Abstract: An endoscope deflection control is described whereby enhanced one-hand control of the tip of a polydirectionally deflectable endoscope is obtained. The deflection control is mounted external to the head of the endoscope in such manner that convenient single-hand manipulation of deflection control wheels mounted on the head provides tip deflection in either a freewheeling deflection mode or an incremental mode characterized by discrete stable incremental tip deflections. Single-hand operation of the endoscope deflection control is obtained by locating incremental deflection position elements in a compact structure which is wholly or partly external to the head while the control wheels remain within manipulatable reach of the single hand's fingers.

Abstract: A radiation endoscope is described wherein a laser or other radiation source is employed for therapeutic purposes. Radiation energy may be accurately directed at a target in a body cavity with the use of a marking spot whose light energy is passed along an optical path in the sheath of the radiation endoscope to the cavity area on which the radiation beam is incident. Eye protection for an operator of the radiation endoscope is obtained with the use of a variable filter interposed in an image path and coupled to correspondingly reduce the beam radiation effective in the body cavity as the image path transmissivity is enhanced. In one embodiment, attenuation of beam radiation is obtained by using a variable density optical filter coupled to the filter operative in the image path. In another embodiment, radiation beam attenuation is achieved by deriving a radiation beam control signal from the filter operative in the image path.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus includes a resectoscope with a novel working element stem, a novel cutting electrode for use with the stem and novel electrical features including a dielectric moving block element for reciprocating the electrode. The stem portion of the working element has a telescope channel member with a central axis and a pair of cutting electrode guide channel members spaced apart and mounted on opposite sides of the telescope channel member above its central axis. The cutting electrode consists of a single length of electrically conductive wire with a loop portion in the middle of the wire and a pair of substantially straight, flexible, parallel, spaced apart insulation covered arms having similar lengths and extending rearwardly from the loop in the same direction. The arms of the electrode are inserted within the cutting electrode channel members in the working element stem.