Abstract: A medical observation apparatus includes: a display unit that displays thereon an observation image corresponding to a result of examination on a subject; a first camera that performs imaging of plural persons surrounding the subject, and outputs a surrounding image; a selecting unit that selects, based on the surrounding image, an indicator from the plural persons; a line of sight detecting unit that detects a line of sight of the indicator; and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display thereon a superimposed image having a pointer superimposed on the observation image, the pointer being at a position according to a destination of the line of sight of the indicator.

Abstract: A three-dimensional endoscope system includes: an imaging unit configured to capture a first image and a second image having parallax with respect to each other; and an image generation unit configured to generate a display image for stereoscopic viewing by performing image processing on the first image and the second image captured by the imaging unit, wherein the image generation unit generates the display image based on the first image and a third image obtained by replacing a part of the second image with a part of the first image at a corresponding position.

Abstract: A medical endoscope system adapted to be inserted into a living body to image an interior of the living body includes: an imaging device that includes a distal end part inserted into the living body to illuminate the living body, and condenses light from the living body to generate two imaging signals having parallaxes; first and second light source units configured to generate first illumination light and second illumination light for illuminating the living body respectively, and supply the first illumination light and the second illumination light to the imaging device; and a display image generation unit configured to generate a display image signal based on the two imaging signals from the imaging device.

Abstract: A medical observation apparatus includes: a display unit that displays thereon an observation image corresponding to a result of examination on a subject; a first camera that performs imaging of plural persons surrounding the subject, and outputs a surrounding image; a selecting unit that selects, based on the surrounding image, an indicator from the plural persons; a line of sight detecting unit that detects a line of sight of the indicator; and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display thereon a superimposed image having a pointer superimposed on the observation image, the pointer being at a position according to a destination of the line of sight of the indicator.

Abstract: A medical observation apparatus includes: a display unit that displays thereon an observation image corresponding to a result of examination on a subject; a first camera that performs imaging of plural persons surrounding the subject, and outputs a surrounding image; a selecting unit that selects, based on the surrounding image, an indicator from the plural persons; a line of sight detecting unit that detects a line of sight of the indicator; and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display thereon a superimposed image having a pointer superimposed on the observation image, the pointer being at a position according to a destination of the line of sight of the indicator.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an insertion unit having at a distal end thereof a light-incident end portion that captures observation light from a subject, the insertion unit being insertable into an object to be examined; and an ultraviolet light source unit that emits ultraviolet light. The light-incident end portion is provided with an ultraviolet light absorption filter that generates heat by absorbing the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light source unit.

Abstract: A three-dimensional endoscope system includes: an imaging unit configured to capture a first image and a second image having parallax with respect to each other; and an image generation unit configured to generate a display image for stereoscopic viewing by performing image processing on the first image and the second image captured by the imaging unit, wherein the image generation unit generates the display image based on the first image and a third image obtained by replacing a part of the second image with a part of the first image at a corresponding position.

Abstract: A medical observation apparatus includes: a display unit that displays thereon an observation image corresponding to a result of examination on a subject; a first camera that performs imaging of plural persons surrounding the subject, and outputs a surrounding image; a selecting unit that selects, based on the surrounding image, an indicator from the plural persons; a line of sight detecting unit that detects a line of sight of the indicator; and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display thereon a superimposed image having a pointer superimposed on the observation image, the pointer being at a position according to a destination of the line of sight of the indicator.

Abstract: A medical endoscope system adapted to be inserted into a living body to image an interior of the living body includes: an imaging device that includes a distal end part inserted into the living body to illuminate the living body, and condenses light from the living body to generate two imaging signals having parallaxes; first and second light source units configured to generate first illumination light and second illumination light for illuminating the living body respectively, and supply the first illumination light and the second illumination light to the imaging device; and a display image generation unit configured to generate a display image signal based on the two imaging signals from the imaging device.

Abstract: An endoscope having an insertion portion including a bending portion, an actuator that extends or contracts according to application of a driving voltage and that bends the bending portion, a bending instruction operation portion for outputting, to the actuator, an instruction signal of a bending direction and a bending amount so that the bending portion performs a bending action by an arbitrary amount from a reference direction in which the bending portion is not bent to an arbitrary direction, and a control portion for performing control to apply the actuator with a driving voltage to cause the actuator to extend or contract in a predetermined direction and by a predetermined amount so that the bending portion performs a returning action in the reference direction when detecting the instruction signal outputted by the bending instruction operation portion for returning the bending portion to the reference direction.

Abstract: A first and a second pumps for supplying a gas to a balloon for fixation mounted at an outer circumference portion at a tip end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope and a balloon for fixation mounted at an outer circumference portion at a tip end portion of an overtube into which the endoscope is inserted and a control portion for controlling pressure in the respective balloons by operating the first and the second pumps are provided, and the control portion controls display of balloon inflation/deflation display portions and balloon during operation display portions of a remote controller on the basis of inflation-state information detected by a state detection output portion detecting inflation states of the respective balloons.

Abstract: A container body includes an illumination section and an image pickup section. A tube body is integrally provided to the container body. A distal end of a hollow duct line provided in the tube body penetrates the container body to have an opening on an outer surface of the container body. First and second illumination and image pickup units are provided in the container body having opposite reference view field directions and are respectively freely tilted in an arbitrary direction within predetermined inclination angles from the reference view field direction.

Abstract: In an endoscope, air/water feed pipe lines are arranged through an elongated insertion portion having an image pickup unit at its front end. In an operation portion arranged at the rear end of the insertion portion, there are provided an antenna, and a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting, using this antenna, information including image data on a subject picked up by the image pickup unit, to endoscope peripheral apparatuses in the outside.

Abstract: An endoscope of the present invention includes an insert section inserted in a subject body, an operation section provided at a base end of the insert section, a control process section provided in the operation section, for controlling an image pickup section for capturing a subject body image and a predetermined function in the operation section, a signal circuit extending from the control process section, and a connection section provided to the operation section, for allowing detachable connection of a tube unit through which at least one duct line is inserted.

Abstract: An endoscope system, serving as a double-balloon endoscope system, includes an endoscope apparatus for examinations using an endoscope, a shape detection apparatus used in combination with the endoscope apparatus, and a balloon controller. The shape detection apparatus detects positions of respective points in an insertion section of the endoscope, estimates the shape of the insertion section on the basis of the detected positions, and displays an image representing the modeled shape of the insertion section corresponding to the estimated shape. The balloon controller controls balloons, serving as insertion support units, attached to the endoscope. The shape detection apparatus detects the states of the balloons controlled through the balloon controller and reflects the controlled states of the balloons on an image representing the shape of the insertion section. With this arrangement, the inflation/deflation states of the balloons and the insertion state can be visually confirmed in real time with ease.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided that can reduce examination costs by realizing commonality of an operating unit by making an inserting unit and the operating unit attachable/detachable with respect to each other to enable the exchange of inserting units. The endoscope of this invention includes an operating unit, an inserting unit that can be detachably connected to the operating unit, and transmission and reception coils provided in the operating unit and the inserting unit, respectively, for sending and receiving signals in a non-contact manner between the operating unit and the inserting unit when the inserting unit is connected to the operating unit.

Abstract: First and second illumination and image pickup units are provided in the container body having opposite reference view field directions and are respectively freely tilted in an arbitrary direction within predetermined inclination angles from the reference view field direction.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided wherein a variable rigidity portion is not restricted by a physical mechanism, and which allows a surgeon, in performing a rigidity varying operation, to operate the rigidity varying operation along with other operations without releasing inputting sections. The endoscope of the invention includes an inserting section and an operating section. The inserting section has variable-rigidity actuators. The operating section has a rigidity-variation controlling section, a trackball, and scope switches.

Abstract: An endoscope has an insertion portion provided with a freely curvable curving portion; a grip portion provided at a base end side of the insertion portion and grasped by an operator. There provided at the grip portion and in its periphery is an instructing operation element with a function of implementing a curve instructing operation of the curving portion and a function of implementing the other instructing operation different from the above described curve instructing operation.

Abstract: The endoscope has an elongated insertion portion, an operation portion provided at the rear end of the insertion portion, and a contact-less endoscope exterior body in which no electrical contact is exposed on the outer surface thereof including the insertion portion and the operation portion. Inside the endoscope exterior body, there are disposed an image pickup apparatus for picking up images and a signal processing portion for performing signal processing for the image pickup apparatus. The endoscope comprises a battery of a water-tight structure for supplying power for the image pickup apparatus and the signal processing portion, and a charging apparatus of a water-tight structure for charging the battery with power supplied in a contact-less fashion.