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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8147404 | Endoscope shape detecting apparatus A driving block includes a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements and a driving signal generating section, and the magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnetic-field generating elements is detected by a plurality of magnetic-field detecting element... | 04/03/2012 |
| 7981028 | Electrically-operated curving control device A curving control device to which an electrically-controlled endoscope is connected has a main CPU for primarily performing curving driving control, and a monitoring CPU for monitoring whether the operating state relating to curving actions is normal or abnormal. IN... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7850605 | Inserting shape detecting probe An inserting shape detecting probe has a long and slender core wire, a plurality of shape detecting devices, signal lines, and an outer sheath. The plurality of shape detecting devices extended from the signal lines are fixed to the core wire at a predetermined inte... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7435216 | Robotized laparoscopic system A robotized laparoscopic system capable of executing commands of an operating surgeon is provided. The laparoscopic system includes a cylindrical tube inserted through an incision. A small-sized camera is attached to one end of the tube to capture the images of the ... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7367939 | Rotational, translational and torqueing control members for an endoscopic instrument A flexible endoscopic dip applier includes a flexible coil with a manual actuator coupled to one end and a jaw assembly coupled to the other end. A store of clips is arranged adjacent to the jaw assembly and a clip pusher is arranged adjacent to the store of clips. ... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7348751 | Apparatus for deciding position of traction A hauling unit hauls a subject to bend or rotate the subject. A control unit outputs a control signal that corresponds to a target value that is input by an operating unit. The control unit controls a variation amount of the control signal output in a predetermined ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7344493 | Endoscopic device having ultrasonic positioning An endoscopic device includes ultrasonic emitters, receivers, and reflectors for the precise alignment of parts of an endoscope relative to each other. The methods for determining the relative position of two parts of the endoscope are based on measuring the distanc... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7331924 | Endoscope apparatus having electric bending endoscope An electric bending endoscope apparatus includes an electric bending endoscope, a bending control device for controlling a bending direction and the amount of bending of a bending portion based on a bending instructing signal outputted from a portion for instructing... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7294102 | Method and apparatus for providing depth control or z-actuation A position control apparatus for controlling position along an axis, comprising: an extensible member that can be extended and contracted along said axis, comprising shape memory alloy locatable to expand and contract along said axis, heating means for controlling s... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7280863 | System and method for radar-assisted catheter guidance and control A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so eq... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7277833 | Modeling of the workspace and active pending behavior of an endscope using filter functions A method is provided for simulating a flexible tube in an environment. The method comprises determining a model of the flexible tube according to a plurality of internal constraints of the flexible tube and a plurality of external constraints of the flexible tube, d... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7258664 | Endoscope inserting direction detecting method and endoscope inserting direction detecting system An endoscope inserting direction detecting system receives an endoscopic image, detects an endoscope inserting direction, in which an endoscope should be inserted, on the basis of the endoscopic image and produces information concerning the detected inserting direct... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7239910 | Methods and devices for transcranial magnetic stimulation and cortical cartography The invention relates to: a method for stimulating and/or inhibiting at least one point or area of a brain using at least one stimulation device, wherein: the spatial structure of the head or brain is recorded; a three-dimensional simulation model of the surface of ... | 07/03/2007 |
| 7212694 | Fiber-optic sensing system for measuring curvature The invention provides a fiber-optic sensing system for measuring a curvature in a small and elongated cavity of an object. The system includes a light source, an optical fiber and a light signal reflecting device disposed at a distal end of the optical fiber. The o... | 05/01/2007 |
| 7209605 | Packaged optical sensors on the side of optical fibers The present invention concerns an optical sensor located on a preferred azimuthal portion of the side of an optical fiber. An optical fiber having two opposite ends, a core and a cladding and at least one sensing area is disclosed. Each of the sensing areas is locat... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7194296 | Flexible instrument with optical sensors A flexible instrument includes a flexible member having a proximal portion, an intermediate portion, and a distal portion. At least one optical sensor positioned proximate the proximal portion of the flexible member provides a proximal end position signal indicative... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7118529 | Method and apparatus for transmitting non-image information via an image sensor in an in vivo imaging system A device, system and method may enable the obtaining of in vivo information other than or in addition to images from for example within body lumens or cavities, such as temperature, pressure, or pH from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where the data is typically tr... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7109933 | Wearable jacket having communication function, and endoscope system employing wearable jacket A wearable jacket includes a 2D-DST substrate shaped to cover a body of a subject person. The 2D-DST substrate includes a first conductive sheet, a second conductive sheet and a plurality of communication modules. The first and second conductive sheets are overlappe... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7087013 | Steerable segmented endoscope and method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path with... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7060027 | Electric bending endoscope apparatus Driving force of a bending motor is transmitted to a sprocket via a clutch mechanism portion. The operation of a switching operation lever switches the clutch mechanism portion to a disconnecting/restoring status. A bending control device includes a bending angle ca... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7044907 | Steerable endoscope and improved method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path with... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7018346 | Guide wire with adjustable flexibility A guide wire with a distal portion having adjustable flexibility. The guide wire may include a distal polymeric member and a heat source. The heat source may be activated to cause the polymeric member to increase in temperature and increase in flexibility. The incre... | 03/28/2006 |
| 6974260 | Flexible substrate for routing fibers in an optical transceiver An optical transceiver for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing, an electro-optical subassembly in the housing for converting between an information-containing electrical signal and a modulated... | 12/13/2005 |
| 6969384 | Surgical devices and methods of use thereof for enhanced tactile perception Featured are surgical devices that provide enhanced perceptual feedback to a medical practitioner in the form of e.g. tactile sensations or auditory feedback, and methods of use of the devices. The devices and methods of the present invention are particularly suitab... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6966906 | Deflection mechanism for a surgical instrument, such as a laser delivery device and/or endoscope, and method of use A mechanism and method for steering a surgical instrument inserted into an endoscope such as a ureteroscope, nephroscope, or cystoscope, and/or for steering the endoscope, utilizes a shape memory structure secured to the surgical instrument or to the endoscope, the ... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6890297 | Steerable endoscope and improved method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path with... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6869396 | Steerable endoscope and improved method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path with... | 03/22/2005 |
| 6846286 | Endoscope system An endoscope system is provided, including an endoscope having a flexible inserting tube to be inserted into a human body and a plurality of bending sensors distributed over the flexible inserting tube along the longitudinal direction thereof. Each of the bending se... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6835173 | Robotic endoscope An endoscope is provided which comprises an elongated body adapted for insertion into a body lumen, and a plurality of electrically controlled actuators associated with the body which are controllable to impart an orientation to the body that is complimentary to the... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6770027 | Robotic endoscope with wireless interface An endoscope apparatus and method of operating the same. The endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope portion and a control and display unit. The endoscope portion preferably comprises: (i) a sensor disposed at a distal end of the endoscope portion and providing e... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6745065 | Endoscope apparatus An endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having a treatment tool passage channel in at least an insertion portion, an adaptor for endoscope forceps opening, which can be detachably attached to a treatment tool insertion opening which is at one end of the treatm... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6669629 | Endoscope system comprising an electrically bendable endoscope The endoscope system comprises a endoscope in which a bendable portion is motor bendable; an operation switch for giving an instruction as to a bending amount; a motor for bending the bendable portion in accordance with a bending instruction signal; a det... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6594517 | Method and apparatus for generating controlled torques on objects particularly objects inside a living body A method and apparatus for generating a controlled torque of a desired direction and magnitude in an object within a body, particularly in order to steer the object through the body, such as a catheter through a blood vessel in a living body, by producing... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6551237 | Centering mechanism for controlling the bending of an electrically bendable endoscope, and an endoscope system According to the centering mechanism of this invention for an electrically bendable endoscope, the control circuit, in response to an instruction for centering, computes residual bending angles in U/D and L/R directions based on the values obtained as a r... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6468203 | Steerable endoscope and improved method of insertion A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desire... | 10/22/2002 |
| 6203493 | Attachment with one or more sensors for precise position determination of endoscopes A locatable endoscope (14) attachment including an attachment (20) connectable to an insertion tube portion of an endoscope for determining the endoscope's (14) position; and one or more sensors (22), fixedly positioned with respect to the attachment (20)... | 03/20/2001 |
| 5957833 | Sensor device for spacial imaging of endoscopes A sensor device and system projects a three-dimensional image of the position of the colonoscope within the gut onto a video screen next to the optical image from the end of the colonoscope. The sensor device comprises a plurality of strain gages mounted ... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5728044 | Sensor device for spacial imaging of endoscopes A sensor device and system projects a three-dimensional image of the position of the colonoscope within the gut onto a video screen next to the optical image from the end of the colonoscope. The sensor device comprises a plurality of strain gages mounted ... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5492131 | Servo-catheter A catheter is guided by directional control inside a bodily passage by a servo-type system which includes a sensor to transmit position, orientation or velocity information to a microprocessor which is typically programmed with an error detection algorith... | 02/20/1996 |
| 5273025 | Apparatus for detecting insertion condition of endoscope An apparatus is provided for detecting an endoscopic inserting condition. The apparatus includes an irradiation arrangement for applying electromagnetic waves to the inside of an organism from outside the organism, an electromagnetic wave reception arrang... | 12/28/1993 |
