Patent ID: 6846286

Claim:
An endoscope system, comprising: an endoscope that includes a flexible inserting tube configured to be inserted into a human body; a plurality of bending sensors distributed over the flexible inserting tube along the longitudinal direction thereof, each of said bending sensors detecting a local bending state of said flexible inserting tube at the location of said bending sensor; a computer configured to receive data on said local bending state from each of said plurality of bending sensors, said computer generating a graphical image representing the geometrical configuration of said flexible inserting tube from said data on said local bending states; a monitor connected to said computer to display said graphical image generated by said computer, and an elongated member positioned within said flexible inserting tube and extending substantially over the entire length of said flexible inserting tube, said elongated member comprising an instrument channel for guiding instruments therethrough to the distal end of said flexible inserting tube, wherein said plurality of bending sensors are mounted to said elongated member at locations spaced along the longitudinal direction thereof, wherein said plurality of bending sensors are attached on a surface of a flexible substrate formed in a ribbon-like shape, said substrate being mounted on said elongated member to bend together with said elongated member, and wherein said substrate is embedded in a wall of said elongated member.