A disposable air/water valve may include a main stem providing an air passage through the center bore of the main stem. A method for manufacturing a disposable air/water valve may include several steps. The main stem is molded, and placed in a mold for over-molding seals onto the main stem. Prior to the next steps, the retaining ring, button cap, and boot may be molded. The back end of the main step is placed through the center of the retaining ring and resilient member (e.g., spring). The button cap is then placed on and secured to the main stem.

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.

An endoscope includes: an insertion section inserted into a subject; an operating unit continuously connected to a proximal end of the insertion section; an observation unit disposed at a distal end of the insertion section, and configured to observe the subject; a treatment instrument insertion passage configured to allow insertion of a treatment instrument providing medical treatment to the subject, and project the treatment instrument from a distal end portion of the insertion section; a distal bending portion disposed at a distal end of the treatment instrument insertion passage, and configured to bend according to a raising operation of the operating unit, the distal bending portion including a tube including a super elastic alloy and including a slit formed to reduce power required for the bending operation, and being configured to raise the treatment instrument; and a coating portion provided to cover the distal bending portion.

An ultrasound endoscope includes: an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a living body; an ultrasound transmitting and receiving unit; a balloon surrounding the ultrasound transmitting and receiving unit; a water supply port for supplying water to the balloon; an operating unit provided at a proximal end side of the insertion portion; a cable extending from the operating unit; a channel provided in the insertion portion and leading to the water supply port to supply water toward the water supply port; a pipe provided in the cable; a cylinder provided at the operating unit, one end of the channel and one end of the pipe being opened to the cylinder; an injection port provided in the pipe; and a duct having one end leading to the pipe via the injection port and having the other end to which a syringe for injecting water or supplying air is attachable.

A flexible tube includes a helical tube including a closely-wound region and a sparsely-wound region, and an outer tube covering an outer side of the helical tube. The closely-wound region includes a closely-wound portion to which a tight contact force is applied, the tight contact force allowing adjacent parts of a wire member adjacent along the longitudinal axis to become a tight contact state, a sparsely-wound portion which is arranged at a proximal side of the closely-wound portion, and a change portion which is arranged at a proximal side of the sparsely-wound portion and, has the tight contact force between the adjacent parts on the proximal side rather than the distal side along the longitudinal axis reduced more than the tight contact force of the closely-wound portion.

An image pickup apparatus for endoscope includes an image pickup device, an optical element, an optical fiber, a fiber tube, a plurality of metal cables, a cable tube, and a wire rod wound around the cable tube and the fiber tube to integrate the cable tube and the fiber tube. The plurality of metal cables are fixed to the cable tube deformed by the wire rod. The optical fiber is not fixed to the fiber tube by the wire rod.

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.

An automatic detection of surgical instruments with respect to a type and a location thereof is provided with a detection system, which includes at least two surgical instruments, which each include at least one cavity extending along a longitudinal axis of the instrument and a proximal entry region to the cavity. An angle of the proximal entry region in relation to the longitudinal extension of the cavity is different in the two instruments. A sensor unit includes two electromagnetic sensors and is insertable into the cavity. One of the sensors extends axially in the cavity, and the other sensor is arranged in the entry region. A field generator generates an electromagnetic field. An analysis unit analyzes signals transmitted by the sensors to the analysis unit in accordance with the location thereof in the field of the field generator.

A coating film is provided in a cable, a medical hollow tube, a molded article and a hollow tube. The coating film is formed from a rubber composition including a rubber component and fine particles. A static friction coefficient on a surface of the coating film is 0.5 or less. When the coating film is subjected to a testing such that a long fiber non-woven fabric including cotton linters including an alcohol for disinfection with a length of 50 mm along a wiping direction is brought contiguous to the surface of the coating film at a shearing stress of 2×10.sup.−3 MPa to 4×10.sup.−3 MPa, followed by wiping off the surface of the coating film at a speed of 80 times/min to 120 times/min and 20,000 repetitions thereof for a wiping direction length of 150 mm, a difference (an absolute value of a difference) between the static friction coefficients of the coating film before and after the testing is not greater than 0.1.

A sheath assembly is adapted for an ultrasonic probe and includes a plug portion and a sheath portion connected to each other. One end of the plug portion of the sheath assembly is used for detachably and fixedly connecting with a connecting butt joint portion of the ultrasonic probe, so that the plug portion and the connecting butt joint portion are detachable after the ultrasonic probe is used.