Steerable ultrasound attachment for endoscope

1. An ultrasonic endoscope assembly, comprising:

a) an endoscope defining one or more lumens, and a needle that can be pushed forward out of a said lumen, to collect a biopsy specimen;

b) an ultrasound sub-assembly, attached to said endoscope and including:

i) a communications cable including a set of conductors, having a distal end;

ii) an ultrasound imaging head connected to said distal end of said cable, wherein said ultrasound imaging head comprises a clip-hold;

c) an imaging head movement sub-assembly, including a conduit that is releasably connected to said endoscope via a cable clip, said conduit containing a wire terminating in a head clip configured to engage said clip-hold, wherein said wire is releasably connected to said ultrasound imaging head by selective engagement and disengagement of said head clip from said clip-hold; and

d) whereby said imaging head movement sub-assembly can be released from said endoscope by detaching said cable clip from said endoscope, and whereby the selective disengagement of said head clip from said clip-hold and the detachment of the cable clip from said endoscope enables the processing of said endoscope, said imaging head movement sub-assembly, and ultrasound sub-assembly separately, between different uses.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said endoscope is a duodenoscope, further including a needle guidance head that can be controllably used to adjust the angle at which a needle is advanced from said lumen to collect a specimen.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said needle guidance head is removeable.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said ultrasound sub-assembly is releasable from said endoscope.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said distal end of said communications cable forms a neck that bends when said imaging head movement sub-assembly is used to pull said imaging head.

6. An ultrasonic endoscope assembly, comprising:

a) an endoscope defining one or more lumens, and a needle that can be pushed forward out of a said lumen, to collect a biopsy specimen;

b) an ultrasound sub-assembly, attached to said endoscope and including:

i) a communications cable including a set of conductors, having a distal end;

ii) an ultrasound imaging head connected to said distal end of said cable;

c) an imaging head movement sub-assembly, including a conduit that is releasably connected to said endoscope, said conduit containing a wire that is releasably connected to said ultrasound imaging head; and

d) whereby said imaging head movement sub-assembly can be released from said endoscope and said imaging head, enabling processing of said endoscope and ultrasound sub-assembly separately, between different uses, wherein said distal end of said communications cable forms a neck that bends when said imaging head movement sub-assembly is used to pull said imaging head and wherein said neck defines an aperture, to let said needle pass through said neck.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein said endoscope includes a needle guide that can be used to direct a needle out of said scope so as to pass through said aperture.

8. An endoscope add-on assembly adapted to be attached to a target endoscope, including:

a) an ultrasound imaging sub-assembly, including a communications cable connected to an ultrasound imaging head comprising a clip-hold;

b) an imaging head movement sub-assembly, including a conduit, holding a wire terminating in a head clip configured to engage said clip-hold;

c) a clip, adapted to permit said endoscope add-on assembly to be attached to said target endoscope;

d) wherein said imaging head movement sub-assembly is detachable from said ultrasound imaging sub-assembly by disengaging said clip-hold from said head clip, thereby permitting said ultrasound imaging sub-assembly to be processed separately from said imaging head movement subassembly, between uses.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said target endoscope is an upper endoscope.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said target endoscope is a duodenoscope.

11. The endoscope add-on assembly of claim 8 , wherein a distal end of said communications cable forms a neck that bends when said imaging head movement sub-assembly is used to pull said imaging head.

12. The endoscope add-on assembly of claim 11 , wherein said neck defines an aperture, to let said needle pass through said neck.