Sonography is gentle on the patient and allows fast, low-cost diagnosis. In miniaturized form, catheters enter the body via natural cavities like the gastrointestinal tract. Once in the body, the catheter is manuevered with superior precision to examine areas of interest.
Similar applications can exist in industrial applications for nondestructive testing. The catheter is inserted through tubes and cavities of the industrial machine directly to the site of testing. This means that the machine can be examined without disassembly.