Patent ID: 7559890

Claim:
A method of investigating uterine pathologies using a map of the endometrial lining of an uninsufflated uterus of a patient, comprising: attaching an image sensor to an imaging channel contained within a body portion of an endoscope, where the imaging channel connects to an omni-directional tip located at the end of the body portion of the endoscope and possessing optics that enable the image sensor to image endometrial lining coapted around the circumference of the omni-directional tip; inserting the body portion of the endoscope into the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; moving a portion of the endoscope that is outside the patient's body to move the omni-directional tip of the endoscope around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; obtaining a series of images of the portions of the endometrial lining that coapt around the circumference of the omni-directional tip of the endoscope as the omni-directional tip moves around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; processing the series of images to remove at least a portion of the distortion in the images introduced by the omni-directional tip and the endoscope; and combining at least a portion of the processed images into at least one map of the endometrial lining of the uterus of the patient.