Abstract: An endoscope is disclosed which comprises: an insertion section having a flexible tube which is inserted into a body cavity and deflected or bent in the desired direction and a distal end portion coupled to the flexible tube; and a control section which is controlled by the operator such as a doctor. In the control section are disposed a motor which is reversible in response to switching operation of switches manually pressed by the operator and a motor-driven bending mechanism including a drum and an angulation wire to angulate or deflect the flexible tube. The angulation wire extends within the insertion section such that the distal end of the angulation wire is secured to a portion near the distal end portion of the flexible tube. Since the motor changes a rotational torque in accordance with the switching operation of the switch, the deflection speed of the flexible tube is changed.

Abstract: A calculus disintegrating apparatus includes first and second electrodes which are arranged at the distal end of a probe inserted into a coeliac cavity, and discharge energy sources connected to the first and second electrodes to impresses D.C. impulse voltage across them. The apparatus is arranged to crush a calculus by impact wave resulting from spark discharges produced across the first and second electrodes. A polarity changing circuit is provided between the discharge energy sources and first and second electrodes to vary the polarity of the output D.C. impulse voltage from the discharge energy sources.

Abstract: There is disclosed an endoscope apparatus including an electric deflection mechanism which has an insertion section with a deflection portion to be freely deflected, a control section, electric motors, wire drums and angulation wires. A single deflection control lever is arranged in the control section to arbitrarily deflect a distal end portion in any direction. The motors are properly rotated in the forward or reverse direction in accordance with the manual operation of the deflection control lever, thereby properly and very precisely deflecting the deflection portion of the insertion section under the control of the operator through the electric deflection mechanism.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus is disclosed which includes an insertion section inserted into a coeliac cavity of a human body and freely bendable therein, a motor housed in an operating section of an endoscope, a bending mechanism for bending a flexible tube of the insertion section on the basis of a torque of the motor, and a bending operating lever made of resilient material manually operated by an operator. When the operator operates the lever and deflects the lever, a piezoelectric rubber serving as wire distortion gauge attached to the lever is compressed or tensioned to change its resistance. At this time, the motor rotates to turn the drum, so that the flexible tube is bent through angulation wires. When the deflection of the lever mounted to the rotating drum disappears, the resistance change of the gauge is zero. Responsive to no change of the resistance, the motor stops its rotation. Consequently, the bending operation of the flexible tube rapidly stops.

Abstract: A photoreceptor is provided directly for receiving a light emitted from an electronic flash unit, and an output of the photoreceptor is supplied to a light emission amount calculating circuit. The light emission amount calculating circuit includes a light emission amount calculating constant setting device adapted to manually change a light emission amount calculating constant according to a photographing mode.

Abstract: The voltage on an electronic flash tube or a main capacitor is detected by a voltage detecting circuit, and when the detected voltage reaches the discharge continuous voltage of the flash tube, a power source circuit is disconnected for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A photographing system for an endoscope comprises an endoscope including a light guide and an image guide, a camera unit including a shutter button for producing an instruction signal for starting a photographing cycle and a mirror shutter for opening a light path of an image supplied from an image guide; and a light source unit including a photographing light source for producing photographing light, an observation light source for producing observation light and a reflective mirror for switching light supplied to the light guide from the observation light to the photographing light. The camera unit further includes a switch for producing a light path switching signal for operating the reflective mirror simultaneously with the depression of the shutter button and a switch closed by the mirror shutter released a predetermined period of time after the depression of the shutter button and producing a signal for energizing the photographing light source.

Abstract: A photographing apparatus for an endoscope comprises a first photodetector for detecting part of the light projected from an image guide of an endoscope and a second photodetector for detecting part of the flash light guided in a light guide of the endoscope. A resistor is connected in parallel with the first photodetector. A voltage induced across the two ends of the resistor is amplified and is supplied to an integrating circuit until the voltage is saturated. When the voltage induced across the two ends of the resistor is saturated, a voltage induced in the second photodetector is supplied to the integrating circuit after amplification and level adjustment. When the output from the integrating circuit reaches a predetermined level, supply of the flashlight to the light guide is interrupted.

Abstract: A plurality of exposure constant selection switches are provided for respectively corresponding exposure constants, and an intermediate one of these exposure constants is automatically set when none of the exposure constants are selected by selection switches. When two selection switches are operated at one time, an exposure constant corresponding to the average of the exposure constants selected by these two selection switches is automatically set.

Abstract: A light source unit for an endoscope is provided with a number of flash tubes which are caused in turn to emit a light. On an optical path passing through a light-incident surface of a light guide of the endoscope there are arranged, in corresponding relationship to the flash tubes, a number of plane reflecting mirrors which reflect the lights from the flash tubes toward the light-incident surface of the light guide, respectively. The reflecting mirrors are each movable, for example, by a rotary solenoid. This solenoid operates at the time when the light emission from one of the flash tubes is completed. Thus, the solenoid, for the purpose of giving the optical path for a succeeding one of the flash tube, removes from that optical path the reflecting mirror corresponding to said one of the flash discharge tubes.

Abstract: A light source device for an endoscope comprising a xenon lamp, a lamp drive circuit for supplying current to the xenon lamp for causing the emission of light when a synchronizing signal is supplied from a camera, an integrating circuit for integrating current supplied from the camera and an illumination stop circuit for supplying an illumination stop signal to a lamp drive circuit when the output of said integrating circuit reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: An apparatus for endoscopic photography includes a camera and a light source unit which may be coupled to an endoscope to permit a picture to be taken of the interior of a coeliac cavity. An operating signal is converted into a high frequency signal by means of a conversion circuit which is disposed in one of the camera and the light source unit while a recovery circuit for recovering the operating signal from the high frequency signal is disposed in the other of the camera and the light source unit. In this manner, a communication of the operating signal between the camera and the light source unit is enabled through d.c. feed lines disposed within the endoscope which are utilized to feed a film winding d.c. motor.

Abstract: An apparatus for endoscopic photography enables a picture to be taken of the interior of a coeliac cavity by coupling a camera and a light source unit with an endoscope. The apparatus comprises at least four delay circuits to achieve automatic control of a series of operations which are required to take a picture so that a proper exposure to a film surface is given.

Abstract: A camera apparatus can be mounted on an endoscope to enable a picture to be taken of the interior of a coeliac cavity. The apparatus comprises a detecting device which detects whether the apparatus is or is not mounted on an endoscope. When the apparatus is mounted, the detecting device operates to supply power to an electrical circuit of the apparatus which requires energization only during a photographing operation, which power may be drawn from either an internal battery or an external power supply, thus minimizing the power dissipation of the internal battery.