Patent ID: 8574220

Claim:
A method for visualizing the interior of a bodily passageway at a remote location, the method comprising the steps of: providing a visualization system for deployment in the bodily passageway, the visualization system comprising: an endoscope comprising a rotatable drive collar configured for rotation relative to the endoscope; a disposable drive tube comprising an elongated tube having a deformable helical thread disposed on an exterior surface of the elongated tube, the elongated tube being configured for coaxial disposition about the endoscope; and a mount for releasably securing the disposable drive tube to the rotatable drive collar of the endoscope; wherein (i) the deformable helical thread is operable such that the deformable helical thread transforms between a reduced profile configuration and an expanded profile configuration, and (ii) when in its expanded profile configuration, the deformable helical thread has a sufficient structural integrity, and a sufficient surface profile, such that when the disposable drive tube is disposed in the bodily passageway so that the deformable helical thread engages the interior side wall of the bodily passageway, rotation of the disposable drive tube will induce a relative movement between the disposable drive tube and the side wall of the bodily passageway; mounting the disposable drive tube coaxially about the endoscope so that the disposable drive tube is secured to the rotatable drive collar of the endoscope; inserting the visualization system into the bodily passageway at a location remote from the site which is to be visualized, with the deformable helical thread being in the reduced profile configuration; transforming the deformable helical thread into the expanded profile configuration; rotating the disposable drive tube so as to bring together the site which is to be visualized and the visualization apparatus; and using the visualization apparatus to visualize the interior of the bodily passageway.