Patent ID: 7331924

Claim:
An electric bending endoscope apparatus comprising: an endoscope having an insertion portion which is inserted into a subject in order to observe the inner portion of the subject, the insertion portion having a bending portion which can be bent in a desired direction at the distal end side thereof; a bending direction instructing device for outputting an instruction signal for bending the bending portion in the desired direction; a bending motive device for generating a drive force for bending the bending portion in response to the instruction from the bending direction instructing device; a bending driving device for bending the bending portion based on the drive force generated by the bending motive device; a first bending status detecting means for detecting the operating status in a moving range of the bending driving device which is moving based on the drive force in accordance with the instruction of the bending direction instructing device; a second bending status detecting means arranged in the moving range of the bending driving device for detecting only that the bending portion is in a predetermined bending status by detecting that the bending driving device is at a predetermined position, the second bending status detecting means not using a detection result of the first bending status detecting means; and a bending status notifying means for notifying an operator that the bending portion bends in a predetermined direction or angle based only on a detecting result of the second bending status detecting means.