Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Fumiaki Ishii

Hisao Yabe

Takeaki Nakamura

Yukio Nakajima

Koji Takamura

Hiroyuki Sasa

Tsutomu Okada

Hiroki Hibino

Masaaki Hayashi

Shinji Hatta

Yutaka Ohshima

Yoshihito Shimizu

Koichiro Ishihara

Masaya Yoshihara

Ryouji Masubuchi

Hideki Itoh

Minoru Shinotsuka

A hyperthermal apparatus comprises a hollow tube insertable into a body cavity. The tube has a body liquid draining path, and is formed of a heat generating substance or a substance generating heat by absorbing an electromagnetic energy fed from outside the body. The tube is detainable in a position likely to be closed.

Body depth heating hyperthermal apparatus

A laser beam irradiation apparatus comprising a laser generating device, a laser beam irradiation probe for applying a laser beam from the laser generating device to a region of an object of irradiation, an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver for emitting ultrasonic waves toward the region to which the laser beam is applied by the probe, receiving reflected waves from the irradiated region, and converting the reflected waves into an electrical signal, a measuring device for measuring the temperature of the irradiated region in accordance with the electrical signal from the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver, and an output adjuster for adjusting the output of the laser generating device in accordance with a temperature signal from the measuring device.

Laser beam treatment device for an endoscope

In a method of cleaning an endoscope, the open ends of an air/liquid supply valve cylinder and a suction valve cylinder, both provided within a control section of the endoscope, are closed by stops. The ends of an air supply channel, a liquid supply channel and a suction channel, which open to a connector mounted on the distal end of a light guide cable, are connected to a connecting tube so that liquid may flow between these ends. The other end of the suction channel opening to the distal end of an insertion section is connected to a liquid tank filled with liquid through a liquid supply tube. The tank is connected to an air pump through an air supply tube. When the pump is operated, the liquid is supplied from the other end of the suction channel and discharged from a nozzle through the three channels, valve cylinders and the connecting tube, thereby cleaning the interiors of these channels and valve cylinders with the liquid.

Method of cleaning endoscope channels

In a method of cleaning an endoscope, the open ends of an air/liquid supply valve cylinder, a suction valve cylinder, and a gas supply valve cylinder which are arranged in a control section of the endoscope are closed by stops. An air supply channel, a liquid supply channel, a suction channel, and a gas supply channel of the endoscope open at one end to a connector mounted on the distal end of the light guide cable of the endoscope. The connector is submerged in the liquid held in a tank. A cap is mounted on the distal end of the insertion section so that a nozzle communicating with the channels and a suction opening communicating with the suction channel open to the interior of the cap. The cap is connected to a suction pump by a suction tube. The pump is operated, thus sucking the liquid from the nozzle and suction opening through the four channels and the three cylinders, thereby cleaning the interiors of these channels and cylinders.

A connecting device mechanically and electrically connects a first endoscope having a connector including contact pins projecting at the end surface thereof in an insertion direction and a second endoscope having a connector including contact pins projecting at the outer peripheral surface thereof to a socket of a power source. The connecting device includes an adapter at the endoscope side capable of mechanically connecting to the connector of the second endoscope and an adapter at the power source side provided at the socket of said power source, capable of being selected to mechanically and electrically connect to the connector of the first endoscope and the adapter at the endoscope side. The second endoscope is electrically connected to the socket of the power source through the adapters.

Endoscope connecting device

In a method of cleaning an endoscope, a stop is mounted on the open end of an air/liquid supply valve cylinder thereby closing the open end. A liquid tank is connected through a liquid supply tube to a first air supply port which opens to a connector of the endoscope and communicates with one end of an air supply channel. A connecting cap is attached to the connector so that a second air supply port communicating the air supply channel and a liquid supply port communicating with a liquid supply channel communicate with each other. An air supply pump is connected to the liquid tank. The pump is operated under this condition and supplies the liquid in the liquid tank to the first air supply port. The liquid supplied to the first air supply port is discharged from a nozzle communicating with the other ends of the air and liquid supply channels through these channels and the air/liquid supply valve cylinder, thereby cleaning the interior of these channels and the cylinder.

A connecting device has a first connector attached to a endoscope and a second connector communicating with a gas supply unit and adapted to be connected to the first connector. The first connector has a communication pipe having lower and upper ends communicating with the inside and outside of the endoscope, respectively. A valve plug is disposed in the pipe to be movable between the closing and opening positions. A rotating body is fitted to the outside of the upper end portion of the pipe to be rotatable between the first and second positions. The valve plug is moved in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating body. The second connector has an engaging slit adapted to engage a first retainer projecting from the pipe when the second connector is rotated after being fitted to the first connector. A second retainer projects inward from the second connector and is adapted to engage with an engaging portion of the rotating body when the second connector is fitted to the first connector. The second retainer rotates the rotating body to move the valve plug from the closing position to the opening position when the second connector is rotated from the fitting position.

Connecting device

Connector for endoscope

A connector device connects an airtight endoscope with an air supply line for use in a system for checking the endoscope for leakage, by feeding air into the body of the endoscope. The endoscope has a retaining member and a communication port including a valve mechanism for opening and closing the passage of the port. A connector of the air supply line is connected airtight to the passage of the port. The connector is provided with a retaining mechanism which is adapted to removably engage the retaining member located close to the port, thereby holding the air supply line connector.

Connector device for checking leakage in an airtight endoscope

In a method of cleaning the channels of an endoscope, one end of a suction channel and a nozzle, both positioned at the distal end of an insertion section of the endoscope, are connected. The open ends of an air/liquid supply cylinder and a suction valve cylinder, both provided within a control section of the endoscope, are closed. The ends of an air supply channel and a liquid supply channel, which open to a connector mounted on the distal end of a light guide cable, are connected to a liquid supply tube which is in contact with liquid. The other end of the suction channel, which opens to the connector, is connected to a suction pump by a suction tube. The pump is operated and sucks the liquid from the other end of the suction channel through the air supply channel, liquid supply channel, suction channel and valve cylinders, thereby cleaning the interior of the channels and valve cylinders with the liquid.

In a method of cleaning an endoscope, a stop having a communication path is mounted on the open ends of an air/liquid supply valve cylinder and a suction valve cylinder of the endoscope so that liquid may flow between the valve cylinders through the communication path. One end of a suction channel, which opens to the distal end of an insertion section of the endoscope, is connected to a liquid tank through a liquid supply tube. An air supply pump is connected to the tank. The pump is operated in this state and supplies the liquid held in the tank to the one end of the suction channel. The liquid supplied to the one end of the suction channel is discharged from a nozzle at the distal end of the insertion section and the other ends of the suction channel, an air supply channel and a liquid supply channel, which open to a connector mounted on a light guide of the endoscope, through the three channels and the valve cylinders, thereby cleaning the interior of these channels and valve cylinders.

In a method of cleaning an endoscope, the open end of a suction valve cylinder, arranged within a control section of the endoscope, is closed by a stop. A cap is mounted on the distal end of an insertion section so that liquid may flow between a nozzle and a suction opening which are arranged at the distal end of the insertion section. The nozzle communicates with an air supply channel and a liquid supply channel, and the suction opening communicates with a suction channel. A stop is mounted on the open end of an air/liquid supply valve cylinder arranged in the control section, and a syringe is connected to the stop. The piston of the syringe is pushed, thus supplying liquid in the cylinder of the syringe into the cylinder and discharging the liquid from the other ends of the three channels through the channels and the valve cylinders, thereby cleaning the interiors of these channels and valve cylinders with the liquid.

A device for fitting an attachment to an endoscope ocular section comprises a cylindrical receptacle which is set in the endoscope ocular section and has an end face, an adapter which is set on the ocular section attachment and fitted around the cylindrical receptacle by rotation, a coupling ring which is rotatably set in the adapter and has an end face capable of being pressed against the end face of the cylindrical receptacle, and connection mechanism for connecting the coupling ring and cylindrical receptacle together in a state prevented from being moved relative to each other. Provision of the connection mechanism prevents the end faces of the cylindrical receptacle and the coupling ring from sliding over each other, thereby eliminating the possibility that a coeliac observation is obstructed by the appearance of a gloss on the end face of the cylindrical receptacle due to its rubbing.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Fumiaki Ishii