever, and gears configured to transmit turning around a second axis to the prism in response to a turning operation around the fourth axis.

An endoscope includes a handle connected to a flexible, steerable, kink-resistant insertion tube. An endoscope insertion tube may include a shaft, a lower durometer section proximate to a distal end of the shaft, and a higher durometer section positioned between the lower durometer section and a medium durometer section. The endoscope insertion tube may further include a fourth thermoplastic laminate section proximate to a proximal end of the shaft and having a higher durometer. A method of making an endoscope insertion tube may include inserting a mandrel with one, two, or more lateral slots and a liner into a shaft, wherein the liner is positioned between the mandrel and the shaft, bonding a bonded portion of the liner to an inner surface of the shaft, separating other portion(s) of the liner from the shaft, and inserting a first deflection wire in a gap between the shaft and the unbonded portion(s) of the liner.