An endoscope system sets a hardness variation of a thick flexible tube portion and a hardness variation of a thin flexible tube portion such that their respective ratios against base hardness are constant, and as each flexible tube portion becomes thicker, the hardness variation increases and an endoscope with a relatively thin flexible tube portion has a smaller hardness variation. This makes it possible to avoid situations like an endoscope with a thick flexible tube portion lacking hardness or an endoscope with a thin flexible tube portion becoming too hard, and makes it possible to perform optimum insertion operation in accordance with the thickness of a flexible tube.

Scopes such as medical imaging camera head devices and methods are provided using light captured by an endoscope system or other medical scope or borescope. At least one polarizing optical element manipulates the polarization properties of image light. The manipulated image light is focused on an image sensor including polarizers for each pixel. Multiple images are produced based sets of pixels having the same orientation of polarizer. The resulting images are combined with high dynamic range techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, ultra-MIS techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, ultra-MIS techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, ultra-MIS techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, ultra-MIS techniques.

An endoscope stereo imaging device includes an endoscope lens assembly and an imaging module. The imaging module includes first, second and third lens assemblies, a beam splitter, first and second image sensors and a micro lens array. A light beam from the endoscope lens assembly is transmitted to the beam splitter after passing through the first lens assembly and is split into first and second portions of the light beam. The first portion light beam is transmitted to the first image sensor via the second lens assembly and forms a two-dimensional image. The second portion light beam is transmitted to the second image sensor via the third lens assembly and the micro lens array sequentially and forms a first three-dimensional image.

A medical imaging device in accordance with the present application includes a color separation prism, a fluorescence image sensor, a visible light image sensor, and a bandpass filter. The color separation prism splits light into first light belonging to a visible light wavelength band and second light belonging to a fluorescence wavelength band. The fluorescence image sensor is provided at an output side of the color separation prism and is configured to image at least part of the second light belonging to the fluorescence wavelength band separated by the dichroic film. The visible light image sensor is provided at the output side of the color separation prism and is configured to image at least part of the first light belonging to the visible light wavelength band separated by the dichroic film. The bandpass filter is disposed between the color separation prism and the fluorescence image sensor.

A medical imaging device in accordance with the present application includes a color separation prism, a fluorescence image sensor, a visible light image sensor, and a bandpass filter. The color separation prism splits light into first light belonging to a visible light wavelength band and second light belonging to a fluorescence wavelength band. The fluorescence image sensor is provided at an output side of the color separation prism and is configured to image at least part of the second light belonging to the fluorescence wavelength band separated by the dichroic film. The visible light image sensor is provided at the output side of the color separation prism and is configured to image at least part of the first light belonging to the visible light wavelength band separated by the dichroic film. The bandpass filter is disposed between the color separation prism and the fluorescence image sensor.

A video processor includes: a region extracting circuit that receives an input of a first image signal obtained by forming an image of a subject irradiated with first narrow band light including a wavelength that is minimally absorbed by blood within a green wavelength band, the image of the subject including a bleeding point, and extract a blood pool region having a blood concentration that is lower than a blood concentration of the bleeding point in a region representing the blood in the first image signal; and an image generating circuit that raises a luminance value of the blood pool region in either the first image signal or a second image signal obtained by forming an image of the subject irradiated with second narrow band light whose wavelength is shorter and which is more absorbed by the blood than the first narrow band light.