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.

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.

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.