Abstract: A subject observation apparatus of the invention includes: a light-emitting section for emitting a light to a subject; an optical modulation section for detecting a scattering angle of a return light from the subject and performing optical modulation on the return light in accordance with the scattering angle; and a signal output section for generating a signal to show a state of light scattering in the subject based on the light subjected to the optical modulation by the optical modulation section, and outputting the generated signal.

Abstract: In an endoscope flexible tube and an endoscope device of the present invention, an endoscope flexible tube which exhibits flexibility to be inserted into a body cavity includes a bending portion formed at a distal end side, a first flexible tube portion connected in series to a proximal end of the bending portion, and a second flexible tube portion connected in series to a proximal end of the first flexible tube portion. When the bending portion and the first flexible tube portion pass a flexed portion of the body cavity, a curvature radius of the first flexible tube portion which is passively bent under a predetermined force is set to be larger than a curvature radius of the bending portion in a maximum bent state.

Abstract: An inertial drive actuator includes a displacement unit, a vibration substrate, a first magnetic field generator which generates a magnetic field, a movable body disposed on a flat surface of the vibration substrate, and which includes a first yoke that concentrates a magnetic flux of an N-pole and an S-pole generated by the first magnetic field generator, at a predetermined position, and a second yoke which is disposed on a side of the vibration substrate, opposite to a direction facing the movable body. A movement in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which, the movable body is driven is regulated mechanically by end portions of the second yoke facing end portions of the first yoke at an outer side of the vibration substrate, and a frictional force is controlled by controlling the magnetic field, and the movable body is driven.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a first substrate including first pixels arranged in a matrix; and a second substrate electrically coupled to the first substrate and including second pixels arranged in a matrix. The first pixel including a photoelectric conversion element configured to generate a color signal corresponding to an m-th color is the first pixel corresponding to the m-th color where m is an integer equal to one of 1 to n. The second pixel including the signal storing circuit configured to store the color signal corresponding to the m-th color is the second pixel corresponding to the m-th color. At least two second pixels of the second pixels corresponding to the same color are arranged in the same column on the second substrate.

Abstract: A laser scanning type observation apparatus includes a pulsed-laser oscillation means irradiating pulsed laser to an object, a detector receiving light from the object to output a detection signal, a means detecting pulsed-laser oscillation to output a synchronous signal, a circuit delaying the synchronous signal for an optional amount of time to output a trigger signal, a means sampling the detection signal in synchronization with the trigger signal, a memory storing the sampled detection signal, a setting unit capable of setting delay time for delaying the synchronous signal in two or more stages within one period of the synchronous signal, and a decision unit determining an optimum delay stage for image formation using data on intensities of the detection signal at the respective delay stages, wherein the setting means fixes delay time for delaying the synchronous signal at delay time corresponding to the delay stage determined by the decision unit.

Abstract: An operation device includes an operation unit, a command generation unit configured to generate an operation command for an imaging device provided in the operation unit, a wireless communication unit configured to transmit the operation command to the imaging device, and receive image data transmitted from the imaging device, based on a QoS representing a priority of transmission/reception, and a QoS setting unit configured to set a QoS of a priority command to a value which is higher than a QoS of the image data when the operation command generated by the command generation unit is the priority command having a higher transmission priority than the image data received by the wireless communication unit.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a non-target region detecting unit that detects a region that is not to be examined as a non-target region from an image; a pixel-of-interest region setting unit that sets a pixel-of-interest region in a predetermined area including a pixel-of-interest position in the image; a surrounding region determining unit that determines a surrounding region, which is an area for acquiring information for use in forming a reference plane with respect to the pixel-of-interest position, based on the non-target region; a reference plane forming unit that forms the reference plane based on the information in the surrounding region; and an outlier pixel detecting unit that detects an outlier pixel having a pixel value numerically distant from circumferential values based on a difference between corresponding quantities of the reference plane at each pixel position and of the original image.

Abstract: The invention has for its object to provide a manipulator and manipulator system in which a dynamic surplus is rapidly removed and a moving assembly actuates rapidly in association with the operation of an operating assembly. The manipulator 1 includes an operating assembly 2 operated by an operator, a moving assembly 3 operated by the operating assembly 2, a transmitting assembly 4 for coupling the operating assembly 2 to the moving assembly 3 to transmit driving force of the operating assembly 2 to the moving assembly 3, and a transmission compensating assembly 6 for making up for a dynamic surplus occurring in the transmitting assembly 4 in association with the operation of the operating assembly 2.

Abstract: Provided is a joint mechanism including two spur gears and; a support member that supports the two spur gears and so as to be rotatable about two joint shafts and that are disposed in a skew-lines positional relationship with a space between each other; and a rotational-force transmitting mechanism that transmits a rotational force between the spur gears and, wherein the rotational-force transmitting mechanism is provided with a transmission member formed of a rigid piece that is supported so as to be movable only in a direction parallel to a line of intersection between planes and that are respectively orthogonal to the two joint shafts and cam mechanisms or linkage mechanisms that are disposed between the transmission member and the two spur gears and, respectively, and that convert rotational motions of the spur gears and to a linear motion of the transmission member.

Abstract: A medical manipulator comprising a distal end side and a proximal end side, comprising a distal unit including an end effector on the distal end side, a joint assembly located on a proximal end side of the end effector and a first power transmission assembly for transmission in a longitudinal direction of a linear motion force for actuation of the end effector or the joint assembly, and a proximal unit including a driver on the proximal end side for generating power for actuating the end effector or the joint assembly and a second power transmission assembly for transmission of power generated from the driver to the distal end side. The distal unit includes a first linear motion force conversion mechanism linked to the first power transmission assembly to convert power from the second power transmission assembly to a linear motion force.

Abstract: A multi-chip semiconductor device includes a plate-shaped first semiconductor chip having a first connection portion in which a first semiconductor chip electrode is formed on a first main surface of the first semiconductor chip or on a first side surface vertical to the first main surface, and a plate-shaped second semiconductor chip having a second connection portion in which a second semiconductor chip electrode is formed on a second side surface vertical to a second main surface of the second semiconductor chip. Each of the first and second connection portions includes at least an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to each of the first and second main surfaces. The first connection portion and the second connection portion are connected to each other such that the first main surface of the first semiconductor chip and the second main surface of the second semiconductor chip are vertical to each other.

Abstract: A microscope system includes a virtual-slide microscope that acquires a virtual-slide image of a specimen when mounted on a first stage, and a fluorescence microscope that acquires a fluorescence image of the specimen when mounted on a second stage. The virtual-slide microscope includes a display and an image-capturing-condition setting portion that sets image capturing conditions, including a fluorescence-image acquisition position, on the virtual-slide image. The fluorescence microscope includes a memory portion that stores coordinate transformation data between the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the first stage and the coordinates of the specimen when fixed on the second stage, a condition input portion to which the image capturing conditions are input, and a driving-condition setting portion that sets a driving condition on the basis of the image capturing conditions and the coordinate transformation data.

Abstract: In an electrode unit, a working electrode and a counter electrode are disposed in a cylindrical section having a cylindrical shape, which is a sensor main body, a distal end face of the working electrode is covered with a diaphragm that allows liquid to be measure to permeate, and an internal liquid chamber in which internal liquid of an electrolyte is stored and a standard solution chamber in which a standard solution for calibration is stored are partitioned by the diaphragm. The standard solution chamber is surrounded by an inner wall of the cylindrical section and a cap. When the electrode unit is mounted on a medical solution tank, zero adjustment is automatically performed using a standard solution inside the electrode unit. Thereafter, when the cap is opened, the standard solution is discharged and measurement in an actual use can be performed.

Abstract: An endoscope connection tool includes a cylindrical portion having an inflow port connected to a fluid delivery apparatus, a discharge port discharging a fluid from the inflow port, and a flow path connecting the inflow port and the discharge port, a detection hole opened in an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and communicating with the flow path, a holding portion engaging with a pipe sleeve of an endoscope, and thereby holding the discharge port in a position facing an opening portion of the pipe sleeve, an urging member placed at the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and extending and contracting in a direction along the flow path, and a cover portion that is placed at the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, moves to advance and retreat between a first position and a second position along the flow path by being interlocked with the urging member.

Abstract: A scanning microscope includes a scanner, an objective irradiates a sample with illumination light deflected by the scanner, and a beam splitter that is arranged between the objective and an exit pupil position, and that reflects one of the illumination light and observation light from the sample and transmits the other. The objective has the exit pupil position outside the objective.

Abstract: A method of controlling the medical master/slave system comprising a bendable master apparatus operated by an operator and a slave apparatus inserted through the body. The control method includes an ordinary actuation mode (Step S101) in which, based on a bending state of the master apparatus, the slave apparatus is actuated in such a way as to become similar in operation to the master apparatus, a reversal actuation mode (Step S105) in which, based on a bending state of the master apparatus, the slave apparatus is actuated in such a way as to be reversed relative to the operation of the master apparatus, and a transition mode (Step S103, S104, S107, S108) for transition between the ordinary actuation mode and the reversal actuation mode.

Abstract: Provided is a manipulator system including: a manipulator that has an insertion section composed of a flexible section and a bending section and that has a bending-section drive unit for driving the bending section; an operation input unit; a flexible-section shape detecting unit and a bending-section shape detecting unit that detect curved shapes of the flexible section and the bending section, respectively; compensation-value setting units that set a compensation value on the basis of the curved shape detected by each of the shape detecting units; and a control unit that generates a curvature control signal for driving the bending-section drive unit according to an operating instruction input via the operation input unit and furthermore corrects the curvature control signal using the compensation value and transmits it to the bending-section drive unit.

Abstract: A treatment device for use in treating a biological tissue, includes: a holding portion, an ultrasonic transducer unit, a probe, an inner sheath, a first sealing member, an outer sheath that covers an outer peripheral surface of the inner sheath, a second sealing member, and an actuator that moves the ultrasonic transducer unit, the probe and the inner sheath integrally to the outer sheath along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: Provided is a manipulator including a distal-end joint group and a proximal-end joint group that are arranged adjacent to each other in a distal-end section of an insertion part in a longitudinal axis direction and that are configured to bend the distal-end section. The proximal-end joint group includes a plurality of proximal-end bending joints bendable about axes that are lined-up side-by-side to bend the distal-end section through 180° or more. The distal-end joint group includes first distal-end bending joints disposed on a distal side of the proximal-end joint group and bendable about axes crossing a plane including the axes of the proximal-end bending joints and the longitudinal axis; and a second distal-end bending joint disposed in the longitudinal axis direction relative to the axes of the first distal-end bending joints and bendable about an axis that is lined-up side-by-side with the axes of the proximal-end bending joints.