| abstract |
An endoscope, in particular for applications in urology, has a hollow shaft (10), an optical viewing system (12) which can be inserted in the hollow shaft (10) and has a fiber-optic illumination system, an optical fiber (16) which can be introduced with the optical system (12) into the hollow shaft (10) and connected at its proximal end to an external laser source and is bent at its distal end away from the shaft axis. In order to allow irradiation of tissue lying closely packed around the hollow shaft, an indeformable holding tube (14) which is parallel to the optical system (12) and passes through the hollow shaft (10) is provided; this tube accommodates the optical fiber (16) and its distal end is bent at a fixed angle in relation to the shaft axis and accommodated entirely within the shaft cross-section. A spacer (36) with a radiation window (32) ensures that the tissue to be irradiated cannot lie next to the point (18) at which light emerges from the optical fiber (16). |