Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Nec Corporation

Iwao Komazaki

Eiji Yamamoto

Takeshi Ito

Masahiro Nishio

Jun Hane

Yoshimi Kuroda

Kazuaki Tamura

A light source device includes a laser diode configured to emit a laser light used as an illumination light, a determination unit configured to determine one of a plurality of modes as an operation mode of the laser diode based on usage state of the light source device; and a driver configured to drive the laser diode in a condition that a bias current to the laser diode is applied depending on the operation mode determined by the determination unit.

Light source device

An endoscope apparatus includes alight source, a bendable insertion section to be inserted into an observation target, a light guide path which is provided in the insertion section and which guides light emitted from the light source, an illumination light emitter which is provided at the distal end of the insertion section and which emits at least some of the light guided by the light guide path to the observation target as illumination light, a curvature sensor which detects a bending shape of at least part of the insertion section, and an illumination light controller which controls an optical characteristic of the illumination light on the basis of the bending shape of the insertion section detected by the curvature sensor.

Endoscope apparatus

A subject observation system includes a light source and an image obtaining unit. The light source emits observation light including a spectral component of a wavelength and applies the light to a subject. The image obtaining unit images reflected light from an irradiation region of the subject to which the light has been applied and obtains at least two observation images in different wavelength regions based on image signals corresponding to a blue region, a green region and a red region. The light includes components of light emission spectra in the regions. The light emission spectrum in the blue region is smaller in a wavelength region in which absorption intensity for a specific observation target in the subject is relatively low than in other regions.

Subject observation system and method, and capsule-type endoscope system

A light source apparatus includes an optical illumination unit that converts optical characteristics of primary light emitted from a light source unit and emits secondary light different from the primary light; and an adapter unit that outwardly emits illumination light generated based on the secondary light emitted from the optical illumination unit and that is attachable to/detachable from the optical illumination unit. A radiation angle control member converts a traveling direction of the secondary light so that the secondary light allowed to emit from a light conversion member toward the radiation angle control member in the secondary light allowed to emit from the light conversion member travels toward the adapter unit through the secondary light emit portion.

Light source apparatus

A primary optical unit and a photodetector unit are arranged on a side of a optical branching unit, on which primary terminals are arranged, and a lightconversion unit, which receives primary light, converts the primary light into secondary light, and emits the secondary light, is arranged on a side of the optical branching unit, on which secondary terminals are arranged, to enable guiding of the primary light from the primary optical unit to the lightconversion unit and guiding of the secondary light from the lightconversion unit to the photodetector unit through optical fibers.

Light source module and light source system

A light source unit includes a primary light source configured to emit primary light, and a connection portion provided on an optical path of the primary light and to and from which an optical conversion unit is attachable and removable, the optical conversion unit including an optical conversion element configured to convert optical properties of the primary light to generate secondary light.

Light source unit, optical conversion unit, light source apparatus and light source system for an endoscope

A light source device includes an excitation light source which generates excitation light, a fluorescent member containing a fluorescent substance which absorbs the excitation light to generate fluorescence, an emitting side optical member which is provided on an emitting end face of the fluorescent member, and a reflector which is provided on the side surface of the fluorescent member. The reflector has an optical property of reflecting the excitation light and the fluorescence. The emitting side optical member has an optical property of reflecting the excitation light and transmitting the fluorescence.

An optical encoder includes a scale which is installed on one member of which, displacement is detected, and a detecting head which is installed on the other member which moves relatively with respect to the one member, and is disposed facing the scale. A predetermined optical pattern in a direction of relative movement is provided, and the detecting head includes a light emitting section which irradiates a predetermined light on the scale, a light detecting section which includes a light receiving surface which receives light through the optical pattern, which is irradiated on the scale from the light emitting section, and which detects light distribution formed on the light receiving surface, a first light transmitting member which is disposed in an optical path between the light emitting section and the scale, and a second light transmitting member which is disposed in an optical path between the scale and the light detecting section. The optical encoder further includes a stray-light reduction element which is interposed between a surface of the first light transmitting member and a surface of the second light transmitting member, and which reduces stray light which does not contribute to signal detection.

Optical encoder having a stray-light reduction element for reducing strat-light

In a triple slit optical encoder, a first grating and a third grating are formed on separate members, and values of a first effective width Wand a first pitch pof an optical pattern on the first grating, and a third effective width Wand a third pitch pof an optical pattern on the third grating are set to values such that a periodic signal having the amplitude effective for detection of a relative displacement of a scale is achieved based on periodicity of the self-image, refractive indices of substances of substances and/or spaces interposed in the optical path from a bare LED up to a photodetector, and the thickness of those substances and/or spaces in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane on which the second grating is formed.

Triple grating optical encoder and modified triple grating optical encoder for displacement detection

An optical encoder is a reflecting triple grating type optical encoder. A light projecting section of the optical encoder which includes a combination of a bare chip LED and a first grating of a first pitch p, irradiates a predetermined light. A photodetecting section of the optical encoder which includes a combination of a photodetector and a third grating of a third pitch pdetects a movement of a self image. Each of the first grating and the third grating is disposed substantially parallel with respect to a scale, and a substantially parallel and substantially flat light transmitting area is formed in a predetermined portion of a surface of a detecting head. A light transparent member is disposed in a space between the surface of the detecting head, and the first grating and the second grating.

Triple grating optical encoder with light transmitting area in optical path

An optical displacement sensor comprises a surface emitting laser light source, a scale and a photosensor. The surface emitting laser light source emits a light beam having a predetermined shape. The scale is displaceable in such a manner as to cross the light beam emitted from the surface emitting laser light source and has a diffraction grating of a predetermined period formed thereon for forming a diffraction interference pattern from the light beam. The photosensor receives a predetermined portion of the diffraction interference pattern. The photosensor includes light intensity detecting means comprised of a plurality of light receiving areas arranged apart from one another in a pitch direction of the diffraction interference pattern on a light receiving surface at intervals of np(z+z)/zwhere zis a distance between a light-beam emitting surface of the surface emitting laser light source and a surface on which the diffraction grating is formed, zis a distance between the surface on which the diffraction grating is formed and the light receiving surface of the photosensor, pis the pitch of the diffraction grating on the scale, and n is a natural number.

Optical displacement sensor and optical encoder

An optical displacement sensor comprises a surface emitting laser light source, a scale and a photosensor. The surface emitting laser light source emits a light beam having a predetermined shape. The scale is displaceable in such a manner as to cross the light beam emitted from the surface emitting laser light source and has a diffraction grating of a predetermined period formed thereon for forming a diffraction interference pattern from the light beam. The photosensor receives a predetermined portion of the diffraction interference pattern. The photosensor includes light intensity detecting means comprised of a plurality of light receiving areas arranged apart from one another in a pitch direction of the diffraction interference pattern on a light receiving surface at intervals of np1(z1+z2)/z1 where z1 is a distance between a light-beam emitting surface of the surface emitting laser light source and a surface on which the diffraction grating is formed, z2 is a distance between the surface on which the diffraction grating is formed and the light receiving surface of the photosensor, p1 is the pitch of the diffraction grating on the scale, and n is a natural number.

An optical displacement sensor includes a laser light source, a scale, a photodetector, and an optical element which refracts light beams to the scale. The scale is displaced in a fashion traversing the light beams and includes a periodic pattern formed thereon to generate a diffractive interference pattern from the light beams. The photodetector receives at least a portion of the pattern and includes a photodetector array comprising plural light receiving areas having a period of np (z &plus;z )/z in a pitch direction of the pattern on a surface of the photodetector. A distance between an emission surface of the laser light source and a surface of the scale is defined as z . A distance between the surface of the scale and a light receiving surface of the photodetector is defined as z . A pitch of the periodic pattern is defined as p , and n denotes a natural number.

Optical displacement sensor having a semiconductor laser light source using an optical element which can control beam angle and a beam shape

Current blocking layers are provided on whole both side surfaces of a mesa stripe structure to control a transverse mode of light in active and window sections. In a longitudinal direction of a laser cavity, an active layer and optical guiding layers are coupled by taper like optical waveguides. As a result, a low loss coupling and a high optical radiation power are obtained in a self-alignment type window semiconductor laser according to the invention. Further, a wafer surface is flatted, after the regrowth of the window sections, so that the window sections and an active section are simultaneously processed in regard to an optical transverse mode. As a result, a fabricating process is simplified in the invention.

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Saitama, Japan

Iwao Komazaki