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Endoscope
EndoscopeAn endoscope is an instrument that allows doctors to view the inner workings of the human body without having to perform surgery. Endoscopes are sometimes called fiberscopes. Endoscopes are primarily used in the health care field, but can also be used for industrial purposes. They make it easier to examine hard-to-reach places such as the inside of fuel tanks and nuclear reactors. The endoscope is a flexible narrow tube. It contains several bundles of hair-thin glass fibers covered with a reflective coating. An intense light source, usually a halogen lamp, is part of the instrument. The light is transmitted along one bundle of fibers toward the target area and provides enough light to see inside of the human body. Another bundle of fibers carries an image of the target area back up the tube where it is viewed through an eyepiece. Early Endoscope ResearchCrude versions of the endoscope were used as early as the nineteenth century and included long, rigid tubes illuminated by candles. In 1854 Manuel Patricio Rodriguez Garcia, a Spanish-born vocal teacher, designed the forerunner of the laryngoscope that allowed a clear view of the glottis (the vocal cords and the opening between them) and made it possible to see obstructions in the larynx. The first efforts to develop the kind of glass fibers that would eventually be used in endoscopes were made by the Atomic Energy Authority and by the Rank Organization in Britain. By 1965, a 25-micron (a micron is one-thousandth of a millimeter) fiber had been produced. An American company, Bausch and Lomb, subsequently developed a 15-micron fiber for their Flexiscope which could be used for industrial inspections because it gave off a "cold" light that was safe even in fuel tanks. When the American Cytoscopic Company succeeded in sterilizing glass fibers, the possibilities for medical uses of the endoscope increased greatly. Medical UsesThe modern endoscope can perform an amazing variety of medical procedures. It can do much more than transmit light and a visual image. It also contains water and air channels for flushing water through or inflating targeted areas. Tiny forceps (tweezers) can be placed at the tip of the endoscope. These can be used to take specimen samples for laboratory analysis and to perform simple operations such as removing colon polyps or gallstones. Endoscopes can also be used to stop hemorrhaging (heavy bleeding) by delivering laser beams directly to the point of bleeding. The blood thickens and the bleeding is stopped. Different types of endoscopes are specially designed to examine specific parts of the body. Angioscopes pass through the arteries that carry blood to the heart, arthroscopes explore the interiors of joints, bronchoscopes are used with a special dye and fluorescent light to detect lung malignancies (cancers), gastroscopes probe the stomach and upper intestinal tract, and laparoscopes diagnose and treat abdominal conditions. |
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"Endoscope." Medical Discoveries. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Endoscope." Medical Discoveries. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498100112.html "Endoscope." Medical Discoveries. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498100112.html |
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endoscope
endoscope any instrument used to look inside the body. Usually consisting of a fiber-optic tube attached to a viewing device, endoscopes are used to explore and biopsy such areas as the colon and the bronchi of the lungs. Endoscopes employing miniature television cameras and tiny surgical implements now allow exploration and endoscopic surgery through small incisions; such surgery is much less traumatic to the patient than traditional open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery, in which the endoscope is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen or chest, is used to correct abnormalities of the ovaries and as an alternative to traditional gall bladder and chest surgery. Arthroscopic surgery is endoscopic surgery performed on joints such as the knee or shoulder. |
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"endoscope." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "endoscope." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-endosco.html "endoscope." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-endosco.html |
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endoscope
endoscope Instrument used to examine the interior of the body. Early types of endoscope, such as the opthalmoscope, were developed in the 19th century. Fibre optics has revolutionized the design of endoscopes. The modern endoscope is a flexible, fibreglass instrument that can be swallowed by a patient or introduced through a tiny incision in the body. Most endoscopy is for diagnostic purposes, but modern instruments are used in biopsy and minimal access surgery.
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"endoscope." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "endoscope." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-endoscope.html "endoscope." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-endoscope.html |
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endoscope
endoscope (end-oh-skohp) n. any instrument, such as an auriscope or a gastroscope, used to obtain a view of the interior of the body. Most endoscopes consist of a tube with a light at the end and an optical system or a miniature video camera for transmitting an image to the examiner's eye. See also fibrescope.
—endoscopic (en-doh-skop-ik) adj. —endoscopy (en-dos-kŏ-pi) n. |
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"endoscope." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "endoscope." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-endoscope.html "endoscope." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-endoscope.html |
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endoscope
en·do·scope / ˈendəˌskōp/ • n. Med. an instrument that can be introduced into the body to give a view of its internal parts. DERIVATIVES: en·do·scop·ic / ˌendəˈskäpik/ adj. en·do·scop·i·cal·ly adv. en·dos·co·py / enˈdäskəpē/ n. |
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"endoscope." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "endoscope." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-endoscope.html "endoscope." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-endoscope.html |
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endoscopy
endoscopy The study of the interior of hollow organs, such as the intestines and the reproductive organs, using a flexible probe (endoscope), which contains optical fibres for transmitting images onto a screen.
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"endoscopy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "endoscopy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-endoscopy.html "endoscopy." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-endoscopy.html |
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