Endoscope with bend angle control
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorTakashi Tsukaya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An endoscope which comprises a distal end portion (14) containing an observation optical system, a flexible tube (10), and a freely bendable section (12). In the endoscope a plurality of supersonic transducers (20) are spatially arranged on the peripheral wall of the distal end portion, and a bend angle control device (100) is further provided which controls the angle through which the freely bendable section is to be bent in accordance with output data from the plural supersonic transducers in order to direct the distal end portion to the substantial center of the cross section of, for example, the large intestine. The distal end portion is automatically directed to the substantial center of the large intestine in order to prevent the distal end portion from forcefully pressing the inner wall of the large intestine.
Claims4
An endoscope comprising:
- (a) a distal end portion containing an observation optical system;
- (b) a flexible tube;
- (c) a freely bendable section for connecting the distal end portion to the flexible tube;
- (d) a plurality of supersonic transducers spatially arranged on the peripheral wall of the distal end portion;
- and
- (e) bend angle control means for controlling the angle through which the freely bendable section is to be bent in accordance with data supplied from the plural supersonic transducers in order to direct the distal end portion of said freely bendable section to the substantial center of the cross section of a coeliac tube to be examined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.