Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a suction passage in an endoscope includes a cylinder connected between an insertion pipe, on an insertion side of the endoscope, and a suction pipe, on a suction side of the endoscope. A piston is provided in the cylinder to move in an axial direction thereof to selectively connect or disconnect the insertion and suction pipes. The suction pipe, attached to the cylinder, is open at a position opposed to an outer periphery of the piston. A communication passage, provided in the piston, connects the insertion and suction pipes when the piston is in an operative position. An opening in the communication passage at the outer periphery of the piston is surrounded by an annular seal member to establish a water-tight connection between the open end of the communication passage and an open end of the suction pipe.

Abstract: A camera such as a portable small-size camera includes a structural body composed of a plurality of integrally coupled functional components, including a lens barrel, an automatic focusing device, a viewfinder, and a stroboscopic flash unit, a cover enclosing the structural body, and a plurality of slender rods extending between the structural body and the cover. The structural body is supported by the cover through the slender rods. The slender rods are rigid enough to position the structural body and the cover with respect to each other, and flexible enough to be elastically deformable when shocks are applied thereto.

Abstract: Slow release drug delviery granules comprising porous granules of a calcium phosphate compound having an atomic ratio of Ca to P of 1.3 to 1.8, a porosity of 0.1 to 70%, a specific surface area of 0.1 to 50 m.sup.2 /g and a pore size of 1 nm to 10 .mu.m, fired at a temperature of 200.degree. to 1400.degree. C., and a drug component impregnated in pores of the granules, and a process for producing the same. The drug delivery granules of the present invention have a controllable, prolonged effect of drug release and a good imaging property to an X-ray or ultrasonic wave, and therefore can be advantageously utilized in the field of chemotherapy.

Abstract: A wide-angle lens system for compact color video cameras composed of nine lenses grouped in eight lens components. A first lens component includes a negative meniscus lens convex toward the object, a second lens component includes a positive meniscus lens concave toward the object, a third lens component includes a negative meniscus lens convex toward the object, a fourth lens component includes a positive cemented lens composed of a positive lens and a negative lens, a fifth lens component includes a positive lens, a sixth lens component includes a negative lens, a seventh lens component includes a positive lens and an eighth lens component includes a positive lens.