Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope includes a helical tube, a cover, and an inhibition mechanism. The inhibition mechanism enables movement of a densely wound portion to the cover in a direction of a central axis of the helical tube and inhibits movement of a loosely wound portion to the cover in the central axis direction of the helical tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a turntable cloth peeling jig including: a cylindrical winding cylinder including a slit formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical winding cylinder and extending in an axial direction thereof; a cloth clamping member disposed inside the winding cylinder and configured to clamp an outer peripheral edge of a cloth inserted into the slit; an extension bar attached to one end portion of the winding cylinder so as to extend coaxially therewith; an engaging portion provided at a tip end portion of the extension bar and engaged with a rotation jig configured to rotate the winding cylinder; and a handle provided in the engaging portion and configured to support the winding cylinder when rotating the rotating jig.

Abstract: A passive bending section for an endoscope is disposed between an active bending section of an inserting section and a flexible tube of the inserting section and is passively bent by receiving an external force. In the passive bending section, a curvature gradually increases from the distal end portion of the passive bending section toward the proximal end portion of the passive bending section.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes transport mechanisms 121a to 127a, a sensor 40 for detecting whether a wafer W is held by the transport mechanisms 121a to 127a, a sensor controller 82 for controlling the sensor 40, a position information acquiring part 81 for acquiring position information of the substrate W in the transport passage, a detection result acquiring part 83 for acquiring a detection result from the sensor 40, and a determination processor 84 for determining whether the detection result of the sensor and the position information are consistent with each other. When it is determined that the detection result of the sensor 40 is inconsistent with the position information, the sensor controller 82 makes the sensor 40 retry to detect whether the substrate W is held.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate; a casing; and a drive mechanism at least partially provided within the casing and configured to drive the substrate holding unit using air. The drive mechanism is capable of supplying air into the casing.

Abstract: A flexible tube includes a first outer layer covering an outer side of a closely-wound region; a second outer layer forming a second flexible portion which is more difficult to bend than the first flexible portion; a third outer layer covering an outer side of the sparsely-wound region, and forming a third flexible portion which is as difficult to bend as the second flexible portion, or more difficult to bend than the second flexible portion; and a fourth outer layer arranged consecutively between the second and third outer layers to cover the outer side of a boundary position of the closely-wound region and the sparsely-wound region, and reducing a difference in bending difficulty/bending easiness at the boundary position.

Abstract: A flexible tube includes a helical tube including a closely-wound region and a sparsely-wound region, and an outer tube covering an outer side of the helical tube. The closely-wound region includes a closely-wound portion to which a tight contact force is applied, the tight contact force allowing adjacent parts of a wire member adjacent along the longitudinal axis to become a tight contact state, a sparsely-wound portion which is arranged at a proximal side of the closely-wound portion, and a change portion which is arranged at a proximal side of the sparsely-wound portion and, has the tight contact force between the adjacent parts on the proximal side rather than the distal side along the longitudinal axis reduced more than the tight contact force of the closely-wound portion.

Abstract: A flexible tube includes an envelope, a spiral tube and a built-in component. The spiral tube includes a first area portion and a second area portion. The spiral tube is under an initial tension throughout the overall length, and the built-in component includes a supplement area portion which supplements the elasticity of the spiral tube.

Abstract: A flexible tube for an endoscope includes a helical tube, a cover, and an inhibition mechanism. The inhibition mechanism enables movement of a densely wound portion to the cover in a direction of a central axis of the helical tube and inhibits movement of a loosely wound portion to the cover in the central axis direction of the helical tube.

Abstract: A passive bending section for an endoscope is disposed between an active bending section of an inserting section and a flexible tube of the inserting section and is passively bent by receiving an external force. In the passive bending section, a curvature gradually increases from the distal end portion of the passive bending section toward the proximal end portion of the passive bending section.

Abstract: A flexible tubular portion for an endoscope having a central axis includes a spiral tube, an outer layer covering the outside of the spiral tube, and an inhibiting portion. The spiral tube includes, along the longitudinal direction of the central axis, a closely wound portion to which an initial tension is applied, and sparsely wound portions provided on the distal side and the proximal side of the closely wound portion. The inhibiting portion inhibits the movement of at least a part of the sparsely wound portions relative to the outer layer in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube.

Abstract: A flexible tubular portion for an endoscope having a central axis includes a spiral tube, an outer layer covering the outside of the spiral tube, and an inhibiting portion. The spiral tube includes, along the longitudinal direction of the central axis, a closely wound portion to which an initial tension is applied, and sparsely wound portions provided on the distal side and the proximal side of the closely wound portion. The inhibiting portion inhibits the movement of at least a part of the sparsely wound portions relative to the outer layer in the longitudinal direction of the spiral tube.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, a top ring configured to hold and press the substrate against the polishing surface, a top ring shaft configured to lift and lower the top ring, and an elongation detecting device configured to detect an elongation of the top ring shaft. The polishing apparatus further includes a controller configured to set a vertical position of the top ring at the time of polishing, and control a lifting and lowering mechanism to lower the top ring to a preset polishing position as the set vertical position. The controller corrects the preset polishing position based on the elongation of the top ring shaft which has been detected by the elongation detecting device.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus detects the escape of a substrate from a top ring during polishing. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing pad, a top ring, and a substrate escape detection section for detecting escape of the substrate from the top ring. The detection section includes a light irradiation member for irradiating an area of the upper surface of the polishing pad with light, a controller for controlling the light irradiation of the light irradiation member, an image-taking member for taking an image of the area irradiated with the light, and an information processing member for processing information outputted from the image-taking member. The controller controls the light irradiation member in such a manner that it performs light irradiation at least for a period of time during which the substrate is regarded as being in contact with the polishing pad.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.

Abstract: A nonlinearly processed (gamma-corrected) video signal is subjected to three-dimensional signal level correction using three-dimensional correction values and corresponding to a position in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of a pixel on a display screen of an image display unit and the signal level of the pixel data. Thereby, accurate gamma correction is made possible, and horizontal and vertical area information (grid block) can be disposed in an optimum positional relation according to resolution of the screen.

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus prevents a substrate from slipping out and allows the substrate to be polished stably. The substrate holding apparatus has a top ring body for holding and pressing a substrate against a polishing surface, and a retainer ring for pressing the polishing surface, the retainer ring being disposed on an outer circumferential portion of the top ring body. The retainer ring includes a first member made of a magnetic material and a second member having a magnet disposed on a surface thereof which is held in abutment against the first member.