Abstract: The present invention relates to a surgical apparatus that includes a surgical instrument including an elongated shaft extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, a working element coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft for manipulating tissue; an endoscope having a tubular body including an image fiber, an endoscopic lens coupled to a distal end of the tubular body and operably coupled to the image fiber, the endoscopic lens defining a viewing field about a central axis; and the endoscope mounted to the elongated shaft of the surgical instrument, the endoscopic lens protruding from an outer longitudinal surface of the elongated shaft, the central axis of the viewing field being oblique to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft and intersecting the outer longitudinal surface, the working element located within the viewing field and separated from the central axis by a distance.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a surgical device including an adapter assembly for selectively interconnecting an end effector and the device housing. The adapter assembly includes at least one drive converter assembly that converts and transmits a rotation of the rotatable drive shaft to an axial translation of at least one axially translatable drive member of the end effector. A first drive converter assembly includes a first drive element, a nut, an articulation sleeve, an articulation bearing, and an articulation link. Rotation of the rotatable drive shaft results in rotation of the first drive element. Rotation of the first drive element results in axial translation of the nut, the articulation sleeve, the articulation bearing, the articulation link, and the at least one axially translatable drive member of the end effector.

Abstract: A device and system for monitoring the status of a battery in an in-vivo imaging device, prior to use of the in-vivo imaging device. The device may include a frame counter for counting the number of frames captured and may include monitoring the voltage of the battery. A warning signal is generated if it is determined that the battery is faulty prior to use. The warning signal can be generated by the device and/or by a receiver which receives data from the in-vivo imaging device and/or a by workstation which receives the data from the receiver.

Abstract: A laser irradiation tip has a main body and a tip end portion. The main body is connected with a handpiece and irradiating therapeutic laser with high absorbability in water. The tip end portion being connected with the main body. The main body of the laser irradiation tip has an optical fiber for guiding the therapeutic laser, a water flow path, and an air flow path in a parallel manner. The tip end portion of the laser irradiation tip has a connection portion with the main body, a water guide path communicated with the water flow path of the main body, an air guide path communicated with the air flow path of the main body, a fiber guide portion capable of inserting a tip side portion of the optical fiber, and a mixing chamber of water and air.

Abstract: A fluorescence endoscope apparatus includes a light source that radiates excitation light and reference light onto an examination target; a fluorescence-image generating portion that generates a fluorescence image by capturing fluorescence generated at the examination target due to irradiation with the excitation light; a reference-image generating portion that generates a reference image by capturing return light that returns from the examination target due to irradiation with the reference light; a division-image generating portion that generates a division image by dividing the fluorescence image generated by the fluorescence-image generating portion by the reference image generated by the reference-image generating portion; and a corrected-image generating portion that generates a corrected image based on the division image and the fluorescence image, wherein the corrected-image generating portion generates a corrected image in which a region that has relatively high luminance and that the division image

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrode configured to be fixable relative to a target area within a body, the electrode comprises: a positioning device for tracking variations of a position of the electrode relative to a radiation source, a dose measuring unit to detect administered dose in the target area from the radiation source, and an identification unit. The identification unit and the dose measuring unit are configured to be connectable to an externally arranged control unit via a first pair of electrical connections. The identification unit comprises: an electronic identification tag, and a switch configured to alternate between a first mode in which administered dose from the radiation source may be detected in the dose measuring unit, and a second mode in which the identification tag may be read by the externally arranged control unit.

Abstract: A medical robotic system includes an entry guide with surgical tools and a camera extending out of its distal end. To supplement the view provided by an image captured by the camera, an auxiliary view including articulatable arms of the surgical tools and/or camera is generated from sensed or otherwise determined information about their positions and orientations and displayed on a display screen from the perspective of a specified viewing point. Intuitive control is provided to an operator with respect to the auxiliary view while the operator controls the positioning and orienting of the camera.

Abstract: A method for displaying video-endoscopic image data of a video endoscope having at least one lateral viewing direction, wherein at least one objective which is movable relative to an image sensor about the longitudinal axis of a shaft of the video endoscope and has at least one lateral viewing direction is arranged on the distal end of the shaft of the video endoscope, wherein the viewing direction is changed over from a first viewing direction to a second viewing direction on account of a viewing direction changeover command. Also provided are a video endoscopy system wherein the viewing direction can be changed over from a first viewing direction to a second viewing direction on account of a viewing direction changeover command and a software program product comprising program code means for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: This group of inventions provides means and methods for preventing the damaging portions of surgical tools, such as laparoscopic devices, from adversely contacting tissues and organs that are not in the desired field of surgery. As such, the present disclosure pertains to any form of a warning or positioning device or methods, including those that are facilitated via software that are adapted and arranged for use in tracking portions of surgical instruments during laparoscopic surgery or other medical procedures. Such systems include those that are adapted and arranged to provide a warning to the surgeon or other medical personnel regarding the positional status of an instrument, and those that are adapted and arranged for disabling or attenuating the portions of those instruments that might be dangerous to a patient when a dangerous portion of the instrument is near or outside the desired, or denominated, field of surgery.

Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes a capsule type housing and a circuit board on which a plurality of board sections are arranged in a row, the circuit board being housed inside the housing in a bent state. Connection electrodes for electronic component mounting are not formed on a second principal plane of the circuit board.

Abstract: A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, an actuation mechanism control of the handle, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and within the flexible housing tube. An actuation of the actuation mechanism control may be configured to gradually curve the flexible housing tube. A gradual curving of the flexible housing tube may be configured to gradually curve the optic fiber. An actuation of the actuation mechanism control may be configured to gradually straighten the flexible housing tube. A gradual straightening of the flexible housing tube may be configured to gradually straighten the optic fiber.

Abstract: Instruments and methods are described for performing hysteroscopy and/or combined hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. According to some embodiments, the handle, electronics and integrated display screen form a re-usable portion of the instrument while the fluid hub and cannula which includes a CMOS imaging module and LED lighting, form a single use portion of the instrument. The cannula is semi-flexible such that the operator can easily grasp the cannula at some intermediate point along the shaft (e.g. 5 inches from the distal tip) to bend and/or steer the cannula during use. According to some embodiments, the distal tip has a larger diameter than the shaft which has been found to improve fluid management during use in some applications.

Abstract: A diagnostic system comprises a spectral image shooting means that shoots a spectral image within a predetermined wavelength range in a body cavity and obtains spectral image data, an image processing means that obtains the spectral image data and calculates an indicator indicating an area having a high possibility of a diseased portion from the spectral image data, and a monitor on which the indicator is displayed, and wherein the image processing means calculates, as the indicator, a ratio between an accumulated value of intensity values of all spectral images in the predetermined wavelength range and an intensity value of spectral images in a particular wavelength band, for each coordinate in the spectral image.

Abstract: Included are a storage unit for storing as first medical image information a three-dimensional image representing information about an inside of the subject; an image processor for generating a display image on the basis of the first medical image information and second medical image information; and a display for displaying the display image generated by the image processor. The image processor includes: a catheter position information detector for calculating a position of the balloon catheter C and detecting position information; and a balloon pressure-contact degree calculator for calculating a pressure-contact degree A of the tissues of the subject and a balloon b on the basis of the first medical image information and the position information.

Abstract: A body-introducable apparatus includes: a light source unit having a first light source that outputs first light and a second light source that outputs second light in a wavelength band different from that of the first light; a light distribution matching unit that matches distributions of the first light and the second light; an illuminating control unit that illuminates the inside of the subject by driving the light source unit; and an imaging unit that captures an image of the inside of the subject.

Abstract: An endoscope and optical system for an endoscope having rod lenses and correction lens groups where the number of relay lens systems is greater than the number of correction lens groups in the endoscope and optical system of the endoscope.

Abstract: An endoscope includes a lens, a lens frame that holds the lens, and a bonding member that water-tightly fixes the lens to the lens frame, the bonding member composed of Sn-alloy solder containing at least one of Zn, Sb, Al and In, having a melting point not higher than 200° C. and forming a chemical bond via oxygen, and the lens, the lens frame and the bonding member are provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion.

Abstract: A system and method for acquiring images containing spatial and spectral information of an object include acquiring defocused images using an optical system based on extended depth of field. The optical system further includes a filter array comprising an array of at least six different sub-filters that are arranged such that any group of four immediately adjacent sub-filters includes at least one red sub-filter, at least one green sub-filter and at least one blue sub-filter. The filter array is located at the aperture stop of the optical system. A coded mask is located at the focal plane of the optical system, and an imager is located beyond the focal plane such that images acquired by the imager are defocused. The images are refocused, and spectral and spatial information is restored by designated software.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved interface between the surgeon and an endoscope system for laparoscopic surgery, holding a laparoscopic camera and/or controlling an automated endoscope assistant including at least one wireless transmitter with at least one operating key, at least one wireless receiver, at least one conventional laparoscopy computerized system loaded with conventional surgical instrument spatial location software, and conventional automated assistant maneuvering software, software loaded onto the conventional laparoscopy system that enables a visual response to the depression of at least one key on the wireless transmitter as well as an interface with the conventional automated assistant maneuvering software so as to achieve movement of the endoscope, and at least one video screen.

Abstract: A method of examining internal body portions of patients. The method includes providing an imaging capsule including an image capturing unit, mounting the imaging capsule on a first elongate tube suitable for insertion into a body cavity, in a manner which prevents release of the imaging capsule from the first elongate tube within a body cavity, inserting the first elongate tube with the capsule mounted thereon into a patient, retracting the first elongate tube from the patient, separating the imaging capsule from the first elongate tube, disposing of the first elongate tube, mounting the imaging capsule on a second elongate tube and inserting the second elongate tube with the imaging capsule mounted thereon into a patient.