US 7,841,979 B2 · Observation system · patentgrep

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Abstract

An observation system includes an observation device, an image pickup device, a display device, and at least one holding device. The observation device includes an optical objective system for observing an object. The image pickup device is capable of picking up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device. The display device is capable of displaying the image picked up by the image pickup device. The holding device includes a moving mechanism which holds the observation device and the display device and which moves one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device, and a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism.

Drawings

Claims58

Dependent claims

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which is electrically connected to the image pickup device and which displays the optical image picked up by the image pickup device;
and
at least one holding mechanism including:
a moving mechanism which includes a first moving mechanism which movably holds the observation device and a second moving mechanism which movably holds the display device, the moving mechanism being effective to move one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device;
and
a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism.

5 more elements

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which is electrically connected to the image pickup device and which displays the optical image picked up by the image pickup device;
and
at least one holding mechanism including a moving mechanism which holds the observation device and the display device and which moves one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device, and a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism, wherein the moving mechanism comprises:
a vertical movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device and the display device in a vertical direction;
a horizontal movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device and the display device in a horizontal direction;
an inclination mechanism which inclines the observation device and the display device;
and
an equivalent movement mechanism in which the observation device and the display device are disposed and which mutually equivalently moves the observation device and the display device,
wherein the equivalent movement mechanism comprises a first parallelogram link in which the observation device is disposed, and a second parallelogram link in which the display device is disposed, and
the first and second parallelogram links comprise a parallel link mechanism connected to at least a common arm among arms constituting the first and second parallelogram links.

9 more elements

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which is electrically connected to the image pickup device and which displays the optical image picked up by the image pickup device;
and
at least one holding mechanism including a moving mechanism which holds the observation device and the display device and which moves one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device, and a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism, wherein the holding mechanism comprises:
a first holding device which holds the observation device;
and
a second holding device which holds the display device,
wherein the moving mechanism of the first holding device comprises:
a first vertical movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device in the vertical direction;
a first horizontal movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device in the horizontal direction;
a first inclination mechanism which inclines the observation device;
and
a first equivalent movement mechanism in which the observation device is disposed, and
the moving mechanism of the second holding device comprises:
a second vertical movement mechanism capable of moving the display device in the vertical direction;
a second horizontal movement mechanism capable of moving the display device in the horizontal direction;
a second inclination mechanism which inclines the display device;
and
a second equivalent movement mechanism in which the display device is disposed and which moves the display device equivalently to the movement of the observation device by the first equivalent movement mechanism.

17 more elements

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which displays an observation image picked up by the image pickup device;
a first holding section which holds the observation device;
a second holding section which holds the display device;
a moving mechanism which includes a first moving mechanism in which the first holding section is disposed and a second moving mechanism in which the second holding section is disposed, the moving mechanism being effective to move one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device;
and
a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism.

5 more elements

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which displays an observation image picked up by the image pickup device;
a first holding section which holds the observation device;
a second holding section which holds the display device;
a moving mechanism in which the first and second holding sections are disposed and which moves one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device;
and
a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism,
wherein the moving mechanism comprises:
a vertical movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device and the display device in a vertical direction;
a horizontal movement mechanism capable of moving the observation device and the display device in a horizontal direction;
an inclination mechanism which inclines the observation device in the vertical direction and which inclines the display device with respect to a horizontal plane;
and
an equivalent movement mechanism in which the observation device and the display device are mutually equivalently moved,
wherein the equivalent movement mechanism comprises a parallel link mechanism including at least two parallelogram links,
wherein the parallel link mechanism comprises:
a first arm comprising one end portion and the other end portion, the one end portion being rotatably connected to the inclination mechanism;
a second arm comprising an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion being connected to the other end portion of the first arm;
a third arm comprising one end portion and the other end portion, the one end portion being connected to the upper end portion of the second arm, the third arm being disposed in parallel with the first arm;
a fourth arm comprising an upper end portion, and a lower end portion which holds the observation device, the upper end portion being connected to the other end portion of the third arm, the fourth arm being disposed in parallel with the second arm;
a fifth arm comprising an upper end portion and a lower end portion, the lower end portion being connected between the one end portion and the other end portion of the first arm, the fifth arm being disposed in parallel with the second arm;
and
a sixth arm comprising one end portion and the other end portion, the one end portion being connected to the upper end portion of the fifth arm, the other end portion being connected to the fourth arm, the one end portion and the other end portion being connected between the upper and lower end portions of the second arm, the sixth arm being disposed in parallel with the first arm.

20 more elements

An observation system comprising:

an observation device including an optical objective system for observation of an object;
an image pickup device which picks up an optical image incident upon the optical objective system of the observation device;
a display device which displays an observation image picked up by the image pickup device;
a first holding section which holds the observation device;
a second holding section which holds the display device;
a moving mechanism in which the first and second holding sections are disposed and which moves one of the observation device and the display device in conjunction with movement of the other device;
and
a switching mechanism capable of switching the observation device and the display device to a state in which the devices are movable by the moving mechanism and a state in which the devices are fixable in positions moved by the moving mechanism,
wherein the moving mechanism comprises a first movable member in which the first holding section is disposed, a second movable member in which the second holding section is disposed, and a movable member conjunction mechanism which moves at least one of the first and second movable members in conjunction with the movement of the other movable member.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description16,129 words

Summary1,099 words

#This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2003-161072, filed Jun. 5, 2003; and No. 2004-158912, filed May 28, 2004, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to an observation system for use in operation of a fine portion, for example, in neurosurgery.

Brief description of the drawings23 figures

#The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an observation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing that a positional relation between an endoscope and a monitor of the observation system according to the first embodiment is observed from an arrow α direction in FIG. 1, a solid line shows a state in which the monitor is parallel to a floor surface and an insertion section of the endoscope crosses the floor surface at right angles, and a broken line shows a state in which the monitor and the insertion section of the endoscope are rotated around a rotation axis X4 which is a support point in an arrow Ia direction;

Detailed description13,763 words

#Preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings.

#First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

#As shown in FIG. 1, an observation system 10 according to the embodiment includes an endoscope (observation device) 12, a first holding device 14, and a monitor 16 to reflect an operative part whose image is picked up by the endoscope 12. The endoscope 12 and monitor 16 are movably and fixably disposed by the holding device 14 in such a manner that they are moved to a desired position and held (fixed) in the desired position.