Patent ID: 8317686

Claim:
An endoscope having a bending portion close to a distal end of an insertion section, comprising: bending means for bending said bending portion; manipulating means for performing bending operations of said bending portion; drive means for bending said bending portion with said bending means; bend amount detecting means for detecting a bend amount of said bending portion; brake instructing means for giving a brake instruction to keep said bending portion in a bent state; brake release means for giving a brake release instruction to discontinue maintenance of the bent state; and control means for controlling drive of said drive means, wherein, in response to the brake instruction given by said brake instructing means, said control means acquires the bend amount of said bending portion upon the brake instruction being given from said bend amount detecting means to drive said drive means so as to maintain the bend amount and, when the brake release instruction is given by said brake release means while the bent state is being maintained, gradually reduces a drive force of said drive means.