Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Nao-omi Maeda

Kazuhiko Hayashi

Masahiko Kanda

Ichiro Sogawa

Koro Yotsuya

A mechanism for bending an elongated body such as the tube of an endoscope without the use of electric elements, thereby eliminating a shock hazard. A shape-memorizing alloy is inserted into the elongated body at portions to be bent. In some embodiments, heat for causing the shape-memorizing alloy and hence the elongated body to bend is produced by light carried by an optical fiber, while in other embodiments frictional heat produced by a mechanism vibrator is employed. In some embodiments using light, a shutter arrangement is added to control the heating of the shape-memorizing alloy.

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Osaka, Japan

Nao-omi Maeda