Abstract: A balloon catheter including a connecting member, a catheter shaft, a balloon and a heat-generating member. The heat-generating member is in contact with a fluid in a distal portion of the catheter shaft. A method for treating a patient including introducing a low temperature fluid which flows through the balloon, introducing energy into a catheter shaft, and converting the energy into heat by a heat-generating member to heat the fluid, whereby an organ of the patient is heated and cooled. In the method, a portion of a diseased tissue of the organ is (i) heated from 35 to 40° C. to 60 to 80° C. within 30 seconds, (ii) expanded by applying a pressure of 500 kPa or smaller to the balloon, and (iii) cooled to 45° C. or lower within 40 seconds.

Abstract: A fluororesin tube body (10) of an endoscope flexible tube (1) is small in diameter and thin in wall thickness to such a degree that it is difficult to maintain its cross-sectional shape by itself when the flexible tube (1) is bent to the limit. A braid (20) woven from a plurality of flat bands (21) to form a tubular shape is disposed around the tube body (10). The mesh openings of the braid (20) are filled with filling adhesive (30), which bonds the tube body (10) and the braid (20) together. The filling adhesive (30) has enough elasticity to allow deformation of the braid (20) during the bending operation and enough adhesive strength to maintain the bond between the tube body (10) and the braid (20) even when the filling adhesive (30) is elastically deformed. Consequently, the braid (20) restricts the cross-sectional deformation of the tube body (10). Thus, the limit curvature of the flexible tube (1) can be increased.

Abstract: An analysis system comprises an endoscope 10 insertable into the vessel and a Raman analysis apparatus 40. An insert cable 54 of the Raman analysis apparatus 40 is inserted into a channel 10a of the endoscope 10. An excitation optical fiber 60 and a bundle 70A of a plural number of light receivingoptical fibers 70 are received in the insert cable 54. A transparent small piece 63 having a film-like excitation optical filter 64 is abutted against the distal end of the fiber 60. A transparent plate 71 having a film-like light reciving optical filter 72 is abutted against the distal end of fibers bundle 70A. The plate 71 has a center hole 71a and the piece 63 is fitted into the hole 71a.

Abstract: A balloon catheter comprises a connecting member, a catheter shaft, a balloon and a heat-generating member contacting a fluid in the balloon or in a distal portion of the catheter shaft. A medical apparatus have the balloon catheter. In a method for treating a living organ, a low temperature fluid is introduced and flows through the balloon, energy is introduced into the catheter shaft, is converted into heat by the heat-generating member and heats the fluid, and a living organ is heated and cooled for a medical treatment. A portion of disease is heated from 35˜40° C. to 60˜80° C. within 30 seconds, expanded by applying a pressure of 500 kPa or smaller to the balloon, and cooled to 45° C. or lower within 40 seconds. A living organ can be heated and cooled within a very short time to cure a diseased tissue. A blood vessel can be expanded without damages.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus has a side view endoscope 10 for side viewing an object in a radial direction of a distal end constitutional portion 14 and a balloon catheter 40. With an insert portion 13 of a side view endoscope 10 inserted in an insert tube 41 of the balloon catheter 40, the balloon catheter 40 is inserted into a blood vessel B. The insert tube 41 is provided at its distal end with a transparent balloon 42. This balloon 42 encloses the distal end constitutional portion 14. By feeding air (fluid) to this balloon 42, the balloon 42 is expanded so as to be urged against an inside wall of the blood vessel B. This causes the blood to be discharged between the inside wall of the blood vessel B and the balloon 42, thus enabling to observe the inside wall of the blood vessel B through the side view endoscope 10.

Abstract: An analysis system comprises an endoscope 10 (guiding apparatus) and a Raman analysis apparatus 40. An insert portion 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the vessel. The endoscope 10 has a channel 10a formed therein and extending from an introducing pipe 18 of a grip 11 (main body portion) to a window formed in a distal end of the insert portion 12. An insert cable 54 of the Raman analysis apparatus 40 is inserted into the channel 10a. A single number of excitation optical fiber 60 and a bundle 70A of a plural number of light receiving optical fibers 70 are received in the insert cable 54. A basal end of the excitation optical fiber 60 is connected to an excitation light source 42, and a basal end of the light receiving optical fibers bundle 70A is connected to a spectroscope 41. An excitation light from the light source 42 is emitted from the window via the excitation optical fiber 60 and Raman scattered by impinging on matter adhered to an inside wall of the vessel.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus has a side view endoscope 10 for side viewing an object in a radial direction of a distal end constitutional portion 14 and a balloon catheter 40. With an insert portion 13 of a side view endoscope 10 inserted in an insert tube 41 of the balloon catheter 40, the balloon catheter 40 is inserted into a blood vessel B. The insert tube 41 is provided at its distal end with a transparent balloon 42. This balloon 42 encloses the distal end constitutional portion 14. By feeding air (fluid) to this balloon 42, the balloon 42 is expanded so as to be urged against an inside wall of the blood vessel B. This causes the blood to be discharged between the inside wall of the blood vessel B and the balloon 42, thus enabling to observe the inside wall of the blood vessel B through the side view endoscope 10.

Abstract: A medical tube made of an organic polymer having a mechanical loss tangent of at least 0.5 at body temperature and a modulus of transverse elasticity of 1-1000 MPa at body temperature. The medical tube of the present invention can be easily inserted into the body, and gives less pain and less feeling of physical disorder during indwelling in the body or removal from the body.

Abstract: An endoscope provided with a lighting apparatus. In this lighting apparatus, a tapered fiber is applied between a lamp and a base end face of a light guide. This taper fiber is in a tapered configuration which gradually diminishes in diameter toward an end side. The lamp is a high luminance lamp of a low outgoing angle. The lamp, a battery, and the tapered fiber of the lighting apparatus are arranged unitedly on a grip portion of the endoscope.

Abstract: A catheter consists of a torque transmitting portion which has rigidity sufficient for torque transmission and a flexible portion made of a material having a glass transition temperature for giving rigidity before insertion and flexibility after insertion. The torque transmitting portion maintains torque transmitting ability before, during and after insertion. The flexible portion maintains appropriate rigidity before and during insertion, which enables easy insertion, and gains flexibility after insertion by the body heat, which avoids hurting of the vulnerable insertion walls. Further, the torque transmitting portion may have a structure wherein a reinforcement of a coil or a braid of linear metal wires, specifically flat rectangular wires, is attached thereto to afford torque transmitting ability. Catheters having various functions and structures can be easily manufactured by extrusion-molding, or the like.

Abstract: A pulling wire for tip articulation mechanism of endoscope is fitted with an overload preventing spring in the middle thereof. This spring is arranged to stretch upon more than a certain amount of tension. Elongation of the overload preventing spring absorbs any excessive tension which is exerted upon the pulling wire as a result of motion restriction of the endoscope. This spring is fabricated such that the material wire thereof is spirally coiled, and is simultaneously twisted so that forcing pressure is introduced in the spring in the direction in which the adjoining ring portions thereof are brought into pressure contact with one another it is subjected to tension.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing an elongated body changing in elastic modulus longitudinally thereof with use of polymers without resulting in variations in the outside and inside diameters of the body even when the polymers are different in extrusion characteristics or swelling characteristics. The apparatus may include a feeder 1 for extruding a first polymer in a molten state and a feeder 2 for extruding a second polymer, which is different from the first polymer in elastic modulus and similarly in a molten state. The feeders alternately discharge the respective polymers, which are continuously fed to a long-land die 5 along with a lubricant supplied from a lubricant applicator 4. The polymers are formed into the desired shape and cooled in the die 5, and thereafter extruded.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical multiple fiber unit wherein a multiplicity of optical fibers are fused together with each other and each optical fiber has a core made of pure silica glass and a cladding layer made of silica glass containing a dopant and disposed on the core, by bundling a multiplicity of preforms corresponding to the optical fibers and drawing the bundle at a high temperture using the optical fiber preforms, preforms having a three-layer construction wherein a support layer made of a silica glass having a drawable temperture of at least 1,800.degree. C. is further disposed on the cladding layer, and drawing the bundle of the preforms to give a multiple fiber wherein the support layer of each optical fiber has a thickness of 0.01 to 1 .mu.m, in order to produce a multiple fiber in which the cladding layer of each optical fiber has a sufficient thickness to fulfill the function as a cladding layer and which has an excellent image-transmitting capacity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an energy transmission optical fiber which is a medium for transmitting high-energy beams within an ultraviolet range such as laser beams. Since an optical fiber according to the present invention comprises a core formed of pure silica and a clad having a graded index type distribution of refractive index and said clad is disposed on an interface between the core and the clad where many structural defects are generated, the transmission loss is not increased even after the transmission of high-energy beams for a long time. In addition, since the optical fiber according to the present invention comprises the core formed of pure silica having a high melting point, the high-energy beams can be transmitted without generating a melting fracture in the core.

Abstract: A super-thin fiberscope having a main scope body which comprises a plurality of multi-component glass light guide fibers for transmitting light to illuminate a target to be viewed, a silica glass image guide for transmitting an image of the target, and a thin-walled main tube made of an imide resin and enclosing the image guide and the light guide fibers. The main tube has an outer diameter of 0.25 mm to 0.6 mm and a wall thickness of 10 .mu.m to 30 .mu.m.

Abstract: Radioactive materials can be safely analyzed by an emission spectroscopic analyzer comprising an exciting device for exciting a radioactive material to be analyzed to emit light. The exciting device is enclosed in a radiation shielding wall. A detecting device detects the emitted light. The detecting device is located outside the radiation shielding wall. A light-transmitting device is provided between the exciting device and the detecting device such that the emitted light impinging on a first end of the light-transmitting device will be received at the detecting device as light having been transmitted through the light-transmitting device and emitted from a second end of the light-transmitting device. The light-transmitting device penetrates a hole made in the radiation shielding wall which has a sealing structure to prevent radiation leakage. The light-transmitting device penetrates the hole with a curvature.

Abstract: It is disclosed that an optical fiber conductor of glass type characterized in that the optical fiber conductor has a fiber-reinforcing layer which, at least in a desired region of the entire length thereof, is made of a charred material of an organic resin.

Abstract: An optical multiconductor of the silica glass type characterized in that the multiconductor comprises 10.sup.2 to 10.sup.7 optical fibers of the silica glass type fused to one another, each of the optical fibers comprising a core made of doped silica glass and occupying at least 20% of the fiber in cross sectional area, and a cladding layer made of a kind of silica glass and formed on the core, the core having a refractive index distribution satisfying the following expression:n2.gtoreq.n1+0.50(n0-n1)wherein n0 is the refractive index of the core at its center, n1 is the refractive index of the core at its outermost portion, and n2 is the refractive index of the core at a position centered about the axis of the core and having an average radius of 0.65r1, the r1 being an average radius of the core.The multiconductor is suited to use as the image transmitter of an image scope for industrial, medical or other uses.

Abstract: A fiber scope of the side-viewing type includes an image guide and two light guides disposed on both sides thereof in an objective part. The fiber scope is suitable for the observation of the surface of long articles assembled with narrow gaps therebetween as in an assembly of nuclear fuel rods in a nuclear reactor and a wide field of view can be secured even if an object to be observed stands within a point-blank range of an objective part. Also a plurality of long articles can be simultaneously observed by the fiber scope or the observation can be carried out while moving the fiber scope in the scanning direction. If the fiber scope is used in a radioactive environment, highly radiation resistant optical fibers are used.

Abstract: It is disclosed that a radiation-resistant optical conductor, such as an optical fiber for telecommunication, a multiple fiber for an image scope, and a light guide for illumination, which comprises a core composed of a pure silica glass which is prepared via an ultrahigh temperature of at least 3,000.degree. C. and has an OH group content of from 0.1 to 300 ppm, and a cladding layer formed on the core, and the cladding layer being composed of a silica glass which contains boron element and fluorine element as a dopant.