One embodiment of the present invention is a flexible tube insertion device characterized by comprising: a tubular insertion part to be inserted into a subject; variable stiffness parts which are provided for multiple continuous segments oriented in the axial direction of the insertion part and change the bending stiffness of the insertion part on a per segment basis; and a stiffness connection part disposed across the boundary of at least a pair of adjacent segments among the multiple segments and changes the bending stiffness at the boundary between the pair of segments such that when there are changes in the bending stiffness at the boundary between the pair of segments caused by respective variable stiffness parts, the bending stiffness at the boundary between the pair of segments is continuous with the bending stiffness of the pair of segments.

Flexible tube insertion device

An insertion portion rigidity changeable catheter with a balloon has an insertion portion including a coil-shaped member which is extensible and contractible and has a predetermined elastic force, with a compression length set to be a predetermined length, and a sheath which is a tube body with predetermined flexibility having a fluid conduit, includes a sheath main body surrounded by the coil-shaped member, and a sheath end portion provided at one end side of the sheath main body, having a diameter larger than the sheath main body and having a contact surface which one end surface of the coil-shaped member contacts, has one opening of the fluid conduit in the sheath end portion and has another opening of the fluid conduit at another end side of the sheath main body, an inflatable/deflatable balloon which is provided at the sheath end portion of the sheath, and is configured to be inflated by being supplied with a fluid via the one opening of the fluid conduit to expand an outside diameter dimension to be a diameter larger than an outside diameter of the sheath end portion, and to be deflated by the fluid being discharged via the one opening to be brought into close contact with an outer circumferential face of the sheath end portion, and an operation section which is fixedly provided at another end side of the sheath, and includes an operation section main body including a fluid supply and discharge apparatus connection portion which is directly or indirectly connected to a fluid supply and discharge apparatus which performs supply of the fluid into the balloon via the fluid conduit, or discharge of the fluid in the balloon, and a slide member which is slidably disposed in an inner surface side of the operation section main body, and is disposed at another end side of the operation section main body by an elastic force of the coil-shaped member.

Balloon-equipped catheter having variable stiffness insertion section, and endoscope with second bendable section

In a flexible tube insertion apparatus, at least one circuit determines whether an S-shape is formed in an insertion section based on a shape information of the insertion section detected by a detector, determines whether an intersection angle between an extension line of a central axis of the insertion section and a tangential line for the insertion section at an inflection point is enlarged or not based on the shape information, and determines whether or not the stiffness variable portions are provided in a position of the S-shape in the insertion section when it is determined that the S-shape is formed and the intersection angle is enlarged. A stiffness controller increases a stiffness of the stiffness variable portions included in the position of the S-shape in accordance with the determination of the circuit.

Flexible tube insertion apparatus

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for recovering a metal from unutilized resources by means of which a metal in unutilized resources, which has not been utilized effectively before, can be easily and rapidly recovered with high purity. SOLUTION: The apparatus is a metal recovery apparatus 1 from unutilized resources which recovers a metal such as nickel (Ni) from petroleum based unutilized resources such as petrocoke P. This apparatus includes an oxygen supply section 2 and a partial oxidation furnace 4 where a prescribed amount of oxygen is introduced from the oxygen supply section 2 to combust the petrocoke P and partially oxidize the nickel (Ni) bonding to an organic substance contained in the petrocoke P. Moreover, ash T as a deposit of an inorganic compound resulting from the partial oxidation can be taken out from the partial oxidation furnace 4 in order to recover the nickel (Ni) from the ash T. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Method and apparatus for recovering metal from unutilized resource

PURPOSE:To prevent holes of slag tap from clogging and enable the optimum crushing corresponding to the nature of flowing-down filamentary slag by equipping the slag-cooling part in the coal gasification furnace with a crushing means. CONSTITUTION:Slag is passed through holes of slag tap 8, formed into long and narrow filamentary slag 7' with about 0.5-3.0mm diameter and allowed to flow down into the cooling water 12 in a slag-cooling part. A rotator 13, equipped in said cooling water 12 and having an impeller of wire net, is subsequently rotated while the rotational speed and the direction of rotation are arbitrarily changed corresponding to the shape and flow-down velocity of filamentary slag by a motor 14 to crush the slag. The crushing corresponding to the nature of the filamentary slag is facilitated by making the rotator 13 a multistage structure.

Slag recovery equipment in coal gasification furnace

PURPOSE: To separate a heavy metal with high yield in a short time, by subjecting water suspension of carbonous ash contg. heavy metal, to crushing means to crush the contained carbonous ash. CONSTITUTION: Water suspension (pH7W11) of carbonous ash contg. heavy metal formed by partial oxidation reaction of hydrocarbon or the like is fed into a hopper 5. Water suspension is spattered in circumferential direction from center by centrifugal force of an impeller 7 revolving at high speed (≥500rpm), and is allowed to collide against a fixed auxiliary crushing member 2 made of the same material as a discoid crushing member 1. Next, the carbonous ash is entered pressedly into the gap (≤500μ) composed of both members 1, 2, and said ash collides repeatedly against the surfaces of both members 1, 2. Thus the impacting and shearing forces are given to carbonous ash to crush it to fine particles so that carbon and heavy metal can be separated and discharged from an exit hole 6. In this way, the heavy metal can be separated in solid state. COPYRIGHT: (C)1986,JPO&Japio

Separation of heavy metal from carbonous ash

PURPOSE:To separate and recover heavy metals, Ni, V, Fe and the like, at a high extraction rate, from impure carbon containing these heavy metals which are by-products obtained in the pyrolysis (partial oxidation) of hydrocarbon.

Fukue Takeshi

Papers

Separation of heavy metal from carbonous ash

Method to separate and recover heavy metals in carbon