Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated monoclonal antibody against a human Transforming Growth Factor-? (TGF-?) Latency Associated Protein (LAP) degradate, the isolated monoclonal antibody being capable of recognizing an integrin binding site in the human TGF-? LAP degradate.

Abstract: An endoscope illumination light switching device includes a rotation body in which a plurality of holes including a first hole are formed in a circumferential direction and that switches a hole on an irradiation optical path through rotation, a drive device configured to rotationally drive the rotation body, a sensor, and a processor configured to control a stop position of the rotation body based on a detection signal from the sensor. The rotation body includes a first detection target shape portion corresponding to the first hole, and another detection target shape portion. The sensor outputs a detection signal in response to detection of each shape portion when the rotation body rotates.

Abstract: A light source device includes a semiconductor light source that radiates light at a light quantity according to an applied current, a circuit that determines a current instruction value based on control information, first and second drive units, each of the units that is connected to the semiconductor light source and the circuit, and is capable of outputting, to the semiconductor light source, a current having magnitude corresponding to the current instruction value. The control information is set based on brightness of an image captured by an imaging element. When one of the first and second drive units is switched to the other, the circuit causes the other to start the current output after an elapse of a predetermined stop time period having a length at a predetermined ratio or less to a frame rate on the imaging element since a stop of the current output from the one.

Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated monoclonal antibody against a human TGF-? LAP degradate, the isolated monoclonal being capable of recognizing an integrin binding site in the human TGF-? LAP degradate.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a first semiconductor light-emitting element; a light source drive section; a first detection section; a storage section configured to store a threshold value indicating whether or not the first detection section can correctly detect an intensity; and a control section configured to, if the intensity detected by the first detection section exceeds the threshold value stored in the storage section, control the current value of the drive signal based on the intensity detected by the first detection section, for the light source drive section, and if the intensity detected by the first detection section does not exceed the threshold value, perform control so as to make the current value of the drive signal constant to provide pulsed light emission and change a duty cycle or a number of pulses to perform light adjustment, for the light source drive section.

Abstract: A cooling device according to the invention includes: a first flow channel configured so that a coolant passes; a first heat receiving portion; a first heat radiating portion arranged in the first flow channel; a first heat transferring portion configured to transfer heat from the first heat receiving portion to the first heat radiating portion; a second flow channel configured so that the coolant passes; a second heat receiving portion; a second heat radiating portion arranged in the second flow channel; and a second heat transferring portion configured having a longer length than the first heat transferring portion and transferring heat from the second heat receiving portion to the second heat radiating portion. The second heat radiating portion is configured having a larger surface area than the first heat radiating portion.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: first and second cooling units configured to cool first and second light source portions; an image pickup portion configured to generate a picked-up image; and a cooling control portion configured to control amounts of light emission of the light source portions while maintaining an amount-of-light ratio so that the brightness of the picked-up image becomes the target brightness and control cooling based on the information about the amount-of-light ratio and the brightness control information; wherein the cooling control portion decides a cooling capacity of the first cooling units and a cooling capacity of the second cooling units for cooling the respective light source portions for which the amounts of light emission are controlled, at the cooling ratio, so as to cause the light source portions to be included within a predetermined temperature range, based on the brightness control information.

Abstract: An endoscope system including a control section that controls an LED driving section to supply driving currents to LEDs of a plurality of colors to cause the LEDs to emit lights in a frame-sequential manner and a processor that divides a total exposure period in one frame period of the frame-sequential light emission into ratios of light emission periods for each of the respective colors obtained by dividing light amount ratios of the lights of the plurality of colors, which should be received in a CCD, respectively by respective maximum light emission intensities of the LEDs of the plurality of colors and sets respective maximum light emission periods of the LEDs of the plurality of colors.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a first semiconductor light-emitting element; a light source drive section; a first detection section; a storage section configured to store a threshold value indicating whether or not the first detection section can correctly detect an intensity; and a control section configured to, if the intensity detected by the first detection section exceeds the threshold value stored in the storage section, control the current value of the drive signal based on the intensity detected by the first detection section, for the light source drive section, and if the intensity detected by the first detection section does not exceed the threshold value, perform control so as to make the current value of the drive signal constant to provide pulsed light emission and change a duty cycle or a number of pulses to perform light adjustment, for the light source drive section.

Abstract: A cooling device according to the invention includes: a first flow channel configured so that a coolant passes; a first heat receiving portion; a first heat radiating portion arranged in the first flow channel; a first heat transferring portion configured to transfer heat from the first heat receiving portion to the first heat radiating portion; a second flow channel configured so that the coolant passes; a second heat receiving portion; a second heat radiating portion arranged in the second flow channel; and a second heat transferring portion configured having a longer length than the first heat transferring portion and transferring heat from the second heat receiving portion to the second heat radiating portion. The second heat radiating portion is configured having a larger surface area than the first heat radiating portion.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: first and second cooling units configured to cool first and second light source portions; an image pickup portion configured to generate a picked-up image; and a cooling control portion configured to control amounts of light emission of the light source portions while maintaining an amount-of-light ratio so that the brightness of the picked-up image becomes the target brightness and control cooling based on the information about the amount-of-light ratio and the brightness control information; wherein the cooling control portion decides a cooling capacity of the first cooling units and a cooling capacity of the second cooling units for cooling the respective light source portions for which the amounts of light emission are controlled, at the cooling ratio, so as to cause the light source portions to be included within a predetermined temperature range, based on the brightness control information.

Abstract: An endoscope system including a control section that controls an LED driving section to supply driving currents to LEDs of a plurality of colors to cause the LEDs to emit lights in a frame-sequential manner and a processor that divides a total exposure period in one frame period of the frame-sequential light emission into ratios of light emission periods for each of the respective colors obtained by dividing light amount ratios of the lights of the plurality of colors, which should be received in a CCD, respectively by respective maximum light emission intensities of the LEDs of the plurality of colors and sets respective maximum light emission periods of the LEDs of the plurality of colors.

Abstract: An endoscope light source apparatus includes a turret provided with a first optical filter and a second optical filter for transmitting an illuminating light, an instruction section in which an operation instruction of the turret is inputted, a drive section that drives the turret, a first detector that detects a position of the turret, a first detected portion for identifying a position of the first optical filter, a second detected portion for identifying a position of the second optical filter, a second detector that optically detects a position of the first or the second detected portion, and a turret control section that outputs a drive signal to the drive section to move the turret until the first or the second detected portion is detected by the second detector and stop the turret in response to the first or the second detected portion being detected.

Abstract: A light source apparatus includes: a lamp, a diaphragm device, a CPU that causes the diaphragm device to execute adjustment of an emission amount of illumination light on the basis of a target brightness signal generated based on brightness of an image obtained by picking up an image of a subject; a CPU that switches between illumination modes, and a mode switching switch. During a period after an instruction for switching from one of an illumination mode corresponding to normal light observation mode and an illumination mode corresponding to special light observation mode to the other is given until the switching by the CPU is completed, the CPU causes the diaphragm device to execute adjustment of the emission amount of the illumination light based on a correction value obtained by correcting a current diaphragm value at the time when the instruction for switching is given using a predetermined coefficient.

Abstract: A light source apparatus for an endoscope, which has a lamp, a power source, a light adjustment control module that controls power to be supplied to the lamp within a range not more than an upper limit power based on a brightness instruction signal, and a continuous lighting sensing module that measures a continuous lighting time period from time when the lamp shifts from being extinguished to being lighted, compares the continuous lighting time period with a predetermined upper limit time period, and initializes the continuous lighting time period while the lamp is extinguished, wherein the upper limit power is set to a first upper limit power when the continuous lighting time period has not reached the upper limit time period, and changed to a second upper limit power lower than the first upper limit power in a stepwise manner when the upper limit time period has not been reached.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope system including: a light source apparatus detecting which color LED fails by a color sensor; a scope that irradiates a subject with illuminating light and takes in an optical image of the subject; a CCD that picks up an image of the optical image of the subject; a video processor that processes the picked up image; and a monitor that displays a processed image, wherein if a failure of any of the LEDs is detected by the color sensor, the light source apparatus generates illuminating light using LEDs of colors other than a color of the light-emitting device for which the failure is detected, and wherein the video processor switches image processing to image processing according to a color of the LED for which the failure is detected.

Abstract: A light source apparatus that generates a light to be supplied to an endoscope, which includes: LEDs of respective colors that emit lights; collimator lenses that receive emitted lights and emit the received lights; and illuminance sensors arranged at positions where the illuminance sensors can receive both of leak lights of the lights emitted from the LEDs of respective colors, which are not used as illumination lights, and lights emitted from the LEDs of respective colors and reflected by the collimator lenses.

Abstract: A light source apparatus includes: a lamp, a diaphragm device, a CPU that causes the diaphragm device to execute adjustment of an emission amount of illumination light on the basis of a target brightness signal generated based on brightness of an image obtained by picking up an image of a subject; a CPU that switches between illumination modes, and a mode switching switch. During a period after an instruction for switching from one of an illumination mode corresponding to normal light observation mode and an illumination mode corresponding to special light observation mode to the other is given until the switching by the CPU is completed, the CPU causes the diaphragm device to execute adjustment of the emission amount of the illumination light based on a correction value obtained by correcting a current diaphragm value at the time when the instruction for switching is given using a predetermined coefficient.

Abstract: A light source apparatus for an endoscope, which has a lamp, a power source, a light adjustment control module that controls power to be supplied to the lamp within a range not more than an upper limit power based on a brightness instruction signal, and a continuous lighting sensing module that measures a continuous lighting time period from time when the lamp shifts from being extinguished to being lighted, compares the continuous lighting time period with a predetermined upper limit time period, and initializes the continuous lighting time period while the lamp is extinguished, wherein the upper limit power is set to a first upper limit power when the continuous lighting time period has not reached the upper limit time period, and changed to a second upper limit power lower than the first upper limit power in a stepwise manner when the upper limit time period has not been reached.

Abstract: An endoscope light source apparatus includes a turret provided with a first optical filter and a second optical filter for transmitting an illuminating light, an instruction section in which an operation instruction of the turret is inputted, a drive section that drives the turret, a first detector that detects a position of the turret, a first detected portion for identifying a position of the first optical filter, a second detected portion for identifying a position of the second optical filter, a second detector that optically detects a position of the first or the second detected portion, and a turret control section that outputs a drive signal to the drive section to move the turret until the first or the second detected portion is detected by the second detector and stop the turret in response to the first or the second detected portion being detected.