Electronic endoscope system
AssigneePENTAX Corporation
InventorsRyo Ozawa, Hideo Sugimoto, Takayuki Enomoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an electronic endoscope system, a scope has an image sensor provided at a distal end thereof to generate image-pixel signals. A proximal end of the scope is connected to an image-signal processing unit, in which the image-pixel signals are processed to produce a video signal. A light source device is provided in the processing unit. An optical light guide extends through the scope. When the connection is established between the scope and the processing unit, the light guide is optically connected to the light source device. The light source device includes a white light lamp, and an ultraviolet lamp, and a mirror for selectively introducing either the white light or the ultraviolet light into the light guide.
Claims14
An electronic endoscope system comprising:
- a scope having an image sensor provided at a distal end thereof to generate image-pixel signals;
- an image-signal processing unit, to which a proximal end of said scope is connected, that processes the image-pixel signals to thereby produce a video signal;
- a light source device provided in said image-signal processing unit;
- and
- an optical light guide that extends through said scope, said optical light guide being optically connected to said light source device when the connection is established between said scope and said image-signal processing unit, wherein said light source device includes:
- a first light source that emits white light;
- a second light source that emits a specific wavelength light;
- a light source switcher that selectively introduces one of said white light and said specific wavelength light into said optical light guide along a light path;
- a rotary color-filter/shutter;
- and
- a filter/shutter driver that moves said color-filter/shutter in a direction substantially transverse to the light path between a first operative position and a second operative position.
A rotary color-filter/shutter comprising:
- a disk element having three primary color filters circumferentially spaced from each other at regular angular intervals, areas between adjacent color filters being formed as light-shielding areas, at least one of said light-shielding areas extending radially outwardly beyond said color filters such that the extended area for ms a rotary shutter.
An electronic endoscope system comprising:
- a scope having an image sensor provided at a distal end thereof to generate image-pixel signals;
- an image-signal processing unit, to which a proximal end of said scope is connected, that processes the image-pixel signals to thereby produce a video signal;
- a light source device provided in said image-signal processing unit;
- and
- an optical light guide that extends through said scope, said optical light guide being optically connected to said light source when the connection is established between said scope and said image-signal processing unit,
- wherein said light source device comprises:
- a first light source that emits white light;
- a second light source that emits a specific wavelength light;
- a light source switcher that selectively introduces one of said white light and said specific wavelength light into said optical light guide;
- a rotary shutter associated with said second light source such that said rotary shutter is interposed in a specific-wavelength-light path through which said specific wavelength light passes, said rotary shutter including at least two light-shielding elements circumferentially spaced from each other at regular angular intervals and having different radial lengths;
- and
- a shutter driver that relatively moves and positions said rotary shutter with respect to said specific-wavelength-light path such that said specific-wavelength-light path is selectively blocked off by said light-shielding elements having the different radial lengths, whereby an exposure time, during which said image sensor is illuminated with said specific wavelength light, is varied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.