Color video diagnostic system for mini-endoscopes

A color video diagnostic system for mini-endoscopes for viewing an object, comprising:

• an elongated body having a distal end and a proximate end;
• means mounted at approximately said distal end of said body for receiving an image of said object to be viewed and for producing a black-and-white video signal;
• a laser diode illumination source including at least first, second and third laser diode light sources having different wavelengths for producing light beams for illuminating said object to produce a color image thereof;
• optical waveguide means for transmitting said light beams from said laser diode illumination source to said distal end of said elongated body for illuminating said object;
• means for combining light beams from at least two of said at least first, second and third laser diode light sources for provision to said optical waveguide means;
• means for controlling said laser diode light sources for sequentially illuminating said object with light from said laser diode light sources;
• video processor means responsive to said controller and to said black-and-white signals from said video chip for producing a color data signal;
• display means for receiving said color data signal and for displaying a color image of said object;
• wherein said laser diode light source is selected from the group:
• laser diodes, frequency-doubled laser diodes, diode pumped solid state lasers, frequency-doubled diode pumped solid state lasers, diode pumped fiber lasers, diode laser pumped optical parametric oscillators, and tapered diode lasers;
• and
• wherein said optical waveguide means is not more than one optical waveguide per laser source and each waveguide has a core dimension no greater than 75 μm.