Patent ID: 7691054

Claim:
An endoscope system, comprising: an endoscope including an inserting portion which has a treatment instrument channel formed therein; a treatment instrument cartridge, comprising: a treatment instrument, including: a treatment instrument inserting portion which is inserted through the treatment instrument channel of the endoscope and has a predetermined elasticity; a treatment section which forms a tip end of the treatment instrument inserting portion; and an operating portion which is provided at a base end of the treatment instrument inserting portion and operates the treatment section; and a storage case, including: an inserting portion storing section having an inside surface for winding and containing the treatment instrument inserting portion; a first defining section having a first through-hole in communication with the inserting portion storing section and the exterior for defining a direction in which a part of the treatment instrument inserting portion nearer one end thereof contained in the inserting portion storing section is extracted to the exterior; a second defining section having a second through-hole in communication with the inserting portion storing section and the exterior for defining a direction in which a part of the treatment instrument inserting portion nearer the other end thereof contained in the inserting portion storing section is extracted to the exterior; a guiding plane which is provided between the first defining section and the second defining section, positioned to intersect with the central axis of the first through-hole at a right angle, and is a plane against which the treatment instrument inserting portion is pushed; and a storage surface which is provided between the first defining section and the second defining section, extends in a vertical direction from the guiding plane, and is the inside surface for placing the treatment instrument inserting portion in contact therewith due to an elasticity of the treatment instrument inserting portion; an advancing and retracting device which has a driving power source for providing a driving power, and is provided between the treatment instrument inserting channel of the endoscope and the first through-hole to extract the treatment instrument inserting portion extended from the first through-hole out of the first through-hole and to push the treatment instrument inserting portion into the first through-hole; a controlling device electrically connected to the driving power source for controlling an operation of the driving power source; and an operation instructing device for issuing an instruction on an operation of the driving power source to the controlling device.