Ergonomic controls for endoscope

1 . A controller for an auxiliary endoscope, the controller comprising:

a coupling piece for attaching to a main endoscope;

a slide post extending from the coupling piece along a slide axis;

a receiver connected to the slide post, the receiver extending along a receiver axis;

a handpiece connected to the receiver;

a working shaft extending from the handpiece and extending into the receiver, the slide post and the coupling piece; and

a first control feature located on the handpiece for operating a pull wire extending through the working shaft, the pull wire configured to steer the auxiliary endoscope;

wherein the handpiece can be moved relative to the coupling piece to adjust a position of the auxiliary endoscope relative to the main endoscope;

wherein the slide axis and the receiver axis are oblique; and

wherein the slide post includes a slot to allow the working shaft to extend from the handpiece into the slide post to enter the coupling piece.

2 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the slide post is straight along a length from a first end to a second end and the handpiece can be moved along the length of the slide post to adjust an amount of the working shaft extending through the coupling piece.

3 . The controller of claim 2 , wherein the slot extends along the length of the slide post so that the handpiece is axially translatable relative to the coupling piece along the slide axis with the working shaft extending through the slot.

4 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the slide post is configured to be coupled to the main endoscope via the coupling piece, wherein the handpiece is configured to slide along the slide post via the receiver.

5 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a socket and the handpiece comprises a swivel body rotatably coupled with the socket to facilitate rotation of the handpiece relative to the coupling piece.

6 . The controller of claim 5 , wherein the handpiece extends along a handpiece axis that is oblique relative to the receiver axis of the receiver.

7 . The controller of claim 6 , wherein:

the slide axis, the receiver axis and the handpiece axis are different from each other.

8 . The controller of claim 5 , wherein:

the receiver is connected to the slide post via a slide body configured to slide along the slide post; and

the slide post is configured to extend through the slide body.

9 . The controller of claim 4 , wherein rotation of the handpiece produces rotation of the working shaft.

10 . The controller of claim 7 , wherein the handpiece is arranged to be offset from the slide post so that the handpiece does not intersect with the slide post.

11 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the first control feature comprises a lever attached to the handpiece.

12 . The controller of claim 1 , further comprising an aperture located in the handpiece in communication with an opening in the working shaft connecting to a working channel of the working shaft.

13 . The controller of claim 1 , further comprising:

control inputs connected to the working shaft for providing interventional functionality to a distal tip of the working shaft; and

buttons positioned on the handpiece to operate the control inputs.

14 . The controller of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism to prevent movement of the handpiece relative to the coupling piece.

15 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the coupling piece comprises a coupler housing configured to attach to the main endoscope over a port for receiving the auxiliary endoscope.

16 . An endoscopy system comprising:

a main scope comprising:

a main controller;

an elongate shaft extending from the main controller, the elongate shaft having a working channel extending therethough; and

an access port located on the main controller to access the working channel; and

an auxiliary scope comprising:

a coupling piece for attaching to the access port of the main scope;

a slide post configured to be coupled to the access port via the coupling piece, the slide post extending along a slide axis;

a receiver connected to the slide post, the receiver extending along a receiver axis;

an auxiliary controller slidably attached to the slide post via the receiver;

an auxiliary shaft configured to extend from the auxiliary controller through the receiver, the slide post and the coupling piece and into the working channel of the main scope; and

a control input extending into the auxiliary controller to connect to the auxiliary shaft;

wherein the slide axis and the receiver axis are oblique; and

wherein the slide post includes a slot to allow the auxiliary shaft to extend from the auxiliary controller into the slide post to enter the coupling piece.

17 . The endoscopy system of claim 16 , wherein the auxiliary controller comprises:

a handpiece including a first control feature for operating pull wires within the auxiliary shaft;

a swivel body extending from the handpiece to seat within the receiver,

wherein the handpiece can be rotated at the swivel body to rotate the auxiliary shaft within the slide post; and

an access opening in the swivel body to receive an intervention device into the auxiliary shaft.

18 . The endoscopy system of claim 17 , wherein the handpiece is positioned by the swivel body and the receiver to be approximately parallel to the main controller.