Fujifilm Corporation

Fujinon Corporation

Satoshi Ozawa

Hiroshi Yamaguchi

Takashi Yano

Takayuki Iida

Yoshinori Morimoto

Masahiro Kubo

Yuichi Teramura

Masayuki Kuramoto

Makoto Sugizaki

Azuchi Endo

Akira Mizuyoshi

Takeichi Tatsuta

Kenichi Otani

Akihiko Erikawa

Yasuhiro Minetoma

Eiji Ohashi

Masayuki Ryuto

Hisashi Ohara

Hideo Seto

A fluorescent type of green light source of a semiconductor in a light source apparatus for an endoscope includes a blue excitation light source device and green emitting phosphor. The blue excitation light source device emits blue excitation light. The green emitting phosphor is excited by the blue excitation light, and emits green fluorescence. A dichroic filter in a dichroic mirror cuts off the blue excitation light from an emission spectrum of mixed light of the blue excitation light and green fluorescence from the fluorescent type of green light source. Thus, illumination light with the emission spectrum of a target can be stably supplied without influence of the blue excitation light to a light amount of blue light from a blue light source of a semiconductor.

Light source apparatus and endoscope system

There are provided a light source device, which is more compact and inexpensive than a known light source device, and an endoscope system having a compact and inexpensive light source device. In a light source device, a light source unit includes a first light source that emits blue light, a second light source that emits broadband green light including not only a green component but also a red component, and an optical filter that adjusts the amount of broadband green light for each wavelength. The optical filter has a characteristic in which the reflectance of the green component is smaller than the reflectance of the red component in the case of reflecting the broadband green light or a characteristic in which the transmittance of the green component is smaller than the transmittance of the red component in the case of transmitting the broadband green light.

Light source device and endoscope system

A band limiter comprises an optical filter, which has first and second filter sections, and a filter moving mechanism for moving the optical filter to place the first or second filter section in a light path of blue light. A passband where transmittance of the first filter section is greater than or equal to half a peak value thereof is defined as a first transmission band. The first transmission band includes a peak wavelength, at which an absorption coefficient of hemoglobin is at its peak. A passband where transmittance of the second filter section is greater than or equal to half a peak value thereof is defined as a second transmission band. The second transmission band does not include an isosbestic wavelength (in the order of 450 nm), at which an absorption coefficient of oxyhemoglobin equals or crosses an absorption coefficient of deoxyhemoglobin.

Light source device for endoscope and endoscope system

A band limiter comprises an optical filter, which has first and second filter sections, and a filter moving mechanism for moving the optical filter. The first filter section reduces intensity of blue light, which is emitted from a B-LED, in a wavelength range of greater than or equal to a peak wavelength of the blue light to generate first blue light. The second filter section reduces intensity of the blue light in a wavelength range of less than or equal to the peak wavelength of the blue light to generate second blue light. A light source controller places the first filter section in a light path of the blue light in a normal mode to generate the first blue light, and places the second filter section in the light path of the blue light in an oxygen saturation mode to generate the second blue light.

An endoscope system includes a light source unit, a band limiting unit, a light source control unit, an imaging sensor, an imaging control unit, and an oxygen saturation image generation unit. The light source unit includes a V-LED that emits violet light, a B-LED that emits blue light, a G-LED that emits green light, and an R-LED that emits red light. The band limiting unit generates measurement light having a specific wavelength band for measuring the oxygen saturation from the blue light. The light source control unit switches the control of the light source unit between a first light emission mode, in which the observation target is irradiated with the violet light, the measurement light, the green light, and the red light, and a second light emission mode, in which the observation target is irradiated with the measurement light.

Endoscope system, light source device, operation method for endoscope system, and operation method for light source device

An endoscope system comprising an image signal acquisition unit acquiring an image signal by imaging a subject, and an irregularity image generation unit generating an irregularity image by extracting information of irregularities on the subject, the irregularity image generation unit includes a microstructure image generation section generating a microstructure image as the irregularity image by extracting a microstructure of a body tissue surface layer from the image signal, the image signal including image signals of a plurality of colors having information of different wavelength components, the microstructure image generation section includes a first brightness signal generation section generating a brightness signal showing an average brightness of the subject based on the image signals of the plurality of colors, and a first image generation section generating the microstructure image by extracting a pixel region, in which a pixel value exceeds a fixed threshold value, of the brightness signal as a microstructure.

Endoscope system and image generation method to generate images associated with irregularities of a subject

A blue signal B, a green signal G, and a red signal R are obtained by imagining a subject illuminated with white light W using a color CCD. Based on these signals B, G, and R, a normal light image in which a wavelength component of a visible light region is included is generated. Based on the signals B, G, and R, a brightness signal I ((B+G+R)/3) showing the average brightness of the subject is generated. A pixel region exceeding the fixed threshold value Thof the brightness signal I is extracted as a superficial microstructure P, such as a pit pattern. A microstructure enhancement imageis generated by combining the normal light image with a superficial microstructure imageobtained by extracting the superficial microstructure P. The generated microstructure and blood vessel enhancement imageis displayed on a monitor

Endoscope system and composite image generation method

To provide an endoscope apparatus in which the observation image can be varied continuously as the observation magnification is varied by a zoom magnification varying manipulation so that an observation image suitable for an endoscope diagnosis is obtained at each observation magnification, and to thereby prevent the operator from feeling uncomfortable and increase the accuracy of a diagnosis. An endoscope apparatus is equipped with illuminating unit having plural light sources which generate light beams having different spectra, for illuminating an observation subject; imaging unit for imaging the observation subject; observation magnification varying unit for varying observation magnification of the imaging of the imaging unit; and light quantity ratio varying unit for continuously varying an emission light quantity ratio between the plural light sources according to the observation magnification that is set by the observation magnification varying unit.

Endoscope apparatus

An endoscopeincludes a first light sourcethat emits white illumination light, a second light sourcethat emits narrow-band light and an imaging section that has an imaging devicehaving plural detection pixels and images a region to be observed. The imaging section is caused to output a captured image signal including both a return light component of the white illumination light from the region to be observed by and a return light component of the narrow-band light the white illumination light. From the captured image signal, the return light component of the narrow-band light is selectively extracted, and a brightness level of the extracted return light component of the narrow-band light is changed by changing a light amount of light emitted from the second light source

Method of controlling endoscope and endoscope

Provided is an endoscope system including an endoscope which includes an illumination optical system having a fluorescent substance and an imaging optical system having an imaging element; and a control device which is connected to the endoscope. The control device includes a light source unit having a semiconductor light emitting element generating excitation light used to excite the fluorescent substance, a storage section storing predetermined color correction information, and an image processing section creating captured image data by performing a calculation process on an image signal output from the imaging element on the basis of the color correction information. At least one of optical characteristics of the fluorescent substance and the semiconductor light emitting element is detected, and the color correction information stored in the storage section is corrected on the basis of the detected optical characteristic.

Endoscope system with color correction information

An endoscope apparatus includes: an endoscope which includes an imaging optical system and an illumination optical system; and a control unit which includes light source units and connected to the endoscope and supplying at least excitation light to the illumination optical system, and an image processing section correcting an image signal output from the imaging element on the basis of a predetermined color correction table. The control unit performs a calibration process in such a manner that an image of a color chart having a plurality of color patches with known chromaticity values is captured by an imaging element, chromaticity for each of the plurality of color patches is obtained from an imaging signal of the color chart, and the contents of the color correction table are changed.

Endoscope apparatus calibration with color correction table

Provided are a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements having different central light emission wavelengths, a multiplexer means for multiplexing lights, and a central wavelength converting means for controlling a light emission amount ratio of the plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements by the use of a wavelength conversion table in which a central wavelength of multiplexed laser light is obtained on the basis of information of a light emission amount and the central light emission wavelengths. Accordingly, the central wavelength of the multiplexed light is controlled to be a predetermined wavelength.

Endoscope apparatus and illumination control method of endoscope apparatus

An endoscope system includes an endoscope and a control device. The endoscope includes an illumination optical system with a fluorescent body formed in an optical path and an imaging optical system with an imaging element outputting an imaging signal of an optical image. The control device includes a light source unit which supplies an excitation light to the illumination optical system so as to emit light from the fluorescent body and an image processing section which corrects the imaging signal output from the imaging element. The image processing section includes: an illumination light spectrum calculating unit, a chromaticity correction table creating unit and an image correcting unit.

Endoscope system

This optical tomographic imaging system comprises an optical path length adjustor configured to set a first reference position of a measurement depth direction to an inner edge of a measurement range by adjusting an optical path length of a reference light, and an optical path length switching unit having a preset optical path length that provides a second reference position differing in measurement depth from the first reference position by a predetermined amount and configured to change the optical path length of the reference light or the optical path length of the reflected light adjusted by the optical path length adjustor so as to switch between the first reference position and the second reference position. This system is capable of measuring a measurement region of interest at high resolution, regardless of the position (depth) of the measurement region of interest, in an SS-OCT employing a wavelength-swept light source.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Satoshi Ozawa