Endoscopes and methods of their use, where the endoscopes provide a low profile or cross-section which facilitates introduction through small body passages, such as patient's cervix, and into body cavities, such a patient's uterus.

An endoscope system includes an endoscope and a cleaning adapter or connector. The endoscope has a port device or end sleeve, to which the cleaning adapter is coupled. The cleaning adapter includes a connector housing and a coupling sleeve, which has a male tapered portion. The connector housing includes a female thread (fastening device) and a guide surface. The port device includes a flange and a male thread. The guide surface guides the port device by contacting the flange. Thus, a male tapered surface or tapered sealing surface is axially aligned with a female tapered surface or tapered bore surface. The male tapered surface tightly contacts the female tapered surface by threaded engagement between the male and female threads. Accordingly, air-tightness or liquid-tightness can be ensured even in use of a plurality of connectors couplable selectively for connecting a related apparatus.

A variable-stiffness actuator system includes a shape-memory member in which a stiffness increases by being heated and decreases by radiating heat, a heating member configured to generate heat, a channel arranged along the longitudinal axis of the shape-memory member, a transfer section configured to selectively supply and stop first and second heat transmission fluids into the channel, and a controller configured to control the transfer section. The controller causes the transfer section to supply the first heat transmission fluid and then supply the second heat transmission fluid into the channel, and further to stop the supply of the second heat transmission fluid so that retention of the first and second heat transmission fluids simultaneously occurs in the channel.

An endoscope includes an insertion portion; an operation portion; a balloon water injection channel; a first opening portion; a balloon pipe sleeve provided with a first end portion and a second end portion; a branch channel connection unit; a rotation restriction portion; and a connecting tube on which the branch channel connection unit is assembled.

A resectoscope for endoscopic surgery, having a tubular shaft which includes an elongated sheath tube, and an irrigation tube arranged in the sheath tube for supplying irrigation fluid, as well as a rod-shaped lens and an electrode instrument, characterized in that the lens and the electrode instrument are arranged between the outer wall of the irrigation tube and the inner wall of the sheath tube. In addition, an electrosurgical system including the resectoscope and an irrigation fluid supply device.

An endoscope valve includes: a piston portion; and an attachment member including a surface forming a hollow space extending in a central axis direction. The piston portion includes: protrusions protruding in a direction perpendicular to the central axis and abutting a surface forming the hollow space of the attachment member; and a seal portion formed in a hollow disk shape with the central axis of the piston portion as a symmetry axis and configured to seal a portion between the attachment member and the seal portion. In the protrusions, when a length of the protrusion in a protrusion direction is indicated by d.sub.A, a length of the protrusion in the central axis direction is indicated by d.sub.B, and a shrinkage amount of the protrusion when the protrusion comes into pressure-contact with a pressure-contact object is indicated by d.sub.C, relationships of d.sub.B≤d.sub.A and d.sub.C<d.sub.A are satisfied.

An endoscope achieves favorable advancing and retracting motion without causing disturbance in displacement of built-in components in bending of a bending tube by covering, out of an image pickup cable and a conduit that are cross-symmetrical built-in components disposed to intersect with each other in a radial direction of the bending tube, an outer circumference of the conduit with a second heat-shrinkable tube serving as a protective member, and removing the second heat-shrinkable tube from a partial region that includes a region (an intersection region) where the image pickup cable and the conduit intersect with each other, even when the built-in components in the bending tube are intersected with each other.

A hybrid apparatus for delivery of fluid in connection with endoscopic irrigation and lens cleaning including a connector which is adaptable to a flexible or rigid container, a connector arranged at the end thereof and connected via a tubing supply to a fluid, air and or gas source and to an endoscope during a procedure.

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.

The present invention relates to a disposal endoscope cannula, and more particularly, to a disposable endoscope cannula which can prevent infection caused by reuse by manufacturing a disposable cannula required for an endoscope for a joint, and provides a disposable endoscope cannula constituted by an intubation part formed in a predetermined length and inserted into a human body; a binding part connected in the rear of the intubation part and fastened to a trocar part or a scope part to be detachable; a fluid flow-in and out part mounted on an outer peripheral surface at a front side of the binding part in order to input or discharge a fluid through the insertion part; and the trocar part fastened to the binding part and inserted through the intubation part.