Abstract: A holding device 20 includes a fixed portion 21 having a rectangular hole 21a and locking grooves 21b; a holding groove 22 having a notch portion 22a through which an intermediated portion of a probe 1 passes; and a holding hole 23 through which the distal portion of the probe 1 is inserted. The depth of the holding groove 22 is formed to a sufficient extent to allow the intermediate portion 1b to be pressed down into the holding groove at least twice in a superimposed state. The width of the notch portion 22a is formed so as to prevent the intermediated portion 1b from falling out. In order to locate the top portion 23a of the holding hole 23 on the lower side than the bottom portion 22c of the holding groove 22, a spacing B is provided therebetween. A rectangular projection 31a is engaged in a rectangular hole 21a in the fixed portion 21.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided which has good operability, such as ease of varying the rigidity of an insertion portion, as well as a lighter-weight bending mechanism for changing the shape of a bending portion. The endoscope according to the present invention comprises an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject, an electroconductive expanding/contracting member which can expand/contract the insertion portion in the lengthwise direction and which is for expanding/contracting according to the state of voltage application, and electrodes for applying the voltage supplied from a power source to the electroconductive expanding/contracting member.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an image capturing unit which is provided with at least a plurality of optical lenses, a zoom lens frame for supporting the optical lenses for zooming out of the plurality of optical lenses, and a first actuator for moving forward and reversely the zoom lens frame in an optical axis direction. The first actuator extends or contracts in accordance with an interruption of power supply.

Abstract: A medical bed in which an endoscope after use can be easily tidied up is provided. A medical bed of the present invention constitutes a medical bed having a laying table on which a patient is laid for inspection or treatment with an endoscope, and it has a tray housing portion for housing an endoscope tray in which an endoscope is housed.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided that can reduce examination costs by realizing commonality of an operating unit by making an inserting unit and the operating unit attachable/detachable with respect to each other to enable the exchange of inserting units. The endoscope of this invention includes an operating unit, an inserting unit that can be detachably connected to the operating unit, and transmission and reception coils provided in the operating unit and the inserting unit, respectively, for sending and receiving signals in a non-contact manner between the operating unit and the inserting unit when the inserting unit is connected to the operating unit.

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: In an endoscope, air/water feed pipe lines are arranged through an elongated insertion portion having an image pickup unit at its front end. In an operation portion arranged at the rear end of the insertion portion, there are provided an antenna, and a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting, using this antenna, information including image data on a subject picked up by the image pickup unit, to endoscope peripheral apparatuses in the outside.

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 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: An endoscope insertion assistant probe is inserted into a body cavity prior to insertion of an insertion portion of an endoscope into the body cavity, to assist the insertion of the endoscope, and includes a flexible, elongated probe; and a distal end guiding element that is arranged at a distal end portion of the probe. The distal end guiding element is made of a thin-film resin member and expandable by fluid.

Abstract: An endoscope of the present invention includes an insert section inserted in a subject body, an operation section provided at a base end of the insert section, a control process section provided in the operation section, for controlling an image pickup section for capturing a subject body image and a predetermined function in the operation section, a signal circuit extending from the control process section, and a connection section provided to the operation section, for allowing detachable connection of a tube unit through which at least one duct line is inserted.

Abstract: A container body includes an illumination section and an image pickup section. A tube body is integrally provided to the container body. A distal end of a hollow duct line provided in the tube body penetrates the container body to have an opening on an outer surface of the container body.

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: A holding device 20 includes a fixed portion 21 having a rectangular hole 21a and locking grooves 21b; a holding groove 22 having a notch portion 22a through which an intermediated portion of a probe 1 passes; and a holding hole 23 through which the distal portion of the probe 1 is inserted. The depth of the holding groove 22 is formed to a sufficient extent to allow the intermediate portion 1b to be pressed down into the holding groove at least twice in a superimposed state. The width of the notch portion 22a is formed so as to prevent the intermediated portion 1b from falling out. In order to locate the top portion 23a of the holding hole 23 on the lower side than the bottom portion 22c of the holding groove 22, a spacing B is provided therebetween. A rectangular projection 31a is engaged in a rectangular hole 21a in the fixed portion 21.

Abstract: By disposing a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements in the inserted portion of an endoscope, and by detecting it using a magnetic-field detecting unit disposed around the inserted portion, the shape of the inserted portion inserted into a body cavity is detected and it is displayed on a display device. For this purpose, it is determined whether the inserted portion is in an effective detection range in which the insertion portion shape can be detected by a detecting unit with a practicable accuracy, and by changing the display color of the inserted portion shape based on the determination result, it can be easily checked whether the inserted portion is in the effective detection range.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having a treatment tool passage channel in at least an insertion portion, an adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, which can be detachably attached to a treatment tool insertion opening which is at one end of the treatment tool passage channel, an insertion shape detection probe provided with a plurality of shape detection elements which are to be passed and arranged in the treatment tool passage channel via the adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, an insertion shape detection unit for detecting magnetic field emitted from the shape detection elements of the insertion shape detection probe, an insertion shape detection device which drives the insertion shape detection probe and outputs video signals for visualizing the insertion shape from the signals corresponding to the magnetic field detected by the insertion shape detection unit, and a display device for displaying the insertion shape of the insertion portion based on the video signals output from the inser

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: 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: An endoscope shape detection system has a CPU included in a control unit. The CPU performs frequency sampling of digital data to calculate coordinates indicating the spatial positions of source coils incorporated in an insertion unit of an endoscope received in a patient and of marker coils placed on a patient. An inserted state of the insertion unit of the endoscope is estimated based on the calculated coordinate data indicating the positions of the source coils. Display data based on the shape of the endoscope is produced from the calculated coordinate data indicating the positions of the source coils, and output to a video RAM. Display data of the marker coils is produced from the calculated coordinate data indicating the positions of the marker coils, and output to the video RAM. Consequently, the positions of the markers are depicted together with the shape of the endoscope. The positional relationship between the insertion unit of the endoscope and a patient's body can therefore be ascertained.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having a treatment tool passage channel in at least an insertion portion, an adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, which can be detachably attached to a treatment tool insertion opening which is at one end of the treatment tool passage channel, an insertion shape detection probe provided with a plurality of shape detection elements which are to be passed and arranged in the treatment tool passage channel via the adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, an insertion shape detection unit for detecting magnetic field emitted from the shape detection elements of the insertion shape detection probe, an insertion shape detection device which drives the insertion shape detection probe and outputs video signals for visualizing the insertion shape from the signals corresponding to the magnetic field detected by the insertion shape detection unit, and a display device for displaying the insertion shape of the insertion portion based on the video signals output from the inser