Abstract: A conductive wire 3 is inserted into a flexible sheath 2 with a wiring portion thereof exposed at a distal end portion of the sheath. Upon the pull of the wire 3, the distal end portion is curved and the exposed wire portion is pull taut to provide a wire portion for incision. A restricting member 5 is provided within the sheath 2 to restrict the direction in which the distal end portion of the sheath 2 is curved. As viewed from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the sheath 2, the wire portion 6 is located within an angle range of 0.degree. to 90.degree. leftwise from the aforementioned direction in a manner to diagonally follow the outer surface of the sheath 2 in a counterclockwise direction to the longitudinal axis of the sheath. An affected region in the body cavity of a human being is incised with a high-frequency current carried through the conductive wire.

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.

Abstract: An endoscope having an control section and an inserting section fitted with an optical system. A tubular lens frame of the optical system is disposed at the head part of the inserting section and an inclined end face which is tapered inward is formed all around the end face of the lens frame. A plurality of optical members are arranged in the lens frame and the inclined end face of the lens frame forms a substantially V-shaped annular groove together with the outside surface of an optical member disposed at the end portion of the lens frame. An adhesive is accumulated first in the annular groove and then filled in the clearance between the optical member and the lens frame. In this way, the optical member is secured airtightly to the lens frame.

Abstract: An endoscope, through which the interior of a body cavity can be observed, has an operation section and an insertion section. The proximal end of the insertion section is connected to the distal end of the operation section. A conduit-type guide fiber is coupled at one end to the distal end of the insertion section. The other end of the guide fiber is connected to the operation section. The guide fiber has meandering or looped portion for absorbing the stress applied to the fiber when the insertion section is bent. Therefore, there is no possibility that the guide fiber is broken. In addition, the insertion section has a sufficient flexibility.

Abstract: An endoscope according to the present invention comprises an observation optical system and an insertion section which includes a bending tube. A plurality of segments, which are rockably connected to one another, are arranged in the bending tube, and wire guides are fixed to the inner peripheral surface of each segment. One end of each of bending-control wires is fixed to the segment at the distal end portion of the bending tube. The other end of each wire extends to the proximal end portion of the insertion section, through the wire guides of the other segments. In this arrangement, the bending tube is bent by pulling the other ends of the bending-control wires. The endoscope further includes bending means arranged in the bending tube and adapted to bend, when the bending-control wire is pulled, the bending tube for moving the observation optical system such that the center of the system moves from the center of the insertion section to the periphery thereof.

Abstract: In an insertion section of an endoscope according to the present invention, a plurality of flexible segment tubes, each having a predetermined length and a predetermined inside diameter, constitute necessary ducts for the endoscope, individually. The ducts include an image guide duct, light guide duct, instrument channel duct, and air/water channel duct. The flexible segment tubes are fixed in a housing tube. In manufacturing the insertion section, optical fibers and the like are inserted into the flexible tubes, fixed in the housing tube. Once the housing tube is molded, the respective sectional configurations of the flexible tubes are kept uniform, even though the housing tube may contract. Thus, the optical fibers and other elements can be inserted easily into the ducts.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an operation section and an insertion section extending from the operation section. The insertion section has a plurality of insertion holes extending in its axial direction. The insertion holes have outlet openings open to the distal end portion of the insertion section and inlet openings open to the proximal end portion of the insertion section. One of the inlet openings is open to the proximal end face of the insertion section, and the remaining openings are open to the outer periphery of the insertion section. An image guide and a light guide inserted into the insertion holes extend from the inlet openings located at the outer periphery of the insertion section toward the outside thereof.

Abstract: A medical capsule device comprises a capsule body having a chamber formed inside and a communicating path for communicating the chamber with outside, a movable member arranged in the chamber and movable between a liquid-receiving position at which the volume of said chamber is made largest and a liquid-pushing position at which the volume of said chamber is made smallest, and a coiled operating member made of shape memory alloy heated by ultrasonic wave to move the movable member to liquid-receiving and -pushing positions selectively.

Abstract: An intelligent copier for readily performing image enlargement, reduction, synthesis, and editing. In the intelligent copier, an SIT (Static Induction Transistor) image sensor in which a plurality of SIT image cells are arranged two-dimensionally pixel by pixel in the same substrate is used as an image sensor for picking-up the image of a document. It is not necessary to use an expensive mass storage memory for storing the image information, because the SIT image sensor can perform a nondestructive readout, so that the copier can be made small in size and inexpensive in cost.

Abstract: In a chemical analyzing apparatus of a colorimetric type in which a light flux transmitted through a test liquid is made incident upon a light receiving element through an optical filter having a predetermined transmission spectrum range and a measurement signal is obtained by processing a photoelectrically converted signal, a plurality of optical filters having different transmission spectrum ranges and arranged side by side and a solid state image sensor having a plurality of light receiving elements each having a photoelectric converting element and a static induction transistor are arranged one upon the other. An analytical result is obtained by calculating output signals selectively derived from light receiving elements which are arranged behind a particular optical filter having a transmission spectrum range related to a wavelength determined by a test item to be studied.

Abstract: A medical capsule device includes a capsule body provided with a chamber inside and a communicating path for communicating the chamber with the outside, a movable member arranged in the chamber and movable between a liquid-pushing position at which the volume of the chamber is made smallest and a liquid-receiving position at which the volume of the chamber is made largest, a coiled operating member made of a shape memory alloy for selectively moving the movable member to the liquid-receiving or -pushing position according to temperature changes of the operating member itself, and a switching circuit and power supply source arranged in the capsule body and adjusting the temperature of the operating member to selectively move the movable member to the liquid-pushing or -receiving position.

Abstract: An endoscope ocular device comprises a hollow cylindrical housing and a return ring which is rotatably mounted on the housing, and rotated with a photographic camera fixed in place, whereby adjusting an ocular to a prescribed dioptric position, no matter how the ocular was previously disposed. A contact chamber is provided between the return ring and housing. Provided in the return ring is a first electrical contact, one end of which is exposed to the outer periphery of the return ring, and the other end of which projects into the contact chamber. Provided in the contact chamber is a second electrical contact which is removed from the first electrical contact when the photographic camera is taken off, and connected to the first electrical contact when the photographic camera is fixed in place, and is also connected to an electric power source. That end of the first electrical contact which is exposed to the outer periphery of the return ring is accessible and can be cleaned with water quickly and reliably.