# US 8,540,626 B2 · Endoscope beam source apparatus and endoscope system

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- Number: US 8,540,626 B2
- Document ID: US8540626B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/182,052
- Filed: 2011-07-13
- Published: 2012-01-19
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2010-07-15
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: Yasuhiro Seto; Hiroshi Murakami
- Inventors: Yasuhiro Seto; Hiroshi Murakami
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540626B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/0653: {with wavelength conversion}
- A61B 1/045: Control thereof
- A61B 1/0655: {Control therefor}
- A61B 1/0669: {at proximal end of an endoscope}
- H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means
- H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes}
- H04N 25/531: by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

The endoscope beam source apparatus includes a beam source for emitting a radiation beam to be supplied to the endoscope, and a beam source control unit for controlling the emission beam intensity of the beam source according to a beam quantity specified value input therein. The beam source control unit specifies the emission beam intensity corresponding to the beam quantity specified value based on at least three of control amounts. The control amounts include a control amount corresponding to pulse number modulation (PNM) control for changing lighting time of the beam source, a control amount corresponding to pulse width modulation (PWM) control for changing a plus width which indicates the lighting or lighting-out time within a control cycle, a control amount corresponding to pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) control for changing the lighting intensity, and a control amount corresponding to pulse density modulation (PDM) control for changing a lighting interval.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An endoscope beam source apparatus which is connected to an endoscope, the endoscope mounting a radiation optical system for radiating a beam onto a subject and an imaging optical system including an imaging device for imaging an image of the subject, the endoscope beam source apparatus comprising:
a beam source that emits radiation beam to be supplied to the endoscope; and
a beam source control unit that controls emission beam intensity of the beam source according to a beam quantity specified value input therein,
wherein the beam source control unit specifies the emission beam intensity of the beam source corresponding to the beam quantity specified value based on at least three of control amounts,
the control amounts include:
a control amount corresponding to pulse number modulation control for changing lighting time of the beam source;
a control amount corresponding to pulse width modulation control for changing a pulse width which indicates the lighting time or lighting-out time within a control cycle;
a control amount corresponding to pulse amplitude modulation control for changing lighting intensity; and
a control amount corresponding to pulse density modulation control for changing a lighting interval,
the imaging device mounted on the endoscope to be connected to the endoscope beam source apparatus is specified to a imaging device to be controlled according to a global shutter system, and
the beam source control unit specifies the emission beam intensity of the beam source based on a combination of the control amount corresponding to the pulse number modulation control, the control amount corresponding to the pulse width modulation control and the control amount corresponding to the pulse amplitude modulation control.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The endoscope beam source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the beam source control unit controls lighting of the beam source within a charge accumulation period per one frame of the imaging device by using time of a predetermined rate or more therethan of the charge accumulation period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The endoscope beam source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the beam quantity specified value is a predetermined value or larger therethan, the beam source control unit controls the control amount corresponding to the pulse number modulation control as a maximum constant value and, when the beam quantity specified value is less than the predetermined value, the beam source control unit controls the control amount corresponding to the pulse number modulation control as a variable value which decreases as the beam quantity specified value decreases.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An endoscope system comprising:
an endoscope beam source apparatus according to claim 1; and
an endoscope that is connected to the endoscope beam source apparatus,
wherein the radiation optical system contained in the endoscope includes:
an optical fiber which guides the beam emitted from the beam source; and
a fluorescent member which is disposed forwardly in an optical path of a beam emitting end of the optical fiber, and
the radiation optical system mixes together the beam emitted from the beam source and the beam emitted from the fluorescent member to generate a radiation beam.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An endoscope system comprising:
an endoscope beam source apparatus according to claim 1; and
a plurality of beam sources that emit beams respectively having mutually different spectra,
wherein the beam source control unit controls the plurality of beam sources respectively.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An endoscope system comprising: an endoscope beam source apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the beam source is constituted of a semiconductor light emitting element.