Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Katsuyuki Saito

Shinji Yamashita

Masao Uehara

Masahiko Sasaki

Akinobu Uchikubo

Masahide Kanno

Takehiro Nakagawa

Jun Hasegawa

Akihiko Mochida

Katsuyoshi Sasagawa

Makoto Tsunakawa

Kotaro Ogasawara

Hideki Tashiro

Noboru Kusamura

Wataru Ohno

Kuniaki Kami

Kanichi Matsumoto

Seiji Yamaguchi

Kazunari Nakamura

Kazutaka Nakatsuchi

Masahiro Hagihara

Hisao Yabe

Shigeru Nakajima

Hiroyuki Sasa

Akira Murata

Yoshihiro Okada

Masahito Goto

Yutaka Takahashi

Susumu Takahashi

Toyoharu Hanzawa

Takashi Fukaya

Nobuaki Akui

Tomoki Iwasaki

Tsutomu Hirai

Akihiro Miyashita

Shinichi Kato

Susumu Hashimoto

Keisuke Saito

Kenji Yoshino

Hitoshi Karasawa

Akio Nakada

Toshihiko Hashiguchi

Akihiro Taguchi

Atsushi Kidawara

Iwao Kanamori

Tadashi Kato

Nobuyuki Sakamoto

Shoichi Amano

Shingo Kato

Hideki Koyanagi

Hiroki Hibino

Tomohisa Sakurai

Sakae Takehana

Shinichiro Hattori

Hiroshi Fujiwara

Masakazu Gotanda

Yoshinao Oaki

Koichi Matsui

Keiichi Hiyama

Hiroaki Kagawa

Masahiko Kinukawa

Hidetoshi Saito

Kazunari Kobayashi

Akihiko Miyazaki

Masaru Sudo

Yutaka Fujisawa

Koji Koda

Masami Hamada

Akihiko Yajima

Yoshihiro Kosaka

Hiroyuki Kuroda

Masanori Kaneda

Jun Konishi

Manabu Yajima

Mototsugu Ogawa

Kentaro Hase

Kazuo Sonobe

Shouichi Ieoka

Kazutada Kobayashi

Akira Kusumoto

Akihito Kawamura

Syouichi Ieoka

Akirhiro Miyashita

Koji Tanikawa

Masahide Kanoo

An endoscope device in which endoscope images and patient information can be recorded in a removable storage medium and in which the endoscope images and patient information recorded in the storage medium can be reproduced. The endoscope device has a selection means for reproducing the endoscope images in a list form and selecting at least one endoscope image from the reproduced list; a display means for inputting additional information other than the patient information, adding the additional information to the endoscope image selected by the selection means, and displaying the result; and a recording/reproduction means for recording the selected endoscope image and the additional information in the storage medium or reproducing the image and the information.

Endoscope apparatus

An endoscope signal processing apparatus has a first video signal generating circuit and a second video signal generating circuit which respectively generate a first video signal and a second video signal offering different resolutions depending on a first image capturing device and a second image capturing device respectively which are mounted in an endoscope removably connected to an endoscope connecting portion. The first and second video signals can be selectively output to an exterior through a common video signal output connector.

Endoscope signal processing apparatus

An endoscope device is proposed for dealing with an erroneous operation of a surgeon. An endoscope device has an endoscope and a processor, wherein the endoscope has a switch unit and the processor has a CPU and an operating panel. In the event that the CPU of the processor detects that, of a first instruction signal transmitted from the switch unit and a second instruction signal transmitted from the operating panel, the instructions for performing the predetermined operation are not performed normally with one of the instruction signals, and instructions for performing an operation other than the predetermined operation is performed normally with the other instruction signal, the CPU stops the transmission of one of the instruction signals, and validates the operation content instructed by the other instruction signal.

Endoscope device

To provide an image pickup system having CCDsdriven at different frequencies respectively which can drive each CCDwith a predetermined frequency if a detachable camera head (or electronic endoscope)is used and also can process a signal processing clock of a video processing circuitwith one type of clock. A drive signal of the predetermined frequency supplied to the CCD is produced via a generating circuit CXOin the video processing circuit, a frequency dividing circuitand a timing generator (T.G.). A CCD signal outputted from the CCDis inputted to a line memoryin a floating circuit. As a writing clock (WCK) of the line memory, the one which is divided in the frequency dividing circuitto a frequency in accordance with the CCDto be used is used, and as a reading clock (RCK), the one of one type of frequency is used without regard to the CCDto be used. Hence, it is possible to perform the signal processing of a secondary circuitof the line memoryand following ones always with a common generating clock.

Image pickup system

A camera control unit for processing a signal output from an imaging device incorporated in an endoscope is provided with an analog video signal output terminal through which a video signal is output to a monitor, and a digital video signal output terminal to which a still image-specific or motion picture-specific expansion unit is coupled in a freely detachable manner. By handling a release switch, a still image or motion picture can be recorded digitally. Even when the recorded image data is edited or subjected to any other processing, deterioration of image quality can be prevented. An imaging system having these advantages can be realized on a small scale.

Endoscopic imaging system in which still image-specific or motion picture-specific expansion unit can be coupled to digital video output terminal in freely uncoupled manner

An endoscope apparatus including: an endoscope unit having: a lens units; a photographing unit for photographing an optical image picked up through the lens unit; and a lens unit driving motor for driving the lens unit for realizing at least one of a zoom function and a focus function; and a control unit having: an image processing circuit for processing an image signal output from the photographing unit, and for outputting the processed image signal to a monitor, wherein: at least one of the endoscope unit and the control unit comprises: a motor driving circuit for controlling the lens unit driving motor; and a motor control circuit for outputting a control signal that controls the motor driving circuit by detecting a switch signal generated by operation of a zoom switch or a focus switch.

An imaging apparatus having an imaging device for imaging an object in cooperation with an endoscope is connected to a video processing unit for producing a standard video signal so that it can be disconnected freely. A signal delay occurs over a signal line linking the imaging device and the video processing unit. For this reason, a timing generator and a phase adjustment circuit are incorporated in the imaging apparatus. The timing generator generates driving signals used to drive the imaging device, and the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the driving signals so that an output signal of the imaging device will be input to the video processing unit according to predetermined timing. Even when the signal line has a different length from any other or the imaging device offers a different number of pixels from any other, the difference can be readily coped with owing to the imaging apparatus. This leads to alleviation of a load incurred by the video processing unit.

Endoscopic imaging system and endoscope system

In an endoscopic imaging system, a signal representing an object image produced by a scope and projected by a camera head is processed by a CCU and displayed as an endoscopic image on a TV monitor. The object image is stored as digital image data on a memory in the CCU, read as image data of a still image, and recorded on a PC card mounted in a PC card slot. The PC card slot is formed in the front panel or the like of the CCU. A lid member or the like functioning as an anti-liquid invasion member and shield can be located at an opening of the slot.

Endoscopic imaging system making it possible to detachably attach expansion unit having external expansion facility and add expansion facility for improving capability of system

When an endoscopic imaging system is employed in, for example, the department of otorhinology, a color processing expansion substrate, a still image production expansion substrate, and a still image compression/recording substrate are stacked on an expansion connector formed on a main substrate and are thus connected to the main substrate. A data bus and an address bus extending from a control unit mounted on the main substrate are linked to the expansion substrates. A sync signal generator outputs various kinds of sync signals including a clock signal CLK, a horizontal sync signal HD, a vertical sync signal VD, a field identification signal FLD, and a composite sync signal CSYNC to the expansion substrates.

Image processing unit whose ability to process endoscopic image signal can be expanded, and endoscopic imaging system

One expansion substrate or a plurality of expansion substrates that realize different facilities can be connected to a main substrate that realizes basic processing to be performed by a CCU. Based on an ID number produced by an ID generation unit mounted on a connected expansion substrate, a CPU incorporated in the CCU identifies the facility realized with the expansion substrate. A menu screen image presents item BOD Control under which the facilities are presented. When item BOD Control is designated, a BOD Control screen image that lists control items indicating the facilities realized with all the expansion substrates that are connected to the main substrate is displayed. When a concrete facility such as a P-in-P facility realized with an expansion substrate is selected or designated in the BOD Control screen image, a screen image concerning the designated P-in-P facility is displayed. Thus, the details of a facility that is realized with a connected expansion substrate can be set easily.

Image processing unit for expanding endoscope image signal processing capability

Image processing unit with expandable image signal processing capability and endoscopic imaging system

An object is imaged continuously during a first exposure time and a second exposure time shorter than the first exposure time. Weights, one of which decreases monotonously and the other of which increases monotonously, are applied to first and second resultant image signals under the condition that the sum of the weights is 1. The first and second image signals that have been weighted are added up, thus producing a synthetic picture signal. When a luminance level is low, the ratio of the first image signal, which has been produced during the longer exposure time, to the second image signal is increased. This results in an image demonstrating a high signal-to-noise ratio. When the luminance level is high, the ratio of the second image signal, which has been produced during the shorter exposure time, to the first image signal is increased. This results in a synthetic image that proves a wide dynamic range, depicts a smoothly varying brightness level, and exhibits a characteristic of being seen as almost natural. Moreover, the first and second image signals are produced to resemble those produced during mutually different exposure times by controlling an amount of light incident on an imaging device or by varying an amount of illumination light.

Imaging apparatus offering dynamic range that is expandable by weighting two image signals produced during different exposure times with two coefficients whose sum is 1 and adding them up

In an endoscopic imagining system, a signal representing an object image produced by a scope and projected by a camera head is processed by a CCU and displayed as an endoscopic image on a TV monitor. The object image is stored as digital image data on a memory in the CCU, read as image data of a still image, and recorded on a PC card mounted in a PC card slot. The PC card slot is formed in the front panel or the like of the CCU. A lid member or the like functioning as an anti-liquid invasion member and shield can be located at an opening of the slot.

In an endoscopic apparatus, when the dynamic range expansion on/off switch is turned on, a CPU changes a switch from one contact over to another. Red, green, and blue digital signals sent from a knee and gamma circuit are output to respective dynamic range expanding circuits. Thus, the dynamic ranges for the digital signals are expanded. On the other hand, when the CPU changes another switch from one contact over to the other, a light adjustment signal output from an operational amplifier is then driven to a level causing a diaphragm in a light source unit to open further. Consequently, an increased amount of illumination light is supplied to the incident end of a light guide running through an endoscope. Thus, when a dynamic range is expanded, a halation effect will not occur in imaging of an object located at a point near the distal end of the endoscope. Moreover, insufficiency of illumination light will not occur in the imaging of an object located at a point far from the endoscope distal end. The dynamic range can therefore be expanded efficiently. An endoscopic image of the interior of a body cavity can be viewed with the body cavity set to a desired brightness level all points ranging from a near point to a far point within the body cavity.

Endoscopic apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Hachioji, Japan

Katsuyuki Saito