Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Nkk Corporation

Shinya Matsumoto

Akira Hasegawa

Tetsuya Yamamoto

Hironobu Takizawa

Takeshi Yokoi

Hidetake Segawa

Makoto Tomioka

Mitsujiro Konno

Yasuhiro Shimura

Kimihiko Nishioka

Shoji Yoshikawa

Takayuki Suzuki

Koki Morishita

Yumi Ikeda

Katsuya Ono

Yoshiharu Takasugi

Motohiro Mitamura

Toshikazu Takayama

Takuya Seki

Yuta Kiumra

An endoscope apparatus includes an excitation-light radiation unit; a fluorescence-image acquisition unit; a fluorescence-spectrum storage unit; a density computation unit, an image combining portion; and an image display portion; wherein when coefficients at wavelengths of fluorescent components obtained from the fluorescence spectra in the storage unit, and when intensities of fluorescence images at the wavelengths acquired by the acquisition unit, the density computation unit calculates the densities of the fluorescent components from an equation, and when the densities are calculated, in accordance with a change in the value of an exposure condition item during acquisition of the fluorescence image at a wavelength, the density computation unit changes the coefficients at the wavelength using the ratio of the value after the change to the value of the exposure condition items under the reference exposure conditions has been made.

Fluorescence-endoscope apparatus

A fluorescent endoscope apparatus includes an excitation light irradiation system for irradiating a living body with excitation light, a wavelength-selective transmission member which transmits light from the living body in a wavelength-selective manner, a photodetector which photoelectrically converts the selected and transmitted light, a wavelength selection control section which controls the wavelength-selective transmission member, to make it select and transmit light in a plurality of fluorescence detection wavelength regions and light in spectrum acquisition wavelength regions in a predetermined wavelength range that includes at least one of the fluorescence detection wavelength regions, a fluorescence image synthesizer for synthesizing images in the fluorescence detection wavelength regions, a display device for displaying the synthesized image, and an intensity distribution acquisition section which acquires the intensity distribution of light in the predetermined wavelength range.

Fluorescent endoscope apparatus

A spectral imaging apparatus includes: a spectral transmittance variable element having a spectral transmittance characteristics such that a transmittance periodically varies with wavelength and being capable of changing the variation period, for converting light from an object under observation into light having a plurality of peak wavelengths; a light extracting device for extracting, from the light having a plurality of peak wavelengths, light for imaging that contains a peak wavelength proximate to a predetermined command wavelength designated by a user and light for calibration that contains a peak wavelength other than the peak wavelength proximate to the command wavelength; an image sensor for capturing an image of the object under observation formed of the light for imaging; a detector for detecting, from the light for calibration, the peak wavelength other than the peak wavelength proximate to the command wavelength; and a control unit including, an operation processing section that calculates the peak wavelength that is proximate to the command wavelength and is contained in the light for imaging, from the peak wavelength that is other than the peak wavelength proximate to the command wavelength, is contained in the light for calibration and is detected by the detector, calculates an amount of shift between the peak wavelength proximate to the command wavelength as calculated and the command wavelength, and determines an amount of adjustment of the variation period on a basis of the amount of shift, and a drive processing section that drives the spectral transmittance variable element for changing the variation period.

Spectral imaging apparatus provided with spectral transmittance variable element and method of adjusting spectral transmittance variable element in spectral imaging apparatus

An endoscope system is disclosed for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue. An illumination system generates illumination light in the wavelength range 600 nm-2000 nm which serves as excitation light for the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, and a detection system that can separately detect different ones of the plurality of fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials is provided. The endoscope system may include a conventional-type endoscope having an insertion section, or a capsule endoscope that wirelessly transmits image data. By superimposing the image data obtained using reflected light in the visible region and fluorescent light emitted by the fluorescent labeling materials, improved diagnostic capabilities are provided.

Endoscope system for fluorescent observation

To accurately obtain fluorescence intensity in a variable passband. Provided is a fluorescence observation apparatus including an excitation light source that emits excitation light; a Fabry-Perot resonator including a variable passband in which the wavelength of light that passes therethrough changes with changes in distance between the surfaces of optical members opposing each other with a distance therebetween, a fixed passband in which the wavelength of light that passes therethrough does not change irrespective of changes in the distance between the surfaces, and a transition band therebetween; an excitation-light cut filter that blocks passage of the excitation light; a band cut filter having a cut-off band including the transition band and not including the wavelength of the excitation light; and a photodetector that detects fluorescence that has passed through the Fabry-Perot resonator, the excitation-light cut filter, and the band cut filter.

Fluorescence observation apparatus

Desired spectral characteristics are attained by making reflection films close enough. A variable spectroscopy device () has a pair of optical substrates () opposing each other with an interval therebetween, two reflection films () opposing each other which are respectively disposed on opposing surfaces of the optical substrates (), two sensor electrodes () opposing each other which are disposed on the same surfaces as the reflection films () and which constitute an interval sensor for detecting an interval between the optical substrates (), and an actuator () which relatively moves the optical substrates () and changes the interval between the optical substrates (). A distance between the opposing surfaces of the two sensor electrodes () is longer than a distance between the opposing surfaces of the two reflection films ().

Variable spectroscopy device

A capsule endoscope is disclosed that includes means for illuminating an object, means for imaging the object, and a transparent cover having a center of curvature. The transparent cover covers the illumination means and the imaging means, and the imaging means includes an objective optical system and an image detecting element. The illumination means is positioned relative to the image detecting element, as viewed axially from the object side of the capsule endoscope, so that an area that is symmetrically positioned about the optical axis of the objective optical system from a light emitting area of the illumination means overlaps an area of the image detecting element, but does not overlap any areas of the image detecting element that are used for image detection.

Capsule endoscope

An endoscope is disclosed that provide selection of each illumination mode of four different illumination modes, with one of the four different illumination modes being a mode which sequentially transmits very narrow wavelength ranges at three different wavelength regions within the visible spectrum.

Endoscope that provides selection of each illumination mode of four different illumination modes

A TV observation system for an endoscope including an endoscope and a small-sized light source unit. The endoscope can be structurally separated into an insertion part and a proximal holding part continuously extending from the insertion part. The endoscope can include a light guide arranged from a distal end of the insertion part through the proximal holding part. The proximal holding part can be provided with a light guide joint section where an entrance end face of the light guide is fixed. The small-sized light source unit can be constructed and arranged to be removably connected with the light guide joint section. The small-sized light source unit can include a plurality of small-sized LEDs, a batter configured to power the plurality of LEDs, and a compounding optical system configured to compound light emitted by the plurality of small-sized LEDs.

TV observation system for endoscopes including a light source unit having LEDs

A variable transmittance optical element is provided in an imaging optical system of an endoscope, and includes small etalons or multiple microscopic mirror that have an effective part that allows passage of a light beam received at a unit light receiving area that corresponds to an individual pixel, or a plurality of pixels, of an image pickup device that is provided in the imaging optical system of the endoscope. Each of said small etalons or microscopic mirrors have facing surfaces that are arranged so as to be parallel to one another on a transparent substrate; and the transparent substrate and an image pickup surface of the image pickup device are positioned so that each of the small etalons or microscopic mirrors allows passage of the light beam.

Variable transmittance optical element and imaging optical system including the same arranged at distal end of an endoscope

A capsule endoscope is disclosed having an illumination means, an imaging system that includes an objective optical system, and a transparent cover. The invention is characterized by one of: (1) the transparent cover has a larger radius of curvature in a central region of the field of view of the objective optical system than the radius of curvature of the transparent cover in a peripheral region of the field of view of the objective optical system, or (2) the imaging system has a different near point of focus distance for a central region of the field of view than the near point of focus distance of a region that is peripheral to the central region of the field of view and the objective optical system includes a meniscus lens element of positive refractive power and a plano-convex lens element.

An apparatus for processing an image has a texture rendering unit for storing a texture image in a texture rendering area of an image memory, an image rendering unit for storing a polygon in a display rendering area of the image memory based on at least the texture image, and mapping the texture image onto the polygon, a texture moving unit for moving the texture image stored in the texture rendering area in an arbitrary direction and restoring the moved texture image in the texture rendering area, and a texture mapping unit for mapping the moved texture image onto the polygon stored in the display rendering area.

Method of and apparatus for rendering an image simulating fluid motion, with recording medium and program therefor

A capsule endoscope includes an image sensor that is fixed to a substrate and is covered by a transparent cover member such that a sealed air space is provided between the objective optical system and the image sensor. Also, a capsule endoscope is disclosed that includes a transparent cover member, an image sensor having an imaging area that is covered by the transparent cover member; and an objective optical system which includes at least two lenses. The lens of the objective optical system that is nearest the image side is either integral with, or is adhered to, the transparent cover member. The transparent cover member seals an air space above the imaging area of the image sensor from dust which may be generated during a focusing adjustment of the two lenses. A focusing method adjusts the position of a first lens, in order from the object side, relative to that of a second lens which is nearest the image side.

Growing community of inventors

Machida, Japan

Shinya Matsumoto