A catheter and method for managing fluid in a patient, the catheter having an elongated shaft with a distal end and a proximal end. The shaft defines at least one lumen extending substantially therethrough, the shaft further defining a plurality of drainage holes along a distal portion of the shaft, with the drainage holes in fluid communication with the lumen. The catheter further has a substantially transparent tip portion attached to the distal end of the shaft with an outer distal leading surface that is substantially rounded to assist insertion through tissue.

An endoscope having an insertion portion to be inserted into an object to be observed, includes: a substantially tubular holder member mounted to the insertion portion and having an open front end portion including a shoulder surface surrounded by an axial wall; a lens barrel holding an objective lens system and received in the holder member; and a light-transmissive closure member fitted into a front opening defined by the axial wall, and fixed to the front opening by a bonding agent interposed between an outer circumferential surface of the closure member and an opposing inner circumferential surface of the open front end portion of the holder member, wherein a space axially adjoining the shoulder surface is defined between an outer circumferential surface of a front end portion of the lens barrel and an opposing inner circumferential surface of the holder member.

An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes an endoscope which utilizes a single coherent fiber bundle for simultaneously carrying imaging and illumination light.

Systems and methods that can improve the safety and efficacy of chest tube thoracostomy are described. For example, this document provides systems and methods that facilitate direct visual confirmation of the proper placement of a chest tube within the thoracic space.

Endoscopes having a tip section with viewing elements coupled to a CMOS image sensor and/or a CCD image sensor for transforming light captured by the viewing element into digital and/or analog signals are described. A main connector is coupled with the tip section for transmitting the signals to a main control unit of the endoscope. The main connector includes a pad for transmitting digital signals provided by the CMOS image sensor to a push pin probe in a receptacle of the main control unit. The main connector also include another interface for transmitting analog signals to the main control unit.

Provided is an optical fiber scanner capable of generating an image with excellent image quality, which displaces an emission end of an optical fiber by means of an optical scanning actuator and scans light emitted from the optical fiber, in which the optical fiber 31 includes a photonic crystal fiber at least in a propagation path of the light leading to the optical scanning actuator.

There is provided a camera head for endoscope which enables to achieve a favorable fluorescent image in any wavelength band when the observation is switched over from a normal white-light image observation to an observation of fluorescent images of different wavelength bands.

The camera head for endoscope includes a camera-head optical system which includes a spectral prism having a dichroic film which splits light from the endoscope into white light and fluorescent light, and a first image pickup element and a second image pickup element which are disposed in respective optical paths split into two by the spectral prism, and the first image pickup element is for the white-light image observation in which a white-light image is captured, and the second image pickup element is for a fluorescent-image observation in which two fluorescent images of different wavelengths are captured, and the first image pickup element is disposed at a position at which an image is formed in an optical path for the white-light image observation, and the second image pickup element is disposed at a position between two positions at which the two fluorescent images are formed in an optical path for the fluorescent-mage observation, and the camera head for endoscope satisfies the following conditional expression (1).

d≦9×P×Fno  (1)

Imaging, testing and/or analysis of subjects are facilitated with a capillary-access approach. According to an example embodiment, a capillary is implanted into a specimen and adapted to accept an optical probe to facilitate optical access into the specimen. In some applications, the capillary is implanted for use over time, with one or more different probes being inserted into the capillary at different times, while the capillary is implanted. Certain applications involve capillary implantation over weeks, months or longer. Other applications are directed to the passage of fluid to and/or from a sample via the capillary. Still other applications are directed to the passage of electrical information between the sample and an external arrangement, via an implanted capillary.

A device for robot-assisted surgery with at least one coupling unit (100) of a manipulator arm (16) comprising a first transmitting means (102). A sterile cover (38) comprising a sterile lock (200) serves to shield the manipulator arm (16) from a sterile area (39). The sterile lock (200) is connectable both to the coupling unit (100) and to the sterile unit (400). The sterile lock (200) has at least one lock flap (208, 210) which in a closed state shields the first transmitting means (102) in a sterile manner. The sterile unit (400) comprising a second transmitting means (406) has sterile flaps (402, 404) which in a closed state shield the second transmitting means (406) in a sterile manner. When connecting the sterile unit (400) to the sterile lock (200) the lock flap (208, 210) and the sterile flap (402, 404) are opened so that a direct transmission between the first transmitting means (102) and the second transmitting means (406) is possible. When separating the sterile unit (400) from the sterile lock (200) the lock flaps (208, 210) and the sterile flap (402, 404) are each automatically closed and locked so that they shield the first transmitting means (102) and the second transmitting means (406) from the sterile area (39). Further, the invention relates to a sterile lock (200) and a method for robot-assisted surgery.

Devices and methods of identifying and treating bodily passages, such as sinus cavities, are provided. More particularly, irrigation devices and methods useful in the identification and treatment of bodily passages, such as sinus cavities, are provided. The irrigation devices comprise an elongate tubular member and an optical fiber which assist with the transcutaneous identification and/or treatment of a bodily passage.