Patent ID: 8211010

Claim:
An endoscopic information processing system comprising: a shape analyzing unit for analyzing an insertional shape acquired by detecting the shape of an insertion unit of an endoscope which is inserted into a body cavity, the analyzing performed by the shape analyzing unit including: detecting a looped portion along the insertion unit, calculating a direction of rotation and a size of a looped portion where a loop is formed by an insertion operation of the insertion unit, calculating a direction of a plane on which the detected looped portion is formed, and determining whether a distal part of the insertion unit is located closer to or farther from a viewing point relative to the plane on which the looped portion is formed, the viewing point being a position or angle from which the representation of the endoscope is being viewed on a display; and an information providing unit for providing an operating method for bringing the insertion unit from a current situation into a situation in which a loop of the looped portion is canceled based on the analysis performed by the shape analyzing unit, the operating method being a series of steps for manipulating the endoscope to be carried out in succession provided in graphical, written, and/or audio form, the information providing unit using the analysis performed by the shape analyzing unit to determine the operating method in order to cancel a looped state of the insertion unit by straightening the insertion unit.