Olympus Corporation

The Director-general of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science

Masanao Abe

Junichiro Kawaguchi

Akiko Nakamura

Akira Fujiwara

Shujiro Sawai

An endoscope comprising, in a part of an insertion portion having flexibility, a bending portion formed by covering an outermost circumference with a covering rubber. Respective end portions of the covering rubber being tightly bound to a rigid portion near the bending portion with a thread and fixed by applying an adhesive. In at least one end portion of both fixed end portions of the covering rubber, hardness of at least a portion in a range from an end portion in a center portion side of a portion tightly bound with the thread to an end portion in a center portion side of a portion to which the adhesive is applied is set higher than hardness in a center portion of the covering rubber.

Endoscope

A sample collector of this invention includes a projectile projecting unit n which a projectile is loaded and which has a projecting outlet for projecting out the projectile loaded therein, an enclosed container which is communicated with the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit, which has a projectile passing hole arranged at a position located away from the projecting outlet, the passing hole allowing the projectile to pass through it after the projectile is projected out from the projecting outlet, and which covers a space between the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit, and a kinetic energy absorbing mechanism which is arranged around a projectile path between the projecting outlet of the projectile projecting unit and the projectile passing hole of the enclosed container. The kinetic energy absorbing mechanism may be an independent active type such as brushes or an integral passive type structured by a part of the container.

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Masanao Abe