Patent ID: 7056293

Claim:
A method for detecting identifying and monitoring women at risk of developing OSE-derived carcinomas, which includes the following steps Obtaining a pap smear from a female patient; Exposing a vaginal fornix of the patient; Employing a device having an introducer needle which is tubular having a connectable open end and a second terminal open end and a diameter to operably co-receive an optic fiber and a tissue removing member therethrough and configured for insertion into the female patient such that said terminal end of said needle is positioned adjacent an ovary of the female patient; a microendoscope having a housing having an open surface end sealably connected to said connectable end, an optic fiber operably extending through said open surface end and which is operably inserted into said needle in a manner to enable an image of the ovary to be obtained therethrough, said housing having a first channel defined therein to receive said optic fiber, a second channel configured to receive an optic light source for illumination of said optic fiber and a third channel, each said channel defines a separate, continuous and unobstructed path to said open surface end, and a tissue removing member insertable through said third channel in a manners to be operably co-insertable into said needle with said optic fiber therein to enable removal of ovarian tissue cells with minimal deleterious effect to the ovary; Inserting said introducer needle into the fornix to advance said microendoscope to enable visualization of the ovary; Advancing said tissue removing member through said third channel to contact the ovary in a manner to enable OSE tissue cells to be obtained therewith; and Removing the tissue removing member and OSE tissue cells from said device for analysis.