An endoscope including: a flexible sheath extending in a longitudinal direction; a rigid body portion connected to an end portion of the flexible sheath; a ferrule provided in the rigid body portion and having a connection portion; and a tube inserted into the flexible sheath and including an end portion connected to the ferrule. The tube includes: an inner resin layer having a solid structure and that extends along an entire length of the tube in the longitudinal direction; and an outer layer provided on the inner layer and including a first portion that covers at least part of an outer periphery of the connection portion and has a porous structure, and a second portion having a solid structure and that is located on a side of the first portion that is away from the end portion of the tube.

A flexible tube includes a first outer layer covering an outer side of a closely-wound region; a second outer layer forming a second flexible portion which is more difficult to bend than the first flexible portion; a third outer layer covering an outer side of the sparsely-wound region, and forming a third flexible portion which is as difficult to bend as the second flexible portion, or more difficult to bend than the second flexible portion; and a fourth outer layer arranged consecutively between the second and third outer layers to cover the outer side of a boundary position of the closely-wound region and the sparsely-wound region, and reducing a difference in bending difficulty/bending easiness at the boundary position.

A flexible tube insertion apparatus includes a tubular insertion section, a variable stiffness section that causes change of bending stiffness of the insertion section, in regard to continuous segments defined in an axial direction of the insertion section, on a segment-by-segment basis, and a stiffness connecting portion. The stiffness connecting portion is arranged across at least a pair of adjacent segments of the segments. The stiffness connecting portion causes change of bending stiffness of a portion between the pair of segments in such a manner that the bending stiffness of the portion between the pair of segments is continuous with bending stiffness of the pair of segments, in accordance with change of the bending stiffness of the portion between the pair of segments by the variable stiffness section.

An endoscope with an instrument housing and with a shaft that is mounted on the distal end of the instrument housing and consists of an outer tube and an inner tube that is mounted at least partly in the outer tube, so that the outer tube and the inner tube are mounted on the instrument housing so that they can move with respect to one another in the axial direction of the shaft. To provide an endoscope that ensures a constantly fluid-tight relative motion of the two shaft tubes with respect to one another, it is proposed with the invention that the outer tube and inner tube should be mounted on the instrument housing so that they are mobile with respect to one another in the axial direction of the shaft by means of at least one flexible membrane.

An endolumenal robotic system provides the surgeon with the ability to drive a robotically-driven endoscopic device to a desired anatomical position in a patient without the need for awkward motions and positions, while also enjoying improved image quality from a digital camera mounted on the endoscopic device.

Systems, methods, and devices for facilitating insertion of an endotracheal tube and/or for verifying the position of the endotracheal tube within an airway of a patient with respect to an anatomical landmark of a patient are disclosed. Systems, methods, and devices for facilitating removal of debris from the distal airways of a patient under direct visualization are also disclosed.

Provided is a system for advancing an article along a path. The system may include a head member, a dispatching member, and an eversion sleeve. Also provided is a method for assembling a system for advancing an article along a path.

An endoscopic instrument includes a heat-generating component that is thermally coupled to a heat sink via a movable contact structure. The movable contact structure accommodates the relative motion between the thermal conduit and heat sink to maintain the thermal coupling between those elements, and prevent damage to such thermal coupling when the instrument is exposed to elevated temperatures, such as during autoclaving.

One embodiment provides a portable endoscope. The portable endoscope includes a case configured to enclose at least electrical components of the portable endoscope. The electrical components include a camera configured to capture video content within a body of a patient. The components include one or more lights at least partially encompassing the camera. The one or more lights are adapted to illuminate internal portions of the body of the patient. The components include a transceiver in electrical communication with the camera. The transceiver is configured to receive the video content from the camera and wirelessly transmit the video content to a computing or communications device. The components include a battery configured to provide electrical energy to the camera, the one or more lights, and the transceiver. Each of the electrical components are interchangeable within the case.

An optical medical instrument, in particular an endoscope or exoscope, has an elongate tubular shaft, a heat source generating lost heat, and a heat pipe which extends inside the shaft, in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and has a distal heat pipe end and a proximal heat pipe end, wherein the heat pipe is thermally coupled to the heat source in order to collect heat from the latter and remove the heat from the heat source. Between the distal heat pipe end and the proximal heat pipe end, the heat pipe is coupled thermally conductively and two-dimensionally to the shaft over at least a partial length of the heat pipe and over at least a partial circumference of the heat pipe, in order to remove heat from the heat pipe, over at least a partial length and over at least a partial circumference of the shaft, to the environment.