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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8172748 | Electric bending endoscope An electric bending endoscope includes an elongate insertion portion provided with a bending portion, a drive unit, and an operation unit, wherein the drive unit and the operation unit respectively include a drive unit side electric contact portion and an operation ... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8066633 | Electric bending endoscope device An electric bending endoscope device includes an endoscope with a driving unit, a control unit and an operation portion with a bending instruction portion. The operation portion includes a correction algorithm calculating portion in which the output range of instruc... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8038605 | Bending control device At a distal end side of an insertion portion of an endoscope, an image pickup portion for capturing an image and a bending portion capable of being bent are provided, and a bending instruction operation portion executes a bending instruction operation for the bendin... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7938773 | Electrically-operated curving control device At startup, a main CPU renders and copies various types of unique parameters stored in an SRAM card corresponding to an ID unique to endoscopes to DPRAM and SDRAM and enables the endoscopes to be used with these parameters. Also in the event of desiring to change th... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7918790 | Electric bending endoscope An electric bending endoscope includes a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a motor as a state value indicating the driving state of a bending drive unit. A bending control device comprises: a temperature detection unit that receives the data of the ... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7918789 | Longitudinally-steerable structure and endoscope comprising said structure The invention relates to a longitudinally-steerable structure, comprising essentially longitudinal actuators made from shape memory alloy, Peltier effect elements with N and P doping and electrical control device. The above is characterized in that the actuators are... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7789827 | Variable shaft flexibility in endoscope A flexible endoscope providing increased control to an operator or user, the flexible endoscope utilizing an ionic polymeric material positioned in the shaft of the endoscope, such that, upon application of an electrical current to the ionic polymeric material, the ... | 09/07/2010 |
| 7578787 | Catheter device Catheter device, comprising a catheter (2) for introduction into a hollow organ, especially a vessel, with a number of bending elements (12, 12a-12f, 12a′-12e′) arranged around the longitudinal axis ... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7365768 | Endoscope apparatus and function adjusting circuit for endoscope An endoscope includes an insert section, a CCD is mounted at the end of the insert section, and a CCU for producing a video signal is arranged in a control unit connected to a proximal end of the insert unit. The CCU includes a general-purpose DSP board having the f... | 04/29/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7338509 | Electroactive polymer actuated sheath for implantable or insertable medical device A medical device delivery sheath, which comprises an active member that volumetrically expands and contracts upon application of an appropriate electrical potential. The active member further comprises an electroactive polymer, for example, polypyrrole. Also describ... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7285088 | Endoscope apparatus An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope in which a bending section is provided in its elongated insertion section; control wires stretching out of the bending section; a drive unit, which is attached to and removed from the endoscope; a pulling apparatus, whi... | 10/23/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7264588 | Endoscopic inspection using a flexible sleeve An endoscopic apparatus including an internal unit, adapted to be advanced into a gastrointestinal tract of a patient so as to enable inspection of the tract, an anchor unit, adapted to be held in a position outside the gastrointestinal tract and a flexible sleeve, ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7259503 | Electroactive polymers The present invention relates to transducers, their use and fabrication. The transducers convert between mechanical and electrical energy. Some transducers of the present invention include a pre-strained polymer. The pre-strain improves the conversion between electr... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7172552 | Catheter introducer system for exploration of body cavities A self propelling catheter introducer system for exploring a body cavity is disclosed which includes a flexible tubular catheter, an everting tube and a steering section located near the distal end of the catheter that is introduced in a body cavity. The steering se... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7147647 | Sintered titanium tube for the management of spinal cord injury A device and method for the treatment of damaged nerves and, more particularly, a tubular membrane having a microtextured surface for the treatment of central or peripheral nerve injuries. The microtextured surface of the tubular membrane inhibits the growth of fibr... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7134993 | Method and apparatus for improving the operation of a remote viewing device by changing the calibration settings of its articulation servos The present invention features a remote viewing device that is capable of improving its operation by removing slack in its control cables and/or by increasing the range of motion of its viewing head. In one embodiment, the method for improving the operation involves... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7104953 | Endoscope system In this invention, a drum around which an insertion portion is wound is integrally housed in a carrying case, and a cylinder for supplying a fluid to a hydropneumatic actuator and a solenoid valve unit for controlling the application of a hydropneumatic pressure are... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7101362 | Steerable and shapable catheter employing fluid force A catheter employing fluid force to steer and/or shape the catheter. In one particular implementation, the catheter includes at least one actuating lumen operably associated with the shaft of the catheter. The at least one actuating lumen is in fluid communication w... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7090637 | Articulating mechanism for remote manipulation of a surgical or diagnostic tool The invention provides an articulating mechanism useful, for example, for remote manipulation of various surgical instruments and diagnostic tools within, or to, regions of the body. Movement of segments at the proximal end of the mechanism results in a correspondin... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7074182 | Videoendoscope A videoendoscope comprising an inspection probe comprising an inspection tube and a distal endpiece secured to one end of the inspection tube and housing an imaging device; a video processor for processing the electrical signal delivered by the imaging device and fo... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7066880 | Catheter introducer system for exploration of body cavities A catheter introducer system for endoscopy is disclosed which includes a steering section and a propulsion section located near the end of the catheter that is introduced in body cavity, and a non-collapsible sheath defining a working channel, disposed inside the ca... | 06/27/2006 |
| 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 |
| 7056283 | Double sleeve endoscope Endoscopic apparatus, including a probe (9) having an anterior component (12) and a posterior component (14), and a flexible dual-sleeved tube (31). The flexible dual-sleeved tube consists of a flexible external sleeve (26) and a f... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7041053 | Endoscope provided with a section for bending the endoscope An endoscope is provided with a centering control section and a centering button. The centering control section is configured to control a bending mechanism in such a manner as to return a bendable portion to a neutral position where the bendable portion is substant... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7008376 | Electric bending endoscope An electric bending endoscope includes a bending portion arranged to an inserting portion and a bending driving unit which bends the bending portion. In the electric bending endoscope, the bending driving unit includes a motor which generates driving force for bendi... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6992694 | Electronic endoscope apparatus adaptable to endoscopes equipped with imaging device with different pixel density An electronic endoscope apparatus including: a first endoscope having a first imaging device; and a second endoscope having a second imaging device with a different pixel density and a second drive pulse generation circuit, wherein a processor unit, which connects t... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6988988 | Endoscopic inspection using a flexible sleeve An endoscopic apparatus including an internal unit, adapted to be advanced into a gastrointestinal tract of a patient so as to enable inspection of the tract, an anchor unit, adapted to be held in a position outside the gastrointestinal tract and a flexible sleeve, ... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6951537 | Endoscope of which the bending part is operated by fluid supply or exhaustion An endoscope whose bending section is moved with supply or discharge of fluid comprises: a fluid-pressure actuator that is included as a bending section in an insertion unit and has fluid chambers associated with a plurality of bending directions; and fluid supply t... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6932761 | Electrically-bent endoscope An electrically-bent endoscope includes a bend driving portion for bending a bending portion. The bend driving portion has a motor for generating driving force, a gear train for transmitting driving force generated in the motor, a sprocket for converting driving for... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6899674 | Endoscope shaft comprising a movable end portion The present invention relates to an endoscope shaft comprising a movable distal end portion which is bendable by means of an operating device, the distal end portion having at least one decentralized hose member extending along the distal end portion, said hose memb... | 05/31/2005 |
| 6875170 | Positioning, exploration, and/or intervention device, in particular in the field of endoscopy and/or mini-invasive surgery The positioning, intervention, and/or exploration device has two endpieces (6a-6d, 7) and at least one cable (20) extending from one endpiece to the other (6a-6d, 7), it has at least two be... | 04/05/2005 |
| 6802809 | Endoscope A cylindrical proximal unit is disposed at the proximal end of an elongated insertion unit that has a CCD incorporated in a distal part thereof and that has a bending section. A light source unit, a circuit for producing a CCD driving signal in response to a signal ... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6793622 | Electric bending endoscope An electric bending endoscope having a traction-member operating device according to the present invention has traction members each of whose one end portion is fixed to and extends from a distal end portion of a long and narrow inserting portion, a pulley forming m... | 09/21/2004 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 6595914 | Electric bending endoscope device operating during power failures The electric bending endoscope device according to the present invention comprises: an endoscope having a bending portion; a bending control mechanism for electrically driving the bending portion of the endoscope; a power source voltage monitoring portion... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6585641 | Transesophageal probe with variable stiffness A transesophageal probe with variable stiffness has a probe head connected to a distal end of an endoscope. A flexible tube is secured to the endoscope. Finally, a semi-rigid rod is slidably disposed within the flexible tube. Advancing or retracting the s... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6547723 | Fully-swallowable endoscopic system A fully-swallowable endoscopic system includes a rod-shaped endoscope body which can be swallowed entirely by a patient to be examined so as to be placed in a body cavity, the rod-shaped endoscope body including at least one bendable portion which is bend... | 04/15/2003 |
