Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus having an ultrasonic observation system for observing an ultrasonic tomographic image of a portion of a body of patient and an optical observation system for observing an optical image of the portion, a direction indicator is superimposed on an ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on a monitor screen, and the direction indicator is rotated on the monitor screen in accordance with the rotation of the ultrasonic tomographic image. The ultrasonic diagnosing apparatus further has a system for compensating for a deviation between the ultrasonic tomographic image displayed on the monitor screen and the optical image due to a twist of a flexible shaft which is extended in an insertion section of the apparatus to rotate an ultrasonic vibrating element arranged in a distal end of the insertion section.

Abstract: An ultrasonic endoscope comprises an insertion section having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, an ultrasonic probe disposed in the distal end portion of the insertion section and adapted to generate ultrasonic oscillations and detect reflected waves, an operating section connected to the proximal end portion of the insertion section and used to bend the insertion section, and an auxiliary operating section connected to the rear end of the operating section, the auxiliary operating section including a rotation drive unit for rotating the ultrasonic probe.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic endscope apparatus for observing an optical image of a cavity of a body under inspection by forming the optical image with the aid of an objective lens arranged in a distal end of an insertion section of an endoscope and by transmitting the optical image by means of an image guide and for observing an ultrasonic sectional image by arranging an ultrasonic vibrating element in the distal end of the insertion section, a distance between the objective lens and the cavity is measured by detecting a first echo reflected by the cavity, image data representing a locus of a section line of the ultrasonic sectional image is derived in accordance with the measured distance, the image of the section line is displayed on a display device, and the displayed image of the section line is monitored in the superimposed manner with the optical image of the cavity.

Abstract: In an endoscope apparatus, an ultrasonic vibrating element is rotatably arranged at a distal end of a flexible inserting portion, this ultrasonic vibrating element is rotated by a motor provided in a subsidiary operating portion via a flexible cable extended through the inserting portion, the distal end portion of the inserting portion is bent by operating a handle provided on a primary operating portion, which is arranged at the proximal side of the subsidiary operating portion; a forceps channel is extended through the inserting portion and an opening of the forceps channel is formed in the subsidiary portion. According to such structure, the forceps can be inserted in the forceps channel easily and existing forceps having a standard length can be used as they are.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe for use in the ultrasonic endoscope including a damping layer arranged on a rear surface of an ultrasonic vibrating element for absorbing an undesired ultrasonic wave emitted from the rear surface of the vibrating element, an insulating layer and a conductive housing. A matching coil for improving the efficiency of the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrating element is formed as an air-core type and is embedded within the damping layer or the insulating layer such that the undesired ultrasonic wave is passed through a hollow central space of the air-core type matching coil and is effectively absorbed by the damping layer, so that the damping function of the damping layer is not affected by the matching coil.

Abstract: In a probe for observing an ultrasonic image, which obtains the ultrasonic image of an object to be observed such as a body cavity by means of an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving means, a mechanical scanning operation of the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving means is performed by an ultrasonic driving means, and thus it is possible to obtain a good diagnosis image with no distortion and no flicker because noises of the driving means can be reduced.Therefore, an ultrasonic endoscope system and an ultrasonic video endoscope system etc. which utilize the probe mentioned above can display a good ultrasonic image and a good optical image.