Abstract: Provided is phototherapy progress measuring method for measuring a progress of a phototherapy of an affected portion by employing a fluorescent agent. The method includes: detecting a first fluorescence intensity, which is an intensity of fluorescence generated in the affected portion as a result of radiating therapeutic light beam onto the affected portion; and calculating, by employing the first fluorescence intensity and reference data, progress information representing the progress of the phototherapy of the affected portion. The reference data are determined on the basis of a fluorescence intensity associated with the fluorescent agent that is in the affected portion and that is not involved in the phototherapy.

Abstract: A resin composition for a medical device to be subjected to gas low-temperature sterilization includes a resin and an ion exchanger.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes a light source that irradiates a predetermined first and second narrowband light; an imaging sensor that captures an image of return light of the first narrowband light and the second narrowband light from the subject, and generates an image signal of the image; and a processor being configured to identify a first color of a first portion and a second color of a second portion based on a difference of an optical density with respect to hemoglobin in the image signal in every frame of the image, the first portion corresponding to a bleeding area, and the second portion corresponding to an area other than the bleeding area within the subject, and correct the first color and the second color based on the identified first and second color while maintaining a color difference between the identified first and second color in a predetermined range.

Abstract: A distal end member of an insertion apparatus includes: a base; a recessed portion which is recessed on a surface of the base; an opening forming surface formed on a surface of the base so as to surround a periphery of an opening of the recessed portion; and a lid member with a plate shape including a contact surface which is larger than the opening of the recessed portion and is brought into contact with the opening forming surface, the lid member closing the opening of the recessed portion by bringing the contact surface into contact with the opening forming surface. The lid member is formed so as to expose at least a portion of a side surface of the lid member disposed adjacently to the contact surface of the lid member to an outer surface of the base.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an insertion portion receiving a first force from an enteric canal and applying a second force, which is a reaction, to the enteric canal, a detection device detecting a position of the insertion portion, and a processor. The processor calculates a position of a point of application, a direction, and a magnitude of the first force, performs an arithmetic operation of a shape/position of the insertion portion based on an output from the detection device, determines a reaction position at which the second force is received, based on position information of the insertion portion and on position information of the point of application of the first force, sets two fixed points where the enteric canal is fixed, and calculates information of a third force and a fourth force directed toward the two fixed points from the reaction position with respect to the second force.

Abstract: The endoscope system includes: a laser diode for an endoscope that emits illumination light whose amount can be controlled; an image pickup device that outputs an image pickup signal of an image obtained by receiving reflected light of the illumination light; a photodiode that receives a part of the illumination light of the laser diode; a thermistor that detects a temperature of the laser diode; a thermistor that detects a temperature of the photodiode; a detection light amount temperature correction circuit that corrects an amount of light received by the photodiode based on the temperature of the photodiode; and a laser diode control circuit that controls driving of the laser diode so that an amount of the illumination light becomes a set value based on a corrected amount of received light corrected by the detection light amount temperature correction circuit and the temperature of the laser diode.

Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes an optical system including a lens and forming a subject image; an image acquisition device having an image acquisition surface on which the subject image is formed and acquiring a plurality of images; a shifting mechanism causing the device and system to relatively shift in a direction parallel to the surface; and a processor configured to: calculate a movement amount of the subject image on the surface; calculate a relative shift amount of the device and system on the basis of the calculated movement amount; and cause the device and system to relatively shift, between acquisitions of the plurality of images, by the calculated shift amount. The device acquires a plurality of pre-images before acquiring the plurality of images, and the processor is configured to calculate the movement amount of the subject image from a movement amount of the subject between the plurality of pre-images.

Abstract: An image display system includes a first processor disposed in a first system and a second processor disposed in a second system. The first processor is configured to transmit two or more first images to the second system and receive two or more second images from the second system. The first processor is configured to transmit, to the second system, first identification information added to a second image displayed on a monitor when a release signal has been received. The second processor is configured to acquire a temporary image to which the same second identification information is added as the first identification information among two or more temporary images stored on a buffer.

Abstract: An overtube for an endoscope includes: a tube body having a main lumen through which the endoscope is inserted and an air-supply lumen through which gas flows; a fixing balloon provided on an outer peripheral surface of a distal end of the tube body, expandable outward from the outer peripheral surface and contractible toward the outer peripheral surface; an air supply device configured to send the gas to the air-supply lumen; and an airtight valve unit having a tubular portion communicating with the main lumen at a rear end of the tube body, the airtight valve unit closing the gap between the endoscope inserted through the tubular portion into the main lumen and an inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for using artificial intelligence for patent valuation. The method includes obtaining a master list of patent classification codes used by a patent office. The method also includes, for each patent issued by the patent office: obtaining a respective set of patent classification codes assigned to the respective patent and forming a respective training vector. Each element in the respective training vector is a categorical variable that specifies whether a patent classification code is included in the respective set of classification codes. The system receives a respective user-specified value metric for each patent. The method also includes training a machine learning model according to a training data table that includes the training vectors. The machine learning model is configured to predict value metrics for patents according to their corresponding patent classification codes.

Abstract: An electrode for a high-frequency medical device in which a coating film is formed on at least a part of a surface of a treatment section of the medical device, wherein the coating film includes a silicone resin, and at least one type of filler having conductivity. Particles of the fillers are fusion-bonded to each other to form a conductive path, and/or a particle of the filler and an electrode substrate disposed on a surface of the treatment section are fusion-bonded to form a conductive path.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus for endoscope includes a resin member in which an outer dimension of a third main surface is equal to an outer dimension of a second main surface, an image pickup member having a light receiving surface smaller than the second main surface, and having a first external electrode on a back surface covered by the resin member, a fan-out wiring provided to extend between an inside and an outside of an extension space, the extension space being an extension of the image pickup member in an optical axis direction, a first through wiring penetrating through the resin member, and provided in the inside of the extension space, a first bonding electrode connected with the external electrode through the first through wiring and the fan-out wiring and forming the fan-out wiring provided on the third main surface, and an electric cable bonded to the first bonding electrode.

Abstract: A booster apparatus includes a voltage conversion control circuit configured to generate second power supply voltage, based on the ground voltage, first power supply voltage, and a driving clock signal. The voltage conversion control circuit includes: a booster circuit configured to generate the second power supply voltage based on an input booster clock signal; a clock buffer configured to generate the booster clock signal and output the generated booster clock signal to the booster circuit; and a voltage comparator that includes: a first voltage generation circuit configured to generate a first signal with a first voltage level; a second voltage generation circuit configured to generate a second signal with a second voltage level; and a comparator configured to compare the first voltage level and the second voltage level and control input of the driving clock signal to be supplied to the clock buffer based on a comparison result.

Abstract: An ablation system includes: an endoscope; an ablation treatment tool; an overtube; a first operation member that is provided at a base end portion of the overtube; and a second operation member that is attachable to and detachable from an intermediate position in a longitudinal direction of an insertion portion of the endoscope. The overtube has a balloon that is configured to fix the overtube to the gastro-intestinal tract; the insertion portion and the ablation treatment tool can be integrally moved in the overtube in the longitudinal direction; and the first and second operation members each have a finger holder that holds at least one finger of one hand. The first operation member is distinct from the overtube, and is attachable to and detachable from an outer circumferential surface of the overtube, at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction of the overtube.

Abstract: An endoscope includes: an imaging controller configured to drive in a first operation mode for operating an imager in accordance with an input first clock signal or in a second operation mode for operating the imager in accordance with an input second clock signal different from the first clock signal; a switch configured to output, to the imaging controller, a switching signal for switching the previously set second operation mode to be driven by the imaging controller to the first operation mode; and a first generator configured to generate a first enable signal causing the switch to output the switching signal based on the first clock signal when the first clock signal is input from an external processing device, and output the generated first enable signal to the switch.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an illumination portion that includes a light source and that is configured to radiate an illumination light beam having a spatially nonuniform intensity distribution onto an imaging subject; a first imager and a second imager disposed at positions that are different from each other and configured to respectively acquire a first illumination image and a second illumination image of the imaging subject being illuminated with the illumination light beam; and at least one processor configured to: create a first deep-layer image and a first surface-layer image from the first illumination image and create a second deep-layer image and a second surface-layer image from the second illumination image; and create a combined deep-layer image by combining the first deep-layer image and the second deep-layer image on the basis of pixel values of the first and second surface-layer images.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer includes: a flexible board configured to receive and output an electrical signal through a signal line; a plurality of piezoelectric devices that are electrically connected to the board and are aligned in a row, each piezoelectric device being configured to transmit and receive an ultrasound wave; a plurality of leads extending the signal line and protruding from an end portion of the board, each lead being electrically connected to the piezoelectric device in a curved manner; and a plurality of sheets that are arranged to prevent the leads from being in contact with each other, each sheet being provided on the lead and having an insulation property.

Abstract: An endoscopic image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit, a region-of-interest detection unit, a detection cessation determination unit, a display determination unit, and a display output unit. The detection cessation determination unit determines whether a detection of a region of interest in the region-of-interest detection unit has ceased. The display determination unit performs a display propriety determination as a determination of whether to display assisting information on a display unit, when a cessation determination is acquired in the detection cessation determination unit. The assisting information is information for assisting the region of interest, the detection of which has ceased, to be restored on a screen of a display unit.

Abstract: A stent includes a first tubular unit that has a cylindrical tubular shape and a mesh circumferential surface; and a second tubular unit that has a cylindrical tubular shape and a mesh circumferential surface, and is connected to the first tubular unit in a longitudinal axis direction of the stent. The first tubular unit has a first-first direction bent portion which is bent to be convex toward the first direction side that is one side of the longitudinal axis direction, the second tubular unit has a second-second direction bent portion which is bent to be convex toward the second direction side that is the other side of the longitudinal axis direction, and the first-first direction bent portion and the second-second direction bent portion form a first connecting portion that is connected so as to be relatively movable.

Abstract: An image pickup unit includes: an image sensor; a physical quantity detection sensor; and a holding member that is provided with a wiring connection member to which a cable is connected, in which a distal end of the stress detection sensor is provided between the physical quantity detection sensor and the wiring connection member.