Patent ID: 7591781

Claim:
An endoscope system comprising: an endoscope having an elongated insertion unit comprising adjoining bending and distal sections; and a guide member for guiding the insertion unit, the guide member having proximal and distal guide member ends and including a plurality of tubular members having varying outer diameters, each tubular member of the plurality of tubular members having proximal and distal ends, a guide channel of a predetermined inner diameter permitting passage of tubular members having smaller outer diameter and the insertion unit, a predetermined degree of flexibility, a predetermined length, and a direction changing unit operative to change an advancing direction in which tubular members having smaller outer diameter and the insertion unit are advanced through the guide channel, the guide member is adapted to be passed through or placed in a pipe, wherein the direction changing unit is a distal cover member attachable to the distal end of the tubular member; the distal cover member having a passing direction changing opening formed in a lateral side of the distal cover member; and the passing direction changing opening changes the passing direction, in which the insertion unit is passed, from an axial direction of the tubular member to a lateral direction thereof