Abstract: A future shape estimation apparatus includes an insertion section, a shape sensor and an insertion section future shape estimation circuit. The insertion section has flexibility and is to be inserted into an observation target object. The shape sensor detects a bending state of the insertion section and outputs a detection signal. The insertion section future shape estimation circuit estimates a future shape of the insertion section after a predetermined lapse of time based on information acquired from the detection signal output from the shape sensor, and outputs the future shape as future estimation shape information.

Abstract: A bend information computation apparatus is to compute bend information representing a direction and a magnitude of bend of a target group including targets disposed at an identical position along a light guide. Each target modulates the intensity of guided light in accordance with the direction and magnitude of bend.

Abstract: A tubular insertion device includes a tubular device including a flexible tube portion to be inserted into a subject, a sensor which detects a disposition state of the flexible tube portion in the subject, a prediction calculator which calculates next operation information that is information regarding an operation to be performed next by the tubular device, based on the disposition state detected by the sensor and stored data regarding an operation of the tubular device corresponding to each disposition state of the flexible tube portion, and an output circuit which outputs the next operation information calculated by the prediction calculator.

Abstract: A shape estimation device includes an input circuit, a storage circuit and an arithmetic circuit. The input circuit receives light amount information being a relationship between a wavelength and a light amount. The light amount information is acquired by using a sensor configured such that the light amount to be detected with respect to the wavelength corresponding to each of sensing parts varies in accordance with a shape of each of the sensing parts. The storage circuit stores a relationship among the shape, the wavelength and the light amount with respect to each sensing part. The arithmetic circuit calculates the shape of each sensing part, based on the light amount information, and a light amount estimation value being a relationship between the wavelength and the light amount.

Abstract: A insertion/removal apparatus comprises an insertion section with flexibility which is inserted into a target object to perform a desired operation, a shape sensor, an insertion section shape calculator, and a direct manipulation information estimation circuit. The shape sensor detects bending of the insertion section and outputs a detection signal. The insertion section shape calculator which calculates insertion section shape information indicating a shape of the insertion section, based on the detection signal output from the shape sensor. The direct manipulation information estimation circuit which estimates direct manipulation information including at least one of an insertion/removal amount and a rotation amount of the insertion section inserted into and removed from the target object, based on the insertion section shape information.

Abstract: A shape estimation apparatus includes: a light guide to guide light emitted from a light source; a detection target, provided in the light guide, to change a light quantity of guided light according to the curved state of the light guide; a light detector to detect a light quantity that has been changed; and a curvature arithmetic operator to calculate information related to a curve of the light guide based on the detected light quantity. The light detector includes a light receiving element. The operator calculates information related to the curve of the light guide in which an error of the light detector caused by noise containing dark current of the light detector is corrected based on an output of a part of the light receiving element that the light from the light source does not enter.

Abstract: An insertion system includes an insertion apparatus including an insertion section, a fiber sensor configured to detect a bend shape of the insertion section, an attitude detector, and an attitude shape calculator. The attitude detector is configured to detect at least one of a first rotational change quantity related to a change quantity of rotation about a longitudinal direction of the insertion apparatus, and a first directional change quantity related to a change quantity of the longitudinal direction. The attitude shape calculator is configured to calculate attitude shape information including at least one of a change quantity of rotation of the bend shape and a change quantity of a direction of the bend shape, based on the bend shape and the at least one of the first rotational change quantity and first directional change quantity.

Abstract: In a method for generating a chlorine dioxide gas, the chlorine dioxide gas is continuously generated from a gel composition obtained by adding a gelling activator containing a gas generating agent, a gas generation controlling agent containing a carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, a gas generation adjusting agent, and a water-absorbent resin to a chlorite aqueous solution. This provides a method for generating a chlorine dioxide gas, a kit for generating a chlorine dioxide gas, and a gel composition which suppress the initial rapid generation of the chlorine dioxide gas and stably hold the generation of the chlorine dioxide gas for an extremely long time.

Abstract: A system comprises a housing, a light source, a light guide configured to guide a light from the light source. The light guide includes a plurality of detection target configured to provide optical effect on the light in accordance with a bend state of the light guide. A light detector is configured to detect the light emitted from the light guide and provide information of the detected light. A communication unit is configured to transmit wirelessly the information of the detected light. The communication unit is disposed in the housing.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an illumination section, an imaging section, and an image processor. The illumination section includes an illumination unit configured to selectively emit illumination light rays of light wavelength bands different from each other, and an illumination switch controller which generates an illumination unit control signal corresponding to each of sets of emission patterns so that combinations of the light wavelength bands of the illumination light rays emitted from the illumination unit are different from each other and the illumination switch controller controlling the illumination unit so that the illumination light rays are sequentially emitted from the illumination unit in the sets of emission patterns different from each other.

Abstract: An information presentation system including a tubular system including a flexible tubular insertion portion configured to be inserted into an insertion subject, a storage medium configured to store a plurality of pieces of presentation information recognizable by a non-operator, a non-operator presentation display configured to present information in an output form recognizable by the non-operator and a processor including hardware, the processor configured to perform a selection of presentation information to be presented to the non-operator presentation display, and switch a presentation period of the selected presentation information to the non-operator presentation display.

Abstract: A bending detecting system includes a light guide, a first grating and a light detector. The light guide has elongated shape and is configured to guide an incident light in a propagating direction. The light guide includes a core and a cladding disposed around the core. The first grating is disposed in a boundary area, the boundary area including an outer surface of the core, and an adjacent area that is adjacent to the outer surface. The first grating includes a first periodic structure along the propagating direction with a first pitch, and is configured to generate a first diffracted light from the incident light. The light detector is configured to detect the first diffracted light from the first grating, and detect a bending of the light guide based upon an optical feature amount of the first diffracted light.

Abstract: An insertion system having a processor including hardware, configured to: determine, for each of a plurality of times, one or more positions of an insertion section configured to be inserted into an insertion subject; determine, for the each of the plurality of times, state of the insertion section relative to the insertion subject based on the one or more positions for the each of the plurality of times; determine, for the each of the plurality of times, whether an attention state of the insertion section that restricts insertion of the insertion section into the insertion subject has occurred, based on the state of the insertion section relative to the insertion subject determined; and control a monitor to display attention state information indicating the one or more positions of the insertion section at which the occurrence of the attention state of the insertion section is determined over the plurality of times.

Abstract: A multipoint detection fiber sensor including a plurality of sensing parts at a plurality of positions is provided. The sensing parts are able to detect curve amounts respectively. The multipoint detection fiber sensor includes a plurality of optical fibers arranged in an overall effective detection area that is an extent in which the multipoint detection fiber sensor detects curve amounts. Each of the optical fibers includes the plurality of sensing parts. The multipoint detection fiber sensor also includes a light source which supplies light to the optical fibers and a light receiver which receives light emitted through the optical fibers to which light is supplied. Furthermore, an insertion apparatus into which the multipoint detection fiber sensor is incorporated is provided.

Abstract: An insertion apparatus includes a flexible insert section inserted into an insertion target and a curved-shape detection sensor which detects a curved shape of the insert section. The curved-shape detection sensor includes at least a core, a cladding, a coating, and a sensing part mechanically attached to the core and detecting the curved shape. The optical fiber is disposed at least in the insert section. The optical fiber includes at least one displacement restraint section which directly or indirectly restrains a displacement of the sensing part relative to the insert section.

Abstract: An insertion system includes an insertion section and a rigidity variable portion provided in the insertion section. The rigidity variable portion includes a superelastic alloy member whose rigidity starts changing from a high-rigidity state to a low-rigidity state at a temperature, which varies with a degree of bending of the superelastic alloy member, and a heating member capable of switching between presence and absence of heating of the superelastic alloy member. The insertion system also includes a bending state detection sensor that detects a bending state of the rigidity variable portion, and a rigidity variable controller that controls switching between presence and absence of heating of the superelastic alloy member by the heating member to control the temperature of the superelastic alloy member.

Abstract: A magnetic field sensor system includes a one-axis magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field, three or more three-axis magnetic field detectors that detect a magnetic field for each axis and are arranged on a substantially straight line, and a calculator that calculates, from a detection result of the magnetic field, a spatial position or a spatial direction of the one-axis magnetic field generator. The calculator selects two or more three-axis magnetic field detectors, which generate no symmetry of magnetic fields, based on a preset judgment standard of symmetry of magnetic fields, and calculates the spatial position or the spatial direction of the one-axis magnetic field generator, based on detection results of the magnetic field between the selected two or more three-axis magnetic field detectors and the one-axis magnetic field generator.

Abstract: At least one optical fiber of a fiber sensor has sensing parts whose number is number of the anticipated inflection points+one or more, the anticipated inflection points being inflection points of a shape of a detection target range of a detection target. The number of the anticipated inflection points is decided based on one of a functional limit and a structural limit which limit a degree of freedom in a bending shape of the detection target. A space L1 between the anticipated inflection points is L1=r1·?1, wherein r1 is a curvature radius at a maximum bending of the detection target range of the detection target, ?1 is a central angle of an arc created by the space between the anticipated inflection points at the maximum bending, and ?1??/2.

Abstract: An insertion system includes an insertion apparatus including an insertion section, a fiber sensor configured to detect a bend shape of the insertion section, an attitude detector, and an attitude shape calculator. The attitude detector is configured to detect at least one of a first rotational change quantity related to a change quantity of rotation about a longitudinal direction of the insertion apparatus, and a first directional change quantity related to a change quantity of the longitudinal direction. The attitude shape calculator is configured to calculate attitude shape information including at least one of a change quantity of rotation of the bend shape and a change quantity of a direction of the bend shape, based on the bend shape and the at least one of the first rotational change quantity and first directional change quantity.

Abstract: The insertion unit support system is provided for a tubular insertion system, and generates lumen information including the shape and location of a lumen based on the pre-acquired information about the lumen of a subject as an observation target that includes image information of two- or higher dimensional images, i.e., three-dimensional images or three-dimensional tomograms, so that the lumen information is used as support information for inserting the insertion unit of an endoscope. The lumens of the subjects targeted for the support of the insertion unit support system may vary in shape and location, and are deformed according to the shape of an inserted insertion unit. Thus, the support information is corrected and updated based on the deformation.