The invention relates to an endoscope control device including a control body holder, a joystick-like control element for effecting a deflection movement, and at least one control wire guided through the control body holder and transmitting the deflection movement of the control element to an element to be controlled in the endoscope. The control element extends from the control body holder in a proximal direction. The at least one control wire is fixed to the control element in a manner spaced from the control body holder. The control element includes an elastic rod element which is bendable upon actuation of the control element so as to effect a deflection movement.

A control unit that includes a braking system for fixing the position of an endoscope tip is provided. The control system includes an up-down control knob and a right-left control knob. The brakes are engaged by rotating the control knob itself counter-clockwise from a free wheeling position. After the brakes have been engaged, a sufficient amount of force applied to the control knobs will move the endoscope tip slightly in the corresponding direction, allowing for fine tuning of tip position after braking.

An instrument insertion assisting tool includes a wire attaching member, a guide piece, and a first engaging member. The wire attaching member is configured to be attached to a manipulator of an endoscope at a position adjacent to a forceps plug and offset from a seal hole of the forceps plug. The forceps plug is attached to a forceps port of the manipulator and has the seal hole through which a wire is inserted. The guide piece projects from the wire attaching member. The guide piece is configured to direct the wire so that a first portion of the wire is directed along a central axis of the seal hole. The first engaging member projects from the wire attaching member. The first engaging member is configured to direct the wire so that a second portion of the wire is directed along the wire attaching member.

A medical instrument can have an elongated shaft, at least three bending stiffness zones arranged along a length of the elongated shaft, and at least two transition zones that have a variable bending stiffness extending over a length thereof. Each bending stiffness zone can have a bending stiffness that extends over a length of the bending stiffness zone. The variable bending stiffness of each transition zone can vary from a first bending stiffness on a first side of the transition zone to a second bending stiffness on a second side of the transition zone.

The present invention relates to an elongate, flexible, medical device comprising: an elongate, flexible inner member; a support member extending around the inner member; a plurality of electrically-conductive wires, each being braided with the support member; an outer member; and at least one ionic electroactive polymer actuator, the actuator comprising: at least one polymer electrolyte layer secured adjacent to the distal end of the inner member; and a plurality of electrodes circumferentially distributed about the exterior surface of the at least one polymer electrolyte layer, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrically-conductive wires, adjacent to the distal end thereof, is electrically connected to one of the electrodes, and the at least one polymer electrolyte layer is configured to deform asymmetrically in response to the application of an electrical signal through at least one of the plurality of electrically-conductive wires to at least one of the plurality of electrodes.

The present invention relates to an instrument for inspecting a cavity or a tract of a human body in a visual or photographing mode, in particular to an insertion part of an electronic endoscope and the electronic endoscope. A plurality of connection portion rack guide rollers in the insertion part are arrayed in the fore-aft direction of a connection portion shell, and connection portion racks are slidably supported on the plurality of connection portion rack guide rollers and used for being detachably connected with operation part racks. The electronic endoscope comprises an operation part and the insertion part which are detachably connected, a plurality of operation part rack guide rollers in the operation part are arrayed in the fore-aft direction of an operation part shell, operation part racks are slidably supported on the plurality of operation part rack guide rollers, and the operation part racks and the connection portion racks are connected in detachable and transferable fore-aft moving modes. In this way, the operation part and the insertion part of the electronic endoscope can be separately designed, and thus the insertion part of the electronic endoscope can be made into a disposable part to eliminate cross infection among patients.

A bending mechanism includes: a shaft part; a bendable part linked to the shaft part; a forward end part linked to the bendable part; an operating rod or an operating wire inserted through grooves or holes of the shaft part and the bendable part and having a distal end thereof fixed to the bendable part; and a pressing portion configured to be able to press the operating rod or the operating wire against a fixed portion of the shaft part. The bendable part is configured to be bendable as a result of the operating rod or the operating wire being operated in an extending direction thereof. The operating rod or the operating wire is configured such that, when pressed against the fixed portion of the shaft part by the pressing portion, the operating rod or the operating wire is fixed by friction force.

An endoscope with a camera module turning function is revealed. The endoscope includes a housing provided with a mounting slot and an output portion, an insertion tube connected to the output portion, a bending member connected to the insertion tube and having a first upper turning hole and a lower turning hole, a first upper string passed through the first upper turning hole of the bending member and mounted in the insertion tube, a lower string passed through the lower turning hole of the bending member and disposed in the insertion tube, a first roller provided with a first string groove on the circumference thereof, a control member provided with a pin and a connecting rod, and an elastic member fixed on the housing and connected to the lower string. The pin is connected to the first roller while the connecting rod is connected to the pin and a control button.

An endoscope can include an elongated shaft that includes a distal tip and a displaceable distal region. The endoscope can further include a handle coupled to the elongated shaft and an actuator movable relative to the handle. The endoscope can further include at least one tensioning line extending through at least a proximal portion of the elongated shaft and through a portion of the handle, and the at least one tensioning line can be coupled to the displaceable distal region of the shaft and also can be coupled to the actuator such that movement of the actuator relative to the handle effects angular movement of the displaceable distal region. The endoscope can further include a locking mechanism that prevents angular movement of the displaceable distal region when the locking mechanism is engaged.

An endoscope includes: an insertion portion including a bending portion; a lever configured to be capable of, by being tilted, pulling a bending operation wire that bends the bending portion; and a bending operation mechanism including a play part configured to, when the lever is tilted in a predetermined direction, maintain the bending portion in a state of not bending, up to a predetermined tilting amount. The bending operation mechanism includes a sub-rotation pivot provided at a position that is away in an axial direction of the lever from tilting supports of the lever in the respective tilting directions and configured to tilt the lever in a predetermined direction, and a stopper configured to, when the lever is rotated by a predetermined angle via rotation of the sub-rotation pivot, stop the rotation of the sub-rotation pivot through abutment with the lever.