Patent ID: 8480568
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An endoscope apparatus comprising: an endoscope comprising an insertion portion comprising a distal end portion and a bendable bending portion at a distal end side of the insertion portion, the insertion portion being adapted to be inserted into a body cavity of a subject; a relative position calculation section configured to calculate a relative position with respect to the subject of the distal end portion in the body cavity of the subject; a frontal plane direction detection section configured to detect a direction in which a frontal plane, as a plane which cuts a human body as the subject anteroposteriorly, exists; a reference information storage section that stores in advance reference information that associates: a bending direction determination section configured to determine the bending direction of the bending portion according to the search method selected by the selection section; and a bending drive section configured to bend and drive the bending portion based on the bending direction determined by the bending direction determination section.