Patent ID: 8684913

Claim:
An apparatus configured to access a bodily passageway, comprising: an endoscope including an insertion portion; a gear box disposed within the insertion portion; a collar rotatable relative to the gear box; a handle disposed at a proximal end portion of the endoscope; a channel sheath disposed within the endoscope, extending from the handle to the gear box, wherein a distal end portion of the channel sheath is in communication with the gear box and a proximal end portion of the channel sheath is in communication with a channel port disposed on the handle; a drive tube including a lumen configured to receive the endoscope and mounted to the collar such that the drive tube is enabled to rotate relative to the gear box with the collar; a helically-wound thread disposed on an outer wall of the drive tube and configured such that rotation of the drive tube causes the drive tube with the endoscope to move along the passageway; and a detachable drive unit including a flexible drive shaft and a transmission gear on a distal end portion of the flexible drive shaft, the detachable drive unit being configured such that the detachable drive unit inserted into the channel sheath is removable from the channel sheath, wherein the transmission gear is positioned to engage with the collar so that the transmission gear is arranged to transfer the rotary motion from the flexible drive shaft to the collar to rotate the drive tube with the collar when the detachable drive unit is inserted into the channel sheath.