Abstract: A distal end hood that is detachably mounted on a distal end portion of an endoscope includes a groove having a groove bottom portion formed in a ring shape over an entire circumference at a predetermined position on an outer peripheral surface of the distal end hood, a plurality of projections, which are provided on an inner peripheral surface on one side sandwiching the groove and in each of which a tapered surface is formed, the tapered surface reducing a wall thickness by continuously increasing a diameter of an inner peripheral surface from the groove side toward a distal end surface of the distal end hood, and a locking portion provided on a side opposite to the projections sandwiching the groove and locked to the distal end portion of the endoscope, in which the projections are configured to bend at the groove bottom portion toward a proximal end side.

Abstract: Maximum hardness of a flexible tube section of an endoscope is set such that substantial maximum hardness at a time when an over-tube is attached is equal to or lower than maximum hardness of a flexible tube section of an endoscope. That is, the maximum hardness of the flexible tube section of the endoscope is set substantially equal to hardness obtained by subtracting hardness of the over-tube itself from the maximum hardness of the flexible tube section of the endoscope. In the endoscopes including a hardness changing mechanism, maximum hardness of the endoscope, to which the over-tube is not attached, and maximum hardness of the endoscope, to which the over-tube is attached, are set substantially equal.

Abstract: An endoscope system sets a hardness variation of a thick flexible tube portion and a hardness variation of a thin flexible tube portion such that their respective ratios against base hardness are constant, and as each flexible tube portion becomes thicker, the hardness variation increases and an endoscope with a relatively thin flexible tube portion has a smaller hardness variation. This makes it possible to avoid situations like an endoscope with a thick flexible tube portion lacking hardness or an endoscope with a thin flexible tube portion becoming too hard, and makes it possible to perform optimum insertion operation in accordance with the thickness of a flexible tube.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope including an insertion section formed in an elongated shape, a flexible tube portion provided at a proximal end side of the insertion section, and a rigidity changing mechanism portion provided inside the flexible tube portion, and configured to change rigidity of the flexible tube portion by an operation performed on a hand side, and a flexible overtube formed in a cylindrical shape extending in an axial direction, into which the insertion section is inserted, where a rigidity change region of the flexible tube portion by the rigidity changing mechanism portion is set to be from an intermediate portion to a proximal end portion of the flexible tube portion, and a total length of the overtube in the axial direction is set to be shorter than a total length of the rigidity change region.

Abstract: An endoscope includes: an insertion portion formed in an elongated shape; a mesh tube formed by braiding thin wires in a tubular shape and provided in a shape of a cylinder inside the insertion portion; and a rigidity changing mechanism including a coil inserted in the insertion portion and formed by winding an element wire, and a wire inserted in the coil and formed by intertwining element wires, the rigidity changing mechanism being configured to apply a compression force to the coil by pulling the wire, to adjust a bending rigidity of the insertion portion, wherein a dimension of a gap created between the thin wires in the mesh tube is set to be smaller than a diameter of the wire and larger than a diameter of each of the element wires of the wire.

Abstract: An endoscopic insertion aid includes a tube member, a pipeline and a plurality of balloons. The tube member allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough, and guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section. The pipeline is provided in the tube member, and communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member. The balloons are disposed on the outer periphery of the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member, communicate with the pipeline, and inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline. The balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side than the balloon disposed on the distal side when the balloons are inflated.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an observation window for observing an image of a photographic subject; an illumination window for emitting illumination light for illuminating the photographic subject; a suction port connected to a suction channel are provided on a distal end surface of an insertion portion; an observation window peripheral edge portion which is formed so that a surface having the observation window is vertical to an observation light axis; an illumination window peripheral edge portion which is formed so that a surface having the illumination window is vertical to an illumination light axis which tilts outward with respect to the observation light axis; and a suction port peripheral edge portion which is formed so that a surface having the suction port is flush with the observation window peripheral edge portion.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion unit having an inclined portion in a distal surface of the insertion unit; an illuminating unit provided in the inclined portion of the distal surface, and illuminating an inside of a body cavity; an observation window provided in the distal surface to observe the inside of the body cavity; and an air and water feeding nozzle provided in the distal surface to supply at least one of air and water to the observation window and the illuminating unit. A first contact distal portion and a second contact distal portion are formed in the distal surface. The first contact distal portion comes into contact with a flat surface and is provided in the air and water feeding nozzle, and the second contact distal portion is provided in except for at least one of the observation window and the illuminating unit.

Abstract: An endoscopic insertion aid includes a tube member, a pipeline and a plurality of balloons. The tube member allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough, and guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section. The pipeline is provided in the tube member, and communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member. The balloons are disposed on the outer periphery of the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member, communicate with the pipeline, and inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline. The balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side than the balloon disposed on the distal side when the balloons are inflated.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes a first endoscope that includes a first distal end portion, a first observation window provided at the first distal end portion, a first objective optical system optically coupled to the first observation window and having a first viewing angle, and a first treatment instrument channel opening positioned at a first distance away from the first observation window; and a second endoscope that includes a second distal end portion, a second observation window provided at the second distal end portion, a second objective optical system optically coupled to the second observation window and having a second viewing angle wider than the first viewing angle, and a second treatment instrument channel opening positioned at a second distance longer than the first distance.

Abstract: An endoscope according to the present invention includes an endoscope main body, in which a channel having at least one end communicated with the outside is inserted and which is covered with an exterior member, and a communicating hole which is arranged in the halfway of the channel and which introduces vapor in the channel so as to sterilize the channel with the vapor.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insertion unit; an observation optical system arranged at an end surface of the insertion unit in an inserting axis direction and having a wide viewing angle for observing a body cavity; and a plurality of illumination optical systems arranged on an axis slanted with respect to the inserting axis direction of the insertion unit and used when illuminating the body cavity. An illumination lens of at least one of the illumination optical systems is subjected to light diffusion process.

Abstract: An endoscope electric connection device accommodated within a scope connector for connecting an electronic endoscope and an external apparatus, the device including a first band having a first contact portion to which a signal line of a transmission cable for transmitting an image signal from an image pickup unit of the electronic endoscope is connected and a second contact portion to which a ground line of the transmission cable is connected, a second band having a third contact portion connecting to a connector for electrically connecting to the external apparatus and having flexibility, and a transmitting portion provided in the first band and second band for electrically connecting the first contact portion and second contact portion to the third contact portion, wherein the transmitting portion can keep electric connection between the first contact portion and second contact portion and the third contact portion even with the second band bent.

Abstract: A method for autoclave sterilization of an endoscope 2 of the present invention includes the step of making a space, which is defined by the outer side of a channel and an outer covering member of the endoscope 2, communicate with the outside of the endoscope, while at least one end of the channel communicates with the outside of the endoscope 2 and the channel is inserted through the inside 47 of the endoscope. The space 47 and the outside of the endoscope are once brought into the negative pressure. Thereafter, steam is introduced in the space 47 and the outside of the endoscope, and the endoscope 2 is sterilized.

Abstract: An endoscopic insertion aid includes a tube member, a pipeline and a plurality of balloons. The tube member allows an insertion section of an endoscope to be inserted therethrough, and guides the longitudinal movement of the insertion section. The pipeline is provided in the tube member, and communicates with a supply/discharge unit to supply a fluid to or discharge the fluid from the distal end of the tube member. The balloons are disposed on the outer periphery of the distal end of the tube member longitudinally along the tube member, communicate with the pipeline, and inflate/deflate in accordance with the supply/discharge of the fluid via the pipeline. The balloon disposed on the distal side of the tube member is inflated to have an outside diameter larger than that of the balloon disposed closer to the proximal side than the balloon disposed on the distal side when the balloons are inflated.

Abstract: An endoscopic insertion aid includes a hollow member having a communication path which provides communication between openings at the distal and proximal ends thereof. The hollow member includes a hollow member, an exposure portion and a guide portion. The hollow member insertion portion is inserted into a body cavity, having distal and proximal ends. The exposure portion is provided at the proximal end of the hollow member insertion portion and is exposed outside the body. The guide portion is provided in at least the exposure portion of the hollow member insertion portion and the exposure portion. The guide portion allows a distal end of an insertion section of an endoscope to pass through the communication path laterally from the hollow member and project from the opening at the distal end of the hollow member.

Abstract: A fluid-supplying/discharging system for use in medical devices includes a supplying/discharging device and a tubular-path-resistance changing mechanism. The supplying/discharging device includes a pump capable of supplying and discharging fluid, a tubular path having two ends, connected at one end to the pump and at the other end to a medical device, and a control device connected to the pump and configured to control the supplying and discharging of the fluid to and from the pump. The tubular-path-resistance changing mechanism changes resistance to the fluid flowing through the tubular path.

Abstract: An endoscope according to the present invention includes an endoscope main body, in which a channel having at least one end communicated with the outside is inserted and which is covered with an exterior member, and a communicating hole which is arranged in the halfway of the channel and which introduces vapor in the channel so as to sterilize the channel with the vapor.

Abstract: Distal ends of the LG fiber bundles are held in a state of being inclined outwardly with respect to an insertion direction of the distal end rigid portion, an observation hole for holding the image-pickup unit is formed at the distal end rigid portion, illumination holes for holding the distal ends of the LG fiber bundles are formed around the observation hole, the illumination holes are inclined outwardly with respect to an insertion direction of the distal end rigid portion, extended lines of inclined angles of the illumination holes are set to pass through backward of the observation hole, and a space after removal of the image-pickup unit from the observation hole is secured as a space for withdrawal of the LG fiber bundles.

Abstract: An endoscope system includes a first endoscope and a second endoscope. The first endoscope includes a first insertion portion having a first bendable portion that is bendable over a first range, and a first distal end portion including a first observation optical system, the first observation optical system having a first viewing angle and an optical axis changing depending on bending of the first bendable portion. The second endoscope includes a second insertion portion having a second bendable portion that is bendable over a second range narrower than the first range, and a second distal end portion including a second observation optical system, the second observation optical system having a first viewing angle wider than the first viewing angle and an optical axis changing depending on bending of the second bendable portion.