Variable flexibility endoscope system

Claim 1

An endoscope system comprising: an endoscope section having a flexible pipe insertable into a body cavity, said flexible pipe including a plurality of segments with flexibility variation means for varying the flexibility of each of said segments; a monitor section for displaying images obtained by said endoscope as a picture; and a main frame unit having a flexibility control section for controlling the flexibility of said flexibility variation means for each segment and an image display control section for controlling said monitor section; wherein said main frame unit further comprises a central control section for controlling said flexibility control section and said image display control section, a data base for storing flexibility quantities for each segment of said flexible pipe in the form of a plurality of flexibility control patterns, and input means for inputting data to said central control section, said monitor section includes a display for displaying at least one flexibility control pattern as a picture, said central control section extracts any flexibility control patterns from said data base on the basis of data inputted by said input means to said central control section and further displays extracted patterns on said display, and when any one of said displayed flexibility control patterns is selected by said input means, said flexibility control section controls the flexibility of said flexibility variation means in accordance with said selected flexibility control pattern.