Fujifilm Corporation

Osamu Kuroda

Yasunori Ohta

Yoshihiro Ishikawa

Hideki Suzuki

Masakazu Nakajo

Yuzuru Ohtsuka

Takayuki Iida

Katsuto Sumi

Disclosed are an image defect detection device, method and an imaging unit capable of reliably detecting image defect, such as stripe unevenness or scratches, even if a comparatively inexpensive and low resolution imaging unit is used. An image reading unit has a plurality of read pixels arranged in a second direction intersecting a first direction and reads an image recorded on a recording medium by a single-pass recording head, which is relatively moved in the first direction. A birefringent plate shifts and duplexes the image at least in the second direction by performing birefringence of image light of the image. The birefringent plate makes the width of image defect in the second direction on the read pixels greater than the pitch of the read pixels. A detection unit which detects image defect included in the image and extended in the first direction based on the reading result of the image.

Image defect detection device, image defect detection method, and imaging unit

An endoscope light source unit comprising: a first light source section emitting a first illumination light composed of white light; a second light source section emitting a second illumination light orthogonally to a direction in which the first illumination light travels; a light combining member transmitting the first illumination light through a transmission section and, at the same time, reflecting the second illumination light by means of a reflection section to form a combined light so that a beam of the second illumination light may be located in a central part of a beam of the first illumination light; a shaping lens for modifying the beam of the second illumination light emitted; and a condenser lens for converging the combined light.

Endoscope light source unit and endoscopy system

An endoscope system is able to stably obtain an image free from speckle interference. A captured image including a first basic color component B on which a speckle noise of a laser beam is superimposed and a second basic color component G not including the speckle noise. A speckle noise component Bs is extracted based on difference information between the first basic color component B and the second basic color component G Based on the extracted speckle noise component Bs, the speckle noise component Bs is removed from the first basic color component B, so as to obtain a good observation image free from the speckle noise.

Endoscope system

An endoscope illuminating optical system includes an illumination lens having a positive power. Illumination light rays parallel to each other emitted from an optical fiber bundle enter an incident surface of the illumination lens. The incident surface of the illumination lens is aspherical, and has a reference position vertical to the optical axis. The reference position is the most projecting portion on the incident surface. A shape of the incident surface is expressed by an equation of D=F(H). 'H' is a height from the optical axis (0&#x2266;H&#x2266;Hmax), and 'D' is a depth from a reference plane. The reference plane is vertical to the optical axis. The reference position is on the reference plane. A first-order differential value of the function F(H) is more than 0, and a second-order differential value of the function F(H) is 0 at a particular height Hi (0&#x3c;Hi&#x3c;Hmax).

Illumination lens and endoscope illuminating optical system

When cassettes are placed on a conveyor disposed in a cassette loader and detectors disposed on a support plate on the conveyor detect information of identification strips on side walls of the cassettes, the cassettes are judged as being loaded properly in the cassette loader. When the detectors fail to detect the identification strips, the cassettes are judged as not being loaded in a desired state in the cassette loader.

Radiation image information reading apparatus

A cassette is delivered from a cassette loader through a stock unit to a releasing unit. After a stimulable phosphor panel is supplied from the cassette to a reading unit by an unlocking mechanism and a panel ejecting mechanism, the cassette is fed to a position below an erasing unit so as to wait for the stimulable phosphor panel. After recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor panel by the reading unit, the stimulable phosphor panel is fed to the erasing unit, which erases remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor panel is stored back into the waiting cassette, which is delivered to a cassette discharger.

Apparatus for and method of reading and erasing radiation image information

A plurality of stacked cassettes are loaded into a cassette loader, and the cassettes loaded in the cassette loader are changed in attitude and stocked in an erected state in a stock unit. After the cassettes are processed, they are discharged in an erected state into a cassette discharger.

After a housing of a cassette is opened by a suction cup, then a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from the cassette by a shiftable roller and then fed in an auxiliary scanning direction by a feed mechanism. While being fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a stimulating optical system. Light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the laser beam is guided through a light guide to a photoelectric transducer. After the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, and erasing light from erasing light sources is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Growing community of inventors

Fujisawa, Japan

Osamu Kuroda