The present specification is directed towards endoscopes, such as colonoscopes, that provide a broader field of view and allow extended access of surgical tools and also enable efficient packing of all necessary elements in the tip section, while maintaining their functionality. Also described are methods and systems for capturing and displaying still and video images using an endoscope corresponding to a left-side looking, a front-looking and a right-side looking viewing element of an endoscopic tip generated in a native aspect ratio.

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.

A circuit board design uses CMOS sensors for the tip section of a multi-viewing element endoscope. Side sensors and their optical assemblies are assembled to a common base board to save space. Individual base boards are separately constructed, inserted into grooves of a main base board, and are further connected to the main base board by means of flexibal circuit boards.

An endoscope includes: an insertion portion; a first observation portion configured to observe a first area including a front of the insertion portion; a second observation portion configured to observe a second area including a side of the insertion portion and be adjacent to the first area; a first illumination portion configured to irradiate the second area with first illumination light; and a second illumination portion configured to irradiate the second area with second illumination light, and the second illumination portion performs irradiation with the second illumination light of a light quantity equal to a light quantity for which the first illumination light in a range observed in the second observation portion and illumination light from an illumination portion configured to irradiate the first area with the illumination light are put together.

An elevator attachment attachable to and detachable from an endoscope including an inclined surface inclined relative to a longitudinal direction of an insertion part, an elevator recess having a first inner wall and a second inner wall that faces the first inner wall and being opened toward the inclined surface and a lever pivotally provided inside the elevator recess, and the elevator attachment comprises a holding body including an inclined surface plate covering a part of the inclined surface, a first plate raising from an edge of the inclined surface plate and located along the first inner wall and a second plate abutting against the second inner wall, and an elevator pivotally supported between the first plate and the second plate and including a lever connection part to be connected to the lever.

A light transmission optical member for endoscope includes an incident surface provided at a distal end portion of an insertion section, light being made incident on the incident surface as incident light from a proximal end side of the insertion section, and an emission surface for emitting the light as illumination light. The emission surface includes a diffusing section that diffuses the emitted light. The diffusing section includes a plurality of convex-shaped sections extending in a predetermined direction on the emission surface. Each of the convex-shaped sections includes a first slope section having a first angle with respect to the emission surface, and totally reflecting the incident light, and a second slope section having a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the emission surface, and transmitting and emitting reflected light totally reflected on the first slope section and the incident light.

Exemplary apparatus for coupling to a probe and providing information regarding at least one structure can be provided. For example, the apparatus can include an electronics arrangement which is configured to obtain the information and transmit the information wirelessly, and a structural connection configuration which is structured and configured to be attached to the probe. The electronics arrangement can include a detector arrangement which is configured to detect at least one return radiation from at least one portion of at least one sample based on the predetermined patterns, and provide the data for the portion(s) based on the return radiation(s). In addition, a computer arrangement can be provided which is configured to generate the information with includes image data for the portion(s) as a function of the data and prior knowledge of the predetermined patterns.

Disclosed herein are methods for identifying polyps or lesions in a colon. In some variations, computer-implemented methods for polyp detection may be used in conjunction with an endoscope system to analyze the images captured by the endoscopic system, identify any polyps and/or lesions in a visual scene captured by the endoscopic system, and provide an indication to the practitioner that a polyp and/or lesion has been detected.

An endoscope system includes: an insertion portion inserted into a subject; a first image acquisition section provided on the insertion portion and configured to acquire a first image from a first region of an object; a second image acquisition section provided on the insertion portion and configured to acquire a second image from a second region of the object including a region adjacent to the first region; and an image processing section configured to execute image processing by setting a first display region and a second display region adjacent to the first display region in a display section configured to display an image, disposing the first image in a first display region, disposing part of the second image in the first display region adjacent to the first image, and disposing remaining part of the second image in a second display region.

An endoscope system includes an insertion portion, an objective optical system provided on the insertion portion and configured to form an object image, an image pickup unit configured to pick up the object image, a bending portion configured to cause a distal end portion of the insertion portion to bend, an image processing portion configured to perform cutout processing on the image picked up by the image pickup unit, such that an area of field of view expands in a bending direction of the distal end of the insertion portion by the bending portion, and an exposure control portion configured to perform exposure control based on a brightness of the cutout image.