Importance

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Abstract

An endoscope for insertion into a patient's inner body cavity has a shell with lumens for (1) illuminating a lens and (2) passing light from an imaging (or objective) lens, each lens being disposed on the distal face of the shell. The shell also has a lumen, preferably off-round, for receiving a resilient disposable core. The resilient core has passageways for introducing a pressurized fluid (e.g. air or water) to selective ones of the lenses to clean the lenses. The core may also have another passageway for removing material from the patient's inner body cavity for analysis. This passageway may communicate with two (2) conduits for removing specimens from the body cavity (1) as by a vacuum or (2) as by an instrument. The second conduit may be closed except when the instrument is to be inserted into a patient's inner body cavity. The core may be drawn through the shell lumen to position the core in the lumen. A cleaning member may be attached to the core to clean the shell lumen as the core is drawn through the lumen. Alternatively, a leader applied to the core may be drawn with the core through the shell lumen and then removed from the core. Sealing members attached to the core may also be drawn through the lumen with the core to seal the core. Alternatively, members may be sealed to the core or shell after the sealing operation. A cover on a core end may alternatively be removed after the core has been drawn through the shell lumen.

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First Claim