Patent ID: 8888686

Claim:
A method for treating sinusitis comprising: forming an artificial passageway into the maxillary sinus with an access sheath assembly comprising a shaft and an extendable handle, the handle having a slot dimensioned to receive a rim of an extension element open on one side thereof, the shaft traversing the canine fossa region of the subject; advancing an endoscope into the shaft of the access sheath assembly, the endoscope having a substantially rigid shaft comprising a distal segment that defines a working lumen and a separate optics lumen separate from the working lumen, wherein the distal segment includes a distal tip having a beveled portion and a perpendicular portion, wherein the perpendicular portion is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the shaft and the beveled portion is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein the beveled portion covers a distal end of the working lumen and the optics lumen terminates in the perpendicular portion of the distal tip, and wherein the substantially rigid shaft of the endoscope is partially held within a housing including an eyepiece and a light input port operatively connected to a light source wherein said endoscope is advanced until the housing abuts the handle; advancing a balloon catheter along the working lumen of the endoscope so as to place the balloon into the maxillary sinus outflow tract; and dilating the balloon of the balloon catheter.