Laparoscopic and endoscopic instrument guiding method and apparatus

In an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrument assembly, an elongate tubular instrument guide is inserted into a biopsy channel of an endoscope or laparoscope. The tubular instrument guide is provided with a distal end portion having a spring bias tending to form the distal end portion into an arcuate configuration. The tubular instrument guide is longitudinally slidable in the biopsy channel, whereby the distal end portion may be alternately maintained in a relatively straightened configuration in a distal end of the biopsy channel and moved outside of the biopsy channel to assume the arcuate configuration. An elongate flexible endoscopic or laparoscopic instrument is slidably inserted into the tubular instrument guide so that an operative tip at a distal end of the instrument may project outwardly from the distal end portion upon an ejection of at least a part of the distal end portion of the tubular instrument guide from the biopsy channel.