Endoscope system

An endoscope system according to claim wherein:

• said at least one solenoid valve is a 3-position 5-port valve and includes first and second solenoids for switching connection states of the five ports,
• the first and second ports communicates with each other and the third and fifth ports communicate with each other when said first solenoid is turned on,
• the first and third ports communicate with each other and the second and fourth ports communicate with each other when said second solenoid is turned on, and the second and third ports communicate with each other and the first port closes when said second solenoid is turned off,
• all the ports close when both said first and second solenoid are turned off,
• said cylinder is connected to the first port,
• said first and second pressurization chambers are respectively connected to said second and third ports, and
• the fourth and fifth ports are released to the atmosphere.

An endoscope system comprising:

• an insertion portion to be inserted into a tubular cavity under examination;
• an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion;
• a bending portion provided behind said image sensor;
• a hydropneumatic actuator for bending said bending portion by applying hydropneumatic pressure, said hydropneumatic actuator including at least one pressurization chamber;
• a cylinder filled with a fluid to be supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator;
• a fluid flow rate adjusting portion for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid supplied from said cylinder;
• a control unit for controlling said fluid flow rate adjusting portion;
• an operating portion for operating a controlled variable of said control unit;
• a control device for causing said control unit to control said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with a signal output from said operating portion so as to stop both supply and exhaustion of the fluid to and from said at least one pressurization chamber at an arbitrary pressure;
• and
• a signal correcting section for correcting a time lag between an operation signal from said operating portion and a bending operation of said bending portion performed by said hydropneumatic actuator.

An endoscope system comprising:

• an insertion portion to be inserted into a tubular cavity under examination;
• an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion;
• a bending portion provided behind said image sensor;
• a hydropneumatic actuator for bending said bending portion by applying hydropneumatic pressure, said hydropneumatic actuator including at least one pressurization chamber;
• a cylinder filled with a fluid to be supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator;
• a fluid flow rate adjusting portion for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid supplied from said cylinder;
• a control unit for controlling said fluid flow rate adjusting portion;
• an operating portion for operating a controlled variable of said control unit;
• a control device for causing said control unit to control said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with a signal output from said operating portion so as to stop both supply and exhaustion of the fluid to and from said at least one pressurization chamber at an arbitrary pressure;
• and
• a signal correcting section for correcting a time lag between an operation signal from said operating portion and a bending operation of said bending portion performed by said hydropneumatic actuator;
• wherein said signal correcting section comprises a detecting section for detecting a bending speed instruction from the signal output from said operating portion, and an exhaustion timing adjusting section for adjusting an exhaustion timing of said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with the bending speed instruction detected by said detecting section.