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:
Feb. 19, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 21, 2003
Keiichi Arai, Hachioji, JP;
Takemitsu Honda, Hino, JP;
Seiichiro Kimoto, Hachioji, JP;
Takayasu Miyagi, Hachioji, JP;
Toshinari Maeda, Hachioji, JP;
Yuichi Ikeda, Tama, JP;
Toshimasa Kawai, Yokohama, JP;
Keiichi Arai, Hachioji, JP;
Takemitsu Honda, Hino, JP;
Seiichiro Kimoto, Hachioji, JP;
Takayasu Miyagi, Hachioji, JP;
Toshinari Maeda, Hachioji, JP;
Yuichi Ikeda, Tama, JP;
Toshimasa Kawai, Yokohama, JP;
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electric bending endoscope apparatus includes an electric bending endoscope, a bending control device for controlling a bending direction and the amount of bending of a bending portion based on a bending instructing signal outputted from a portion for instructing a bending operation in the electric bending endoscope, an image processing device for generating an observing image captured by the electric bending endoscope to a video signal, and a display device for displaying the video signal generated by the image processing device as an endoscope image, wherein the electric bending endoscope includes a bending driving portion for bending the bending portion arranged at an inserting portion, a bending motive portion for driving the bending driving portion, a portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force that reversibly switches a status for transmitting the driving force by transmitting the driving force of the bending motive portion to the bending driving portion and a status for disconnecting the driving force, a portion for detecting a bending status which detects an operating status of the bending driving portion and detects the bending status of the bending portion, a portion for instructing a bending operation having a portion for inputting the bending instructing signal that outputs the bending instructing signal for relatively changing the bending direction and the amount of bending of the bending portion, a portion for detecting a predetermined bending status which detects that the bending portion is in at least one predetermined bending status, and a portion for notifying the predetermined bending status which sends a notification indicating that the bending portion is in the predetermined bending status based on a detecting result of the portion for detecting the predetermined bending status.