US 4,729,018 AGranted

Endoscope apparatus with rotating shutter

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsHitoshi Watanabe, Yuuichi Muranaka

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Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes a solid-state image pickup device, a video processor, a light source, a rotating shutter, a light transmission unit, and a display. The solid-state image pickup device for picking up an image of a body cavity is mounted at the distal end of an insertion portion inserted in the body cavity. A signal from the solid-state image pickup device is converted into a video signal by the video processor. An effective transmission interval of light from the light source for emitting continuous illumination light is controlled by a rotating shutter with a shutter blade rotated in synchronism with the video signal. Light transmitted through the rotating shutter is guided to the photographing portion for the solid-state image pickup portion. The video signal from the video processor is displayed at the display.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a solid-state image pickup device, arranged in an insertion portion to be inserted in a body cavity for picking up an image of the body cavity;
video processing means for performing predetermined processing of a signal from said solid-state image pickup device to produce a video signal;
a light source for generating a continuous illumination light;
rotating shutter means including a shutter blade rotated in synchronism with the video signal from said video processing means and shifting means for shifting a relative distance between a rotating axis of said shutter blade and an illumination optical path, said shutter blade having a light-transmitting portion with a predetermined angle range on an edge of said shutter blade and a light-shielding portion with a remaining angle range, the predetermined angle range of said light-transmitting portion being adapted to vary according to different radii, thereby controlling the transmission time of the light from said light source;
light-transmitting means for guiding light passing through said rotating shutter means to a photographing object for said solid state image pickup device;
and
display means for displaying the video signal obtained by said video processing means.

4 more elements

An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a solid-state image pickup device, arranged in an insertion portion to be inserted in a body cavity, for picking up an image of the body cavity;
video processing means for performing predetermined processing of a signal from said solid-state image pickup device to produce a video signal;
a light source for generating a continuous illumination light;
rotating shutter means including a plurality of shutter blades each having a light-transmitting portion with a predetermined angle range on an edge of said shutter blade and a light-shielding portion with a remaining angle range, and angle control means for changing the relative angle formed by said plurality of shutter blades and for controlling the angle range of a total light-emitting portion formed by a combination of said plurality of shutter blades, thereby controlling the transmission time of the light from said light source, said plurality of shutter blades being rotated in synchronism with the video signal from said video processing means;
light-transmitting means for guiding light passing through said rotating shutter means to a photographing object for said solid state image pickup device;
and
display means for displaying the video signal obtained by said video processing means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/909,039Filed 19 Sep 1986
Priority: JP 60-20884524 Sep 1985
Granted: 1 Mar 1988
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A61B 1/05
Combined with photographic or television appliances: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
H04N 25/00
Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [ssis]
H04N 23/555
Constructional details: for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
H04N 23/63
Control of cameras or camera modules: by using electronic viewfinders