Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Makoto Tsunakawa

Katsuyuki Saito

Kotaro Ogasawara

Akihiko Mochida

Hideki Tashiro

Noboru Kusamura

Kuniaki Kami

Shinji Yamashita

Wataru Ohno

Kanichi Matsumoto

Kazutaka Nakatsuchi

Masahiro Hagihara

Tsutomu Hirai

Akinobu Uchikubo

Junichi Onishi

Takehiro Nakagawa

Tomoki Iwasaki

Mamoru Kaneko

Kenji Harano

Akihiro Taguchi

Shoichi Amano

Yasukazu Tatsumi

Kenya Inomata

Kyou Imagawa

Susumu Hashimoto

Takeaki Nakamura

Takashi Ozaki

Masakazu Gotanda

Norihiko Hareyama

Kazunori Taniguchi

Takashi Takemura

Keisuke Tsutsui

Hiroshi Takahashi

Yutaka Fujisawa

Kouji Tanikawa

Takehide Fujimoto

Satoshi Honma

Manabu Yajima

Jun Konishi

Nanako Ubayama

Kentaro Hase

Yoshito Ichikawa

Yoshia Hoshino

Yukiko Nagaoka

Satoshi Takemoto

Akihito Kawamura

Takao Tabata

An endoscope apparatus capable of transmitting an endoscope image as an optical signal includes: an electronic component that includes a reception circuit configured to receive an electric signal outputted from an image pickup device and supply the electric signal to a conversion device; a printed board provided with the electronic component; a shielding member that covers at least the reception circuit; a first path via a ground connection line that is provided for the electronic component, and electrically connects the shielding member to a ground; and a second path via a conductive portion that electrically connects the shielding member to the ground, wherein an impedance of the second path is lower than an impedance of the first path.

Endoscope apparatus for transmitting an endoscope image as an optical signal

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 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

Using an endoscope system, a surgeon A holds an endoscope with a TV camera (hereinafter, an endoscope) and a therapeutic appliance such as forceps and carries out a surgical procedure while viewing a first monitor. A surgeon B holds a therapeutic appliance such as forceps and carries out the surgical procedure while viewing a second monitor. A video signal sent from the TV camera of the endoscope is fed to and processed by an image processing apparatus, and displayed on each of the first and second monitors. The image processing apparatus transfers the video signal sent from the endoscope to each of an image inverting circuit and a selector switch. The image inverting circuit inverts an image (laterally (to produce a mirror image), vertically, or vertically and laterally (180&deg;)), and supplies a processed video signal to the selector switch. The selector switch selects a video signal to be supplied to each of the first and second monitors, which are display units, in response to a control signal sent from a selector. The contents of processing to be performed by the image inverting circuit and the video signal to be selected by the selector are designated using setting switches on an operation panel.

Image processing apparatus for performing turn or mirror inversion on an input video signal and outputting different images simultaneously

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.

A plurality of pieces of medical equipment each of which includes a microcomputer and has a program used to control the microcomputer stored in a reproqrammable storage device such as an EEPROM is linked to a remote computer over a communication line. Using a rewriting/updating program sent from the computer, each piece of medical equipment rewrites or updates the program stored in the storage device. When a plurality of programs is stored, if one of the programs is rewritten or updated abnormally, the other program is used to activate medical equipment.

Medical apparatus supporting system

Growing community of inventors

Toda, Japan

Makoto Tsunakawa