Abstract: In the endoscope configured so as to drive a tip end portion movable lens for making the observation distance variable by the linear transmission member and to rotate this linear transmission member by a motor, a shaft of the motor is connected to a shaft connecting member, and a sliding guide hole having a predetermined length is formed on a cylindrical member wall of this shaft connecting member. And, within this shaft connecting member, a distal member of the linear transmission member is movably disposed, and this distal member is provided with a pin engaging with the sliding guide hole. This apparatus advances and retreats the linear transmission member in the rotating shaft direction during the bending operation, and provides a constant load to a motor rotating shaft, making it possible to obtain a stable magnification changing operation even though there may be a change in posture of an endoscope insertion unit.

Abstract: In the endoscope, in which a protective tube and a linear transmission member are arranged from a tip end portion to an operating unit, for transmitting rotation of a motor to the tip end portion through the linear transmission member to thereby drive a movable lens for making the observation distance variable, the protective tube is divided into a front-side tube and a rear-side tube having a larger inner diameter than the front-side tube, and these are connected together within the operating unit. Also, the linear transmission member is also divided into a front-side transmission member and a rear-side transmission member having a larger outside diameter, and as regards this rear-side transmission member, there is used a multiple coiled spring formed by winding strands of a predetermined number of threads brought into tight contact in a state, in which space for predetermined intervals is left.

Abstract: A flexible tube having a laminated multi-layer structure including an outer layer composed of a main tube body layer formed of thermoplastic synthetic resin in a predetermined thickness and a reinforcing layer provided on the inner side of the main tube body layer, and an inner layer formed of a thin film sheet of air tight and low friction material. The inner layer is formed by rolling an elongated strip of a thin film sheet into a tubular form such that opposite lateral sides of the thin film sheet are overlapped one on the other to provide a thick wall portion extending longitudinally of and at one angular position of the inner layer.

Abstract: A cap of an endoscope has an end part. On an inner periphery of the end part, a reference mark showing an ideal focus position and six marks are formed with regular intervals. When a circular end surface of the cap is pressed against a mucous membrane, the mucous membrane swells to the reference mark. Therefore, the mucous membrane can be kept at the ideal focus position for an object optical system.

Abstract: A jet nozzle for spurting a wash fluid toward an observation window of an optical image pickup system fitted in a rigid tip end section of the insertion instrument for cleaning the observation window. The jet nozzle includes an inlet passage portion which is provided at a proximal end of the jet nozzle coaxially in communication with an axial wash fluid passage in the rigid tip end section of the insertion instrument, a jet spout passage portion which is located on a distal end face of the rigid tip end section and terminating with a jet spout opening of a predetermined width. The jet spout passage portion is provided with a straight flow rectifying passage of a predetermined length toward the jet outlet opening.

Abstract: A rotary driving member at the tip end portion is rotated by a motor through a linear transmission member, and the rotation of this rotary driving member is converted into a straight-line motion to thereby enable a movable lens for making the observation distance variable to move within a predetermined range. A motor shaft and the linear transmission member are connected to each other by the shaft connecting member, whereby the linear transmission member is constructed so as to be able to move in an axial direction, and on the outer peripheral portion of the shaft connecting member, a rotating member having a protruded portion is mounted, and the rotation stopper mechanism is constituted by the rotating member and a locking pin portion. Thereby, any kink of the linear transmission member is eliminated to improve the response of driving control, and loads given to the tip end portion driving member and the linear transmission member are reduced.

Abstract: An endoscope conduit controller makes it possible to selectively use both fluid control by a mechanical valve and fluid control by a solenoid-valve unit in one system. The controller is constituted so that both a mechanical suction member and an electrical suction member having a solenoid-valve opening/closing switch can be removably set to a catching port of a catching part provided for a case body of an endoscope operation part. Moreover, the controller is configured so that an operation signal of the electrical suction member is transmitted to a solenoid-valve unit by electrical connection unit set in an endoscope or through an external signal cable or the like. Furthermore, the same is true for the case of air supply/water supply. Thereby, it is possible to selectively perform fluid control by a mechanical valve or fluid control by a solenoid-valve unit in one endoscope.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a fixing member is integrated with a mouthpiece body through slide grooves and a rotational groove, and this improves the portability. Moreover, a guide tube can easily be fixed to the mouthpiece body only by rotating the fixing member with the rotational groove. Furthermore, an index is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube. The index is composed of scale lines formed at regular intervals and scale numbers formed at predetermined scale lines. The scale numbers represent the distances from a front end of the guide tube to the scale line, and the distances from a back end of the guide tube to the scale line. The index of the guide tube is used in combination with an index formed on an endoscope insertion part, and this makes it possible to correctly recognize the insertion length of the endoscope insertion part inserted into a body cavity of a subject.

Abstract: A guide tube which stabilizes a guide position of a scope inserted into an object to be observed and serves to prevent a surface wall portion of the object to be observed from being pinched by a leading end. A metal ring and a hard plastic ring having a ring like convex portion are attached to a leading end of a main tube of the guide tube. The ring like convex portion is made, for example, of an elastic polyurethane resin and a protruding end has an inside diameter D1 which is slightly smaller than an outside diameter of a scope to be guided. The guide tube is capable of bringing the scope into close contact with an inside of the convex portion. Furthermore, the metal ring makes it possible to confirm a location of the guide tube by x-ray radioscopy inspection.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for endoscopes which can supply air and water according to each application by regulating air and water flow rates independently. Although air and water may be supplied with one pump, the present invention controls air and water flow rates separately by using an air supply pump and water supply pump and by controlling a plurality of open-close valves installed, for example, on atmospheric escape pipes. The air channel and water channel are connected, for draining, by a first connecting pipe. If the air supply pump is used also for water supply and the water supply pump is used also for air supply, it is possible to supply air and water at a high flow rate fast enough even for high-speed water injection. If a fixed flow rate is used for a specified time at the start, specific operations can be simplified.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for endoscopes which can supply air and water according to each application by regulating air and water flow rates independently. Although air and water may be supplied with one pump, the present invention controls air and water flow rates separately by using an air supply pump and water supply pump and by controlling a plurality of open-close valves installed, for example, on atmospheric escape pipes. The air channel and water channel are connected, for draining, by a first connecting pipe. If the air supply pump is used also for water supply and the water supply pump is used also for air supply, it is possible to supply air and water at a high flow rate fast enough even for high-speed water injection. If a fixed flow rate is used for a specified time at the start, specific operations can be simplified.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a fixing member is integrated with a mouthpiece body through slide grooves and a rotational groove, and this improves the portability. Moreover, a guide tube can easily be fixed to the mouthpiece body only by rotating the fixing member with the rotational groove. Furthermore, an index is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the guide tube. The index is composed of scale lines formed at regular intervals and scale numbers formed at predetermined scale lines. The scale numbers represent the distances from a front end of the guide tube to the scale line, and the distances from a back end of the guide tube to the scale line. The index of the guide tube is used in combination with an index formed on an endoscope insertion part, and this makes it possible to correctly recognize the insertion length of the endoscope insertion part inserted into a body cavity of a subject.

Abstract: In the endoscope configured so as to drive a tip end portion movable lens for making the observation distance variable by the linear transmission member and to rotate this linear transmission member by a motor, a shaft of the motor is connected to a shaft connecting member, and a sliding guide hole having a predetermined length is formed on a cylindrical member wall of this shaft connecting member. And, within this shaft connecting member, a distal member of the linear transmission member is movably disposed, and this distal member is provided with a pin engaging with the sliding guide hole. This apparatus advances and retreats the linear transmission member in the rotating shaft direction during the bending operation, and provides a constant load to a motor rotating shaft, making it possible to obtain a stable magnification changing operation even though there may be a change in posture of an endoscope insertion unit.

Abstract: An endoscopic observation means having least a couple of illumination means are provided at a distal end portion of an endoscopic insertion instrument, the illumination means being on the opposite sides of and substantially on the same plane as an optical image pickup means. Each one of the illumination means includes a light guide for transmitting on illumination light from a light source, and an illumination lens for dispersing illumination light over an imaging area of a subject under observation. Further, the endoscopic observation means includes an objective lens system having a variable observation distance. The illumination means on the opposite sides of the observation means are spaced apart from each other by such a distance as to hold illuminance in peripheral portions of an imaging area of the subject to a level not greater than 200%, preferably, in the range of 200% to 120% of an illuminance level in portions of the imaging area.

Abstract: A plug device for use in an entrance passage which is provided on a manipulating head of an endoscope to guide a treating instrument like forceps into an instrument channel of the endoscope. The plug device includes a metallic outer shell, and a pressure relief member formed of a resilient material and fitted in the outer shell member, the pressure relief member having: a valve portion including a slit which is normally closed and openable on insertion of a treating instrument into the entrance passage; a pressure relief chamber; and throttle portions including apertures of different size located on the inner and outer sides of the pressure relief chamber within the entrance passage to the instrument channel of the endoscope. An auxiliary or secondary pressure relief chamber is formed between the valve member and the pressure relief member.

Abstract: An endoscope which allows a washing brush from an endoscope control section into all tubes, thereby facilitating washing works. In the endoscope control section, a water feeding pipe, for example, is separated into a front tube and a rear tube, and their openings are exposed as washing ports. A support portion of a tube unit is disposed so as to be attachable and detachable to and from the openings of these tubes, and a rear aspirating tube is disposed in the tube unit. This configuration makes it possible to detach and brush the tubes with a washing brush inserted from the openings into the front tubes on the side of a tip section and the rear tubes on the side of a cable. Further, control switches for opening and closing the tubes can be disposed on the tube unit, and elastic tube members may be disposed between the tubes on the side of the tube unit and the tubes on the side of the control section. Furthermore, the tube unit may be made of elastic rubber as a whole.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control switch device in which in an endoscope using an electrical control switch to carry out duct control, the conventional operation sense is left, and the flow rate in a duct can be regulated securely. An air/water feed switch portion disposed in an endoscope control section is configured so that a push button, first piston body, and second piston body are moved vertically by using a spring member in an upper and lower support cylinders. The second piston body is operated with an operation stroke which is longer than the stroke of the first piston body, and both of these piston bodies turn on/off an air feed switch and a water feed switch. Also, a suction switch using a pressure-sensitive sensor is used, and this suction switch is turned on/off by the piston body. At this time, in the suction switch, the operation pressure of the push button is detected, and suction of flow rate according to the operation pressure is effected.

Abstract: A passage structure of an endoscope which facilitates the passage washing operation by enabling all the passages to be washed with a washing brush passed through from the operating portion. A passage unit is removably attached to the operating portion, and the passages are exposed to a return portion provided at the rear end portion of the operating portion. The passage unit is provided with an auxiliary tube for, for example, flushing the lens surface, and an injection hole member having an injection hole and a replaceable check valve is removably connected thereto, thereby enabling washing of the tubes from the operating portion of the endoscope. A tight spring is fitted over a soft tube which is disposed in a straight line in the operating portion, and a tape is wound around the soft tube placed along a hard tube such as a suction tube.

Abstract: An endoscope system of the present invention makes it possible to pass a cleaning brush through all conduits, simplify cleaning, and perform disinfection such as sterilization by an autoclave. The system is an endoscope for controlling the opening/closing of various conduits by an solenoid valve unit, in which a conduit unit is removably set to the joint at the rear end of an operating portion and a conduit to be connected to various conduits at the main frame side is set to the conduit unit. Moreover, a second cable which is used separately from a first cable in which an electric-signal transmission line is set is provided for the conduit unit to lead said conduit to the solenoid-valve unit. Thereby, it is possible to separately clean the conduit unit by removing it from the main frame. Therefore, cleaning is simplified and the conduit unit can be sterilized by an autoclave or the like.

Abstract: A coupler structure for tube units of endoscopes functions to prevent a liquid, etc. remaining in aspiration tubes from adhering or penetrating to or into other tubes, and avoid increasing surplus cleaning and sterilizing works. Aspiration tubes have protruding lengths longer than those of air feeding tubes and water feeding tubes in couplers of an endoscope which is configured to couple a tube unit with a control section by way of a faucet joint and control rings. All these tubes are arranged so as to protrude from wall surfaces. When a positioning key and a key groove which also serve for restricting rotation are to be disposed, this key is configured longer than the aspiration tubes. This coupler structure allows the air feeding tube and the water feeding tube to have been already pulled out when the aspiration tube is pulled out, thereby preventing soiled water, etc. flowing out of the aspiration tubes from adhering to or penetrating into the air feeding tubes and water feeding tubes.