Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Kazumasa Matsuo

Akio Nakada

Yoshio Shishido

Shinichi Kato

Susumu Takahashi

Takeaki Nakamura

Atsushi Miyazaki

Shinichi Nishigaki

Akibumi Ishikawa

Toshihiro Imai

Tetsumaru Kubota

Nobuo Yamashita

Tadao Hagino

Masahiko Kato

Morihide Mizumoto

Hiroyuki Kusunoki

Yoshisada Hayamizu

Yutaka Yoshida

Yoshitaka Nagai

Shozo Hirayama

An apparatus for detecting a focused condition of an optical system, in which a light-receiving means arranged at a fixed position corresponding to a focus position photometrically detects a focused condition. A light beam having a definite shape is projected onto an object to be imaged by a light projection means. The reflected light beam is conducted along an optical axis of the optical system, deflected, and detected by the light receiving means for determining whether a focused condition exists. Several embodiments are disclosed for projecting a light spot of high contrast of the object and for detecting a focused condition on the basis of the intensity distribution of light received by the light-receiving means. The apparatus may be applied to an endoscope and other optical systems.

Apparatus for photometrically detecting an optically focused condition

An endoscope-use camera attached to the eyepiece section of an endoscope has conventionally been provided with an automatic exposure control device including a light sensing element and capable of automatically determining an exposure value in accordance with a quantity of light received. Disclosed herein is an automatic exposure control device which further comprises a control member disposed at the eyepiece section of an endoscope and having a shape depending on the thickness of an image transmitting optical system, and a device for determining in cooperation with the control member the correction value for an exposure value in accordance with the thickness of the image guide when the endoscope is attached to the camera.

Automatic exposure control device for endoscope

A device for diagnosing body cavity interiors which comprises an elongated insertion portion for introduction into a body cavity. The insertion portion includes a guide tube extending along the length thereof with a window formed in the insertion portion at the end of the guide tube. An ultrasonic wave probe is positioned at the forward end of the insertion portion, the ultrasonic head transmitting ultrasonic waves to body tissue and receiving ultrasonic waves reflected from the body tissue. A curved portion is formed in the insertion portion at a position adjacent to the ultrasonic head. A optical tube is inserted into the guide tube wherein the forward end of the optical tube is positioned in the window of the insertion portion, such that the body tissue may be observed through the optical tube. Further, an optical tube fitting member is coupled to the rear of the insertion portion with the optical tube being inserted into the insertion portion through the fitting member. The axis of the guide tube is positioned to the right and above the axis of the insertion portion with reference to an observer looking through the optical tube and the guide tube is movable in the insertion portion such that the area of observation through the optical tube can be varied.

Device for diagnosing body cavity interiors with ultrasonic waves

A surgical cutting instrument essentially comprises an outer sheath tube, an inner stationary tube which is disposed within said outer sheath tube such that the distal end of the inner tube projects from the distal end of the outer sheath tube and is provided with a cutting opening for drawing cut tissue chips at the peripheral wall of the distal end of the inner tube and a sliding member which is slidably disposed between said outer sheath tube and said inner tube so as to open and close said cutting opening and is provided with an outer cutting edge which engages an inner cutting edge of said cutting opening, on the distal end edge of the sliding member, whereby a body tissue is cut by axially and slidingly reciprocating said sliding member to open and close said cutting opening and cut tissue chips are withdrawn from the body by suction through a suction channel of the inner tube.

Surgical cutting instrument

A device for diagnosing body cavity interiors with ultrasonic waves consisting of an ultrasonic wave transmitter and receiver in a housing chamber filled with a wave transmitting fluid and coated with a jacket cover and connected to the end of a flexible tube for insertion into a body cavity, the flexible tube having a light source for illuminating a portion of a body cavity, a light guide for viewing the illuminated cavity portion and a cable for transmitting energy to and receiving readings from the wave transmitter and receiver, the wave transmitter and receiver including an ultrasonic wave mirror having a reflection surface for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves and a recess in a surface of the mirror at the rear of the reflection surface for collecting gas bubbles generated in the transmitting fluid, a conduit from the housing chamber to the outside of the chamber for filling the chamber with fluid, a removable closure for the conduit, the conduit and closure being within the jacket cover and not extending therebeyond and seals at the end of the flexible tube between the tube end and the housing chamber for sealing the tube end and the chamber.

The photosensor is provided with a light-receiving surface for receiving a reflected image of an object and in which an aperture is provided. The aperture is positioned so as to receive a focused image and means are provided to prevent light from leaking directly to the light-receiving surface from the aperture. Prevention of light leakage permits focusing to be detected at high precision.

Photosensor for optical observing or photographing devices

There is disclosed a device for diagnosing a body cavity interior with supersonic waves which is to be inserted into a body cavity wherein the tip of a supersonic wave probe is in direct contact with an internal organ within the body cavity. An endoscope and supersonic probe are arranged to make it possible to diagnose the internal organ with supersonic waves while the supersonic wave probe tip is being observed.

Device for diagnosing body cavity interior with supersonic waves

A device for diagnosing a body cavity interior with supersonic waves is disclosed wherein a supersonic wave tip is inserted into a body cavity to transmit and receive supersonic waves to diagnose internal organs with the supersonic waves and an endoscope to observe the body cavity interior are combined with each other. In such diagnosing device there is provided, a driving means for driving a supersonic wave oscillator or scanning mirror provided within a supersonic probe tip. A grip which is small and light and angled in the forward direction is provided. The disposition of the driving shaft, signal cord and light guide cables are such that they do not obstruct the operation of the diagnosing device.

An apparatus for positioning the eyepiece comprises a photographic positioning cam sleeve formed with a photographic positioning cam slot, and a dioptry adjusting cam sleeve formed with a dioptry adjusting cam slot. A dioptry adjusting pin is received in the cam slots and, as a photographing device is mounted on the endoscope, is driven by means of its engagement with the cam slots to position the eyepiece at a predetermined photographing position.

Apparatus for positioning eyepiece of endoscope

A pipe-like extension guide is inserted into a control section housing (operation section) through an insertion hole in the side wall of the control section housing connected to the base end of an elongated sheath. An elongated cut out is formed in the side wall of the inserted end portion of the extension guide, and the base end portion of an optical fiber bundle for observation is introduced through the cutout into the extension guide such that the end face of the bundle aligns with an eyepiece held in an eyepiece section which is fitted over the guide. The end surface of the extension guide is intimately abutted against the inner wall of the housing.

Endoscope

A stabbing apparatus for diagnosis of living body comprising a tubular member (1) having a sharp-edged tip end portion (X), a first light guide means (5) inserted in the tubular member (1) and having one end disposed at the tip end portion (X), a second light guide means (6) inserted in the tubular member (1) and having one end disposed at the tip end portion (X), a light source means (8) applying light to the other end of the first light guide means (5) in order to deliver light through the tip end portion (X), and a photosensing means (10) at the other end of the second light guide means (6) for sensing light reflectedly applied to the tip end portion (X). The photosensing means (10) of the apparatus discriminatingly indicates situations where the tip end portion (X) is within the abdominal wall of a living body and where the portion (X) has passed through the abdominal wall.

Stabbing apparatus for diagnosis of living body

A flexible, tubular extension guide has its one open end fixed to a control section housing constituting a grip or operation section of an endoscope and its external free end connected to an eyepiece section of an observation system. The guide can be bent in any direction such that the eyepiece section can be set in any desired position, and self-retained at that bent position. The base end portion of an optical fiber bundle of an observation system is introduced into the guide and the base end of the bundle is directly optically connected to the eyepiece section.

Endoscope having an extension guide for observation

A camera mounting device for an endoscope consists of a hollow connecting tube provided at one end with a camera mount and at the other end with a cavity for receiving an ocular portion of the endoscope having a conical rear surface, engaging elements pivoted to the other end of the connecting tube and circumferentially spaced from each other in the cavity so as to normally press the conical rear surface of the ocular portion thereby to hold the ocular portion in the cavity, and a releasing mechanism for rotating the engaging elements out of the cavity, whereby connection and disconnection of the camera mounting device to and from the ocular portion of the endoscope can be made by a single-handed operation of an operator.

Camera mounting device for an endoscope

An endoscope comprising optical elements such as field lenses and relay lenses arranged in an outer tube without using tubular spacers so that the intensity of transmitted light becomes high.

Growing community of inventors

Tama, Japan

Kazumasa Matsuo