ISSN: 2047-2919 ANDROLOGY ORIGINAL ARTICLE Correspondence: Micro-endoscopy of the human vas Matthias Trottmann, Department of Urology, University Hospitals Munich – Campus deferens: a feasibility study of a Grosshadern, 81377 Munich, Germany. E-mail:
[email protected]. de novel device in several ex vivo models Keywords: azoospermia, infertility, seminal vesicles 1M. Trottmann, 1,2R. Sroka, 3C. Braun, 4B. Liedl, 5H. Schaaf, 3M. Graw, Received: 17-Apr-2016 1A. J. Becker, 1C. G. Stief and 1W. Y. Khoder Revised: 17-Jul-2016 1 2 Accepted: 2-Aug-2016 Department of Urology, Klinikum Grosshadern, University of Munich, Munich, Germany, LIFE Centre, University Hospital of Munich, Munich, Germany, 3Department for Forensic Medicine, University of Munich, Munich, Germany, 4Department of Urogenital Surgery, Clinics for Surgery doi: 10.1111/andr.12282 Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany, and 5Polydiagnost GmbH, Hallbergmoos, Germany SUMMARY The aim of this study was to show limitation as well as potential of micro-endoscopy techniques as an innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approach in andrology. Two kinds of custom-made micro-endoscopes (ME) were tested in ex vivo vas deferens specimen and in post-mortem whole body. The semi-rigid ME included a micro-optic (0.9 mm outer diameter [OD], 10.000 pixels, 120° vision angle [VE], 3–20 mm field depth [FD]) and an integrated fibre-optic light source. The flexible ME was composed of a micro-optic (OD = 0.6 mm, 6.000 pixels, 120° VE, 3–20 mm FD). The ex vivo study included retrograde investigation of the vas deferens (surgical specimen n = 9, radical prostatectomy n = 3).