Endoscope system and operation method for endoscope

• US 20050222500A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Itoi, Hiromu
• Granted Patent: US 7,585,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/180
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/273 for the upper alimentary canal, e.g. oesophagoscopes, gastroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

According to the endoscope system of the present invention, when the image pickup device of the first endoscope device detects illumination light irradiated from the illumination device of the second endoscope device, the control device performs control so as to reduce light quantity of the illumination device of the second endoscope device based on the level of luminance signal outputted from the solid state image pickup element of the image pickup device, and when the image pickup device of the second endoscope device detects illumination light irradiated from the illumination device of the first endoscope device, the control device performs control so as to reduce light quantity of the illumination device of the first endoscope device based on the level of luminance signal outputted from the solid state image pickup element of the image pickup device.

Claims

1. An endoscope system, comprising:

a first endoscope device provided with an endoscope in which an illumination device, an image pickup device and a first balloon are attached to a tip part of an insertion part of the endoscope, and with an insertion assisting tool into which the insertion part of the endoscope is inserted, which assists insertion of the insertion part into a body cavity, and to a tip part of which a second balloon is attached;

a second endoscope device provided with an endoscope in which an illumination device, an image pickup device and a first balloon are attached to a tip part of an insertion part of the endoscope, and with an insertion assisting tool into which the insertion part of the endoscope is inserted, which assists insertion of the insertion part into a body cavity, and to a tip part of which a second balloon is attached;

a display device for displaying an object image photographed by an image pickup device of each of the first endoscope device and the second endoscope device; and

a control device for controlling light quantity of one of the illumination devices, based on a level of luminance signal outputted from a solid state image pickup element of the image pickup device of the first endoscope device, when the image pickup device detects illumination light irradiated from the illumination device of the second endoscope device, or based on a level of luminance signal outputted from a solid state image pickup element of the image pickup device of the second endoscope device, when the image pickup device detects illumination light irradiated from the illumination device of the first endoscope device.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs control so as to reduce light quantity of the second endoscope device when the luminance signal level from the solid state image pickup element of the first endoscope device reaches a saturation luminance signal level, or performs control so as to reduce light quantity of the first endoscope device when the luminance signal level from the solid state image pickup element of the second endoscope device reaches a saturation luminance signal level.

3. An operation method of endoscopes comprising

a first endoscope device provided with an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool into which an insertion part of the endoscope is inserted and which assists insertion of the insertion part into a body cavity, and

a second endoscope device provided with an endoscope and an insertion assisting tool into which an insertion part of the endoscope is inserted and which assists insertion of the insertion part into a body cavity, comprising the steps of:

inserting the first endoscope device from the mouth of a patient; and

inserting the second endoscope device from the anus of the patient,

wherein treatment is performed by the first endoscope device and the second endoscope device.

4. The operation method of endoscopes according to claim 3,

wherein an expandable and contractible first balloon is provided at a tip part of the insertion part of the endoscope of the first endoscope device and a second balloon is provided at a tip part of the insertion assisting tool of the first endoscope device,

wherein an expandable and contractible third balloon is provided at a tip part of the insertion part of the endoscope of the second endoscope device and a fourth balloon is provided at a tip part of the insertion assisting tool of the second endoscope device, and

wherein the insertion parts of the endoscopes are inserted while expanding and contracting the first to fourth balloons.