Patent ID: 8187172

Claim:
A method of performing a medical endoscope exchange, said method comprising steps of: directing a first endoscope to a target site within a patient body; directing a wire guide through a working channel of the first endoscope; withdrawing the first endoscope along the wire guide, leaving the wire guide in a desired location within the patient; providing an end cap that includes: a generally tubular body having a proximal engagement portion and a distal cap end portion, open at both ends; said distal end portion comprising at least one aperture configured to accommodate passage of the wire guide, said aperture disposed through a side wall portion of the distal end portion; attaching the proximal engagement portion of the end cap around a distal end of a second endoscope; directing a proximal end of the wire guide into the open distal end cap portion and out through the at least one aperture so that the wire guide extends along an external length of the second endoscope from the end cap toward a proximal end of the second endoscope; and navigating the second endoscope along the wire guide to a target location within the patient.