ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM

• US 20070049803A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: MORIYAMA, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,137,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/176
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes

Abstract

An endoscope system includes a first endoscope that includes a first observation optical system with a first viewing angle; and a second endoscope that includes a second observation optical system with a second viewing angle wider than the first viewing angle. A second distance from a second distal end face of an insertion portion of the second endoscope to a minimum focal point of the second observation optical system is shorter than a first distance from a first distal end face of a distal end portion of the first endoscope to a minimum focal point of the first observation optical system.

Claims

1. An endoscope system, comprising:

a first endoscope that includes a first observation optical system with a first viewing angle; and

a second endoscope that includes a second observation optical system with a second viewing angle wider than the first viewing angle, a second distance from a second distal end face of an insertion portion of the second endoscope to a minimum focal point of the second observation optical system being shorter than a first distance from a first distal end face of a distal end portion of the first endoscope to a minimum focal point of the first observation optical system.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein

the first endoscope includes the first observation optical system with the first viewing angle and a fixed focal point, and

the second endoscope includes the second observation optical system with the second viewing angle wider than the first viewing angle and a fixed focal point.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein

the second distance is set to be shorter than the first distance by restricting incident light incident on the distal end face of the insertion portion of the second endoscope.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein

the incident light is restricted by squeezing an aperture of the second observation optical system more than an aperture of an optical system including the first observation optical system.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein

the incident light is restricted by having a lens diameter of the second observation optical system smaller than a lens diameter of the first observation optical system.

6. An endoscope comprising:

an observation optical system with a predetermined viewing angle, a distance from a distal end of the observation optical system to a near limit of a depth of field of the observation optical system being longer than a distance from a distal end of an observation optical system of other endoscope to a near limit of a depth of field of the other endoscope, the other endoscope having a viewing angle wider than the predetermined viewing angle.

7. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein

the endoscope is connectable to an external device that is shared with the other endoscope.