# US 12,599,296 B2 · Medical light source device and medical observation system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,599,296 B2 - Document ID: US12599296B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/172,338 - Filed: 2023-02-22 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-09 - Assignees: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. - Applicants: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. - Inventors: Yoshiaki Niwa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599296B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/0655: {Control therefor} - G01M 11/3145: {Details of the optoelectronics or data analysis} - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/00055: {for alerting the user} - A61B 1/063: {for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination} - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - A61B 1/0669: {at proximal end of an endoscope} - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - G01M 11/3109: {Reflectometers detecting the back-scattered light in the time-domain, e.g. OTDR} - G02B 23/2469: {using optical fibres} - G02B 23/2484: {Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device (processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70)} - G02B 23/26: using light guides {(for illumination G02B23/2469)} - A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A medical light source device includes: a first light source configured to emit laser light; a second light source configured to emit measurement light for measuring a connection state between a light guide configured to guide the laser light and an emission optical system configured to irradiate a subject with the laser light through the light guide to the light guide; and a control unit configured to control output of the laser light in the first light source based on return light of the measurement light emitted from the second light source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical light source device comprising: a first light source configured to emit laser light; a second light source configured to emit measurement light for measuring a connection state between a light guide configured to guide the laser light and an emission optical system configured to irradiate a subject with the laser light through the light guide; an optical measurement device configured to measure the connection state by using an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), the optical measurement device including the second light source and being configured to generate an OTDR waveform indicating a light amount level of the return light with respect to a distance from the medical light source device; and a control circuit configured to control output of the laser light in the first light source based on information indicating a peak in the OTDR waveform. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether there is a peak of the light amount level of the return light at a specific distance from the medical light source device based on the OTDR waveform, and control output of the laser light in the first light source based on a result of the determination. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether number of peaks in the OTDR waveform is a specific number, and control output of the laser light in the first light source based on a result of the determination. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to further control output of the laser light in the first light source based on information indicating a change in the light amount level of the return light within a range defined by a specific distance from the medical light source device in the OTDR waveform. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to cause, based on the return light, a notification device to notify warning information indicating a warning. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the second light source is configured to cause the measurement light to be emitted in pulses at a cycle less than a time reference corresponding to a class defined in a laser standard indicating a safety standard of a laser product to the laser light emitted from the first light source and then emitted from the light guide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light is excitation light that generates fluorescence from the subject with irradiation of the subject, and the measurement light is in a wavelength band different from wavelength bands of the excitation light and the fluorescence. ### Claim 8 A medical observation system comprising: a medical light source device configured to emit laser light; a light guide configured to guide the laser light; an optical measurement device configured to measure the connection state by using an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), the optical measurement device including the second light source and being configured to generate an OTDR waveform indicating a light amount level of the return light with respect to a distance from the medical light source device; and an emission optical system configured to irradiate a subject with the laser light through the light guide, wherein the medical light source device includes: a first light source configured to emit the laser light; a second light source configured to emit measurement light for measuring a connection state between the light guide and the emission optical system; and a control circuit configured to control output of the laser light in the first light source based on information indicating a peak in the OTDR waveform. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The medical light source device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine whether the light guide and the emission optical system are appropriately connected based on information indicating the peak in the OTDR waveform generated from the return light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The medical light source device according to claim 9, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine that the light guide and the emission optical system are not appropriately connected when a number of peaks in the OTDR waveform is not a specific number. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The medical light source device according to claim 10, wherein, in response to the light guide and the emission optical system not being appropriately connected, the control circuit is configured to stop an output of the laser light from the first light source that the light guide and the emission optical system are not appropriately connected, otherwise, continuing the output of the laser light from the first light source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The medical light source device according to claim 10, wherein, in response to the light guide and the emission optical system not being appropriately connected, the control circuit is further configured to output warning information. ### Claim 13 A method for controlling a medical light source device including a first light source for emitting laser light and a second light source, the method comprising: emitting, from the second light source, measurement light for measuring a connection state between a light guide configured to guide the laser light and an emission optical system configured to irradiate a subject with the laser light; measuring the connection state by using an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), the optical measurement device including the second light source and being configured to generate an OTDR waveform indicating a light amount level of the return light with respect to a distance from the medical light source device; and controlling output of the laser light in the first light source based on information indicating a peak in the OTDR waveform. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, comprising: determining whether there is a peak of the light amount level of the return light at a specific distance from the medical light source device based on the OTDR waveform, and controlling output of the laser light in the first light source based on a result of the determination. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising: determining whether number of peaks in the OTDR waveform is a specific number, and controlling output of the laser light in the first light source based on a result of the determination. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, in response to the number of peaks in the OTDR waveform not being the specific number, stopping an output of the laser light from the first light source, otherwise continuing the output of the laser light from the first light source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, in response to the number of peaks in the OTDR waveform not being the specific number, outputting warning information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, controlling output of the laser light in the first light source based on information indicating a change in the light amount level of the return light within a range defined by a specific distance from the medical light source device in the OTDR waveform. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising controlling the second light source to emit the measurement light in pulses at a cycle less than a time reference corresponding to a class defined in a laser standard indicating a safety standard of a laser product to the laser light emitted from the first light source and then emitted from the light guide. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining that the light guide and the emission optical system are not appropriately connected when a number of peaks in the OTDR waveform is not a specific number.