Abstract: An arrangement for sterile handling of a non-sterile endoscope in a sterile environment includes a sterile endoscope sheath having an optical element arranged at its distal end, and a non-sterile endoscope. The optical element has a light-reflecting element or a light-reflecting area which reflects detection light emitted by the detection light source as reflection light toward a proximal end of the endoscope sheath. The non-sterile endoscope includes an endoscope shaft, an illumination optical system, and an observation optical system. The non-sterile endoscope is received in the endoscope sheath.

Abstract: An instrument port includes a port body, a bulb disposed at the distal end of the port body, a base body disposed at the proximal end of the port body, a hollow cylindrical body mechanically coupled to the base body, and a plurality of connecting rods disposed parallel to the port body. Each connecting rod includes a distal rod portion that is mechanically coupled to a respective distal-facing exterior surface of a bulb flange and a proximal rod portion that is mechanically coupled to a respective proximal-facing surface of the base body. A spring applies a spring force against the port body to press the port body into the bulb to mechanically secure the bulb to the base body.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus of manufacturing a panel for home appliance by performing uniform surface processing on the panel and a method of manufacturing a home appliance by performing uniform surface processing on a panel. The apparatus of manufacturing a panel for home appliance includes a contacting roller configured to perform surface-processing on a panel that is to be processed; a pressing roller configured to press the panel toward the contacting roller; and a supporting roller configured to support a center middle portion of the contacting roller.

Abstract: This invention relates to a tip protector for an instrument such as an endoscope or borescope, the instrument comprising an elongate shaft having a distal tip and said tip including an end face. A tip protector device comprises a guard portion including an elongate tubular portion and a cap arranged to extend over the end face of the instrument; first and second connection members extending from the tubular portion and being movable relative to each other between a first, disengaged position in which said tip of the instrument can be inserted into and removed from the guard portion, and a second, gripping position in which the tip protector grips the shaft of the instrument, the first and second connection members being biased in the first position; and complementary engagement features on the first and second connection members configured to retain the first and second connection members in the gripping position.

Abstract: In at least some aspects, an instrument port for introducing an instrument into a surgical site comprises: a port body having: an instrument channel extending through the port body; and a plurality of fluid flush channels each separate from one another and the instrument channel, each extending along a major portion of the port body and in fluid communication with the instrument channel; and a bulb comprising a bulb channel extending through the bulb, the bulb channel aligned with the instrument channel, wherein the bulb channel and instrument channel are configured to receive the instrument.

Abstract: Endoscope window assembly designs and methods of assembling sub-millimeter imaging endoscopes are disclosed. An endoscope apparatus comprises an elongated cylindrical probe having rotating illumination optics in the middle and at least one detection fiber and a spectrometer connected to the detection fiber and a light source connected to the illumination optics and a processor for imaging. An optically transparent window is attached to the cylindrical probe at the distal end thereof, the window seals the rotating illumination optics inside the cylindrical probe, and the at least one detection fiber is located on the outer surface of the cylindrical probe. The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a window component that covers only the illumination component of the optical probe.

Abstract: A pressure monitoring device is provided for use with a tool such as a medical endoscope. The device includes a housing which is fluidically coupled with an internal volume of the endoscope. A pump is used to change the pressure inside the device housing and endoscope, thereby establishing a pressure differential from the ambient environment. During an endoscopy procedure, the pressure inside the device housing is monitored, and a change in pressure exceeding a predefined limit causes an alarm signal indicating a leak has occurred in the endoscope. The device housing may be directly mounted to the endoscope, located remotely and connected with a coupling tube, or integrated with an accessory device connected to the endoscope. The pump may be integrated internally to the device housing, or it may be a separate external pump which is connected to the housing. The pressure differential may be positive or negative relative to ambient.

Abstract: There are provided a work-side position measurement device and a drive-side position measurement device for directly measuring positions of roll chocks in a rolling direction, and positions of upper and lower working rolls and upper and lower backup rolls in the rolling direction are adjusted to zero point or predetermined positions. Alternatively, a change caused in the strip wedge due to a minute crossing of the axes of working rolls and backup rolls is calculated, and the quantities of leveling of a work-side rolling reduction cylinder device and a drive-side rolling reduction cylinder device are adjusted to make the strip edge equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. Accordingly, the bilateral asymmetry (strip wedge) of the thickness distribution of a rolled material is easily adjusted even in the event that the positions of the roll chocks in the rolling direction are changed due to wear on various components.

Abstract: A insertion apparatus includes a flexible tube, a detection section that detects state information of the tube, a calculation section that calculates, based on the state information, shape information of the tube, and an input section that inputs characteristic information of the tube. The apparatus also includes a calculation section that calculates, based on the characteristic information, an operation state of a distal end of the tube, an calculation section that calculates an insertion state of the tube at a specific point closer to a proximal end than the distal end, based on the shape information, characteristic information, and operation state, and a measurement section that measures an actual operation state of the tube at the specific point.

Abstract: The endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope and a video processor. The endoscope apparatus has a voice coil motor provided in a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the endoscope and having a coil with a resistance component, and a signal wire inserted into the insertion portion and connected to both ends of the coil, detects at least one value of a current supplied to the signal wire and a voltage applied to the signal wire, calculates power consumption of the coil from the at least one value detected and resistance value information of the resistance component, and executes a predetermined process based on the calculated power consumption of the coil and power consumption threshold information.

Abstract: To provide a hot forging die made of a Ni-based superalloy, which is free from any deteriorations in working environment and die shape during hot forging in the air, and also provide a manufacturing process for a forged product using the same and a manufacturing process for a hot forging die. The hot forging die includes: a base body made of a Ni-based superalloy consisting of, by mass, 10.3 to 11.0% of W, 9.0 to 11.0% of Mo, and 5.8 to 6.8% of Al and balance of Ni with inevitable impurities; and a coating layer of inorganic material that is formed on at least one of a forming surface and a side surface of the die and contains 30 mass % or more in total of one or more of Si, Cr, and Al out of Si and metal elements.

Abstract: A blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) for a refiner comprises an inner end edge (20) and an outer end edge (21) and a first side edge (22) and a second side edge (23) opposite to the first side edge (22), the first side edge (22) and the second side edge (23) extending between the inner end edge (20) and the outer end edge (21), and a refining surface (29) comprising blade bars (27) and blade grooves (28) therebetween on a front surface (25) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b). At least one side edge (22, 23) of the blade segment (4, 8, 8a, 8b) comprises at least one opening (14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 14e, 14f, 14g) that extends from the side edge (22, 23) toward the opposite side edge (22, 23).

Abstract: An endoscopic treatment tool includes a sheath; a treatment portion; and a manipulation main body which includes a distal end-fixing portion capable of being fixed to a proximal end side-opening portion, an intermediate portion connected to a proximal end of the sheath and advances and retracts in a longitudinal axis direction of the sheath, a proximal end-manipulating unit which slides with respect to the intermediate portion, a fixing member, and a support member. One of the distal end-fixing portion and the intermediate portion is inserted and connected to the other thereof to partially overlap each other in the longitudinal axis direction, the support member is rotatably engaged with a member disposed on an outer side among the distal end-fixing portion and the intermediate portion, and the support member is configured to be able to fix the fixing member at an arbitrary-position of the manipulation main body in the circumferential direction.

Abstract: Tubes for use in ultrahigh pressure devices, and associated systems and methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a metal tube includes an elongate bore having a circular transverse cross-sectional shape. The metal tube also includes an elongate wall extending around the bore and having an annular transverse cross-sectional shape with an inner surface closest to the bore, an outer surface furthest from the bore, and a wall thickness extending from the inner surface to the outer surface. An inner portion of the wall is under swage-autofrettage-induced overall compressive stress.

Abstract: A method for producing open-seam pipes from sheet metal panels, in particular thick sheet metal panels. A sheet metal panel, having bending edges on the long sides thereof, is fed to a pipe forming press where the sheet metal panel is formed, lying on a lower tool having of two supporting elements which are horizontally spaced apart from each other, by an upper tool, which can be raised and lowered, by application of a bending force, progressively into an open-seam pipe having bending edges on opposite long sides with a gap for later longitudinal seam welding. In order that the sheet metal panel can be easily, progressively formed or shaped from the start, at least the bending sections immediately adjacent on the bending edges of the sheet metal panel are each formed from the outside to the inside, deviating from a numerically ascending bending step sequence in a pilgering process sequence.

Abstract: A flexible tube insertion apparatus including a flexible tube to be inserted into an insertion target is provided. The apparatus includes a variable stiffness section disposed in the tube and configured to change a bending stiffness of the tube, a variable stiffness drive section configured to drive the variable stiffness section, a rotation sensor configured to detect rotation of the tube about a central axis, and an insertion shape sensor configured to detect a curved shape of the tube. A variable stiffness controller drives the drive section so that a bending stiffness of the variable stiffness section is increased based on information detected by the rotation sensor and detected by the insertion shape sensor, when the tube forms a loop and rotates about the axis.

Abstract: A wear-resistant tool includes composite polycrystalline diamond as a core, the composite polycrystalline diamond being composed of polycrystalline diamond in which particulate diamond is directly bonded and non diamond carbon. The polycrystalline diamond in the composite polycrystalline diamond is three-dimensionally continuous in composite polycrystal and primary particles have an average particle size from 10 to 500 nm.

Abstract: A device (1) for mixing which comprises a housing (2) with at least one inlet (3). A first process region (4) mixes the supplied substances which are introduced via the inlet (3) while a second process region (5) discharges the mixture via an outlet (6). A first gap-forming element (7), preferably a rotor, is assigned to the first process region (4) and comprises openings (8), and a second gap-forming element (9), preferably a stator, is assigned to the second process region (5) and corresponds with the first gap-forming element (7), wherein the second gap-forming element (9) comprises openings (10). At least one of the gap-forming elements (7, 9) is rotatable relative to the other gap-forming element (7, 9). The openings (8, 10) of the first and second gap-forming elements (7, 9) are arranged such that a mixture passes through the openings from the first into the second process region.

Abstract: A press system includes a detection unit configured to detect occurrence of an abnormality during press working for a workpiece, and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine an abnormality level, based on the abnormality detected by the detection unit and a stoppage period for which a pressing operation is stopped after occurrence of the abnormality.

Abstract: A powder gathering apparatus includes at least two rotating plates and a driving mechanism. The at least two rotating plates are disposed with respect to each other. Each of the rotating plates includes at least one spherical member. The at least one spherical member protrudes from the rotating plate. The driving mechanism drives at least one of the at least two rotating plates to move, such that the at least two rotating plates get close to or away from each other. The driving mechanism drives the at least two rotating plates to rotate.