ABSTRACT
Endoscopes are very long and narrow optical relay systems designed to probe interior parts of the body. The object medium is therefore water. Therefore, the front element is usually flat, thereby permitting the endoscope to view objects in air or in the body. Because endoscopes are used inside the body, they must be capable of being sterilized either by being placed in an autoclave or being immersed in a poisonous gas such as ethylene oxide. Because of their long and narrow arrangement, endoscopes are also used in industry as a means of inspecting the interior parts of deep bores. They are then called borescopes. A laparoscope is an endoscope fitted with instruments such that the surgeon may perform surgery while looking thru the endoscope.
