A rigid endoscope for prostate biopsy includes: an insertion portion including a distal end portion including an ultrasound transmission and reception portion, and a bent portion bent at a predetermined curvature; a treatment instrument insertion channel that passes through inside the bent portion and includes a first opening portion provided on a distal end side and a second opening portion provided on a proximal end side; a shaft-shaped portion installed to extend in a proximal end direction of the bent portion along a straight line passing through an inflection portion provided between the distal end portion and the bent portion; and a grasping portion that includes the shaft-shaped portion.

A linear member delivery device for the endoscope includes: a nozzle including an inlet, an outlet, and an insertion path; a fitting portion fitted to an endoscope; a holding portion configured to hold a linear member; and a switching portion configured to connect the fitting portion and the nozzle such that a crossing angle of an opening of the endoscope and a center axis of the nozzle can be switched to a plurality of angles in a state that the fitting portion is fitted to the endoscope.

Biological navigation devices and methods are disclosed. The devices can be used as or to support colonoscopies or endoscopes. The devices can have longitudinally extensible cells that can be selectively inflated. The devices can have articulable links. The devices can be removably attached to elongated elements, such as colonoscopes or other endoscopes.

An endoscope includes a handle connected to a flexible, steerable, kink-resistant insertion tube. An endoscope insertion tube may include a shaft, a lower durometer section proximate to a distal end of the shaft, and a higher durometer section positioned between the lower durometer section and a medium durometer section. The endoscope insertion tube may further include a fourth thermoplastic laminate section proximate to a proximal end of the shaft and having a higher durometer. A method of making an endoscope insertion tube may include inserting a mandrel with one, two, or more lateral slots and a liner into a shaft, wherein the liner is positioned between the mandrel and the shaft, bonding a bonded portion of the liner to an inner surface of the shaft, separating other portion(s) of the liner from the shaft, and inserting a first deflection wire in a gap between the shaft and the unbonded portion(s) of the liner.

Several embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to medical visualization systems that comprise combinations of disposable and resuable components, such as catheters, functional handles, hubs, optical devices, etc. Other embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to features and aspects of an in-vivo visualization system that comprises an endoscope having a working channel through which a catheter having viewing capabilities is routed. the catheter may obtain viewing capabilities by being constructed as a vision catheter or by having a fiberscope or other viewing device selectively routed through one of its channels. The catheter is preferably of the steerable type so that the distal end of the catheter may be steered from its proximal end as it is advanced with the body. A suitable use for the in-vivo visualization system includes but is not limited to diagnosis and/or treatment of the duodenum, and particularly the biliary tree.

A monitoring system includes an endoscope shape detection apparatus configured to detect a shape of an insertion section of an endoscope and a movement detection apparatus configured to detect a movement of a hand that operates the endoscope.

A high-frequency treatment instrument including: a sheath formed of a flexible material; an electrode member disposed inside the sheath; a distal-end member having a through-hole through which the electrode member passes; and a liquid supply means supplying liquid towards the front side via a flow path in the sheath, wherein the electrode member includes a rod-shaped electrode portion movably passing through the through-hole, and a large-diameter portion provided at the distal end thereof to have an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the through-hole, the large-diameter portion includes an electrode hole passing therethrough, between the distal-end member and the large-diameter portion, there is provided a buffer member that seals the periphery of a space between the distal-end member and the large-diameter portion.

An endoscope including an insertion portion which is provided with a channel to insert a treatment instrument therethrough, an operation portion which is operated the insertion portion, and an operation lever which holds and moves the treatment instrument to transmit force of the operation to the treatment instrument; and an assistant instrument which assists the movement of the treatment instrument, the assistant instrument comprising a flexible tube in which the insertion path is formed to insert the treatment instrument, a coupling portion which is formed so that the channel is coupled to the insertion path, and a holding portion which is attached to the vicinity of the other end of the flexible tube and which holds the operation portion so that the other end of the flexible tube faces toward the side where the operation lever is disposed.

There is provided an endoscope system which can secure appropriate bending stiffness of an insertion portion while maintaining the slide length of an endoscope insertion portion. According to one aspect of one of the present invention, in an endoscope system including an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool in which the endoscope is inserted and which assists the insertion of an endoscope insertion portion into a body, a flexible portion of the endoscope insertion portion includes a projection region which projects from the distal end opening of a tube body when the endoscope insertion portion is located in the distal end position in a movable range with respect to the tube body of the insertion assisting tool, and the projection region includes a bending stiffness change portion in which bending stiffness increases from a first position on the distal end side to a second position on the proximal end side.

A insertion apparatus includes a flexible tube, a detection section that detects state information of the tube, a calculation section that calculates, based on the state information, shape information of the tube, and an input section that inputs characteristic information of the tube. The apparatus also includes a calculation section that calculates, based on the characteristic information, an operation state of a distal end of the tube, an calculation section that calculates an insertion state of the tube at a specific point closer to a proximal end than the distal end, based on the shape information, characteristic information, and operation state, and a measurement section that measures an actual operation state of the tube at the specific point.