Patents by Inventor Nobuaki Akui

Nobuaki Akui has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11751756
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: an insertion section; an operation section; a bending portion; a longitudinal member for maintaining a constant distance from the operation section to a distal end portion of the insertion section along a longitudinal axis of the insertion section; and a flexible tube portion provided in a movable manner with respect to the operation section and the longitudinal member in a longitudinal axis direction, and making the bending portion extend and contract with movement of the flexible tube portion with respect to the operation section in the longitudinal axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki Akui
  • Publication number: 20230148840
    Abstract: An endoscope includes a channel tube provided in a direction of a longitudinal axis of an insertion section, and a pipe sleeve provided in the operation section and including a tube insertion hole on a distal end side, the proximal end side of the channel tube being inserted in the tube insertion hole. An inner diameter at a first position on a proximal end side of the pipe sleeve is larger than an inner diameter at a second position in a hole part that communicates with a proximal end of the tube insertion hole, the inner diameter at the second position of the pipe sleeve is smaller than an inner diameter at a third position in the tube insertion hole, and the pipe sleeve includes an abutting surface at the proximal end of the tube insertion hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20220409028
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an operation portion provided on a proximal end side of an insertion portion and a treatment instrument insertion port to which a treatment instrument is inserted, and includes a forceps pipe sleeve provided in the operation portion with an axis direction of a central axis passing through the treatment instrument insertion port being different from an axis direction of the insertion portion, a flexible channel tube extending in a bent state from a proximal end of the insertion portion toward a forceps pipe sleeve and connected to the forceps pipe sleeve by insertion inside the operation portion, and a guide wall provided inside the operation portion and being contactable with an outer side portion of a bend of the channel tube by abutting on the channel tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20220240754
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: a first bearing including a first recess along a first central axis; a second bearing disposed in the first recess and provided with a second central axis intersecting the first central axis in the state of being disposed in the first recess, the second bearing including a second recess along the second central axis and being retained turnably around the first central axis; and an operation lever disposed in the second recess, and including a shaft member retained turnably around the second central axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20220225858
    Abstract: An endoscope of the present invention includes an endoscope insertion section in which a resin layer is formed in an outer circumference of a net-like pipe made of metal formed along a longitudinal axis and a conductive member, a part of one side edge portion of which pierces through the resin layer and comes into contact with the net-like pipe to conduct electricity, in which at the one side edge portion of the conductive member, a pointed portion that cuts a part of the resin layer and comes into contact with the net-like pipe is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki Akui
  • Publication number: 20210161371
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion section including a bending portion configured to bend in response to pulling and relaxing of a pair of wires, an operation section, a pulling mechanism configured to pull and relax the pair of wires, a holding portion holding a treatment member, and a driving member configured to move the holding portion in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the treatment member. The pulling member includes a pulley to which the pair of wires is connected, a shaft member protruding from the pulley and having a central axis coinciding with a central axis of the pulley, and a support portion supporting the shaft member such that the shaft member is rotatable about the central axis, and configured to allow a movement of the shaft member in a first direction and a second direction that are parallel to the central axis of the shaft member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20210161367
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: an insertion section; an operation section; a bending portion; a longitudinal member for maintaining a constant distance from the operation section to a distal end portion of the insertion section along a longitudinal axis of the insertion section; and a flexible tube portion provided in a movable manner with respect to the operation section and the longitudinal member in a longitudinal axis direction, and making the bending portion extend and contract with movement of the flexible tube portion with respect to the operation section in the longitudinal axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20210137356
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion portion, an operation portion, a bending portion, a pair of wires inserted into the insertion portion and configured to bend at least part of the bending portion in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, a first pulling mechanism configured to pull and loosen the pair of wires, a linear member inserted into the bending portion, a second pulling mechanism configured to pull the linear member in a direction parallel to a central axis, and a holding portion configured to hold the linear member in the bending portion at a position decentered from a center in a third direction or a fourth direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20210127951
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: a first bending wire that is connected with a first connection part of a bending portion of an insertion portion inserted into a subject and bends the entire bending portion in a first bending direction by pulling; a second bending wire that is connected with a second connection part of the bending portion positioned on a proximal end side of the first connection part and bends a proximal end side part of the bending portion on the proximal end side of the second connection part in the first bending direction by pulling; an operation lever that pulls the first bending wire to the proximal end side; an operation lever that pulls the second bending wire to the proximal end side; and a coil pipe into which the first and second bending wires are inserted at a position on the proximal end side of the bending portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20210127950
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion portion, a distal end rigid member, and a channel tube. The distal end rigid member is provided on a distal end side with respect to the bending portion of the insertion portion, and includes an illumination window, an observation window, and a treatment instrument opening. As the distal end rigid member moves relative to the bending portion in a distal end direction of a longitudinal axial direction, the distal end rigid member can change from a first state in which a distance between a proximal end surface of the distal end rigid member and a distal end surface of the bending portion is fixed to a first distance to a second state in which the distance is equal to a second distance longer than the first distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuaki AKUI, Hidetoshi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20200037850
    Abstract: An endoscope bending portion is formed of a multilumen tube, and includes: two lumens through which a pair of bending operation wires for performing a bending operation in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction are individually inserted; and a bending direction restriction member configured to restrict bending in a direction of a second axis orthogonal to a first axis passing through a center axis in the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20190150709
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope capable of realizing equal operability by either a left or right hand without upsizing an operation portion. For this purpose, an operation portion is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical shape; a suction button and a bending lever are disposed at a center in a left and right width direction of the operation portion facing each other; and respective arm portions are disposed in a state of being rotated around a central axis of the bending lever by a predetermined angle relative to up, down, left and right tilt directions defined for the bending lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Patent number: 10231605
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope capable of realizing equal operability by either a left or right hand without upsizing an operation portion. For this purpose, an operation portion is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical shape; a suction button and a bending lever are disposed at a center in a left and right width direction of the operation portion facing each other; and respective arm portions are disposed in a state of being rotated around a central axis of the bending lever by a predetermined angle relative to up, down, left and right tilt directions defined for the bending lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki Akui
  • Publication number: 20160331214
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: an operation portion including a grasping portion configured to be grasped by a user and having a first longitudinal axis; an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject, the insertion portion having a second longitudinal axis that has a predetermined acute angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis and extending from the operation portion at a position on a more distal end side with respect to a treatment instrument insertion portion provided at the grasping portion; and a cable including, at an extension end thereof, a connector portion configured to be detachably connected with an external device, the cable having a third longitudinal axis on an extended line of the first longitudinal axis and extending from a distal end side of the operation portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiwamu FUJITANI, Tatsuhiko SUZUKI, Motohiro KURODA, Nobuaki AKUI, Reisuke OSADA, Chikayoshi MEGURO
  • Publication number: 20160309985
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope capable of realizing equal operability by either a left or right hand without upsizing an operation portion. For this purpose, an operation portion is formed in a bilaterally symmetrical shape; a suction button and a bending lever are disposed at a center in a left and right width direction of the operation portion facing each other; and respective arm portions are disposed in a state of being rotated around a central axis of the bending lever by a predetermined angle relative to up, down, left and right tilt directions defined for the bending lever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuaki AKUI
  • Publication number: 20150366453
    Abstract: A measurement probe is configured to be detachably attached to an optical measurement apparatus. The measurement probe has at an end surface thereof exit ends of a plurality of optical fibers. The optical measurement apparatus includes: an imaging unit that receives rays of light transmitted from the exit ends of the plurality of optical fibers and performs photoelectric conversion in order to generate and output an electric signal; and a partition unit that optically isolates paths for the rays of light transmitted from the exit ends of the plurality of optical fibers, from one another in a space from the end surface to a light reception surface of the imaging unit. The partition unit comes into contact with the end surface at one end of the partition unit, and comes into contact with the light reception surface of the imaging unit at another end of the partition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Seiki TORIYAMA, Nobuaki AKUI
  • Patent number: 8953031
    Abstract: In a medical device, a field-of-view switching mechanism which moves a field of view imaged by an observation section, and an illumination-light switching mechanism including an illumination section having an illumination range of illumination light whose entire field of view is covered by movement, are configured integrally with each other. The illumination light is illuminated to the current field of view by moving the illumination range of the illumination light, in synchronism with pivoting of an observation and in compliance with the field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Akui, Satoshi Takekoshi
  • Patent number: 8932209
    Abstract: A scanning endoscopic device includes an optical fiber allowing irradiation light guided from a proximal side fiber portion to a distal side fiber portion to exit from a distal end thereof, and an actuator section placed to a distal direction side of the proximal fiber portion. The scanning endoscopic device includes a light absorbing section absorbing beam light having directivity in one direction, and the light absorbing section includes a black filling member filling a space between the proximal side fiber portion and an outer envelope tube in radial directions. The device further includes a light scattering section provided between the proximal side fiber portion and the outer envelope tube in the radial directions to scatter the beam of light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Akui, Yuji Sakai
  • Patent number: 8926500
    Abstract: In a light irradiating device of a scanning endoscopic device, a proximal end of a lens optical system is located apart from a distal end of an optical fiber in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis, and a lens-side facing portion faces a fiber-side facing portion apart from the fiber-side facing portion by a second dimension smaller than a first dimension between the distal end of the optical fiber and the proximal end of the lens optical system in the directions parallel to the longitudinal axis. The proximal end of the lens optical system and the distal end of the optical fiber are located between a distal end and a proximal end of the window in the directions parallel to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Nobuaki Akui
  • Publication number: 20140194693
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a laser light source that generates laser light; an optical fiber that guides laser light inputted to a proximal end and applies the laser light to a subject from a distal end; an actuator swinging a distal end portion of the optical fiber; the conductive wire provided in close contact with the optical fiber, and connected to the actuator; a signal generator that generates a drive signal for driving the actuator, the drive signal being conducted by the conductive wire; a detection circuit that detects a current flowing in the conductive wire when the signal generator generates the drive signal, and detects that the conductive wire is broken, based on the detected current value; and a controller that controls an amount of illuminating light based on a result of determination of whether or not the conductive wire is broken in the detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Katsuichi IMAIZUMI, Nobuaki AKUI, Mitsuhiro ITO