Abstract: A surgical system includes: a plurality of surgical instruments each of which includes a flexible shaft provided with a surgical tool on a leading end-side portion thereof, a supporting platform that supports the plurality of surgical instruments; a medical instrument that includes a plurality of flexible inner tubes into which the flexible shafts of the surgical instruments can be inserted, and an outer tube into which the plurality of flexible inner tubes can be inserted and that is to be inserted into a body cavity; and a gripping mechanism that includes a gripping portion that grips the outer tube, and a supporting portion that includes at least one joint portion and that fixes and supports the gripping portion, the at least one joint portion making the medical instrument adjustable regarding the position and orientation thereof.

Abstract: A surgical tool according to one or more embodiment may include: an end effector; an elongate element that drives the end effector; a hollow shaft that includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion which is coupled to the end effector; a driving member which the elongate element led via the shaft is wound on; a guide pulley that is disposed between the proximal end portion of the shaft and the driving member and guides the elongate element; and a tension pulley that is disposed between the proximal end portion of the shaft and the guide pulley and biases the elongate element.

Abstract: A robot main body driving mechanism; a robot main body including a hollow flexible shaft, a joint portion including a bending joint and a proximal end continuous with a distal end of the flexible shaft, the bending joint receiving driving force of the robot main body driving mechanism to perform a bending operation, an end effector provided at a distal end of the joint portion, and a driving force transmission mechanism connecting the bending joint and the robot main body driving mechanism and configured to transmit the driving force of the robot main body driving mechanism to the bending joint; and a rotation driving mechanism configured to rotate the robot main body around an axis of a proximal end of the flexible shaft.

Abstract: A robot main body driving mechanism including wrist joint driving portion; and robot main body including base detachably fixed to robot main body driving mechanism, arm including hollow shaft and wrist joint, shaft including proximal end continuous with base, wrist joint being continuous with distal end of shaft, wrist joint rotating around axis of distal end of arm, end effector attached to wrist joint, and wrist joint driving force transmission portion including hollow torque transmission tube, torque transmission tube being inserted through shaft and including distal end attached to wrist joint, wherein: by attaching base to robot main body driving mechanism, wrist joint driving portion is connected to proximal end of torque transmission tube to rotate torque transmission tube around axis of torque transmission tube; and by detaching base from robot main body driving mechanism, wrist joint driving portion is separated from torque transmission tube.

Abstract: Joint coupling links of robot arm to each other includes: plurality of plate-shaped segments lined up in plate thickness direction; and operating wires extending through plurality of segments in plate thickness direction. Groove extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface out of two main surfaces of adjacent segments, two main surfaces facing each other in plate thickness direction. Projection extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface. Curvature of projection is larger than curvature of groove. Projection is fitted in groove, and bottom portion of groove and top portion of projection contact each other. Dimension of projection in plate thickness direction is larger than dimension of groove in plate thickness direction and smaller than length of line connecting bottom portion of groove and edge portion of groove.

Abstract: A medical instrument includes: a plurality of inner tubes into each of which a flexible shaft of a surgical instrument that is provided with a surgical tool on a leading end-side portion thereof can be inserted; an outer tube into which the plurality of inner tubes can be inserted and that is to be inserted into a body cavity; and inner tube drive mechanisms each of which includes an operational element for bending an inner tube corresponding thereto and electrically controls the operational element thereof.

Abstract: A surgical system includes: a plurality of surgical instruments each of which includes a flexible shaft provided with a surgical tool on a leading end-side portion thereof, a supporting platform that supports the plurality of surgical instruments; a medical instrument that includes a plurality of flexible inner tubes into which the flexible shafts of the surgical instruments can be inserted, and an outer tube into which the plurality of flexible inner tubes can be inserted and that is to be inserted into a body cavity; and a gripping mechanism that includes a gripping portion that grips the outer tube, and a supporting portion that includes at least one joint portion and that fixes and supports the gripping portion, the at least one joint portion making the medical instrument adjustable regarding the position and orientation thereof.

Abstract: A surgical tool according to one or more embodiment may include: an end effector; an elongate element that drives the end effector; a hollow shaft that includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion which is coupled to the end effector; a driving member which the elongate element led via the shaft is wound on; a guide pulley that is disposed between the proximal end portion of the shaft and the driving member and guides the elongate element; and a tension pulley that is disposed between the proximal end portion of the shaft and the guide pulley and biases the elongate element.

Abstract: A surgical tool according to one or more embodiments may include: an end effector; a shaft that includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion which is coupled to the end effector; driving pulleys that are provided on the proximal end portion side of the shaft and rotatable to drive the end effector; and rotatable transmission-counterpart members that rotate the driving pulleys. The transmission-counterpart members include a first transmission-counterpart member and a second transmission-counterpart member. A rotation axis of the first transmission-counterpart member and a rotation axis of the second transmission-counterpart member intersect with each other.

Abstract: A robot main body driving mechanism; a robot main body including a hollow flexible shaft, a joint portion including a bending joint and a proximal end continuous with a distal end of the flexible shaft, the bending joint receiving driving force of the robot main body driving mechanism to perform a bending operation, an end effector provided at a distal end of the joint portion, and a driving force transmission mechanism connecting the bending joint and the robot main body driving mechanism and configured to transmit the driving force of the robot main body driving mechanism to the bending joint; and a rotation driving mechanism configured to rotate the robot main body around an axis of a proximal end of the flexible shaft.

Abstract: Turning device provided at joint of robot arm includes: shaft cover including tubular wall extending in axial direction; turning shaft inserted into inside of wall of shaft cover and extending in axial direction; bearing causing shaft cover to support turning shaft wherein turning shaft is rotatable about a center axis of turning shaft; and at least one operating wire coupled to turning shaft at inside of shaft cover wall. Shaft cover includes a guide guiding operating wire. Guide is formed to be symmetrical about symmetry plane passing through shaft cover center axis and parallel to axial direction. Each portion of guide which portions are located at both respective sides of symmetry plane includes: outer peripheral portion formed on wall outer surface and extending in axial direction; inner peripheral portion formed along wall inner surface and extending in circumferential direction; and connecting portion connecting outer peripheral portion and inner peripheral portion.

Abstract: A robot main body driving mechanism including wrist joint driving portion; and robot main body including base detachably fixed to robot main body driving mechanism, arm including hollow shaft and wrist joint, shaft including proximal end continuous with base, wrist joint being continuous with distal end of shaft, wrist joint rotating around axis of distal end of arm, end effector attached to wrist joint, and wrist joint driving force transmission portion including hollow torque transmission tube, torque transmission tube being inserted through shaft and including distal end attached to wrist joint, wherein: by attaching base to robot main body driving mechanism, wrist joint driving portion is connected to proximal end of torque transmission tube to rotate torque transmission tube around axis of torque transmission tube; and by detaching base from robot main body driving mechanism, wrist joint driving portion is separated from torque transmission tube.

Abstract: A robot main body including a hollow flexible shaft having flexibility, a hollow bending joint including a proximal end continuous with a distal end of the flexible shaft, the bending joint being bendable in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the bending joint, a wrist joint continuous with a distal end of the bending joint and rotatable around an axis of the wrist joint, an end effector attached to the wrist joint, a hollow torque transmission tube having flexibility, inserted through the flexible shaft and the bending joint, and including a distal end attached to the wrist joint, and a bending joint operating cable inserted through the flexible shaft and including a distal end attached to the bending joint, the bending joint being configured to perform a bending operation by operating the bending joint operating cable in an extending direction of the bending joint operating cable.

Abstract: Joint coupling links of robot arm to each other includes: plurality of plate-shaped segments lined up in plate thickness direction; and operating wires extending through plurality of segments in plate thickness direction. Groove extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface out of two main surfaces of adjacent segments, two main surfaces facing each other in plate thickness direction. Projection extending in second direction and having partially circular cross section is provided at first-direction middle portion of main surface. Curvature of projection is larger than curvature of groove. Projection is fitted in groove, and bottom portion of groove and top portion of projection contact each other. Dimension of projection in plate thickness direction is larger than dimension of groove in plate thickness direction and smaller than length of line connecting bottom portion of groove and edge portion of groove.

Abstract: A culturing apparatus has a culture vessel having a first elastic seal bonded on its upper surface and a culture space formed thereon, and a joint for supplying solution such as a medium to the culture vessel and a second elastic seal having microprojection formed at the lower face. The first elastic seal has a valve for supplying or discharging solution. The second elastic seal is formed with microprojection at the position corresponding to a valve for preventing a spill. The culture vessel and the joint are sucked between the first elastic seal and the second elastic seal, thereby forming an integral seeding device.

Abstract: A temperature regulating member for avoiding a deterioration in heat radiating output efficiency and deterioration in buffering occurring due to a non-uniform heat distribution within the heat storage material. Heat non-uniformities within the heat storage material are eliminated by inserting one or multiple agitating tools inside the heat storage material by generating an agitating current occurring due to use of agitator tools whose relative positions change within the heat storage material during shipping.

Abstract: A cell culture device comprises a fluid mechanism for branching a liquid appropriately in its flow passage when the liquid is injected to a plurality of culture vessels in a set and feeding equal amounts of the culture broth to the culture vessels at the same time. The device, in one form, has one or plural recess portions so that one or plural culture vessels can be contained in alignment, in view of space efficiency, m x n (row x column) pieces of culture vessels can be set in a matrix type. By using a pump, the culture broth is branched by a multi-way valve for distributing the liquid in an appropriate amount from a tank containing the culture broth, and the liquid is fed at the same time to the plurality of culture vessels in the culture vessel set.

Abstract: The present invention enables to keep the culture vessel clean with the clean air without touching the open air in which floating bacteria exist, and to culture cells with taking in and out the culture apparatus under the environment with low damages for the cells in constant temperature. The present invention is the culture vessel box which has one or more culture vessels, has the heater, and has the door outside which the good adhesive resin film is stuck, the culture apparatus which has various apparatuses including a heater and culture cells, and has the door outside which the resin film is stuck similarly to the culture vessel box and has its storing chamber.

Abstract: A cell culture apparatus is provided in which a plurality of culture vessels can be mounted and removed in a set, which has a regulation mechanism that can fix each culture vessel in the correct position, and which enables suppression of production costs. The cell culture apparatus has one or a plurality of concave portions, and can arrange and accommodate one or a plurality of culture vessels in the concave portions. Spring-type fixing devices are provided in the depth direction and the width direction, respectively, in each concave portion. The two spring-type fixing devices press against side surfaces of the culture vessel to fix the culture vessel in the culture vessel set. At this time, by pressing against the culture vessel at two points, the position of the culture vessel at the time of fixing can be maintained with good accuracy.

Abstract: A temperature regulating member capable of avoiding deterioration in heat dissipation efficiency of a heat-accumulating material, and deterioration in a buffer function thereof, due to ununiformity in heat distribution inside the heat-accumulating material. With the use of a churning flow occurring by disposing one piece of stirrer or plural stirrers inside the heat-accumulating material, and by causing a relative position of the stirrer, inside the heat-accumulating material, to be changed during transportation, it is possible to eliminate ununiformity in heat distribution inside the heat-accumulating material. The temperature regulating member has a feature in that a phenomenon of a peripheral part of the heat-accumulating material being first cooled to be subsequently solidified is avoided, thereby enabling the heat dissipation efficiency and the buffer function to be maintained.