An imaging probe for insertion into bodily lumens and cavities for imaging an interior of said bodily lumens and cavities, comprising: a) an elongate hollow shaft having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and an elongate midsection, an imaging assembly being located in said elongate hollow shaft remote from said proximal end section for emitting an energy beam and receiving reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities, said imaging assembly being connected to a first end of an imaging conduit, said imaging conduit extending through the elongate hollow shaft and being connectable through a connector or adapter at a second end thereof to an image processing system and a rotational drive mechanism through the proximal end section, said imaging conduit being configured to deliver energy to said imaging assembly; b) a rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly about said longitudinal axis at an angular velocity, the rotational drive mechanism including adjustment means for varying said angular velocity; c) said imaging assembly including a scanning mechanism including a movable member configured to deliver said energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward or side viewing capability of said imaging assembly, characterised in that said movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of said angular velocity, said scanning mechanism being configured to receive and deliver said reflected energy signals to said image processing system through said imaging conduit; and d) a controller being connected to the rotational drive mechanism and said image processing system. a) an elongate hollow shaft having a longitudinal axis having distal and proximal end sections and an elongate midsection, an imaging assembly being located in said elongate hollow shaft remote from said proximal end section for emitting an energy beam and receiving reflected energy signals reflected back from interior surfaces of said bodily lumens and cavities, said imaging assembly being connected to a first end of an imaging conduit, said imaging conduit extending through the elongate hollow shaft and being connectable through a connector or adapter at a second end thereof to an image processing system and a rotational drive mechanism through the proximal end section, said imaging conduit being configured to deliver energy to said imaging assembly; b) a rotational drive mechanism for imparting rotational motion to said imaging conduit and said imaging assembly about said longitudinal axis at an angular velocity, the rotational drive mechanism including adjustment means for varying said angular velocity; c) said imaging assembly including a scanning mechanism including a movable member configured to deliver said energy beam along a path out of said elongate hollow shaft at a variable angle with respect to said longitudinal axis to give forward or side viewing capability of said imaging assembly, characterised in that said movable member is mounted in such a way that the variable angle is a function of said angular velocity, said scanning mechanism being configured to receive and deliver said reflected energy signals to said image processing system through said imaging conduit; and d) a controller being connected to the rotational drive mechanism and said image processing system.