US Patent 9901246 Cystoscopy system including a catheter endoscope and method of use

A system including catheter endoscope for deployment in the bladder of a patient to provide a visual display of the bladder's mucosal surface is disclosed. The catheter endoscope is an elongated member having an image acquisition component and an expandable positioning component. The catheter is deployed such that the expandable positioning component is in the bladder adjacent the bladder's neck with the image acquisition component held away from any portion of the mucosal surface. The image acquisition component is arranged to acquire a panoramic image of a sector of the mucosal surface of the bladder from the neck of the bladder to the mucosal surface of the bladder opposite the neck of the bladder and to be rotated about the axis along which the catheter is inserted to acquire an image of the entire mucosal surface of the bladder which is displayed on a monitor forming a portion of the system.