Abstract: An endoscopic suturing includes a suturing device having a curved needle to suture tissue. The endoscopic suturing device also includes a driving means to maneuver the curved needle. The curved needle and the driving means are placed at a distal end of the endoscopic suturing device. The endoscopic suturing device also includes a flexible endoscope connected to the suturing device.

Abstract: An endoscopic suturing device includes an endoscope, a curved needle detachably arranged at the distal end portion of or integrally embedded in the endoscope for suturing a tissue of the living body, a suture for suturing said tissue with the curved needle, and a drive arranged on the endoscope and operating the curved needle.

Abstract: An endoscope device includes an inserting portion having a curving portion, electric motors for generating driving forces for curving the curving portion, an operation unit for controlling the drive of the electric motors, a universal cord the base end of which is connected to an endoscope external unit, a coupling member with which the respective one ends of the inserting portion and the universal cord are coupled and which has a treatment tool inserting port, a holding unit for holding the coupling member, and a holding member for disposing the holding unit at a predetermined position of an operation bed. According to this arrangement, the operability of a surgeon can be improved by improving not only a curving operability but also the insertion operability of an inserting portion and the operability of a treatment tool.

Abstract: A light scanning device has a tip structure which includes a light scanning part connected to a light source, and which is insertable into a body cavity and is formed so as to be water-tight. A controlling part controls the light scan through the tip structure, and the tip structure and the controlling part are also connected to each other in a water-tight manner by a slender tube through which a plurality of electrical cables pass. An electric connector is fixed with the proximal end portion of the tube in a water-tight manner, and is electrically connectable so as to be water-tight with and removable from this controlling part.

Abstract: A surgical manipulator system comprising an operation device, a slave manipulator, a medical device, and a controller. The operation device is located in a region to be operated by a surgeon. The slave manipulator can have access into a surgery region. The medical device is held by the slave manipulator and can be moved a body cavity. The controller can operate in a first mode to move the slave manipulator or the medical device, or both, such that the axis of the medical device passes a fulcrum fixed in a space even before the medical device is inserted into the body cavity.

Abstract: A low coherence beam emitted by a low coherence light source is split into two portions. One portion is transmitted from the outward end of a first single mode fiber via a detachable connector to a beam scanning probe, and then to a biological tissue; and the other is transmitted from an optical coupler placed midway along the light path via a second single mode fiber to a light path modifier. The light path modifier includes a galvanometer mirror to modify the light path length in accordance with a scan range, and a uniaxial stage to adjust the light path length to absorb the variation in lengths of different beam scanning probes. The light path is adjusted by the uniaxial stage such that the beam interference is detected for the scan range, to ensure stable acquisition of tomographic images.

Abstract: A surgical manipulator system comprising at least one surgical manipulator, at least one guide, a detector, and a drive controller. The surgical manipulator has a surgical device for performing a desired operation. The guide guides the surgical device. The detector detects a position and/or orientation relationship between the surgical device and the guide, and/or a position and/or orientation relationship between the surgical device and another surgical device. The drive controller controls the surgical manipulator such that the surgical device is guided by the guide.

Abstract: An endoscope system having an endoscope, a scope holder holding the endoscope, a magnetic three-dimensional position sensor, and a TV monitor. The sensor detects the position of an object and generates data representing this position. According to the data, the view field of the endoscope is switched.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding a medical instrument, such as an endoscope, in place without exerting an undue force on an insertion hole in an abdominal cavity of a subject even when the arm of a scope-holding section is unlocked, includes a four-link parallelogram mechanism. The four-link parallelogram mechanism includes a support arm for supporting a treating tool, an arm section parallel to the support arm and upper and lower arm sections connected to the upper and lower end sides of the support arm and arm section in a parallel relation. A support mechanism supports the arm sections of the four-link parallelogram mechanism to allow the arm sections to be moved in left/right and up/down directions, while being rotated, so that a straight line connecting an intersecting point P of a center line of the treating instrument inserted into an insertion hole in an abdominal wall of a subject and the center of the insertion hole to spherical bearings of the arm is set parallel to the upper and lower arm sections.

Abstract: A photochromic composition comprising (a) 100 parts by weight of a di(meth)acrylate compound represented by the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 s each independently represent hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.2 s and R.sup.3 s each independently represent alkylene having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X represents halogen other than fluorine, Y represents oxygen or sulfur, and m is an integer of 0 to 4, and (b) 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of a photochromic compound. The photochromic composition is excellent in heat resistance, mechanical strength, adhesion to a hard coat layer and moldability, and the photochromic properties thereof is highly resistant to light. By the use of the photochromic composition, a thin and light-weight photochromic lens or the like can be obtained.

Abstract: A sealing gun (31) of a sealant application unit, which controls the flow of the sealant in accordance with the value of an input signal, is attached to the end of a robot arm. The value of a signal applied to the sealant application unit (30) is controlled in association with acceleration/deceleration control of the moving speed of the sealing gun. The moving speed (TSA) of the sealing gun and the flow (SC) of the sealant discharged from the sealing gun are in direct proportion; therefore, the bead width becomes uniform independently of the moving speed (TSA) of the sealing gun.

Abstract: A wrist mechanism comprising a pipe 52 extended in relation to a front .alpha.-axis among the three axes of motion (.alpha.-axis, .beta.-axis, .gamma.-axis) of a wrist, on a center axis A--A of turning motion through the center of an .alpha.-axis reduction gear, a universal pipe coupling 61 provided in relation to a .beta.-axis on the center axis B--B of motion, a pipe 51 having one end connected to the pipe 52 and the other end connected to the pipe coupling 61, and a hose 4 extended along a support arm 3 and connected through the pipe coupling 61 to the pipe 51. The wrist mechanism is incorporated into a robot for work in which a fluid is used, such as an application of an adhesive and sealant.

Abstract: A bevel gear unit comprising a bevel gear (11), a ball bearing (B.sub.1) coaxially mounted on the shaft of the bevel gear (11) and in contact with the back surface (17) thereof, a double spacer including an inner race spacer (12) and an outer race spacer (13) and mounted on the shaft of the bevel gear (11) behind the ball bearing (B.sub.1), ball bearings (B.sub.2, B.sub.3) mounted on the shaft of the bevel gear (11) behind the double spacer, and a bearing nut (15) screwed onto a threaded portion of the shaft of the bevel gear (11) behind the ball bearings (B.sub.2, B.sub.3). The axial length (l.sub.1) of the inner race spacer (12) is made smaller than the axial length (l.sub.2) of the outer race spacer (13) by a preloading allowance (.delta.), and the outer race spacer (13) is provided with threaded holes (t.sub.1) in the rear surface (f.sub.1) thereof.

Abstract: An articulated industrial robot comprises a robot body (10), a robot upper arm (20) pivotally supported in a joint provided on the upper end (16) of the robot body (10) for a swing motion about a horizontal W-axis, and a robot forearm (30) pivotally supported in a joint provided on the extremity (24) of the robot upper arm (20) for an up-down turning motion about a horizontal U-axis. The robot upper arm (20) has an offset arm structure extending between the horizontal W-axis of the joint on the upper end (16) of the robot body (10) and the horizontal U-axis of the joint on the extremity (24) of the robot upper arm (20) with its back side (26) extending along the straight line connecting the respective centers of the horizontal W-axis and U-axis. Electric cables (40) and the like are extended along the back side (26) of the robot upper arm (20).

Abstract: An industrial robot is able to automatically set the operating conditions thereof depending on a position of installation. The motion of a robot unit is input and controlled by a robot control unit. A first data storage portion of the robot control unit is provided with a storage region preliminarily storing (a) data about installation positions of the robot unit with respect to a reference installation position of the same robot unit, and (b) date about operating conditions with respect to the positions of installation. When data about an installation position upon the use of the robot is input to the robot control unit, the data of the operating conditions, in response to the input data of the position of installation, is read from the first data storage unit, and is automatically set in a second data storage unit to control the motion of the robot unit in accordance with the operating conditions set in the second data storage unit.

Abstract: The wrist assembly of an industrial robot comprises a first wrist portion (21) provided on the free end of the robot arm (20) and having a pair of projections (22, 23) in parallel with each other on the fore-end thereof. A second wrist portion (24) is provided between the projections of the first wrist portion and supported on both of the projections so as to be rotatable about a first axis (.beta.) intersecting a longitudinal axis of the robot arm at a right angle. A third wrist portion (25) is supported on the second wrist portion so as to be rotatable about a second axis (.alpha.) intersecting the first axis at a right angle, and constructed to allow work attachments to be attached to the front end thereof. A first motor (45) and a second motor (55) are used for driving the second wrist portion and the third wrist portion.

Abstract: An industrial robot (10) comprising a cylindrical fixed robot body (14), a swivel body (26) mounted on the fixed robot body (14), a robot arm mechanism (60, 64) pivotally joined to the swivel body (26), and a robot wrist (66) connected to the robot arm mechanism is provided with a cable guide member (30). The cable guide member (30) is extended along the outside of the fixed robot body (14) and has a lower end pivotally joined to the fixed robot body (14) by a lower bearing member (42) and an upper end pivotally joined to the swivel body (26) by an upper bearing member (40). The cables (50) of the industrial robot (10) extending from the lower end of the fixed robot body (14) are held by cable holding section (32) formed in the middle portion of the cable guide member (30) and are extended from the upper end of the cable holding member (30) through the swivel body (26) toward the robot arm mechanism.

Abstract: An industrial robot for use in TIG arc welding or the like includes plastic covers for motors or the like. The plastic covers having an electrically conductive coating, and thus have an electrically conductive property, and are connected to a robot body, to thereby obtain a shielding effect similar to that of iron plate covers or the like.

Abstract: A cable arranging device for an industrial robot has a cylindrical support casing (2), a swing casing (3) supported on the support casing (2) and swingable about the axis of a swing shaft, and cables (5) interconnecting the swing casing (3) and the support casing (2). One end of a substantially C-shaped cable guide (4) is pivotally supported in the swing casing on the axis of the swing shaft, the other end of the cable guide is pivotally supported in the support casing on the axis of the swing shaft. Spaces for allowing the cable guide (4) to swing therein through a prescribed angle are defined respectively in the swing casing (3) and the support casing (2).