Abstract: A mounting device for an elastic tubular member includes a movable sleeve holding member, and arms each of which has one end swingably fixed to the movable sleeve holding member. The other end of each arm has a receiving portion whose state changes between a diameter-reduced state and a diameter-expanded state due to swinging of the arm. The movable sleeve includes a flange portion which constitutes a distal end surface, and includes pushing portions having different heights in a pushing direction. The receiving portions becomes the diameter-reduced state to mount the elastic tubular member on the receiving portions, and the receiving portions becomes the diameter-expanded state to expand the diameter of the elastic tubular member. By moving the movable sleeve after the diameter is expanded, the pushing portions disengage the rubber band from the receiving portions, and the elastic tubular member is mounted to an endoscope insertion portion.

Abstract: An endoscope device includes: a balloon; a balloon controller; a remote controller capable of inputting a plurality of types of balloon operations including an inflation operation and a deflation operation of the balloon; a controller operation switch (multifunctional switch) for operating the balloon controller, the controller operation switch being provided in an endoscope and capable of inputting a plurality of types of the balloon operations that are common to the remote controller; and a processor (display control unit), in which the processor is configured to, in a case in which the balloon operation is input to the controller operation switch, reflect a type of the balloon operation input to the controller operation switch on a remote controller image displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope, and an insertion auxiliary tool into which the endoscope is inserted. A flexible portion of the insertion section of the endoscope includes, from a distal end side toward a proximal end side, a low flexural rigidity portion, a flexural rigidity varying portion in which a flexural rigidity increases from the distal end side toward the proximal end side, and a high flexural rigidity portion with flexural rigidity higher than that in the low flexural rigidity portion. When at least a part of the flexible portion projects from a distal end opening of the tube body, a position of the proximal end of the low flexural rigidity portion is positioned closer to a proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool than the distal end opening of the tube body from the proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope, and an insertion auxiliary tool into which the endoscope is inserted. A flexible portion of the insertion section of the endoscope includes, from a distal end side toward a proximal end side, a low flexural rigidity portion, a flexural rigidity varying portion in which a flexural rigidity increases from the distal end side toward the proximal end side, and a high flexural rigidity portion with flexural rigidity higher than that in the low flexural rigidity portion. When at least a part of the flexible portion projects from a distal end opening of the tube body, a position of the proximal end of the low flexural rigidity portion is positioned closer to a proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool than the distal end opening of the tube body from the proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool.

Abstract: Provided are an endoscope apparatus capable of reducing a diameter of a mounting portion in a case where a balloon is mounted on an insertion part of an endoscope, and the balloon. An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope having an insertion part, and a balloon mounted on the insertion part. The balloon includes a first sleeve part, a second sleeve part, and a balloon main body. The balloon has an inner diameter of the first sleeve part, which is 1/10 or more and ½ or less of an outer diameter of the insertion part, in a pre-mounting state before the balloon is mounted to the insertion part. An inner diameter of the second sleeve part may be set to 1/10 or more and ½ or less of the outer diameter of the insertion part.

Abstract: There is provided an overtube that can suppress contact of an opening edge portion of a ventilation hole of the overtube with a lumen inner wall surface. The overtube includes an overtube body that has a distal end and a proximal end and allows an insertion part of an endoscope, which is to be inserted into a lumen, to be inserted therein, a balloon that is mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the overtube body, a protruding part that is formed on the outer circumferential surface, and an ventilation hole that is formed in the outer circumferential surface and allows the outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface of the overtube body to communicate with each other. On the outer circumferential surface, one of the protruding part or the ventilation hole is formed in a peripheral portion of the other.

Abstract: There is provided an endoscope system which can secure appropriate bending stiffness of an insertion portion while maintaining the slide length of an endoscope insertion portion. According to one aspect of one of the present invention, in an endoscope system including an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool in which the endoscope is inserted and which assists the insertion of an endoscope insertion portion into a body, a flexible portion of the endoscope insertion portion includes a projection region which projects from the distal end opening of a tube body when the endoscope insertion portion is located in the distal end position in a movable range with respect to the tube body of the insertion assisting tool, and the projection region includes a bending stiffness change portion in which bending stiffness increases from a first position on the distal end side to a second position on the proximal end side.

Abstract: Provided is an overtube capable of suppressing closing of a ventilation hole provided in an overtube body during endoscopy. An overtube (10) of the present invention includes an overtube body (70) and a balloon (78) that is disposed between a first position (P1) in a direction of a central axis (A) of the overtube body (70) and a second position (P2) positioned on a proximal end (74) side of the overtube body (70) from the first position (P1). The overtube body (70) is provided with a ventilation hole (94) that allows an outer circumferential surface (70A) and an endoscope insertion passage (71) to communicate with each other. The ventilation hole (94) is provided in a ventilation hole-formed region (70D) provided on the proximal end (74) side from the second position (P2). The ventilation hole-formed region (70D) is in a region within a range of 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less from the second position (P2) toward the proximal end (74) side of the overtube body (70).

Abstract: Provided are an endoscope apparatus capable of reducing a diameter of a mounting portion in a case where a balloon is mounted on an insertion part of an endoscope, and the balloon. An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope having an insertion part, and a balloon mounted on the insertion part. The balloon includes a first sleeve part, a second sleeve part, and a balloon main body. The balloon has an inner diameter of the first sleeve part, which is 1/10 or more and ½ or less of an outer diameter of the insertion part, in a pre-mounting state before the balloon is mounted to the insertion part. An inner diameter of the second sleeve part may be set to 1/10 or more and ½ or less of the outer diameter of the insertion part.

Abstract: There is provided an overtube that can suppress contact of an opening edge portion of a ventilation hole of the overtube with a lumen inner wall surface. The overtube includes an overtube body that has a distal end and a proximal end and allows an insertion part of an endoscope, which is to be inserted into a lumen, to be inserted therein, a balloon that is mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the overtube body, a protruding part that is formed on the outer circumferential surface, and an ventilation hole that is formed in the outer circumferential surface and allows the outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface of the overtube body to communicate with each other. On the outer circumferential surface, one of the protruding part or the ventilation hole is formed in a peripheral portion of the other.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope, and an insertion auxiliary tool into which the endoscope is inserted. A flexible portion of the insertion section of the endoscope includes, from a distal end side toward a proximal end side, a low flexural rigidity portion, a flexural rigidity varying portion in which a flexural rigidity increases from the distal end side toward the proximal end side, and a high flexural rigidity portion with flexural rigidity higher than that in the low flexural rigidity portion. When at least a part of the flexible portion projects from a distal end opening of the tube body, a position of the proximal end of the low flexural rigidity portion is positioned closer to a proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool than the distal end opening of the tube body from the proximal end of the insertion auxiliary tool.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope, and an insertion auxiliary tool into which the endoscope is inserted. A flexible portion of the insertion section of the endoscope includes, from a distal end side toward a proximal end side, a low flexural rigidity portion, a flexural rigidity varying portion in which a flexural rigidity increases from the distal end side toward the proximal end side, and a high flexural rigidity portion with flexural rigidity higher than that in the low flexural rigidity portion. When at least a part of the flexible portion projects from a distal end opening of the tube body, a proximal end position of the low flexural rigidity portion is on a proximal end side of the tube body with respect to the distal end opening.

Abstract: There is provided an endoscope system which can secure appropriate bending stiffness of an insertion portion while maintaining the slide length of an endoscope insertion portion. According to one aspect of one of the present invention, in an endoscope system including an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool in which the endoscope is inserted and which assists the insertion of an endoscope insertion portion into a body, a flexible portion of the endoscope insertion portion includes a projection region which projects from the distal end opening of a tube body when the endoscope insertion portion is located in the distal end position in a movable range with respect to the tube body of the insertion assisting tool, and the projection region includes a bending stiffness change portion in which bending stiffness increases from a first position on the distal end side to a second position on the proximal end side.

Abstract: In order to secure a path of insertion for an insertion rod 2 of an endoscope 1 and for transformation from a flexible structure to a rigid structure, a guide tube is constituted by a flexible double tube 13 having flexible inner and outer tubes 11 and 12 which are flexible in bending directions and fitted one on the other to define a hermetically closed space therebetween. Muscle members 14, each composed of a friction strip 15 and attached with a metal wire 16, are provided at predetermined angular positions between the inner and outer tubes. Dislodgements of the muscle members 14 from the respective angular positions are prevented by restraint rings 17. A suction tube 18 of a pump unit 19 is connected to the double tube 13 to evacuate a fluid from the closed space between the inner and outer tubes 11 and 12.

Abstract: A torque transmission device is a steerable device for an endoscope, and includes a first link element having a first guide lumen. A second link element is disposed at a distal end of the first link element in a longitudinal axis direction, and has a second guide lumen. A control wire is disposed through the first and second guide lumens movably in the longitudinal axis direction. A pivot mechanism couples the first link element to the second link element in a rotatable manner about a pivot axis being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis direction. The control wire through the first and second guide lumens extends in a coplanar manner with the pivot axis and crosswise thereto. Preferably, there is a flexible section having the first and second link elements. A steering unit has third and fourth link elements.

Abstract: It is an insertion path securing apparatus for guiding an insertion instrument to be inserted into a body-cavity, by an insertion portion having a longitudinal axis. The insertion path securing apparatus includes a first bending member configured to be bendable by operating a first bending operation portion, a second bending member configured to be bendable at a position differing from that of the first bending member by operating a second bending operation member, and a hardness changing member. A hardness variable portion of the hardness changing member can change hardness between a flexible state in which flexibility, with which the insertion portion is bendable by the first or second bending member, is given to the insertion portion by operating the hardness changing operation portion, and a rigid state in which a curved shape given to the insertion portion by the first and second bending members is maintained.

Abstract: A transmittance adjuster unit includes multiple transmittance adjusters arranged in a predetermined pattern, if the pattern density is ?(x, y), the maximum luminance Fmax of the light emitted from the light emission plane of a planar illumination device when the unit is not provided is 1, the minimum luminance is Fmin, and the relative luminance with respect to the maximum luminance Fmax of the light emitted from a predetermined position (x, y) of the emission plane is F(x, y), the relationship between the luminance F(x, y) and the pattern density ?(x, y) satisfies the following expression: ?(x, y)=c{F(x, y)?Fmin}/(Fmax?Fmin), wherein 0.5?c?1. This unit is thin and lightweight, and can reduce unevenness of the luminance without reducing the average luminance of the incident light. The planar illumination device includes the transmittance adjuster unit and a liquid crystal display device includes the planar illumination device.

Abstract: A light guide plate of the invention has a plurality of unit light guide plates that are formed of a transparent resin material and which are joined together. Each of the unit light guide plates has a flat rectangular light exit surface and a back surface that is opposite the light exit surface and which has a parallel groove formed in generally a center and parallel to a side of the rectangular light exit surface. The light guide plate is used with a linear light source fitted in the parallel groove, satisfying the inequality (L0/280)2·k(14T2+710T)·(?0.65 log S+1.9)?10, where L0 is the length (mm) of the light guide plate, k is the linear expansion coefficient [/° C.] of the resin material, Ts is the surface temperature [° C.] of the linear light source that has become stable, S is half of the cross-sectional area [mm2] of the unit light guide plate as it is cut through a plane perpendicular to the parallel groove, and T=Ts ?25.

Abstract: The planar lighting device includes rod type light sources, a light guide plate having light guide plate blocks, each being formed of an integral assembly of at least two light guide plate units each having a rear surface with a groove formed to accommodate a rod type light source and a light exit surface that is away from the rear surface and which is for emitting the light from the light source and a transmittance adjuster unit that is provided on a side closer to the light exit surface, and which has a sheet type optical member capable of transmitting light and transmittance adjusters provided on at least one surface of the optical member. The transmittance adjusters at a position corresponding to a seam between adjacent light guide plate blocks are distributed at a different density than the transmittance adjusters at a position corresponding to a joint between adjacent light guide plate units.

Abstract: A parallel groove of a light guide place for accommodating a light source has, in a perpendicular cross section, a shape composed of a pair of contour lines that approach each other toward a light emitting plane, cross at a peak, and has a part where an inclination angle to a line vertical to the light emitting plane changes, and the inclination angle at a base end side far from the peak is sharper than that at a tip end side close to the peak. Thus, uniform and high brightness light can be emitted.