Abstract: A lens driving apparatus comprising: a stepping motor for driving a lens; a rotation detection sensor for detecting a rotation position of the stepping motor; and a controller which is capable of switching between open-loop control that performs position instruction in accordance with a predetermined pattern and closed-loop control that performs position instruction on the basis of follow-up delay, changes and accelerates the velocity for advancing the position of the stepping motor on the basis of a fixed velocity pattern by open-loop control when the lens starts moving, and transitions to the closed-loop control upon the velocity corresponding to the velocity pattern reaching a predetermined value.

Abstract: A microscopy system includes: an imaging unit configured to capture a subject image generated by an observation optical system of a microscope, and acquire an image; a shifting unit configured to shift positions of a focal plane and a field of view of the observation optical system; an imaging control unit configured to cause the imaging unit to acquire a multi-focused image by shifting the positions of the focal plane and the field of view in one exposure period of the imaging unit; a shift amount acquisition processing unit configured to acquire a shift amount, by which the position of the field of view is shifted; an all-focused image generating unit configured to respectively generate plural all-focused images based on plural multi-focused images and on blurring information; and a display unit configured to consecutively display the generated plural all-focused images.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a sensor, and a controller. The imaging unit sequentially outputs a digital image by capturing a subject. The sensor includes a photoelectric element for receiving a part of luminous flux from the subject incident on the imaging unit. The sensor detects an AC current component of the luminous flux from the luminous flux received by the photoelectric element. The controller detects a flicker cycle in the luminous flux from the AC current component.

Abstract: A direct memory access (DMA) buffer section configured to store data in a plurality of storage regions in units of DMA transfers, a buffer control section configured to output a first writing permission signal for permitting the DMA transfer on the basis of presence or absence of a free storage region, a smoothing buffer control section configured to output a second writing permission signal for permitting the DMA transfer within a predetermined period, a buffer writing control section configured to execute the DMA transfer according to the first writing permission signal and the DMA transfer according to the second writing permission signal and stored the data to the free storage region, and a buffer reading control section configured to sequentially read the data for each storage region, wherein a predetermined amount of data sequentially acquired by a plurality of DMA transfers is output as a transfer unit.

Abstract: An endoscope device includes: a light source configured to perform any one of simultaneous lighting and sequential lighting; an image sensor including a plurality of pixels; a plurality of filters including at least one type of primary filter and a complementary filter; and a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to cause the light source to switch between the simultaneous lighting and the sequential lighting, when the simultaneous lighting is performed, perform interpolation processing to generate an output image by using an imaging signal generated from a pixel corresponding to the complementary filter, and when the sequential lighting is performed, perform interpolation processing to generate an output image by using an imaging signal generated from a pixel corresponding to the complementary filter as an imaging signal generated from a pixel corresponding to the at least one type of primary filter.

Abstract: The frequency at which a culture medium is replaced is reduced by prolonging the service life of the culture medium, the size of a device is reduced, cost is reduced, and a mechanical strength is enhanced. Provided is a cell culture device including: a culture container capable of accommodating cells and a culture solution; and an adsorbing member that is formed of a porous material having adsorption holes, the hole diameters of which are smaller than the cells and larger than impurities in the culture solution, and that adsorbs the impurities, without adsorbing the cells, in the culture solution by means of the adsorption holes while at least a portion of the adsorbing member is immersed in the culture solution in the culture container.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes at least one processor configured to execute processes including: calculating a misalignment amount of each pixel of a reference image relative to a standard image; and combining the reference image converted based on the calculated amount with the standard image. The calculating includes: calculating a projection conversion matrix for each of planes with different misalignment amounts in the reference image; generating a plane map in which the plane to which each pixel of the reference image belongs and the matrix to be applied to each plane are selected based on a difference value between the standard image and each of the alignment images converted from the reference image by using each calculated matrix; suppressing a selection error of the matrix; and calculating the misalignment amount for each of the planes based on the plane map in which the selection error of the matrix is suppressed.

Abstract: Provided is a specimen staining apparatus that includes a gap-forming member arranged to form a gap having a thickness that induces capillary action, the gap being formed above a mounting surface of a slide glass having a specimen mounted thereon; and a chemical solution supply unit that supplies a chemical solution for staining the specimen to the gap between the gap-forming member and the mounting surface so that the chemical solution spreads within the gap due to capillary action and is evenly supplied to the specimen placed on the mounting surface.

Abstract: A suture body includes: a suture thread having a first end and a second end and fixed to a living tissue; a suture needle connected to the first end; and a thread fixing member connected to the second end. The thread fixing member includes: a rod-shaped protruding portion; and an elastic member having an outer circumferential surface and arranged so that the thread fixing member is in contact with the outer circumferential surface at a predetermined contact pressure. The suture body is configured so that the suture thread can enter between the protruding portion and the elastic member by elastically deforming the elastic member. The suture body further includes a base body to which the protruding portion and the elastic member are fixed. The protruding portion and the elastic member are arranged in an area surrounded by an outer diameter of the base body.

Abstract: An illumination optical system according to the present invention is provided with: an illumination-light guiding portion configured to guide illumination light emitted from a light source portion; and an illumination-light deflecting portion configured to emit the illumination light guided thereto by the illumination-light guiding portion after deflecting the illumination light by means of reflection, wherein, in one cross-section along a direction in which the illumination light travels, the illumination-light guiding portion has a pair of total reflection surfaces in which the distance therebetween gradually increases in a forward traveling direction of the illumination light, and the illumination-light deflecting portion is provided with an emission surface from which the illumination light guided by the illumination-light guiding portion is emitted, and a reflection surface that has a convex shape facing the emission surface and that reflects the illumination light guided by the illumination-light guidin

Abstract: A baby endoscope which forms a medical device includes: a rotary member; an exterior member which rotatably holds the rotary member about a predetermined rotation axis, houses the rotary member in the exterior member, and has a surface which is brought into contact with a portion of an outer peripheral surface of an operation section of a mother endoscope on an outer peripheral portion; and a bending operation lever mounted on the rotary member, and is disposed within a width of the exterior member in a direction of the rotation axis when the exterior member is viewed in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis.

Abstract: A method for anastomosing an alimentary tract according to a first aspect of the invention includes a first step of inserting an endoscope into an alimentary tract through a natural opening in a state where a distal end part of a tube body is coupled to an outer periphery of a distal end part of the endoscope; a second step of making a hole in a tract wall of the alimentary tract; a third step of inserting the tube body through the hole; a fourth step of grasping the distal end part of the tube body disposed through the hole; a fifth step of separating the tube body from an outer periphery of the distal end part of the endoscope; and a sixth step of delivering the treatment part up to the hole after the fifth step.

Abstract: An optical measurement device includes: an optical sensor that detects pulsed signal light and that outputs a detection signal formed of an exponential-function response; an A/D converter that samples the detection signal output from the optical sensor and that converts the detection signal into a digital signal; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to subject the digital signal output from the A/D converter to inverse transformation by using a multiple diagonal matrix, thus calculating an estimated pulse of the signal light.

Abstract: An endoscope includes: an imager; a transmission path configured to connect a controller and the imager with each other; a superimposed signal generating circuit configured to generate, as a superimposed signal, a signal obtained by associating High and Low of a pulsed data signal with a change in a pulse width of a pulsed reference clock signal; a parallel-serial converter circuit configured to perform parallel-serial conversion on the imaging signal; a PLL circuit configured to generate a multiplied clock signal; a restoring circuit configured to restore, based on the superimposed signal and the multiplied clock signal, the reference clock signal and the data signal contained in the superimposed signal; and a timing generating circuit configured to generate, based on the reference clock signal and the data signal, a drive signal for driving the imager.

Abstract: An observation system includes an observation apparatus including a housing having an arrangement surface for placement of a sample, the sample including a culture medium, and an external illumination unit which is disposed outside the housing and includes at least one light source configured to emit illumination light. At least a part of the arrangement surface is formed of a transparent member having an optically transparent property. The observation apparatus includes an imaging unit which is provided in the housing and includes an image sensor configured to image, via the transparent member, the sample illuminated by the illumination light from the external illumination unit to acquire images of at least three colors.

Abstract: A tissue clipping device and system, and method for clipping tissue are disclosed. The tissue clipping device includes a clip with clip arms that is slidably disposed within a channel of a lock tube. The clip is designed to move between an open configuration in which distal ends of the clip arms are separated from each other for receiving tissue therebetween, and a closed configuration in which the distal ends of the clip arms are closer to each other than in the open configuration for clipping the tissue received therebetween. The tissue clipping system further includes a delivery device for delivering and deploying the tissue clipping device. The delivery device is releasably coupled to the tissue clipping device.

Abstract: Provided is a method of molding an optical element to obtain the molded optical element. The method includes: preparing a die set including an upper die having an upper molding surface, a lower die having a lower molding surface, a side die in which a through hole is formed, and a sleeve configured to accommodate the upper die, the lower die, and the side die; disposing a mold material on the lower molding surface after inserting the lower die into the through hole of the side die; heating the mold material; press molding the mold material with the upper die and the lower die to integrally move the side die and the lower die with respect to the upper die and the sleeve; and pushing the optical element upward by raising the lower die with respect to the side die and the sleeve.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a first substrate and a second substrate stacked on the first substrate. The first substrate includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel block includes all of the pixels disposed in one or more columns in an array of the plurality of pixels. The second substrate includes a plurality of AD conversion circuits configured to convert a pixel signal read from two or more pixels belonging to the pixel block corresponding to the AD conversion circuit to a digital signal. For all combinations of two pixel blocks adjacent to each other in the first substrate, two AD conversion circuits corresponding to the adjacent two pixel blocks are adjacent to each other in the second substrate.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an imaging circuit that generates an imaging signal. The endoscope has a transmission path that connects the imaging circuit to a control device to perform image processing on the imaging signal. The endoscope also includes a phase synchronization unit having (i) a digital control oscillator that generates a drive clock signal, and (ii) a phase digital output circuit that generates and outputs a phase digital signal to the transmission path. A first switch of the endoscope connects the transmission path to one of the control device and the phase digital output circuit, and a second switch connects the transmission path to one of the imaging circuit and the digital control oscillator.

Abstract: A medical device retention system has a tubular first retention portion into which a medical device is inserted and configured to hold the inserted medical device; a second retention portion having a spherical shape with a predetermined radius and having a central point at a distal end side of the supported first retention portion; and a clamp configured to clip the second retention portion, wherein the clamp switches the second retention portion between a first state and a second state when the second retention portion is clipped by the clamp, when the clamp switches the second retention portion into the first state, movement of the second retention portion is fixed, and when the clamp switches the second retention portion into the second state, the second retention portion is movable along a predetermined surface with the central point as a movement center.