Abstract: An endoscope 100 includes a first light source 45 that emits white illumination light, a second light source 47 that emits narrow-band light and an imaging section that has an imaging device 21 having plural detection pixels and images a region to be observed. The imaging section is caused to output a captured image signal including both a return light component of the white illumination light from the region to be observed by and a return light component of the narrow-band light the white illumination light. From the captured image signal, the return light component of the narrow-band light is selectively extracted, and a brightness level of the extracted return light component of the narrow-band light is changed by changing a light amount of light emitted from the second light source 47.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope system including an endoscope which includes an illumination optical system having a fluorescent substance and an imaging optical system having an imaging element; and a control device which is connected to the endoscope. The control device includes a light source unit having a semiconductor light emitting element generating excitation light used to excite the fluorescent substance, a storage section storing predetermined color correction information, and an image processing section creating captured image data by performing a calculation process on an image signal output from the imaging element on the basis of the color correction information. At least one of optical characteristics of the fluorescent substance and the semiconductor light emitting element is detected, and the color correction information stored in the storage section is corrected on the basis of the detected optical characteristic.

Abstract: An endoscope for image pickup of an object by receiving image light with an image sensor includes an elongated tube. A fiber optic image guide includes a plurality of optical fibers being bundled, and has a distal tip, is inserted through the elongated tube, for transmitting the image light focused on the distal tip by an objective lens system in a proximal direction. A piezoelectric actuator is disposed on an outer side of the fiber optic image guide, for periodically displacing the distal tip, wherein the image sensor picks up the image light from the fiber optic image guide for plural times in synchronism with displacement, to form one synthesized image. A hood device is mounted on a head assembly of the elongated tube, and shiftable between a closed position for covering a distal end face of the head assembly and an open position for revealing the distal end face.

Abstract: An endoscope for imaging of an object in a body cavity by receiving image light on an image sensor is provided. In an elongated tube for entry in the body cavity, an objective lens system is incorporated for receiving the image light from the object. A fiber optic image guide includes plural bundled optical fibers and a distal tip, is inserted in the elongated tube, for transmitting the image light focused on the distal tip by the objective lens system. A piezoelectric actuator is positioned on the distal tip, for displacing the distal tip periodically. The image sensor detects the image light from the fiber optic image guide for plural times in synchronism with the displacement for forming a synthesized image. An anchoring device anchors the elongated tube partially on a wall of the body cavity, to stabilize the elongated tube relative to the image light.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an elongated tube. An objective lens system is disposed in the elongated tube, for passing image light from an object. A fiber optic image guide includes plural optical fibers bundled together, has a distal tip, is inserted through the elongated tube, for transmitting the image light focused on the distal tip by the objective lens system in a proximal direction. A displacing device displaces the distal tip laterally and periodically upon receiving entry of the image light being focused by use of a piezoelectric actuator positioned outside the distal tip. An image sensor creates images in plural set positions of the distal tip. First to fourth images among the plural images created consecutively are combined to form a first synthesized image. Then second to fifth images among the plural images without use of the first image are combined to form a second synthesized image.

Abstract: A multiple clip applicator system for tissue clamping of hemostasis includes clip devices of a train and a flexible sheath. To load the flexible sheath with clip devices, a coupling device is used. A shaft head is positioned on an operating wire in the flexible sheath. A receiving opening is formed in the coupling device, for receiving insertion of the shaft head, for mating by press-fit with the fastening clip device. The shaft head is a selected one of plural shaft heads which are different in a shape according to the plural multiple clip assemblies. The receiving opening is a selected one of plural receiving openings having a shape according to corresponding shapes of the plural shaft heads, and adapted to preventing a second shaft head from entry in a first receiving opening and preventing a first shaft head from entry in a second receiving opening.

Abstract: An endoscope includes a bending section for bending a bending portion, a manipulating section for operating the bending portion to bend the bending portion, a drive section for bending the bending portion with the bending section, a brake instruction section and a brake release instruction section, and a bend amount detecting section. In response to a brake instruction, the bend amount at a point in time the brake instruction was given is detected, and the drive section is so controlled as to maintain the bend amount whereas in response to a brake release instruction, the drive force of the drive section for maintaining the bend amount is gradually reduced.

Abstract: To bring a propulsion mechanism into reliable contact with a duct wall and transfer just a propulsion force to the duct wall without transferring an unnecessary retraction operation. An actuator for intraductal moving body includes: a propulsion mechanism which generates a drive force via a duct wall to generate a propulsion force for movement in a duct; a base mechanism which supports the propulsion mechanism and causes the propulsion mechanism to abut against and separate from the duct wall; and two or more pairs of bilayer mechanisms provided axially symmetrically.

Abstract: A clip package comprises: a clip assembly including at least one endoscopic clip and at least one connection ring connected to the clip, the connection ring having at least one skirt portion that is allowed to expand radially outwards and stick out when in natural state free from external force and closes inwards when depressed radially inwards, a cylindrical case including an accommodation section for accommodating the clip assembly, the cylindrical case further including at least one opening in a position corresponding to the skirt portion of the connection ring, the opening being provided to maintain the skirt portion in natural state, and a cylindrical outer tube movably fitted over the outer periphery of the case and including at least one skirt closer for depressing and inwardly closing the skirt portion when the skirt closer is moved to a position opposite the opening.

Abstract: A successive clipping device comprises: a manipulating wire inserted in the sheath and having a forward end portion connected to a rearmost clip to pull a clip series including a plurality of clips; and a manipulating portion connected to a proximal end of the sheath to push out, for the foremost clip that has retreated in the sheath, the manipulating wire with respect to the sheath toward a forward end of the sheath by a first amount of movement necessary for causing the foremost clip to protrude from the forward end of the sheath, and push out, for the subsequent clip, the manipulating wire with respect to the sheath toward the forward end of the sheath by a second amount of movement smaller than the first amount of movement, and necessary for causing the subsequent clip to protrude from the forward end of the sheath.

Abstract: A clipping device comprises: a clip having a pair of arm portions diverging elastically; and a tubular clamping member fitted onto the pair of arm portions of the clip, each of the pair of arm portions including a projection portion which is formed in a vicinity of a forward end portion thereof to have a width inhibiting passage of the clamping member, and an engagement portion which is formed in a region adjacent to a proximal end side of the projection portion to be engaged with the clamping member, the clamping member being engaged with the engagement portion of each of the pair of arm portions to maintain clamping of the clip so that the pair of arm portions holds an object to be treated.

Abstract: A photographic pack includes photographic prints in one order, an order information print for the one order having index images recorded on a first side and at least a fee recorded on a second side, and a bag having at least a transparent area, and for accommodating a stack formed by superposing the order information print and the photographic prints. A non-image recording side of a first print of the photographic prints in the stack faces outward, the second side of the order information print faces outward and the rest of the photographic prints are sandwiched between the first print and the order information print. A print system includes an order receiver for receiving the one order of a customer, a fee calculator for calculating a fee, a printer for preparing the photographic prints and the order information print, and a packer for preparing the photographic pack.

Abstract: A multiple hemostatic clip application apparatus includes a multiple clip assembly and a flexible sheath coupled with the multiple clip assembly, and operates for tissue clamping in combination with an endoscope. For the clip coupling, a pull rod structure is pulled to introduce the multiple clip assembly into a fin bending channel in a housing. Fins of the multiple clip assembly are depressed and stowed by the inside of the fin bending channel. The housing is removed from a coupling device. An operating wire is fastened to a fastening clip device. The flexible sheath is inserted in an access hole to register the inside of the flexible sheath with the fin bending channel. When the operating wire is pulled relative to the flexible sheath, the multiple clip assembly is introduced into the flexible sheath.

Abstract: A successive clipping device comprises: a manipulating wire connected to a rearmost one of a plurality of clips and pulling out a clip string formed of the plurality of clips; and a manipulating portion connected to a proximal end side of a sheath, which, regarding a foremost clip sinking in the sheath, moves the sheath and the manipulating wire relatively by a first movement amount required for allowing the foremost clip to protrude from a forward end of the sheath so as to place the foremost clip in a usable state, and which, regarding a subsequent clip, moves the sheath and the manipulating wire relatively by a second movement amount that is smaller than the first movement amount and required for allowing the subsequent clip to protrude from the forward end of the sheath so as to place the subsequent clip in a usable state.

Abstract: The particular region detecting method and apparatus detect particular region candidates in an image, then perform face detection in a region including one of the detected particular region candidates and specify as a particular region of a detection target the one candidate included in the region where a face can be detected. In the method and apparatus, detection conditions is changed for at least one of the candidate detection and the face detection between main and non-main portion regions of the image, face information regarding the face detected in the region is stored and the face detection corresponding to a particular region candidate to be next subjected to the face detection is performed using the thus stored face information. The program is caused a computer to execute the method.

Abstract: A multiple clip device for hemostatic clamping of a lesion of a patient's body includes plural clips fastened to one another in a train, having first and second clips, a proximal end portion of the first clip being engaged with two claws of a distal end portion of the second clip. A dummy clip has claws in a shape of the claws of the clips, and is engaged with a proximal end portion of a final clip among the clips by the claws thereof. An end connector is for retention of the dummy clip, and for fastening in a removable manner to a shaft head at an end of an operating wire inserted in a flexible sheath of a multiple clip application apparatus. Specifically, the multiple clip application apparatus is constituted by the operating wire and the multiple clip device fastened thereto.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect, the invention provides a method of performing failure analysis on a microelectronic product where the method includes acts of: storing a result of a first test performed on the microelectronic product on a centralized computer; transmitting the result from the centralized computer to a first remote computer for an evaluation of the result by a first evaluator; and transmitting a report form from the centralized computer to the first remote computer for entry of data including analysis supplied by the first evaluator after the evaluation of the result. In accordance with one embodiment, the method also provides acts of: receiving the data at the centralized computer; and storing the data at the centralized computer.

Abstract: A data creating apparatus extracts meta data about a topic from a document, the meta data including at least one linguistic expression about a behavior, a plurality of the linguistic expressions having a first modification relation. The data creating apparatus converts the linguistic expressions included in the behavioral meta data into each class, based on a behavior ontology that is expressed by a graph where the linguistic expression about a behavior is an instance and a concept of the instance is a class to create behavior map data that represents each of the classes converted and also representing a second modification relation among the classes as a link.

Abstract: An endoscope cleaner includes a cleaning chamber for containing an endoscope. A vibration plate is disposed in a lower portion of the cleaning chamber. A basket portion is disposed substantially at a center of the vibration plate, for containing small parts removed from the endoscope. A nozzle opening supplies cleaning fluid into the cleaning chamber through the basket portion. Plural ultrasonic vibrators include at least one disposed under the basket portion, for vibrating the vibration plate. Furthermore, a drain port drains the cleaning fluid. A circulation line circulates the cleaning fluid from the cleaning chamber by use of the nozzle opening and the drain port. A disinfectant nozzle ejects disinfectant to disinfect the endoscope and the small parts. The basket portion has an upwards open shape, and prevents the small parts from scattering in vibration. The small parts are plural button parts or cap parts.

Abstract: A magazine type clipping device comprises: clips loaded into a sheath while being engaged with other clips longitudinally connected together; at least one connection ring fitted into the sheath so as to be capable of advancing and retreating, and covering an engagement portion of the clips to maintain the clips in a connected state; and a manipulating wire connected to a rearmost clip and adapted to pull a clip row formed of the plurality of clips, each clip having a pair of openable/closable claw portions and a tail portion, the connection ring having a connection maintaining region retaining a pair of clips engaged with each other, with the pair of claw portions of a succeeding clip being closed while holding the tail portion of a preceding clip.