# US 10,765,296 B2 · Scanning endoscope system

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- Number: US 10,765,296 B2
- Document ID: US10765296B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/837,545
- Filed: 2017-12-11
- Published: 2018-04-26
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-07
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Soichiro Koshika
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765296B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/00009: {of image signals during a use of endoscope}
- A61B 1/00006: {of control signals}
- A61B 1/00172: {with means for scanning}
- A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
- G02B 23/2469: {using optical fibres}
- G02B 23/26: using light guides {(for illumination G02B23/2469)}
- G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)}
- G02B 26/103: {having movable or deformable optical fibres, light guides or waveguides as scanning elements (light guides per se G02B6/00)}
- A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A scanning endoscope system includes an optical fiber configured to guide illumination light, and to emit the illumination light from an end portion, an actuator configured to shift an irradiation position of the illumination light, by swinging the end portion of the optical fiber, a drive signal generator configured to generate and supply a drive signal for driving the actuator, a current measurement section configured to measure, as a current measurement value, a current value of the drive signal supplied to the actuator, and a scan control section configured to perform control such that an amplitude value of the drive signal is switched, and to switch a threshold for detecting the current measurement value from a first threshold to a second threshold, when detecting that the current measurement value gradually changes and reaches the first threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A scanning endoscope system comprising:
an optical fiber configured to guide illumination light supplied from a light source, and to emit the illumination light from an end portion;
an actuator configured to shift an irradiation position of the illumination light emitted through the optical fiber, by swinging the end portion of the optical fiber; and
a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:
generate and supply a drive signal for driving the actuator;
measure, as a current measurement value, a current value of the drive signal supplied to the actuator; and
perform a control such that an amplitude value of the drive signal is switched from a first amplitude value to a second amplitude value different from the first amplitude value, and switch a threshold for detecting the current measurement value from a first threshold to a second threshold different from the first threshold, when detecting that the current measurement value changes and reaches the first threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein when detecting that the current measurement value increases and reaches the first threshold, the controller performs the control such that the amplitude value of the drive signal is switched from the first amplitude value to the second amplitude value greater than the first amplitude value, and switches the threshold for detecting the current measurement value from the first threshold to the second threshold greater than the first threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein when detecting that the current measurement value decreases and reaches the second threshold, the controller performs the control such that the amplitude value of the drive signal is switched from the second amplitude value to the first amplitude value, and switches the threshold for detecting the current measurement value from the second threshold to the first threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold is a current value that is measured as the current measurement value at a timing when a temperature of the actuator supplied with the drive signal of the first amplitude value reaches a predetermined temperature.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the second threshold is a current value that is measured as the current measurement value at a timing immediately after the amplitude value of the drive signal from the first amplitude value is switched to the second amplitude value.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein the second threshold is acquired while power of a main body device including the controller is on, and is stored in a memory provided in a scanning endoscope including the optical fiber and the actuator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein the second threshold is acquired while power of a main body device including the controller is on, and is discarded when the power of the main body device is turned off.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The scanning endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein when detecting that an average value of respective current measurement values measured within a specific period of time changes and reaches the first threshold, the controller performs the control such that the amplitude value of the drive signal is switched from the first amplitude value to the second amplitude value, and switches the threshold for detecting the current measurement value from the first threshold to the second threshold.