Abstract: There is provided a digital camera, which is provided with an optical system which forms an image of an object, an image pick-up device which outputs an image signal corresponding to the image formed by said optical system, and a filtering system which filters the image to smooth at least a portion of the image based on the image signal outputted by the image pick-up device. The filtering system may calculate moving averages of pixels in the image. The digital camera may include a filter control system which is configured to change characteristics of the filtering system.

Abstract: A soft-focus lens system includes a master lens group and a soft-focus lens group. The soft-focus lens group includes a positive sub lens group and a negative sub lens group. The positive sub lens group and the negative sub lens group are moved to set the normal photographing mode or the soft-focus photographing mode. Each of the sub lens groups is arranged to move with respect to the master lens group and the other of the sub lens groups so that the focal point and the focal length are not substantially varied before and after the switching of the soft-focus photographing mode to the normal photographing mode or vice versa.

Abstract: Disclosed is an objective lens of an optical pick-up that converges light beams of two different wavelengths onto recording layers of optical discs of two different standards, respectively. The objective lens includes a refractive lens having a positive power and a diffractive lens structure formed on one surface of the refractive lens. The diffractive lens structure has a plurality of concentric ring areas with minute steps at the boundaries therebetween. The diffractive lens structure maximizes the diffraction efficiency of the third order diffracted light at the shorter wavelength and maximizes the diffraction efficiency of the second order diffracted light at the longer wavelength. This enables the diffractive lens structure to correct the chromatic aberration at the respective wavelengths with keeping high diffraction efficiency.

Abstract: An optical member inspection apparatus includes an inspection optical system having a light source, and a diffusing means for diffusing the light emitted from the light source. The diffusing means has a central portion and a peripheral portion. The diffusion transmittance of the peripheral portion is higher than the diffusion transmittance of the central portion. The inspection optical system is also provided with an image pick-up means to pick-up an image of the optical member to be inspected, and is positioned so as to receive that light emitted from the light source and transmitted through the diffusing means and the optical member. A judging means is also provided, for judging whether or not the optical member has a defect, in accordance with image signals output from the image pick-up means.

Abstract: An objective lens for an optical pick-up has a refractive lens element provided with a diffraction lens structure on at least one surface thereof. The diffraction lens structure has a plurality of annular zones. The objective lens is capable of converging at least two beams having different wavelengths on at least two types of optical discs having different data recording densities, respectively. The objective lens is partitioned into a common area through which a beam with a low NA passes, and an exclusive high NA area which is designed to converge a beam with a high NA. The boundaries of the annular zones formed on the exclusive high NA area are designed independently from boundaries obtained from an optical path difference function so that the beam with the high NA is converged substantially on a certain point and the beam with the low NA is diffused.

Abstract: A viewing optical system includes an objective optical system and an eyepiece optical system. The objective optical system includes a positive first meniscus lens element having the convex surface facing toward the object, a positive second meniscus lens element having the convex surface facing toward the object, a negative third lens unit constituted by two negative lens elements, and a positive fourth lens element. The fourth lens constitutes an image-blur correcting optical system movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The viewing optical system satisfies the following conditions: 0.5<|tan 1°/(&phgr;1-4−&phgr;1-3)|<5 (mm) . . . (1) 0.5<SF4<1.0 . . .

Abstract: A vertebral arch spacer (1) according to the invention has an insertion portion (2) to be inserted in a gap formed by opening a vertebral arch (120) toward either side, and an abutment portion (3) capable of abutting on a spinous process (130) cut away from the vertebral arch (120). An abutment surface 31 of the abutment portion (3) is extended rearward beyond an opened portion (123) of the vertebral arch (120), and abuts on the spinous process (130) from the side. The vertebral arch spacer (1) is provided with a through hole (5). A thread (50) is inserted through the through hole (5), a through hole (129) formed on the vertebral arch (120) and a through hole (132) formed on the spinous process (130) and is thus bound. Consequently, the spinous process (130) can be fixed more reliably. The thread (50) can also be inserted through a through hole (128) formed on a portion (124) remaining on the vertebra side and a through hole (4) of the vertebral arch spacer (1) and can be thus bound.

Abstract: According to a method of manufacturing a progressive power spectacle lens, available vertex powers are divided into a plurality of vertex power groups, one surface of a spectacle lens has been formed as a common surface for the vertex powers within each of the plurality of vertex power groups, and an opposite surface of the spectacle lens is formed as a progressive power surface in accordance with a desired vertex power.

Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a negative third lens group. Zooming is performed by moving the first, second and third lens groups in the optical axis direction. The positive first lens group is constituted by a negative lens element and a positive lens element.

Abstract: A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, and a negative second lens group. Zooming is performed by moving the positive first lens group and the negative second lens group in an optical axis direction. The positive first lens group includes a negative first lens element 1a, a second lens element 1b having an aspherical surface on which the curvature is smaller toward the periphery thereof, and a positive third lens element 1c. The negative second lens group includes a positive fourth lens group 2a and a negative fifth lens group 2b.

Abstract: An EMC core supporting structure for supporting one or more EMC cores inside a casing, which accommodates a printed circuit board, includes a plate member capable of shielding electromagnetic waves. Preferably, the plate member expanding inside the casing to substantially cover the printed circuit board, and at least one side portion of the plate member is connected to an inner wall of the casing. A supporting portion that receives the EMC core (s) is formed on a surface of the plate member opposite to a surface facing the printed circuit board for mounting the at least one EMC core on the plate member.

Abstract: A correction lens is supported in a generally cylindrical supporting member such that its optical axis is coaxial with the central axis of the supporting member. A flange is formed on an outer surface of the supporting member. A first opening is formed in a first rotating board, and a second opening is formed in a second rotating board. First and second cylindrical portions at both end sides of the supporting member respectively penetrate through the first and second openings. The flange is positioned between the first and second rotating boards. When the first rotating board is rotated, the first cylindrical portion is supported by the upper and lower sides of the first opening and is led by the second opening. When the second rotating board is rotated, the second cylindrical portion is supported by left and right sides of the second opening and is led by the first opening.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope system has a video-scope, a video-processor, and a liquid supply apparatus. The video-scope has a liquid transmitting tube for spouting liquid from a tip of the video-scope, and is detachably and electrically connected to the video-processor. The liquid supply apparatus is electrically connectable to the video-processor, and has a container for storing liquid and a liquid supplier that supplies the liquid in the container to the liquid transmitting tube. A liquid jet performance member for spouting the liquid is provided on the video-scope. A liquid jet performance detector detects operational status of the liquid jet performance member, and a liquid jet performance transmitter feeds a control signal regarding the operational status of the liquid jet performance member to the liquid supply apparatus. The liquid supplier supplies the liquid in the container to the liquid transmitting tube in accordance with the control signal.

Abstract: An optical axis adjusting device includes a holding device which holds an adjusting lens group; an adjusting device for moving the holding device in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of a fixed lens group; a light source for emitting light toward the fixed lens group and the adjusting lens group; a transmission chart having a contrast detection pattern(s); an image pick-up device; a moving device for moving the image pick-up device in the optical axis direction; a controller for controlling the moving device so that the light which is emitted by the light source to be passed through the contrast detection pattern(s), the fixed lens group and the adjusting lens group is focused on the image pick-up device; a processor for calculating a contrast value of an image focused on the image pick-up device; and an indicating device which indicates the calculated contrast value.

Abstract: An optical axis adjusting device for adjusting an eccentricity of an adjusting lens group of the lens system with respect to a fixed lens group of the lens system, by moving the adjusting lens group in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the fixed lens group, includes an adjusting lens group support member movable in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the fixed lens group, and a resilient cylindrical chuck made of a resilient material which is provided with the adjusting lens group support member, the resilient cylindrical chuck having a lens holding portion which is formed at an open end of the resilient cylindrical chuck so as to surround and resiliently hold the adjusting lens group.

Abstract: A portable endoscope has a liquid supplying tube that transmits liquid to the tip of the endoscope, a container that is spatially connected to the liquid supplying tube and stores the liquid, a gas supplying tube that is connected to an inside space of the container and transmits gas to the tip of the endoscope, a liquid and gas supplier that supplies the liquid in the container to the liquid supplying tube and supplies the gas to the gas supplying tube, and a holder that holds the container such that the container generally keeps a horizontal position.

Abstract: An implant designing method to be applied to a body of bone which has a bone deficient portion, wherein the bone being substantially symmetric with respect to a plane of symmetry, includes generating three-dimensional data of the bone based on a plurality of pieces of tomographic data of the bone, and estimating a shape of a bone that is to exist at the bone deficient portion using part of the three-dimensional data corresponding to a symmetrical part of the bone deficient portion.

Abstract: A mounting structure includes a fixing plate to which an image pick-up device is fixed; screw holes formed on a supporting member; a first female threaded portion and a second female threaded portion having a smaller diameter than the first female threaded portion, formed in each screw hole; cylindrical adjustment members which are screwed into the screw holes, respectively, and are rotatable to adjust the axial position thereof; and set screws which are rotatably inserted through the fixing plate and respective axial holes of the cylindrical adjustment members to be engaged with the second female threaded portions of the screw holes to hold the fixing plate between each head portion of the set screws and each cylindrical adjustment member, respectively.