A system (1100) includes an ultrasound imaging probe (304) with an elongate shaft (312) including an outer perimeter housing (331), two ends (328, 330) and a long axis (320). The system further includes a channel (326) that extends along the direction of the long axis, is part of the outer perimeter housing, and is configured as a recess of the outer perimeter housing. The system further includes a handle (310) affixed to one of the ends of the elongate shaft. The system further includes a transducer array (322) disposed at another of the ends of the elongate shaft. The transducer array includes one or more transducer elements (324).

An attachment unit rotates in directions around a longitudinal axis with respect to an insertion main body when rotary drive force is transmitted from a drive force transmission unit provided to an insertion section, and allows propulsive force in one of directions parallel to the longitudinal axis to act on the insertion section by rotating in contact with a paries. The attachment unit includes a fin portion which is spirally extended along the longitudinal axis and whose dimension from the longitudinal axis to an outer peripheral end vary in accordance with how external force different from the propulsive force acts in the directions parallel to the longitudinal axis in a state that the attachment unit does not rotate with respect to the insertion main body.

An occlusion crossing device includes an outer shaft, an inner shaft, an optical fiber, and a handle attached to the inner shaft and the outer shaft. The inner shaft extends within the outer shaft. The inner shaft includes a drill tip at a distal end thereof. The optical fiber extends within the inner shaft substantially along a central axis of the inner shaft. The distal tip of the optical fiber is attached to the drill tip. The handle is configured to rotate the inner shaft and drill tip at speeds of greater than 500 rpm.

An insertion apparatus includes an insertion section, a motor that rotates a rotational housing, a drive control unit that supplies a driving current to the motor to control driving of the motor, a temperature detector provided in the rotational housing, that detects a temperature of the rotational housing, a temperature measurement unit that measures a temperature in a vicinity of the rotational housing based on a detection result obtained from the temperature detector, a heating element used for heating, and a heating control unit that controls the heating element to perform heating when a measurement result of the temperature measurement unit is lower than a predetermined temperature.

An endoscopic surgical instrument includes a main body assembly, and a cannula having a lumen and formed with a slot. An inner tube, which houses a spring-biased retractable cutting blade assembly having a cutting blade, is mounted on one end of the main body assembly and extends axially therefrom. The tube is receivable within the lumen of the cannula, and may be particularly oriented within the cannula lumen such that the cutting blade may be caused to project from both the tube and the cannula slot. The inner tube has a bore in which the distal end of an endoscope may be received. The instrument may be locked in one position to allow the endoscope to engage the blade assembly and cause the cutting blade to project from the cannula slot during a tissue cutting procedure, or may be locked in another position wherein the cutting blade remains retracted.

A catheter system comprises an elongate catheter body including a distal end, a cannulation lumen extending through the catheter body and terminating at the distal end of the catheter body, and a steering element extending through the catheter body for steering the distal end. The catheter system also comprises an imaging element secured to a distal end portion of the catheter body and configured to obtain optical images of an area located distally of the distal end of the catheter body. The catheter body includes a ridge extending axially along an outer surface of the distal end portion, wherein a width of the ridge measured about a circumference of the catheter body is less than a length of the ridge measured along the longitudinal axis, and the imaging element is radially aligned with the ridge with at least a portion of the imaging element disposed within the ridge.

An endoscope including: a retaining body; and a flexible printed circuit board providing an electrical connection between an electrical component arranged in a proximal end region of the endoscope and an internal electrical terminal provided in the proximal end region distanced along a longitudinal axis from the electrical component. The flexible printed circuit board includes: a first circuit board section extending in a longitudinal axial direction and guided at least partially in a cavity in the endoscope by the electrical terminal in the direction of the electrical component, and a second circuit board section arranged on the retaining body and guided along a lower side of the retaining body directed in a direction of an internal space in the endoscope and along an upper side of the retaining body directed in a direction of an outer sleeve of the endoscope towards the electrical component, and electrically contacts the electrical component.

An overtube device and an endoscope assembly are provided, the overtube device includes an overtube body having a proximal end and a distal end, the overtube body is provided with a bore which extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the overtube body, the bore is configured to allow a passing portion of the endoscope assembly to pass therethrough; a pulling lumen is formed in the overtube body, which extends from the distal end to the proximal end of the overtube body, the pulling lumen is configured to allow a pulling part to pass therethrough, and the distal end of the pulling part is fixed with the distal end of the overtube body.

Embodiments of the invention include a medical device for accessing a patient's body portion and used for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Embodiments of the invention may include a particular endoscopic positioning mechanism for placing an endoscope and an additional treatment device within desired body portions in order to assist in diagnosis and treatment of anatomical diseases and disorders. In particular, a medical device according to an embodiment of the invention may include an outer flexible tube and a positioning mechanism configured for rotating one portion of the flexible tube relative to another portion of the flexible tube.

An endoscope includes an endoscope shaft (3), which has a cylindrical shaft tube (4), and an endoscope head (2), which is arranged at a proximal end of the endoscope shaft (3). A distal end region (11) of the endoscope head (2), has a cylindrical interior (13) with a peripheral groove (15). The shaft tube (4) is inserted into the cylindrical interior (13) and folded into the peripheral groove (15). The groove (15) is not rotationally symmetrical. An endoscope head and a method for producing an endoscope are also provided.