Patent ID: 6951537

Claim:
An endoscope whose bending section is moved with supply or discharge of fluid, comprising: a fluid-pressure actuator that is included in the bending section of an insertion unit and that has a plurality of fluid chambers associated with a plurality of bending directions; and fluid supply tubes over which fluid is supplied to the fluid chambers included in the fluid-pressure actuator or over which fluid supplied to the fluid chambers is discharged, wherein the fluid-pressure actuator comprises: a soft multi-lumen tube having a center through hole and a plurality of penetrating holes that surrounds the center through hole and that realizes the fluid chambers; an internal tubular member inserted in the center through hole; and an external tubular member put on the periphery of the multi-lumen tube with a gap, which allows each fluid chamber to axially stretch and radially slightly expand during supply of fluid to the fluid chamber and thus eases bending, created between them.