Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Teruo Eino

Katsunori Sakiyama

Tomoaki Sato

Hisao Yabe

Kenji Kimura

Hiroki Hibino

Masato Toda

Yutaka Konomura

Atsushi Amano

A computer is caused to perform a process for displaying an endoscopic image, including displaying an endoscopic image on a display, displaying overlay information on the displayed endoscopic image, and changing a position of the displayed overlay information in accordance with a change in the displaying of the endoscopic image.

Endoscopic image viewing program and method

An endoscope system is provided with an endoscope and an image display section that displays the image of a subject captured by an image pick-up element provided in this endoscope. The endoscope is provided with a connector whereby a serial communication cable is detachably connected and a signal processing circuit that converts the image captured by the image pick-up element to a signal capable of being transmitted through the serial communication cable. The image display section is a screen displayed on a display device of a terminal device connected to the serial communication cable; and the screen is provided with an image display region used for display of an image captured by the image pick-up element and a display region for control purposes whereby control of the endoscope is performed.

Endoscope system

Operation button sets that are actuated with the same operation switches are included in an endoscope in which an imaging device is incorporated and in an image processing apparatus for processing an image taken by the imaging device. The operation buttons are connected to a CPU in the image processing apparatus. Using whichever one of the operation button sets a user chooses to operate the endoscope system, the user can execute functions such as displaying a still image or enlarging and displaying an image by following the same handling procedure for each operation button set. Thus, the user is relieved from learning a plurality of handling procedures.

Endoscope system in which operation switch sets designed to function and

The length, area or the like of a portion of an object is measured for examination through the processes of first, displaying an image of the object on a monitor; second, after producing a simulating graphic form corresponding to the object, specifying certain positions of the object image on the monitor to which a plurality of positions of the simulating graphic form should correspond; third, varying the attitude of the simulating graphic form on the basis of data on the specified positions in such a manner that the simulating graphic form becomes substantially coincident with the object image; and fourth, causing a plurality of points forming the particular examination portion of the object to have their position on the object image specified so that, on the basis of data on the position of these points, corresponding points on the simulating graphic form are determined.

Method and apparatus for measuring an object by correlating displaced

This endoscope apparatus is provided with an elongate flexible insertable part; a winding unit with a supporting structure having a winding member connected with the insertable part at the base end and capable of winding up and housing the insertable part; an illuminating device for emitting an illuminating light for the endoscope; and an observing device for producing an image of an object to be observed. An external apparatus forming one or both of the illuminating device and observing device is provided separately from the winding member. A connecting means is extended axially out of the side of the winding member and connected to the external apparatus. The endoscope apparatus also includes a driving circuit for the imaging apparatus and a signal processing circuit for processing a picture image signal output from the imaging apparatus to be a video signal. At least the driving circuit is located in the winding member and rotates with this winding member; and the signal processing circuit may also be located in the winding member.

Winding type endoscope apparatus

This endoscope apparatus is provided with an elongate flexible insertable part; a winding unit with a supporting structure having a winding member connected with the insertable part at the base end for winding up and housing the insertable part; an illuminating device for emitting an illuminating light for the endoscope; and an observing device for producing an image of an object to be observed. An external apparatus forming one or both of the illuminating device and observing device is provided separately from the winding member. A flexible connecting means is extended axially out of the side of the winding member and operatively connects the insertable part to the external apparatus.

An inspection method utilizing computer graphics in inspecting a certain part of an object which is being imaged by an image pickup apparatus such as an electronic scope. A computer-graphics picture simulating th eobject picture obtained by the image pickup apparatus is drawn by means of a computer-graphics apparatus. The parameters used for the drawing are varied so as to approximate or equalize the computer-graphics picture to or with the object picture, thereby making it possible for any flaw or the like on the object to be detected with ease by comparing the two picture with each other even if the object has a complicated configuration. Furthermore, that portion of the computer-graphics picture which corresponds to the inspected part of the object picture is specified, and, by using information on the portion thus specified, inspections on the inspected part, such as measurement of length and examination for discoloration, can be performed.

Method of inspecting objects by image pickup means

This electronic endoscope apparatus having an insertable part inserted into an observation object and provided with a solid state imaging device imaging the observed image, an image forming optical system forming the observed image on said solid state imaging device and a displaying apparatus displaying an electric signal transmitted from said solid state imaging device, characterized by having a plurality of 1-field memories which can electrically invert the observed image obtained by the image forming optical system.

Electronic endoscope apparatus

The endoscope signal processing apparatus is provided with a first signal processing device processing the signal for a field sequential type imaging device and a second signal processing device processing the signal for a synchronous type imaging device. One signal processing device has a circuit partly used in common with the other signal processing device. Both signal processing device have a common video signal output end from which video signals from both signal processing devices are output. This apparatus is further provided with a discriminating device discriminating the imaging system of the endoscope to be connected and an output switching device whereby the video signal transmitted through the video signal processing device corresponding to the imaging system discriminated by this discriminating device is led selectively to the common video signal output.

Endoscope signal processing apparatus using sequential and synchronous

A color image sensing apparatus includes a solid-state image sensing element having a color separation filter, a circuit for extracting a color difference signal from an output of the solid-state image sensing element, first and second color difference signals which are alternately extracted for every scanning line, and a delay-type line memory for storing an output signal from the color difference signal extraction circuit and for reading out a stored signal after one horizontal scanning period. The line memory is a first-in first-out type digital memory having a delay time corresponding to one horizontal scanning period. A circuit is provided for outputting the first and second color difference signals for every one horizontal scanning line, based on the output signal from the color difference signal extraction circuit and the output signal from the line memory. In this manner, the first and second color difference signals can be output not alternately, but simultaneously for every one horizontal scanning line. The delay time of the line memory is varied in accordance with the number of pixels in the solid-state image sensing element. Frame memories can be used to store the output signal of the color difference signal extraction circuit and a wide-band luminance signal which is extracted from the output of the solid-state image sensing element.

Color image sensing apparatus with means for alternately extracting

An electronic endoscope apparatus including an endoscope having a distal end portion in which a solid state image sensor is arranged, a signal-processing circuit for processing an image signal output from the solid state image sensor, and a monitor for displaying, as an endoscopic image, a video signal supplied from the signal-processing circuit. The number of vertical pixels of the solid state image sensor is less than the number of scanning lines displayed on the screen of the monitor, whereby all of the image signals supplied from the solid state image sensor are utilized for the image displayed on the monitor.

An electronic endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope and a video processor unit. The video processor unit includes a drive pulse generator for generating vertical drive pulses, a power supply for generating a +16 V power supply voltage, and a video processor for sampling and holding an input image signal. The endoscope includes an insertion portion which incorporates a solid-state image sensing element using a CCD at its distal end portion, a manipulator portion, and a universal cord for connecting an electronic endoscope body to the video processor unit. An integrated circuit unit is incorporated near the solid-state image sensing element at the distal end portion of insertion portion. The integrated circuit unit includes voltage dividing resistors for voltage dividing a +16 V power supply voltage supplied from the power supply of the video processor unit into +8 V, +7 V, and +3 V power supply voltages, and emitter follower transistors connected between these power supply voltages and the power supply voltage terminals of the solid-state image sensing element. A delay line is incorporated in the manipulator portion. The delay line delays horizontal drive pulses generated from the video processor unit in accordance with a signal transmission delay time between the solid-state image sensing element and the video processor unit so that the timing of the image signal can always be matched with that of sample-and-hold pulses upon a sample-and-hold operation in the video processor unit.

Image sensing apparatus

A solid state imaging device and a substrate to which this solid state imaging device is fitted is contained in the tip part of an endoscope. Conductive parts are formed on at least one side surface of the substrate. The positions of the conductive parts, when that the conductive parts are overlapped with the solid state imaging device, are retreated to be within the electrode positions of the solid state imaging device so that the imaging device may be contained in a small space.

Endoscope using a chip carrier type solid state imaging device

A color image pickup device has a solid-state image sensing element, a complementary color type mosaic filter, and a signal processing circuit which eliminates green highlights and provides accurate hue reproduction for all colors. Gamma compensation circuits process wide- and narrow-band luminance signals and two color signals derived from an output of the image sensing element. The gamma-compensated wide-band luminance signal is combined with a color subcarrier signal modulated by two color-difference signals formed from the gamma-compensated narrow-band luminance signal and the gamma-compensated color signals. The amplitude of the combined signal is limited by a white clip circuit. In one embodiment of the invention, the image sensing element is connected to the signal processing circuit by a cable of shielded lines. Waveform compensation circuits compensate in advance for deformation of the waveform of drive pulses for the image sensing element which occurs when the drive pulses are transmitted through the shielded lines. The external conductors of the shielded lines can be used to transmit power to the image sensing element.

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Hachioji, Japan

Teruo Eino