Abstract: A treatment instrument passage channel through which a treatment instrument can be passed lies through an elongated insertion unit that is inserted into a body cavity or the like. The distal opening of the treatment instrument passage channel opens onto the distal part of the insertion unit. A treatment instrument swing stand having a hole, through which the distal part of a treatment instrument led out of the distal opening is passed, bored therein is disposed near the distal opening so that the treatment instrument swing stand can swing freely. The treatment instrument swing stand is manipulated by proximally pulling angling wires. Thus, the distal part of the treatment instrument is swung from a position near the center of a field of view in both the rightward and leftward directions of an endoscope. Thus, the mucosa of a lesion can be resected easily while being caught in the field of view.

Abstract: The capsule-type medical device in accordance with the present invention is advanced the inside of the somatic cavities and lumens of humans being or animals for conducting examination, therapy, or treatment. The capsule-type medical device comprises a plurality of hard units and a soft linking unit which links the plurality of hard units and has a diameter less than that of any of the hard units, wherein one of the plurality of hard units is different in size from other hard units.

Abstract: A battery self-containing body, which self-contains a battery or a battery accommodating body, which accommodates a battery removably is attached to a capsule body including a drive circuit for driving an imaging device and an illuminating device. Thus, the power supply can be turned ON easily. In addition, the inside portion is sealed water-tightly. Thus, the battery self-containing body or a battery can be exchanged easily, which allows the easy reuse. The direction of the visual field of the imaging device is diagonal with respect to the axis of the capsule body. Furthermore, spiral-shape projections are provided on the peripheral surface of the cylinder form. Thus, the rotation allows the surface of canal cavity wall to be examined easily.

Abstract: An endoscope including; a fixing member detachably mounted to a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion part for detachably fixing and holding a distal end portion of an indwelling tube or a distal end portion of a guide member for guiding said indwelling tube, both of which are provided along the axial direction of said insertion part, to the distal end portion of said insertion part.

Abstract: Wear resistant member for electronic equipment comprises a zirconium oxide sintered body of which specific resistance is in the range from 1 to 105 &OHgr;·m. A conductivity enhancer of which specific resistance is 10−5 &OHgr;·m or less is compounded to a zirconium oxide sintered body to materialize specific resistance from 1 to 105 &OHgr;·m. For a conductivity enhancer, carbides and nitrides of various kinds of metals can be used. Wear resistant member can be used as a bearing ball, being applied in a rotational driver of electronic equipment such as a magnetic recording device and an optical disk device. Deficiency due to static electricity of electronic equipment is cancelled due to specific resistance that a zirconium oxide sintered body has.

Abstract: Wear resistant member for electronic equipment comprises a silicon nitride sintered body that contains conductivity enhancing particles, and has electrical resistivity in the range from 1 to 105 &OHgr;·m. In silicon nitride sintered body, agglomeration of conductivity enhancing particles in which distance between conductivity enhancing particles is less than 1 &mgr;m exists by 30% or less by area ratio per unit area. Wear resistant member is used for a bearing ball or the like, being applied in a rotation actuator of electronic equipment such as a magnetic recorder and optical disk drive. Malfunction of electronic equipment due to static electricity may be cancelled due to electrical resistivity that silicon nitride sintered body has.

Abstract: Wear resistant member for electronic equipment comprises a zirconium oxide sintered body of which specific resistance is in the range from 1 to 105 &OHgr;·m. A conductivity enhancer of which specific resistance is 10−5 &OHgr;·m or less is compounded to a zirconium oxide sintered body to materialize specific resistance from 1 to 105 &OHgr;·m. For a conductivity enhancer, carbides and nitrides of various kinds of metals can be used. Wear resistant member can be used as a bearing ball, being applied in a rotational driver of electronic equipment such as a magnetic recording device and an optical disk device. Deficiency due to static electricity of electronic equipment is cancelled due to specific resistance that a zirconium oxide sintered body has.

Abstract: An endoscope system having a cover type endoscope provided with an elongate inserting section having therein an observation device and an illuminating device and bulge portions formed on the outer periphery at the side of a forwardmost end of the inserting section; and an endoscope cover having an endoscope inserting passage for covering and protecting the inserting section. The endoscope inserting passage receives the inserting section using the bulge portions as a guide. The bulge portions project more than the outer periphery of the inserting section.

Abstract: In an endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section to be inserted into a cavity under inspection, a bending portion which is provided in said insertion section near a distal end thereof and is bendable in at least two different directions and an operation section to which a proximal end of the insertion section is connected and a disposable protection cover having an insertion section cover for covering said insertion section of the endoscope and having formed therein an insertion section inserting channel into which said insertion section of the endoscope is insertable and at least one conduit channel, said insertion section and bending portion of the endoscope are formed to have a non-circular lateral cross section, a direction in which said non-circular cross section has a larger size is aligned with a direction in which said bending portion is bent by a maximum bending angle or a direction in which said non-circular cross section has a smaller size is aligned with a direction in whi

Abstract: In an endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section insertable into a cavity under inspection and an operation section having at least one operation switch, the operation section being connected to a proximal end of the insertion section and a disposable protection cover having an insertion section cover for covering said insertion section of the endoscope and an operation section cover for covering the operation section of the endoscope, the insertion section cover includes a forceps channel through which existing forceps for use in ordinary coverless endoscopes can be inserted. An inner diameter of the forceps channel is determined to be slightly larger than an outer diameter of most frequently used forceps or standard forceps whose number is maximized in the outer diameter series of the forceps.

Abstract: An endoscope system provided with an electronic or optical endoscope is provided therein with an illuminating optical system, an observation optical system, a flow passage system and a forceps channel. Cleaning and disinfection operations are performed on the endoscope so that the endoscope is reusable. An electronic or optical cover type endoscope is provided therein with an illuminating optical system and an observation optical system. The cover type endoscope is used with an endoscope cover having a flow passage system and a forceps channel mounted on the cover type endoscope. The endoscope cover is discarded and replaced whereby the cover type endoscope is reused. Peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection used in combination with the endoscopes is capable of being selectively connected to any of the endoscopes.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus provided with an electronic endoscope having arranged thereon a solid-state image pickup element at an insertion portion, and external devices such as a light source device for supplying an illumination light to the electronic endoscope, a video processor for processing an electrical signal transmitted from the solid-state image pickup element of the electronic endoscope to produce a video signal. An electrical connection portion for electrically connecting the electronic endoscope and the video processor is provided at a connector portion which is provided at an end of a universal cord which connects the electronic endoscope and the light source device. An electromagnetic interference countermeasure member is provided which covers at least one of the connector portion, the universal cord and the external devices. A dual shield around a signal line is also provided which includes spirally-wound lead wires having different diameters and ends connected to video ground.

Abstract: An endoscope has a channel switching device for use in switching over a suction channel. The channel switching device consists broadly of a cylinder unit and valve unit. The valve unit can be disassembled into three component parts; a button assembly, piston assembly, and mount assembly. The button assembly has a cap, which is made of a rigid resin such as polyether ketone (PEEK) or polysulfone (PSU), as the uppermost part thereof. Since the cap is made of a rigid resin durable to autoclaving; such as, PSU or PEEK, the valve unit will not be damaged due to autoclaving. Even when the autoclaved valve unit is put to use though it is not yet cooled down, an operator will not perceive heat very much but can manipulate the endoscope as he/she intends.

Abstract: In an endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section and an operation section and a disposable protection cover having an insertion section cover having formed therein a forceps channel and a forceps inlet opening through which a forceps can be inserted into the forceps channel, the forceps inlet opening is selectively closed by a forceps plug which is made of resilient material and separately formed from the insertion section cover. The forceps plug is preferably formed such that it can be detachably secured to a forceps inlet opening of an ordinary coverless (without-cover} endoscope.

Abstract: In an endoscope of the present invention, while a cover indicator on a distal cover is aligned with a scope indicator on a main distal part, the distal cover is put on the main distal part in an axial direction at a certain insertion angle. Thereafter, the distal cover is rotated while being thrust in the axial direction. The stoppage of a locking convex part of a hook of the main distal part by a claw of a reinforcement member is released, and the locking convex part of the hook is positioned in a locking ditch of the reinforcement member. The head of the hook is constrained to move in the axial direction by means of a main distal cover that is an elastic member and the claw. The locking convex part is then fitted into the locking ditch reliably. Consequently, the distal cover can be fixed to the main distal part readily, freely detachably, and reliably with high positioning precision.

Abstract: An endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section which extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is inserted into a cavity under inspection and an operation section connected to the proximal end of the insertion section, and a protection cover including an insertion section inserting channel which extends from a proximal end to a distal end and into which said insertion section of the endoscope is insertable and a conduit channel which extends from the proximal end to the distal end, the improvement being characterized in that a distal end portion of the insertion section has a non-circular cross section such as a semicircular or oval cross section and a proximal end portion of the insertion section has a substantially circular cross section. A distal end member of the insertion section inserting channel has an accommodating portion which is a corresponding non-circular cross section.

Abstract: An endoscope system in accordance with the present invention comprises: an endoscope having an insertional part, operation unit, and connector unit set in array, and including channels that communicate with an opening formed in the distal section of the insertional part and an opening formed in the operation unit or connector unit; and at least one cleaning instrument having a flexible tube that can be connected to the opening formed in the operation unit or connector unit of the endoscope and that has the overall length thereof set to 30 cm or larger.

Abstract: An endoscope system including an endoscope having an insertion section which extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is inserted into a cavity under inspection and an operation section connected to the proximal end of the insertion section, and a protection cover including an insertion section inserting channel which extends from a proximal end to a distal end and into which said insertion section of the endoscope is insertable and a conduit channel which extends from the proximal end to the distal end, the improvement being characterized in that a distal end portion of the insertion section has a non-circular cross section such as a semicircular or oval cross section and a proximal end portion of the insertion section has a substantially circular cross section. A distal end member of the insertion section inserting channel has an accommodating portion which is a corresponding non-circular cross section.

Abstract: An endoscope having a conduit-providing flexible tube and a device for connecting said flexible tube, said device comprising a coupling member that is provided on the outer circumference with a first tapered portion the outside diameter of which decreases toward at least one end of said coupling member and that has a conduit in the interior, an annular retaining member that is fitted over the outer circumference of one end portion of said flexible tube which is to be fitted over said first tapered portion and that has on the inner circumference a second tapered portion the inside diameter of which decreases toward said at least one end in such a way as to provide engagement with said first tapered portion, and a clamp member that depresses said retaining member in the axial direction in which said first tapered portion flares, thereby depressing said flexible tube to be secured to said coupling member, characterized by further having an urging and covering member that not only covers the outer circumferential

Abstract: A cover system endoscope apparatus in which an insert part cover sheath for isolating the insert part of a cover endoscope is airtightly connected to a distal end constructive part of a tip part of an insert part cover. The insert part cover sheath is composed of a soft resin such as polyurethane exhibiting an excellent chemical resistance and a relatively high flexibility. The tip side of the cover sheath is connectively covered on an outer peripheral edge of the rear end of the distal end constructive part. The insert part cover sheath is formed with a forceps inlet on its near-at-hand side. Connected airtightly thereto is an endoscope manipulation part fixing mouth part having an expansion tube mouth for connecting an expansion tube and further a connecting part connected to a cover holding tool. An opening of an endoscope insert channel provided in an interior of the insert part cover sheath is formed on the near-at-hand side of the endoscope manipulation part fixing mouth part.