Abstract: In response to the operation of a bending operation switch, a controlling circuit switches on/off a plurality of transistors of a driving circuit, controls the polarity of a voltage applied to a motor or does not apply the voltage and, on the other hand, controls the voltage applied to the motor to be on/off while monitoring the rotating speed of the motor through an encoder to thereby drive and control the motor at a predetermined speed which can be variably set steppedly so that an endoscope bendable part may be bent at a fixed speed.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for detecting an endoscopic inserting condition. The apparatus includes an irradiation arrangement for applying electromagnetic waves to the inside of an organism from outside the organism, an electromagnetic wave reception arrangement which is disposed in an insert section of an endoscope for producing an electromagnetic signal, and a detection arrangement receiving the electromagnetic signal produced by the electromagnetic wave reception arrangement, for detecting the insertion orientation of the endoscope on the basis of the received electromagnetic signal.

Abstract: A cavity insert device comprising an insert section capable of being inserted into tracts and cavities, a detection circuit for detecting conditions of components making up the device, such as an observation device formed at the distal end side of the insert section, and a fuzzy inference section for synthetically determining a plurality of information signals outputted from the detection circuit and producing control signals to control the components. The fuzzy inference section employs inference rules which are empirically considered to be desirable, and control is made by the control signals obtained with the fuzzy inference. The device is thus operated in a nearly optimum state.

Abstract: A position and orientation state pickup is designed to detect the position and orientation state of an endoscope inserted into a living body without any adverse effect on the living body, which is often observed in X-ray analysis. The position and orientation state pickup, generating an electro-magnetic field with frequency at least lower than the visible ray range toward the body from outside; detects influence of the endoscope inserted into the body on two-dimensional energy distribution of the electro-magnetic field generated toward the body; and show the position and orientation state of the endoscope from the detection results.

Abstract: The principal object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope system for making endoscope system operating information easily available and ensuring improved operability. The endoscope system comprises an endoscope to be inserted into body cavities, a light source for supplying illumination light, an air and water, and suction unit for supplying air and water, and sucking up contaminants from body cavities, a motor control unit for driving and controlling a motor for bending, a camera control unit for processing video signals originating from a solid-state imaging device in the endoscope, a monitor for displaying video signals, a VTR for recording the video signals, and a remote control for remotely operating the motor control unit. A motor control unit control circuit in the motor control unit and a camera control unit control circuit in the camera control unit communicate with each other for mutual control.

Abstract: A therapeutical apparatus includes a measuring apparatus including a probe which generates an X-ray or ultrasonic wave in order to detect the location of a target to be treated such as calculi situated within the kidney, liver, biliary ducts. A therapeutical energy generator generates a shock wave of sufficient energy for purpose of therapy externally of the physical body and focusses it upon the target. Structure is provided for causing a displacement of the generator and the measuring apparatus around the surface of a patient. Structure is provided to activate the generator.

Abstract: At least one controlling unit of a controlling unit for controlling a bending driving motor bending driving a bendable portion, a controlling unit for controlling an advancing and retreating driving motor advancing and retreating moving an insert section and a controlling unit for controlling a rotating driving motor rotating driving the insert section and a camera controlling unit for processing a signal for an imaging device are made separate from each other so that such existing scope as an electronic scope or fiber scope fitted with a TV camera may be used.

Abstract: A pipe-inspecting apparatus having a self-propelled unit. The self-propelled unit comprises an elastic tube which has forward and rear ends, and into which a fluid is supplied and from which the fluid is discharged, a restriction member mounted on the elastic tube, for restricting an axial expansion of the elastic tube, a bias member for biasing the elastic tube in the axial direction thereof, first and second holding members coupled to the ends of the elastic tube, respectively, for holding the ends of the elastic tube to the inner periphery of a pipe being inspected, while the fluid is being supplied into the holding members, and releasing the ends of the elastic tube from the inner periphery of the pipe, while the fluid is being discharged from the holding members. An observation device is coupled to the self-propelled unit. A display device is connected to the observation device, for displaying the image scanned by the observation device.

Abstract: A therapeutical apparatus includes a measuring apparatus including a probe which generates an X-ray or ultrasonic wave in order to detect the location of a target to be treated such as calculi situated within the kidney, liver, biliary ducts. A therapeutical energy generator generates a shock wave of sufficient energy for purposes of therapy externally of the physical body and focuses it upon the target. Structure is provided for causing a displacement of the generator and the measuring apparatus around the surface of a patient. Structure is provided to activate the generator.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises an elongate insert section including an observation window in the distal end portion and inserted into an object to be observed; an observation device for producing an endoscope image, the observation device including a focusing optical system which receives an incident light from the object through the observation window to focus the endoscope image; and a vibration device for vibrating at least a part of the insert section in a direction crossing the axial direction of the insert section, the vibration device including a vibration unit capable of vibrating in itself to vibrate at least the part of the insert section even under a condition that the insert section is not contact with the object.

Abstract: This endoscope apparatus adapted to meter NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) is provided with an endoscope having a channel and an NMR metering probe insertable through the channel. The endoscope has an elongate insertable part having an observing window and illuminating window in the tip part, an observing system for observing an object to be imaged by receiving a light from the object entering through the observing window, an illuminating light output system emitting an illuminating light through the illuminating window and a hollow channel formed within the insertable part and opening in the tip part. Preferably, at least the tip side of the insertable part if formed of a non-ferromagnetic characteristic material.

Abstract: An endoscope insertion controlling apparatus includes a region extracting apparatus for extracting a plurality of regions corresponding to brightness from an endoscope image, for example, by setting a plurality of threshold levels of brightness and a judging apparatus for determining endoscope inserting conditions such as an inserting direction and progress speed based on an arrangement of the respective regions extracted by the region extracting apparatus. An endoscope inserting direction detecting apparatus includes a light receiving apparatus for receiving light from a visual field narrower than an ordinary observing field of the endoscope, a scanning apparatus for scanning the visual field of the light receiving apparatus and a judging apparatus for determining an endoscope inserting direction based on the received light amount by the light receiving apparatus in the respective visual field directions obtained by scanning the visual field of the light receiving apparatus by the scanning apparatus.

Abstract: The radioactive ray detecting therapeutic apparatus of the present invention has an insertable part to be inserted toward an affected part. A therapeutic apparatus for treating the affected part, and a radioactive ray detecting apparatus for detecting radioactive rays discharged out of the affected part and providing signals by which to direct the therapeutic apparatus to the affected part, are provided in the tip part of the insertable part.

Abstract: A radioactive ray detecting endoscope comprises an elongated insertable part, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus provided in the tip part of the insertable part for transmitting ultrasonic waves toward an observed part, for receiving echoes from the observed part by these ultrasonic waves, and for outputting a signal for forming an ultrasonic image and a radioactive ray detecting apparatus arrangeable in the tip part of the insertable part for detecting radioactive rays. Preferably, the observing direction of the ultrasonic imaging apparatus and the detecting direction of the radioactive ray detecting apparatus substantially coincide with each other.

Abstract: A therapeutical apparatus includes a measuring apparatus including a probe which generates an X-ray or ultrasonic wave in order to detect the location of a target to be treated such as calculi situated within the kidney, liver, biliary ducts. A therapeutical energy generator generates a shock wave of sufficient energy for purpose of therapy externally of the physical body and focusses it upon the target. Structure is provided for causing a displacement of the generator and the measuring apparatus around the surface of a patient. Structure is provided to activate the generator.

Abstract: The endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving apparatus for bending and driving the bendable part, a first bending controlling apparatus for controlling the driving apparatus and a second bending controlling apparatus for controlling the driving apparatus independently of the first bending controlling apparatus when the first bending controlling apparatus is controllable.

Abstract: An ultrasonic vibration treatment apparatus comprising an ultrasonic vibration treatment device including an ultrasonic vibrator and an ultrasonic wave transmitter probe, a detecting element opposing the transmitter for applying light to the transmitter and receiving the light reflected from the transmitter, thereby to detect the amplitude of vibration of the treatment device, and a power source controller for reducing the power supplied to the vibrator, or stopping the power supply to the vibrator, in accordance with a detection signal output by the detecting element. The detecting element quickly detects the charges in the amplitude of vibration of the ultrasonic vibration treatment device, said charge in the amplitude representing the charges in the vibration condition of the vibration treatment device from actual driving to idling, or vice versa.

Abstract: This NMR metering endoscope apparatus is provided with an endoscope body and an NMR metering loop-like antenna. The endoscope body is provided with an elongate insertable part having an observing window and illuminating window in the tip part an observing system for observing an object by receiving a light coming from the object and entering through the observing window and an illuminating light outputting system emitting an illuminating light out of the illuminating window. The NMR metering antenna is fitted to the outer periphery including the tip surface of the insertable part of the endoscope body and can be connected to the NMR metering apparatus.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation apparatus comprising a laser generating device, a laser beam irradiation probe for applying a laser beam from the laser generating device to a region of an object of irradiation, an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver for emitting ultrasonic waves toward the region to which the laser beam is applied by the probe, receiving reflected waves from the irradiated region, and converting the reflected waves into an electrical signal, a measuring device for measuring the temperature of the irradiated region in accordance with the electrical signal from the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver, and an output adjuster for adjusting the output of the laser generating device in accordance with a temperature signal from the measuring device.

Abstract: In a probe for observing an ultrasonic image, which obtains the ultrasonic image of an object to be observed such as a body cavity by means of an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving means, a mechanical scanning operation of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving means is performed by an ultrasonic driving means, and thus it is possible to obtain a good diagnosis image with no distortion and no flicker because noises of the driving means can be reduced.Therefore, an ultrasonic endoscope system and an ultrasonic video endoscope system etc. which utilize the probe mentioned above can display a good ultrasonic image and a good optical image.