Abstract: In order to control the pressure in an abdominal cavity of a patient and a pressure in a hollow organ, a medical system includes: a first pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of a gas in the abdominal cavity; a first port for insufflating and evacuating the abdominal cavity; a second pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of a gas in the hollow organ; a second port for insufflating and evacuating the hollow organ; an air supply apparatus connected to the second port for controlling the air supply and evacuation based on the output by the first and second pressure sensors; a third port connected to the second pressure sensor in the air supply apparatus; an endoscope connected to the air supply apparatus; a pneumoperitoneum needle connected to the first port; and a puncture needle connected to the second port.

Abstract: An endoscope washer-disinfector cleans and disinfects an endoscope with a duct. A brush cassette is detachably loaded to a loading part of the washer-disinfector and comprises a brush element and a shaft holding the brush element. Inside the cassette, first and second members are formed to hold the shaft tight therebetween for making the shaft advance and retreat to and from the duct. A lock device separates the second member from the first member so that the second member is located at a first position. The lock device locks the separated second member, when the brush is not loaded on the loading part. When the cassette is loaded to the loading part, the lock device also unlocks the locked second member responsively to an operating force and allows the second member to be moved to a second position where the first and second members hold tight the shaft.

Abstract: A medical procedure and a system are provided so that two visions are obtainable through natural orifices by means of two observational apparatuses, or one the two visions is selectable. The medical procedure through a natural orifice comprises: forming an orifice in a hollow organ by using a device inserted into the hollow organ from a natural orifice of a patient; introducing a first observation device from said orifice formed in said hollow organ into an abdominal cavity; introducing a second observation device from said orifice formed in said hollow organ into the abdominal cavity; arranging said second observation device in a position different from that of said first observation device; simultaneously or selectively displaying an image obtained from said first observation device and an image obtained from said second observation device; and performing a desired procedure in the abdominal cavity while confirming the images.

Abstract: In an endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus, a duct of the endoscope is washed by a washing brush having a brush chip and a shaft having a distal end to which the brush chip is detachably loaded. A brush-chip accommodating unit has a brush-chip accommodating chamber communicable to a flow passage of a nozzle detachably coupled to the duct. A shaft accommodating unit has a shaft accommodating chamber communicable to the brush-chip accommodating chamber, the shaft being selectively accommodated in the shaft accommodating chamber. A shaft driving unit drives the shaft to be fed to the duct from the shaft accommodating chamber and to be returned to the shaft accommodating chamber from the duct. In the brush-chip accommodating chamber, coupling and decupling means allow the brush chip to be coupled and decoupled with and from the shaft, during the shaft is driven to go back and forth.

Abstract: An apparatus for washing and disinfecting an endoscope comprises a frame, a brush unit, and a lid. The frame is equipped with a washing bath accommodating therein the endoscope for washing and disinfection. The brush unit accommodates therein a brush for washing a duct of the endoscope and is detachably loaded to the frame at a predetermined position thereof to allow the brush to be inserted into the duct. The lid is attached to the frame to selectively open and close and formed to cover the washing bath and the brush unit loaded to the fame when the frame is closed. Further, the apparatus comprises a reuse-disabling device disabling the brush unit from being reused in association with the opening and closing actions of the lid. The reuse-disabling device prevents reuse of the brush unit which is poor in its washing performance due to being used already.

Abstract: A medical system is provided with a plurality of medical devices, a panel portion including a display unit which displays information with respect to the plurality of medical devices and a sensor unit which detects an input operation, an information storage unit which stores graphical user interface information for display and graphical user interface information for operation, a detection unit which detects whether or not the panel portion is disposed at least at one predetermined position, and a display selection control unit which selects information between the graphical user interface information for display and the graphical user interface information for operation stored in the information storage unit based on a detection signal of the detection unit so as to be displayed on the display unit.

Abstract: In this invention, a voice recognition engine 110 outputs to a controlling section 103 a matching state of a voice input signal as an error code. Then, the controlling section 103 determines the matching state based on the error code in the error determination section 105 and outputs to a voice synthesizing engine 113 guidance data according to the matching state based on a timing control by a guidance timing controlling section 107. According to such a configuration, this invention improves operatability by voice operation, while reducing a risk of erroneous recognition by maintaining a predetermined matching rate.

Abstract: An apparatus washes/disinfects, at a time, a plurality of endoscopes having a plurality of channels with different diameters, and dewaters the channels at a time. For the dewatering, the apparatus includes plural ports for receiving air supply, and a plurality of tubes for connecting between each of the plurality of ports and each of the plurality of channels in each of the plurality of endoscopes. The apparatus also includes an on-off valve for intermittently supply air to the ports, and a control unit for opening/closing the valve a plurality of times at a predetermined ratio. Water droplets remaining in a large-diameter channel are mainly moved by wind pressure of continuously flowing air while the valve is open, and discharged. Water droplets in a smaller-diameter channel are mainly moved by hammer effect of high-pressure air caused while the valve is closed, and discharged. The valve opening/closing is repeated for complete dewatering.

Abstract: A puncture needle includes: a needle part that has a first needle part and a second needle part that are hollow, adjacent, and have resiliency; and a sheath that retractably accommodates the needle part; in which a bend part that separates distal end sides of the first needle part and the second needle part to be further apart than proximal end sides thereof is provided in at least one of the first needle part and the second needle part.

Abstract: There is provide an apparatus for washing and disinfecting an endoscope having a duct for detecting a water leakage, the duct having an opening to which a fitting is attached. The apparatus comprises a nozzle unit having a nozzle to supply a gas into the duct via the fitting in a case where the nozzle is inserted into the fitting and a base member holding the nozzle member. The apparatus further comprises a gas supplying unit capable of supplying the gas to the nozzle, a shifting unit capable of shifting the base member toward the fitting of the endoscope, and a controlling unit controlling drive of the shifting unit to shift the base toward the fitting and to drive of the gas supplying unit to allow the nozzle to blow the gas from before the nozzle reaches the fitting.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for washing and disinfecting an endoscope equipped with an insertion tube through which a duct is formed and a base portion integrated with the insertion tube. The apparatus comprises a bath member providing a washing bath; and an accommodating member on which the endoscope is accommodated. The accommodating member is installed in the washing bath. The apparatus further comprises a duct washing unit and a brush washing unit. The duct washing unit is equipped with a washing brush and formed to wash the duct by advancing and retreating the brush through the duct, with the endoscope accommodated on the accommodating member. The brush washing unit is configured to wash the brush by spraying fluid toward the brush when the brush is made to advance and retreat through the duct.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for washing and disinfecting a medical instrument with a duct. The apparatus comprises an accommodating member on which the medical instrument is accommodated and a bath member providing a washing bath in which the accommodating member is placed. The apparatus further comprises a washing unit washing at least the duct of the medical instrument accommodated on the accommodating member and placed in the washing bath and a brushing unit detachably mounted on the bath member and formed to have a brush brushing an inside of the duct when the endoscope is washed and disinfected by the washing unit.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which assists operations required for a medical instrument. A tubular portion and a therapeutic member of the instrument are inserted through a channel of an insertion tube of an endoscope. In the apparatus, a first drive unit enables the therapeutic member to perform the desired therapeutic operations responsively to a first command signal and a second drive unit enables the tubular portion inserted in the channel to convey responsively to a second command signal. An input device is provided at which two kinds of commands are allowed to be inputted command by command. The two kinds of commands allow the therapeutic member and the tubular portion to be driven in parallel with each other. A controller provides the first and second drive units with the first and second command signals, respectively, in accordance with the two kinds of commands.

Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope, manipulating unit, and controlling unit. The endoscope is equipped with an elongated and flexible insertion tube being inserted into an object being examined and formed to be used in combination with a therapeutic instrument. The insertion tube has a distal section accommodating therein at least an optical system for imaging and presenting a longitudinal direction. The manipulating unit is manually manipulated for commanding operations of at least the therapeutic instrument and formed to be loaded to the insertion tube and slidable along the insertion tube in the longitudinal direction thereof. The controlling unit controls at least the therapeutic instrument based on a command from the manipulating unit.

Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope, medical instrument, operating unit, first and second drive units, and control unit. The endoscope comprises a flexible insertion tube being inserted into an object being examined. The medical instrument is partially inserted into the object through the insertion tube and the operating unit is used for commanding the medical instrument to operate. The first drive unit drives the medical instrument to enable an inserting and pulling-out operation of the medical instrument with the object through the insertion tube. The second drive unit drives the medical instrument to enable the medical instrument to perform a therapeutic operation in the object. The control unit controls drive of the first and second driving devices depending on both an operated state of the operating device and an interference state caused between the medical instrument and the insertion tube when the instrument is actually used.

Abstract: In a medical information management system, an electronic pen acquires medical information data inputted in handwriting onto a form. A graphic identification unit identifies a graphic area defined by a graphic represented by graphic data contained in the medical information, based on the acquired medical information data. A comment area identification unit identifies a comment area located in a predetermined position relative to the identified graphic area. A comment data identification unit identifies comment data inputted in handwriting to the comment area, among the acquired medical information data. A storage unit stores the acquired medical information data and the identified comment data in a manner that associates the acquired medical information data with the identified comment data.

Abstract: The present invention enables the desired area on a luminal organ to be held correctly during laparotomy or laparoscopic surgery, even without carrying out dot inking which requires a high degree of skill. In the present invention, a magnetic body is pre-anchored at a specific position inside a luminal organ. During surgery, a magnet is brought close to the outside of the luminal organ, such that the magnetic body is adsorbed to the magnet, along with the body tissue of the luminal organ, enabling traction.

Abstract: A stent placement device capable of forward/backward operation for adjusting a placement position of a stent in a living tissue and forward/backward operation of an ultrasonic endoscope in a treatment instrument insertion channel is realized by providing a guide tube holding a stent to be placed in an opening formed in a tissue of a body cavity capable of moving forward/backward in the axial direction, a fixing portion provided at a tip end of the guide tube and including a claw portion and a reduced-diameter portion which is changeable between a locked position and a nonlocked position of the stent when the stent is held by the guide tube, and an operation portion for operating a pusher tube or the like operating movement of the stent of the fixing portion between the locked position and the nonlocked position.