Patent ID: 7318831

Claim:
A method of performing surgery on a site within a dry passageway, said method including the steps of: positioning an endoscope in the passageway, the endoscope having a distal end, wherein the distal end of the endoscope is positioned so that a surgical site in the passageway can be viewed through the distal end of the endoscope; placing an elongated cutting accessory in the passageway, the cutting accessory having a distal end with a tissue working member and the cutting accessory defining a conduit through which fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory; viewing the surgical site and the cutting accessory through the endoscope; applying the cutting accessory to the surgical site and performing a procedure with the cutting accessory; cleaning the distal end of the endoscope by: causing fluid to flow through the conduit so that the fluid is discharged from the distal end of the cutting accessory in a spray; and positioning the endoscope and the cutting accessory so that the fluid spray discharged by the cutting accessory strikes the distal end of the endoscope while the distal end of the endoscope is in the passageway; and drawing a suction through the cutting accessory to remove from the passageway the fluid discharged to clean the endoscope.