| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus with improved operability realized by facilitated insertability into a tract.SOLUTION: An endoscope apparatus 1 comprises: a multi-segmented insertion part which is inserted into a tract; a state quantity calculation unit 63 which calculates a segment state quantity for each segment; a plurality of rigidity variation elements 723 adapted to make the flexural rigidity of each segment variable; a starting segment specification unit 64 which on the basis of the state quantity of each segment, specifies a range the segments in which are changed in their flexural rigidity or specifies a starting segment from which the changing of flexural rigidity begins; and a motion control unit 66 which operates each of the plurality of rigidity variation elements 723 and changes the flexural rigidities of their respective segments. The motion control unit 66 sets the range the segments in which are changed in their flexural rigidity or the flexural rigidities of a plurality of segments on the basis of the starting segment and reduces the flexural rigidities of two or more adjacent segments of the plurality of segments on the basis of the set range of segments or the set flexural rigidities. |
