Abstract: A distal end portion of an endoscope includes: a moving mechanism configured to change a protruding direction of a treatment instrument; a base made of metal and including a supporting portion configured to rotationally support the moving mechanism; a cover member made of resin, the cover member being fitted to the base so as to cover the moving mechanism and including an opening portion formed at a position at which the moving mechanism is placed; an electronic component disposed in the cover member; and a wiring pattern electrically connected to the electronic component, the wiring pattern being provided in the cover member.

Abstract: The endoscope treatment system according to the present invention is provided with an endoscope having an inserted part; a channel provided along the inserted part; a treatment unit which can be inserted into the channel and has a treatment part at its front end; and a driving means that is provided in a freely advancing and retracting manner in a direction parallel to the channel, for moving the treatment unit inside the channel. A locking member (forward blocking part or advance/retract blocking part) provided near the front end of the channel, for locking the treatment unit at a specific position at the front end of the channel.

Abstract: A sentinel lymph node detecting system comprises an inserting portion with a small diameter which can be inserted into the body cavity, an X-ray detecting unit for two-dimensionally detecting X-rays, and an optical imaging unit 3 for taking visible-light images, which are mounted to the tip of the inserting portion. The X-ray detecting unit and the optical imaging unit are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the inserting portion, and are closely disposed one to another so as to observe in the same direction. A radioactive tracer accumulated in sentinel lymph nodes is detected by the X-ray detecting unit. The X-ray detected image is smaller in size than the image taken by the optical imaging unit. Thus, sentinel lymph nodes can be quickly identified in a sure manner, and further, the load placed on a patient, such as the need to perform laparotomy, can be reduced.

Abstract: A sentinel lymph node detecting apparatus comprises an endoscope, a visible-light CCU and infrared CCU, which are detachably connected to the endoscope, a superimposing circuit for superimposing the image output from the infrared CCU on the image output from the visible-light CCU, a monitor for displaying the image superimposed by the superimposing circuit, and a fluctuating magnetic field generating device for generating a fluctuating magnetic field for vibrating ferrofluid which has been accumulated in sentinel lymph nodes as a tracer beforehand, so as to heat the ferrofluid. A computer color-enhanced infrared image obtained by an infrared sensor is superimposed on an endoscope image obtained by visible-light CCD, and the synthesized endoscope infrared image is displayed on a display screen of the monitor.