title: Miniscopes--a technology in search of an application.
abstract: Despite the progressive decrease in caliber of conventional endoscopes over the past several years, gastrointestinal endoscopists remain frustrated by normally small or abnormally stenosed areas of the gut. The technology is now available to manufacture both single fiber visual probes and conventional fiber bundles, miniaturizing these systems into endoscopes ranging from 1 to 15 French in diameter. Such instruments have the capacity to be passed directly or through the biopsy channel of a conventional instrument, thereby allowing improved diagnostic capability. The potential to apply therapy through miniscopes is limited in instruments without tip deflection, suction, and automatic air and water insufflation; all features that increase both production expense and instrument size.
authors.affiliation: Section of Therapeutic Endoscopy, Virginia Mason Clinic, Seattle, WA 98111.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kozarek
mesh_terms: D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000295:instrumentation; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D008904:Miniaturization / Q000295:instrumentation