Page 4 - The Care and Handling of Flexible Scopes v3

Care of Flexible Endoscopes

1. Structure and Uses

A flexible endoscope’s body is sheathed in a specialised flexible covering rather than the
stainless steel used for a rigid endoscope. The flexible covering provides bending capabilities
not available with a rigid endoscope. The distal lens offers a more panoramic view
compared to a rigid endoscope.

There are two types of flexible endoscopes: fibre optic endoscopes and video scopes. A fibre
optic endoscope has an eyepiece lens through which the image is viewed by direct vision or
by using a camera connected to the eyepiece lens. A video scope has the camera
incorporated into the flexible fiberscope; it is equipped with a video chip positioned at the
distal end of the endoscope (“chip on a stick”) to transmit the image directly to the video
monitor.

There are four main sections of a flexible endoscope (see Figure 1):

1. Control Body. This portion of the scope remains outside the patient and acts as a
handle for the surgeon; it also contains the deflecting controls, biopsy port, air-water
channels and eyepiece (if it is not a video scope).
2. Insertion Tube. This is a flexible tube containing channels for the following items:
a. Operative devices, suction, irrigation and insufflation,
b. Light bundles that light from the light source to the internal body structure,

and

c. Image bundles that carry the image from the body structure to the eyepiece or
attached camera.
3. Deflection Controls. These are used by the surgeon to steer the lenses in various
directions within the internal structure and manipulate the bending section at the
distal tip.
4. Light-guide Connector Unit. This section connects to the light source; when using GI
scopes, this would also include the suction and insufflation source.
Figure 1 – Anatomy of a Flexible Endoscope

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