Electronic endoscope with three-dimensional image capturing device
First Claim
1. An electronic endoscope provided with a three-dimensional image capturing device, comprising:
- a housing;
a distance-measuring light source that outputs a distance-measuring light beam, which is a pulsed light beam and which is irradiated to a subject so that a first reflected light beam is generated by said subject;
a distance-measurement imaging device that receives said first reflected light beam, to accumulate electric charges in accordance with the received amount of said first reflected light beam;
a flexible tube that is connected to said housing, and that has an optic fiber along which at least one of said distance-measuring light beam and said first reflected light beam is transmitted; and
a three-dimensional image sensing processor that controls the accumulating operation of said distance-measurement imaging device, to generate electric charges corresponding to a three-dimensional image of said subject.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic endoscope comprises a housing and a flexible tube. A light-transmitting optic fiber and a light-receiving optic fiber are provided in the flexible tube. A light source and an imaging device are provided in the housing. The light source outputs a pulsed distance-measuring light beam, which is transmitted along the light-transmitting optic fiber, and irradiated to a subject. A reflected light beam generated by the subject due to the distance-measuring light beam is transmitted along the light-receiving optic fiber, to enter the imaging device, in which an electric charge corresponding to the subject image (i.e., an image signal of a three-dimensional image) is accumulated. A timing of the accumulating operation of the imaging device is delayed depending on the lengths of the fibers.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An electronic endoscope provided with a three-dimensional image capturing device, comprising:
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a housing;
a distance-measuring light source that outputs a distance-measuring light beam, which is a pulsed light beam and which is irradiated to a subject so that a first reflected light beam is generated by said subject;
a distance-measurement imaging device that receives said first reflected light beam, to accumulate electric charges in accordance with the received amount of said first reflected light beam;
a flexible tube that is connected to said housing, and that has an optic fiber along which at least one of said distance-measuring light beam and said first reflected light beam is transmitted; and
a three-dimensional image sensing processor that controls the accumulating operation of said distance-measurement imaging device, to generate electric charges corresponding to a three-dimensional image of said subject. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification