Abstract: An endoscope is provided wherein a variable rigidity portion is not restricted by a physical mechanism, and which allows a surgeon, in performing a rigidity varying operation, to operate the rigidity varying operation along with other operations without releasing inputting sections. The endoscope of the invention includes an inserting section and an operating section. The inserting section has variable-rigidity actuators. The operating section has a rigidity-variation controlling section, a trackball, and scope switches.

Abstract: First and second illumination and image pickup units are provided in the container body having opposite reference view field directions and are respectively freely tilted in an arbitrary direction within predetermined inclination angles from the reference view field direction.

Abstract: An endoscope has an insertion portion provided with a freely curvable curving portion; a grip portion provided at a base end side of the insertion portion and grasped by an operator. There provided at the grip portion and in its periphery is an instructing operation element with a function of implementing a curve instructing operation of the curving portion and a function of implementing the other instructing operation different from the above described curve instructing operation.

Abstract: A source coil drive circuit section of an endoscope shape detection device includes, an oscillator that generates a sine wave and an amplifier that amplifies the sine wave and generates (drives) an alternating magnetic field to source coils through a switch section. The switch section is configured to switch a direct current to an output of the amplifier and supply to the source coils. In the source coil drive circuit section, a direct current resistance value detection section for measuring a direct current resistance value of the source coils by voltage drop when the switch section is supplying the direct current to the source coils is provided.

Abstract: The endoscope has an elongated insertion portion, an operation portion provided at the rear end of the insertion portion, and a contact-less endoscope exterior body in which no electrical contact is exposed on the outer surface thereof including the insertion portion and the operation portion. Inside the endoscope exterior body, there are disposed an image pickup apparatus for picking up images and a signal processing portion for performing signal processing for the image pickup apparatus. The endoscope comprises a battery of a water-tight structure for supplying power for the image pickup apparatus and the signal processing portion, and a charging apparatus of a water-tight structure for charging the battery with power supplied in a contact-less fashion.

Abstract: An inserting shape detecting probe has a long and slender core wire, a plurality of shape detecting devices, signal lines, and an outer sheath. The plurality of shape detecting devices extended from the signal lines are fixed to the core wire at a predetermined interval. The core wire is inserted in the outer sheath. The inserting shape detecting probe has a thermal radiating member which is arranged along the outer circumference of at least one of the shape detecting devices.

Abstract: A medical device includes a first medical device, a second medical device, an engagement mechanism, a connection release mechanism and a detachment mechanism. The second medical device is attachable to/detachable from the first medical device. The engagement mechanism includes an engaging section provided on the first medical device, and an engaged section provided on the second medical device and engaged in the engaging section. The connection release mechanism includes an external-force input section applied with an external force for releasing connection between the first and second medical devices. The detachment mechanism includes a detachment section where the engaging section or the engaged section is irreversibly detached from the second medical device when the external force is applied to the external-force input section.

Abstract: Position detecting elements are disposed in an endoscope insertion portion at predetermined intervals. Even when the endoscope insertion portion is bent, position data representing the detected positions of the elements is used to infer or detect the shape of the insertion portion. A virtual element is disposed between adjoining elements so that a predetermined condition will be met. Position data of the virtual element is used together with the actually detected position data in order to interpolate data for the purpose of detecting the shape of the insertion portion. Consequently, as if a larger number of elements were disposed, the shape of the insertion portion can be detected highly precisely.

Abstract: A medical device includes a communication member including a first opening portion, a second opening portion, and a communication conduit for communication between the first opening portion and the second opening portion, a closing portion capable of liquid-tightly closing the communication conduit, and a maintaining member capable of maintaining the closing portion in a closed state.

Abstract: A drape for a medical equipment includes a covering portion configured to cover a surface of the medical equipment, a fixing portion which relatively fixes the covering portion to the medical equipment, a coupling portion which couples the fixing portion with the covering portion, and holding means which is provided to the covering portion and configured to liquid-tightly hold the covered inside when the medical equipment is covered with the covering portion.

Abstract: To facilitate a connection operation between a signal processing device and an endoscope apparatus in which a processing system that performs signal processing of image pickup signals of an electronic endoscope and a processing system that calculates an insertion shape of the endoscope are integrated, a scope connector 41 of the endoscope has a connector for inputting signals from UPD coils 58, and can be connected to an endoscope system controlling device 5 via an adaptor 42 together with other video signals and the like.

Abstract: According to the invention, an endoscope system as a surgery assisting apparatus includes a surgery apparatus for performing treatment by abdominal operation procedure on a region to be treated in a body of a patient, and a luminal organ shape detecting apparatus used for assisting (supporting) the abdominal operation procedure. The luminal organ shape detecting apparatus is used as blood vessel position notifying means when procedure is performed by inserting a probe as a luminal organ insertion probe into a blood vessel, for example. This allows the luminal organ irrespective of the treatment to be easily and surely detected and enables a smooth procedure to be performed.

Abstract: A holding cable of the invention includes: a tubular body including at one end thereof a fixing connector and at the other end thereof a coupling portion, the tubular body being configured by consecutively including a plurality of tubular members having at end portions thereof inner fitting portions and outer fitting portions, the inner and outer fitting portions being connecting portions configured as bendable joint portions; and a wire for bringing the bendable joint portions into a fixed state and fixing and holding the tubular body in an arbitrary posture.

Abstract: A detecting apparatus includes: a change-over switch for switching on/off display of a scope model on a liquid crystal monitor; a position calculating portion for calculating respective positions of source coils; a scope model generating portion for generating a scope model of an electronic endoscope based on the respective positions of the source coils calculated by the position calculating portion; and a selector for selectively outputting to the liquid crystal monitor a display-pause-time image stored in a display-pause-time image storing portion and a scope model image from the scope model generating portion; and a control portion for controlling each of these portions. The detecting apparatus thus displays an insertion shape of the endoscope at a timing as needed.

Abstract: An endoscope of the present invention includes an insert section inserted in a subject body, an operation section provided on a base end side of the insert section, a grasping section provided to the operation section and formed to be substantially bilaterally symmetric to a reference line extending in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of instruction input sections provided to be substantially bilaterally symmetric to the reference line extending in the longitudinal direction of the grasping section.

Abstract: In an adaptor for endoscope forceps opening: an adaptor connecting member includes an opening groove which is formed in its axial direction and from/to which the treatment tool is detached/attached, and an engaging groove integrally-formed to the opening groove; a treatment tool integrating member includes a flexible long member connected to the adaptor connecting member and an engaging projection which is fit into the engaging groove and fixes the treatment tool in close contact thereat; and a treatment tool position changing member is rotatably connected to the adaptor connecting member and includes a through-groove from which the treatment tool is detached and an opening notch portion communicated with the through-groove, wherein the opening groove, engaging groove, through-groove, and opening notch portion are arranged on the straight line.

Abstract: A driving signal is supplied from a transmission block to a magnetic-field generating element arranged on either one of an inside of an endoscope insertion portion and an outside of an endoscope. A magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generating element is detected by a magnetic-field detecting element arranged on the other and the signal is received by a receiving block. For the signal from the receiving block, control processing including processing for calculating the shape of the endoscope insertion portion is carried out from position information of the magnetic-field generating element or the magnetic-field detecting element arranged inside the endoscope insertion portion. The receiving block provided with an amplification circuit for at least amplifying the signal detected by the magnetic-field detecting element is formed separately from the transmission block and the control block.

Abstract: An endoscope inserted-shape detecting apparatus 8 includes a sense coil unit 23 in which multiple sense coil groups of sense coil groups 23A to 23I for detecting magnetic fields generated by multiple source coils 21 in an inserted-shape detecting probe 6 are placed as a part of the endoscope inserted-shape detecting apparatus 8, a signal detecting section 33, a source coil position analyzing section 35 and a signal control section 37 that selects a magnetic-field detecting element to be used for detection of a magnetic field signal based on the magnetic field generated by each of the source coils 21 from the sense coil groups 23A to 231I in a control section based on positional information signals outputted from the source coil position analyzing section 35.

Abstract: A source coil drive circuit section of an endoscope shape detection device includes, an oscillator that generates a sine wave and an amplifier that amplifies the sine wave and generates (drives) an alternating magnetic field to source coils through a switch section. The switch section is configured to switch a direct current to an output of the amplifier and supply to the source coils. In the source coil drive circuit section, a direct current resistance value detection section for measuring a direct current resistance value of the source coils by voltage drop when the switch section is supplying the direct current to the source coils is provided.

Abstract: A driving block includes a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements and a driving signal generating section, and the magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnetic-field generating elements is detected by a plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. A shape calculating block calculates a shape of an insertion portion of an endoscope based on a frequency component corresponding to a frequency of the driving signal in a detection signal detected by the plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. Oscillation frequency of the reference clock for deciding the frequency of the driving signal is changeably set by the frequency setting section, and the reference clock with oscillation frequency set by the frequency setting section is supplied to both of the driving block and the shape calculating block.