Endoscope assembly useful with a scope-sensing light cable

A fiber optic cable for applying light generated by a light source to an endoscope, said fiber optic cable comprising:

• a light source plug for connection to the light source;
• a core formed of optically transmissive material that extends from the light source plug;
• a scope end plug attached to an end of the core opposite the end to which the light source is attached, said scope end plug shaped to be removably coupled to a socket integral with the endoscope;
• conductors that extend from the light source plug to said scope end plug;
• a plurality of magnetically-sensitive switches disposed in said scope end plug that open/close as a function of the presence/absence of magnets associated with the endoscope;
• and
• a monitoring circuit to which said conductors and said switches are attached, said monitoring circuit configured to output a variable level analog signal as a functidn of the open/closed states of said switches.

An endoscope assembly including:

• an endoscope, the endoscope having an indicator that contains identifier data specific to the endoscope;
• a camera including:
• a camera head attached to said endoscope for receiving images through the endoscope, said camera head configured to generate camera signals representative of the images received by said camera head;
• and a camera control unit attached to said camera head for receiving the camera signals, said camera control unit having an electronic assembly that processes the camera signals to produce display signals representative of the images received by the camera head and the electronic assembly produces the display signals based on the type of endoscope attached to said camera head;
• an assembly for supplying the data stored in the endoscope indicator to the camera control unit;
• a memory internal to said camera control unit in which endoscope-specific identifiers are stored for endoscopes previously connected to said camera head and the camera control unit and calibration data for the previously-connected endoscopes;
• and
• a controller integral with said camera control unit electronic assembly to which the endoscope specific identifier for the endoscope attached to said camera head is applied and said controller is configured to:
• determine, by reference to the endoscope specific identifier and the data in said memory, if the endoscope was previously connected to the camera head;
• if the endoscope was previously attached to said camera head, retrieve from said memory the calibration data for the endoscope and to control the other components of the electronic assembly so that the electronic assembly produces the display signals based on the retrieved calibration data for the endoscope;
• and
• if the endoscope was not previously attached to said camera head:
• forcing said camera control unit into a calibration sequence for the endoscope to obtain calibration data for that endoscope;
• control the other components of the electronic assembly so that the electronic assembly produces the display signals based on the newly obtained calibration data for the endoscope;
• and storing in said memory the endoscope-specific identifier and the newly obtained calibration data for the endoscope.