Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Endoscope is a thin tube-like instrument that is used to look at tissues inside the body. An endoscope has a light and a lens for viewing and may have a tool to remove tissue. 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. The first endoscope was developed in 1806 by Philip Bozzini with his introduction of a light conductor used for the examinations of the canals and cavities of the human body. According to another source an endoscope was first introduced in 1822 by William Beaumont, an army surgeon at Mackinac Island, Michigan. The first such lights were external. Later, smaller bulbs became available making internal light possible.