A magnetic coupling is provided having two rings that are arranged concentrically in relation to one another, which are each mounted to be rotatable in relation to one another. An arrangement of at least three magnetic dipoles is respectively arranged on both rings, the magnetic dipoles facilitating magnetic coupling of the rings and a transmission of torque from a driving ring to a driven ring of the two rings. The magnetic dipoles of the arrangements at the driven ring and/or at the driving ring is/are aligned such that two like magnetic poles, which adjoin one another on the respective other ring, are always followed by an unlike magnetic pole, and the magnetic poles adjoining one another at the respective other ring are arranged in a manner corresponding to one another such that the two rings are magnetically coupled in an equilibrium position.

A flexible tube includes a first outer layer covering an outer side of a closely-wound region; a second outer layer forming a second flexible portion which is more difficult to bend than the first flexible portion; a third outer layer covering an outer side of the sparsely-wound region, and forming a third flexible portion which is as difficult to bend as the second flexible portion, or more difficult to bend than the second flexible portion; and a fourth outer layer arranged consecutively between the second and third outer layers to cover the outer side of a boundary position of the closely-wound region and the sparsely-wound region, and reducing a difference in bending difficulty/bending easiness at the boundary position.

Embodiments of the disclosure may include a medical device comprising an elongate member and a handle assembly connected to the elongate member. The handle housing may house a steering mechanism movable relative to the handle assembly and configured to steer the elongate member along a first plane and a second plane different from the first plane, a camera system configured to capture images from a distal end of the elongate member, and an illumination system configured to provide illuminating light from the distal end of the elongate member.

A positioning clip to position an inner tube in an outer tube of an endoscope includes at least one inner support surface to support the positioning clip on the inner tube, at least one outer support surface to support the positioning clip on the outer tube, and a clamping device to clamp the positioning clip on the inner tube or on the outer tube.

A cylindrical instrument has a first tube (1601; 1619), a second tube (1620) surrounding the first tube (1601; 1619), and a third tube (1602; 1621) surrounding the second tube (1620). The instrument has a deflectable tip section (1613), a steering section (1618), a flexible body section (1615) between the tip section (1613) and the steering section (1618), a length compensation section (1617), and one or more steering wires (16(i)) extending from the steering section (1618) to the tip section (1613) such that the tip section (1613) can be deflected by moving the one or more steering wires (16(i)) in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical instrument. The cylindrical instrument has a Bowden cable arrangement for each steering wire (16(i)) inside the length compensation section (1617), each Bowden cable arrangement has a steering wire (16(i)) surrounded by steering wire guiding portions. The steering wires (16(i)) and the steering wire guiding portions are portions of the first tube (1619), the second tube (1620), or the third tube (1621).

An endoscope cable includes a plurality of individual cables, and is provided with an entire shield portion including a metal wire group having an electric shield function to surround entirety of the plurality of individual cables, and a cable core wire including a metal wire group in each of the individual cables. The metal wire group in at least one of the entire shield portion and the cable core wires is configured by combining a plurality of types of metal wires having different compositions from each other.

A medical system includes a medical device, an over-tube, and a console. The medical device includes an insertion portion. The over-tube is configured to receive the insertion portion. A console having a first connector is attached to the medical device and a second connector is attached to the over-tube. The over-tube has a tubular main body and a proximal-end portion. The proximal-end portion comprises a tubular member having an insertion port for receiving the insertion portion of the medical device therethrough. A base portion is coupled to the second connector and a moving mechanism is coupled to both the tubular member and the base portion. The moving mechanism is configured to cause the tubular member to move with respect to the second connector such that the tubular member has two or more degrees of freedom with respect to the second connector.

A lightfield otoscope includes a housing with a tip configured to receive a disposable speculum. The otoscope also includes a microlens array, a sensor array and an optical train contained within the housing. The optical train includes an objective lens and a relay lens. The objective lens is positioned at least partially within the tip. The relay lens is used to relay an image plane of the objective lens to the microlens array and to relay a pupil plane of the objective lens to the sensor array. An active heating element is also contained within the housing and positioned to heat the front surface, thereby reducing fogging and/or condensation on the front surface.

The channel tube for endoscope according to the present invention is provided with: an inner-layer tube inside which a through hole extending in a longitudinal direction is formed, the inner-layer tube having as a base material thereof an elastomer or a flexible resin; an elastomer layer comprising a polymer elastomer, the elastomer layer being disposed so as to cover the outside of the inner-layer tube, and the surface of the elastomer layer being exposed to the outside; a reinforcing layer part including a flexible reinforcing member, the reinforcing layer part being disposed so as to surround the inner-layer tube; and a buffer layer part which deforms more readily than the reinforcing layer part, the buffer layer part being layered on the reinforcing layer part and disposed between the inner-layer tube and an outer peripheral surface of the elastomer layer.

An imaging unit includes: a semiconductor package that includes a light receiver of an imaging element formed on a front surface of the semiconductor package, and a sensor electrode formed on a back surface of the semiconductor package; a circuit board that includes a connection electrode electrically and mechanically connected to the sensor electrode through a bump on a front surface of the circuit board; an enclosing member configured to enclose the semiconductor package; a first filler that is filled in space enclosed by the enclosing member; and a second filler that is filled on a joint surface between the semiconductor package and the circuit board, and that has a smaller linear expansion per unit length at sterilization temperature than that of the first filler.