Patent ID: 7935047

Claim:
A double-balloon endoscope system comprising: an endoscope including a flexible insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity, a first device arranged in the insertion section, the first device including one of a magnetic-field generating element for generating a magnetic field and a magnetic-field detecting element for detecting a magnetic field, a first balloon disposed on the outer surface of the distal end of the insertion section, a second balloon disposed on the outer surface of the distal end of an overtube unit through which the insertion section is inserted, and a second device arranged at a predetermined position in the overtube unit, the second device including the same element as that of the first device; a third device arranged at a known position in the vicinity of a subject into which the insertion section is inserted, the third device including the other one of the magnetic-field generating element and the magnetic-field detecting element; a balloon control unit for controlling the first and second balloons to inflate and/or deflate; and a state-image generating unit for processing a detection signal, obtained by detecting a magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generating element through the magnetic-field detecting element, and detecting the inflation/deflation states of the balloons controlled through the balloon control unit to generate a state image representing the shape of the insertion section and the inflation state of at least one of the first and second balloons.