Balloon guided endoscopy

1. An endoscope assembly for use with an endoscope and comprising:

a tubular sleeve circumferentially mountable onto a distal portion of said endoscope, said tubular sleeve having a circumferential wall in which is formed a tubular passageway, said tubular passageway comprising a plurality of non-interconnected mutually longitudinally spaced relatively rigid tubular reinforcement elements configured to permit predetermined bending of said tubular passageway and to facilitate passage of an endoscope tool therethrough within said tubular passageway and outwardly of said endoscope, said plurality of non-interconnected mutually longitudinally spaced relatively rigid tubular reinforcement elements each having a length which is greater than a longitudinal spacing therebetween;

a selectably inflatable balloon arranged to be mounted over said tubular sleeve; and

an external tube having a proximal end adapted to be located adjacent a proximal end of said endoscope and a distal end adapted to be located adjacent or forward of said distal portion of said endoscope, said external tube being adapted to extend outside of and alongside said endoscope from said proximal end thereof to said distal end thereof and to extend through said tubular passageway formed in said circumferential wall of said tubular sleeve, said external tube traversing said selectably inflatable balloon by passing between said selectably inflatable balloon and said distal portion of said endoscope.

2. An endoscope assembly according to claim 1 and also comprising an endoscope tool at least part of which is arranged to extend through said external tube, said endoscope tool including a selectably inflatable balloon.

3. An endoscope assembly according to claim 2 and wherein said endoscope tool is slidably insertable through said external tube.

4. An endoscope assembly according to claim 2 and wherein said endoscope tool is not insertable through said external tube.

5. An endoscope assembly according to claim 4 and wherein said endoscope tool is slidably insertable through said tubular passageway.

6. An endoscope assembly according to claim 2 and wherein said endoscope tool is bendable forwardly of said external tube.

7. An endoscope assembly according to claim 2 and also comprising a balloon inflation/deflation controller adapted to inflate at least said selectably inflatable balloon to a predetermined anchoring pressure within a generally tubular body portion, and wherein said at least said selectably inflatable balloon has an expansion diameter range which is larger than the maximum cross sectional diameter of said generally tubular body portion.

8. An endoscope assembly according to claim 1 and also comprising fluid supply functionality adapted for supplying a fluid via said external tube.

9. An endoscope assembly according to claim 1 and also comprising a balloon inflation/deflation controller adapted to inflate said selectably inflatable balloon to a predetermined anchoring pressure within a generally tubular body portion, and wherein said selectably inflatable balloon has an expansion diameter range which is larger than the maximum cross sectional diameter of said generally tubular body portion.

10. An endoscope assembly according to claim 9 and wherein said balloon inflation/deflection controller is also adapted to inflate said selectably inflatable balloon to a pressure of between 30 and 70 millibar, which is less than said predetermined anchoring pressure, and to an expansion diameter less than the maximum cross sectional diameter of said tubular body portion.

11. An endoscopy method comprising:

providing an endoscope having a distal portion;

circumferentially mounting a tubular sleeve, having a circumferential wall in which is formed a tubular passageway, onto said distal portion of said endoscope, said tubular passageway comprising a plurality of non-interconnected mutually longitudinally spaced relatively rigid tubular reinforcement elements configured to permit predetermined bending of said tubular passageway and to facilitate passage of an endoscope tool therethrough within said tubular passageway and outwardly of said endoscope, said plurality of non-interconnected mutually longitudinally spaced relatively rigid tubular reinforcement elements each having a length which is greater than a longitudinal spacing therebetween;

providing a selectably inflatable endoscope balloon having an external tube traversing said inflatable endoscope balloon, said external tube having a proximal end adapted to be located adjacent a proximal end of said endoscope and a distal end adapted to be located adjacent or forward of a distal end of said endoscope;

extending said external tube outside of and alongside said endoscope from said proximal end thereof to said distal end thereof and through said tubular passageway formed in said circumferential wall of said tubular sleeve, thereby traversing said selectably inflatable balloon by passing between said selectably inflatable balloon and said distal portion of said endoscope; and

mounting onto said distal portion of said endoscope said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon having said external tube traversing said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon.

12. An endoscopy method according to claim 11 and wherein said mounting includes initially mounting said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon at said distal portion and thereafter mounting said external tube.

13. An endoscopy method according to claim 12 and wherein mounting said external tube includes placing said external tube between said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon and said distal portion of said endoscope.

14. An endoscopy method according to claim 11 and also comprising:

positioning a first endoscope tool having a selectably inflatable endoscope tool balloon forwardly of said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon.

15. An endoscopy method according to claim 14 and also comprising:

positioning a second endoscope tool rearwardly of said first selectably inflatable endoscope tool balloon and forwardly of said selectably inflatable endoscope balloon.