The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2005
Filed:
May. 21, 2002
Naoki Suzuki, Chiba-ken, JP;
Kazuki Sumiyama, Tokyo, JP;
Naoshi Koizumi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Akira Sugiyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Tetsuya Tarumoto, Tokyo, JP;
Toshiyuki Hashiyama, Saitama-ken, JP;
Motoko Kawamura, Tokyo, JP;
Takayuki Enomoto, Saitama-ken, JP;
Minoru Matsushita, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuya Nakamura, Saitama-ken, JP;
Kenichi Ohara, Gunma-ken, JP;
Satoshi Takami, Saitama-ken, JP;
Naoki Suzuki, Chiba-ken, JP;
Kazuki Sumiyama, Tokyo, JP;
Naoshi Koizumi, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Akira Sugiyama, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Tetsuya Tarumoto, Tokyo, JP;
Toshiyuki Hashiyama, Saitama-ken, JP;
Motoko Kawamura, Tokyo, JP;
Takayuki Enomoto, Saitama-ken, JP;
Minoru Matsushita, Tokyo, JP;
Tetsuya Nakamura, Saitama-ken, JP;
Kenichi Ohara, Gunma-ken, JP;
Satoshi Takami, Saitama-ken, JP;
PENTAX Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An endoscope system is provided, including an endoscope having a flexible inserting tube to be inserted into a human body and a plurality of bending sensors distributed over the flexible inserting tube along the longitudinal direction thereof. Each of the bending sensors detects the local bending state of the flexible inserting tube at the location the bending sensor are provided. A computer adapted to receive data on the local bending state from each of the plurality of bending sensors is also provided. The computer generates a graphical image representing the geometrical configuration of the flexible inserting tube from the data on the local bending states. A monitor connected to the computer to display the graphical image generated by the computer.