An imaging needle apparatus includes a body, a needle coupled to the body, a probe, and an imager. The needle includes a needle body and a sharp tip. The probe can be exposed from the needle or housed within the needle body according to an operation being performed with the image needle apparatus. The imager is disposed inside of the probe, and includes a plurality of photocells.

The invention relates to an endoscopic device to be inserted into a body cavity. The endoscopic device includes an elastographic recording means, an inflatable body, and a device for rhythmically changing the volume of the inflatable body.

A surgical tool with a bendable shaft. At least one inelastic cable and at least one elastic cable (288) extend along the shaft. The shaft moves relative to the body to which the shaft is attached. When the shaft is so displaced, the shat bends around the inelastic cable. The inelastic and elastic cables cooperate to hold the bendable section of the shaft in compression so the bendable section of the shaft resists deformation.

A flexible tube includes a helical tube having a first sparsely wound region, a closely wound region, a change region, and a second sparsely wound region. In a state where the change region is arranged between the closely wound region and the second sparsely wound region, the change region changes an unbendability such that the unbendability of the distal end portion of the third flexible portion is closer to the unbendability of the second flexible portion and the unbendability of the proximal end portion of the third flexible portion is closer to the unbendability of the fourth flexible portion.

A reinforced arthroscope comprising external ribs to provide for a number of separate fluid channels, such as inflow, outflow and interstitial tissue drainage, when the arthroscope is slipped into a disposable external sheath. The external sheath includes projections that fit closely on either side of one or more of the external ribs to lock the sheath in place circumferentially relative to the arthroscope. The arthroscope is constructed to be sufficiently rigid so as to penetrate and move within a joint without damaging the rod optics inside. The externality of the arthroscope channels allow for cleaning and sterilizing the scope between uses.

An access sheath is provided. The access sheath comprises: an outer sheath extending in one direction and having a cavity formed along a longitudinal axis of the outer sheath; and an inner sheath arranged in the cavity of the outer sheath, and having a plurality of balloons configured to expand, wherein the outer sheath includes: an outer body formed of a first material; and an elastic connection part formed of a second material which is more flexible than the first material of the outer body, and wherein a diameter of the outer sheath increases by the elastic connection part which expands according to an expansion of the balloons.

An endoscopic instrument, in particular an endoscope, with a jointed portion of a shaft for connecting a distal part of the shaft with a proximal part of the shaft in a way to be angulated. For this purpose, the distal shaft part is connected with the proximal shaft part by two rigid jointed bars of different lengths, wherein each of the rigid jointed bars attaches with a joint on the distal shaft part and a joint on the proximal shaft part.

There is provided an endoscope system which can secure appropriate bending stiffness of an insertion portion while maintaining the slide length of an endoscope insertion portion. According to one aspect of one of the present invention, in an endoscope system including an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool in which the endoscope is inserted and which assists the insertion of an endoscope insertion portion into a body, a flexible portion of the endoscope insertion portion includes a projection region which projects from the distal end opening of a tube body when the endoscope insertion portion is located in the distal end position in a movable range with respect to the tube body of the insertion assisting tool, and the projection region includes a bending stiffness change portion in which bending stiffness increases from a first position on the distal end side to a second position on the proximal end side.

A insertion apparatus includes a flexible tube, a detection section that detects state information of the tube, a calculation section that calculates, based on the state information, shape information of the tube, and an input section that inputs characteristic information of the tube. The apparatus also includes a calculation section that calculates, based on the characteristic information, an operation state of a distal end of the tube, an calculation section that calculates an insertion state of the tube at a specific point closer to a proximal end than the distal end, based on the shape information, characteristic information, and operation state, and a measurement section that measures an actual operation state of the tube at the specific point.

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.