An endoscope having an elongate shaft and a system tube, which extends inside the shaft and in which an image carrier is arranged, the system tube is held in an axial direction of the shaft by means of at least one resilient latching element, and a method for producing such an endoscope and to a latching element for such an endoscope.

The disclosure relates to an endoscopic light source that includes a first emitter. The first emitter may emit light of a first wavelength at a dichroic mirror which reflects the light of the first wavelength to a plurality of optical fibers. The endoscopic light source further comprises a second emitter. The second emitter may emit light of a second wavelength at a second dichroic mirror which reflects the light of the second wavelength to the plurality of optical fibers. In one embodiment, the first dichroic mirror may be transparent to the light of the second wavelength, allowing the light of the second wavelength to pass through the first dichroic mirror.

According to some aspects, a medical imaging system is provided. The medical imaging system includes an illumination device and a medical imaging device. The illumination device includes a first light source configured to emit first light having a wavelength range. The illumination device further includes a second light source configured to emit second light having at least one predetermined wavelength band. The at least one predetermined wavelength band is within the wavelength range. The illumination device further includes a dichroic mirror configured to attenuate a portion of the wavelength range corresponding to the at least one predetermined wavelength band and to multiplex the second light with the first light such that the portion of the wavelength range of the first light is attenuated. The light multiplexed by the dichroic mirror is emitted from the illumination device along an optical axis and irradiates an observation site. The medical imaging device includes at least one sensor configured to receive light from the observation site.

An illumination unit includes a light guide and a light converter. Wettability which a distal end side surface of the light guide has for an enclosing member of the light converter is lower than wettability which a distal end face has for the enclosing member.

Disclosed herein are configurations for few-mode fiber optical endoscope systems employing distal optics and few-mode, double-clad or other optical fiber wherein the systems directing an optical beam to a sample via the optical fiber; collecting light backscattered from the sample; direct the backscattered light to a detector via the optical fiber; and detect the backscattered light; wherein the directed optical beam is single mode and the collected light is one or more higher order modes.

Systems and methods are providing for endoscopically visualizing tissue within a patient. In one aspect, an endoscope comprises an elongate shaft having a distal end and a proximal end and a visualization section at the distal end of the shaft. The visualization section includes a proximal surface and an outer surface spaced apart from the proximal surface. At least one of the proximal surface or the outer surface of the visualization section has an average surface roughness less than about 50 nanometers RMS. The endoscope allows improved remote visualization while not interfering with the autofocus feature of a video capture system and not causing increased light reflectance and glare due to improved surface finish.

An endoscope includes: a first lens located at a distal-most position, a part of the first lens being exposed outside; a movable lens barrel configured to be able to move, and configured to hold a movable lens disposed on a proximal end side with respect to the first lens; an actuator unit including a coil that drives the movable lens barrel and generates heat by receiving a supply of electric power; and a control section that outputs first electric power to the coil when holding the movable lens barrel at a predetermined position, and outputs second electric power larger than the first electric power to the coil when conducting heat generated from the coil to the first lens at the predetermined position.

An endoscope optical system unit according to the present invention, includes, an endoscope illuminating optical system which includes, a light-emitting section, and a first optical-path deflecting prism group which takes in illumination light emitted from the light-emitting section, and irradiates light to a subject upon deflecting an optical path, and the first optical-path deflecting prism group includes three prisms in order from an object side which are, a first prism, a second prism, and a third prism, and the first prism, the second prism, and the third prism are disposed to be mutually adjacent, and a direction of irradiation of the illumination light is let to be variable to a first direction by rotationally moving the first prism with respect to the second prism, and the direction of irradiation of the illumination light is let to be variable to a second direction which differs from the first direction, by rotationally moving the first prism and the second prism integrally, with respect to the third prism; and an endoscope objective optical system, wherein the endoscope objective optical system includes a second optical-path deflecting prism group, and a lens group, and the second optical-path deflecting prism group includes three prisms in order from the subject side, a fourth prism, a fifth prism, and a sixth prism, and the fourth prism, the fifth prism, and the sixth prism are disposed to be mutually adjacent, and a visual field direction is let to be variable to the first direction by rotationally moving the fourth prism with respect to the fifth prism, and the visual field direction is let to be variable to the second direction which differs from the first direction, by rotationally moving the fourth prism and the fifth prism integrally, with respect to the sixth prism, and the first optical-path deflecting prism group and the second optical-path deflecting prism group are disposed such that a third axis of rotation when the fourth prism rotates with respect to the fifth prism, and a first axis of rotation when the first prism of the endoscope illuminating optical system rotates with respect to the second prism, become coaxial, and the first optical-path deflecting prism group and the second optical-path deflecting prism group are disposed such that a fourth axis of rotation when the fourth prism and the fifth prism rotate integrally with respect to the sixth prism, and a second axis of rotation when the first prism and the second prism rotate integrally with respect to the third prism, become coaxial, and both the visual field direction of the endoscope objective optical system and the direction of irradiation of the illumination light of t

Embodiments of the invention are directed medical devices for illuminating and viewing a patient's internal body portion. The device may include an elongated flexible tube including a distal end and a proximal end. The tube defines a channel extending from the proximal end to an aperture at the distal end. An illumination device is housed within the channel and configured to emit a distally directed path of light. A light source is provided at the distal end of the flexible tube and configured to emit a laterally directed path of light. In one embodiment the light source is a organic light emitting diode.

[Object] To improve work efficiency with respect to work using a transparent object, such as a transparent operation tool, for example. [Solution] An image region where an object exists as a target region is detected on the basis of a second captured image, when a first captured image is a captured image obtained by selectively receiving a light of a first wavelength band, and the second captured image is a captured image obtained by selectively receiving a light of a second wavelength band, the captured images being obtained by capturing the object that is transparent for the light of the first wavelength band and is opaque for the light of the second wavelength band. Subsequently, an outline of the object is superimposed on the first captured image on the basis of information of the target region detected by the target detecting unit.