# US 8,147,402 B2 · Endoscope system

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- Number: US 8,147,402 B2
- Document ID: US8147402B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/763,514
- Filed: 2010-04-20
- Published: 2010-08-12
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2007-11-29
- Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
- Inventors: Hideki Tanaka; Jun Hasegawa; Toshio Nakamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8147402B2

## CPC

- G02B 23/2476: {Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports}
- A61B 1/0005: {combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled}
- A61B 1/0051: {with controlled bending of insertion part}
- A61B 1/042: {characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera}
- A61B 5/065: {Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe}
- H04N 7/185: {from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control}
- A61B 1/0052: {Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An endoscope system of the invention includes: an endoscope including an insertion portion, a distal end portion provided on a distal end side of the insertion portion, and a bending portion which is capable of changing a position and an orientation of the distal end portion; a position detecting section for acquiring position information on a position where the distal end portion is located; a passing target position setting section for setting a passing target position for the distal end portion; a path estimating section for estimating a path through which the distal end portion is to be passed; a bending control target position setting section for setting a bending control target position such that the distal end portion reaches the passing target position along the path; and a bending control information calculating section for calculating an amount of bending and a bending direction of the bending portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoscope system comprising:
an endoscope including an insertion portion to be inserted in a subject, a distal end portion which is provided on a distal end side of the insertion portion and which includes an image pickup section for outputting an image pickup signal corresponding to an image of a photographic subject in the subject, and a bending portion which is capable of changing a position and an orientation of the distal end portion with respect to an insertion direction of the insertion portion;
a position detecting section for acquiring position information including at least information on a position where the distal end portion is located;
a passing target position setting section for setting a passing target position for the distal end portion based on the image of the photographic subject;
a path estimating section for estimating a path through which the distal end portion is to be passed based on the position information and the passing target position;
a bending control target position setting section for properly setting a bending control target position on the path such that the distal end portion reaches the passing target position along the path, based on the passing target position and the path; and
a bending control information calculating section for calculating bending control information on an amount of bending and a bending direction of the bending portion based on the bending control target position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the bending control target position setting section calculates a moving distance of the distal end portion per unit time based on the position information, and sets the bending control target position based on the moving distance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a dark part region detecting section for detecting a dark part region included in the image, wherein the passing target position setting section sets a gravity center point of the dark part region as the passing target position.