Endoscope and endoscope apparatus

• US 20070055100A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Takayuki, Kumei, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,789,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/24 Instruments or systems for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes

Abstract

This endoscope is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit which is constructed of an objective optical system, and a solid state color image pickup device in which a color filter is arranged every pixel, the solid state image pickup device fulfilling a conditional expression (300<IH/P<550), and the objective optical system fulfilling a conditional expression (300<Fl/P<550) and a conditional expression (2400×P<Fno.<4200×P), and an image pickup plane of the solid state image pickup device is arranged in a position where an MTF on an optical axis in a spatial frequency 1/(3×P) of the objective optical system at 4 mm of object distance, and an MTF on the optical axis in a spatial frequency 1/(3×P) at 50 mm of object distance become 10% or more together.

Claims

1. An endoscope which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit which is constructed of an objective optical system, and a solid state color image pickup device in which a color filter is arranged every pixel, comprising:

the solid state image pickup device that fulfills a conditional expression (1); and

the objective optical system that fulfills a conditional expression (2) and a conditional expression (3),

wherein an image pickup plane of the solid state image pickup device is arranged in a position where an MTF on an optical axis in a spatial frequency 1/(3×

P) of the objective optical system at 4 mm of object distance, and an MTF on the optical axis in the spatial frequency 1/(3×

P) at 50 mm of object distance become 10% or more together;

300<

IH/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (1)
300<

Fl/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (2)
2400×

P<

Fno.<

4200×

P 

 

conditional expression (3)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

7. The endoscope which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit, according to claim 1, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.

2. An endoscope apparatus which is equipped with an endoscope which includes at least a fixed focus image pickup unit, and a display means which displays an image which the image pickup unit acquires, comprising:

the image pickup unit that is constructed of a solid state image pickup device in which a color filter is arranged every pixel, and which fulfills a conditional expression (1), and an objective optical system which fulfills a conditional expression (2) and a conditional expression (3),

wherein, with letting a range of the image pickup unit in an object side, where a resolution in a center of an image displayed on the display means is 25 lines/mm or more, be d1, and letting a range of the image pickup unit in the object side, where a resolution in a center of an image displayed on the display means is 2 lines/mm or more, be d2, an image pickup plane of the solid state image pickup device is arranged near an image forming position of the objective optical system so that an object point on an optical axis which is at a position apart by 3.5 mm from a plane of the objective optical system in a side nearest to the object which constructs an image pickup unit may be included in both of d1 and d2, and so that an object point on the optical axis which is at a position apart by 50 mm from the plane of the objective optical system in the side nearest to the object which constructs the image pickup unit may be included in only d2;

300<

IH/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (1)
300<

Fl/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (2)
2400×

P<

Fno.<

4200×

P 

 

conditional expression (3)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.

3. An endoscope apparatus which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit which forms an objective image with an objective optical system, and which acquires an image signal with a solid state image pickup device in which a color filter is arranged every pixel near an image-forming plane of the objective optical system, and a circuit system which processes the image signal sent from the solid state image pickup device, comprising:

the solid state image pickup device that fulfills a conditional expression (1); and

the objective optical system that fulfills a conditional expression (2) and a conditional expression (3),

wherein it has a resolution of 35 μ

m or more when a distance from the objective optical system to an object is 4 mm, and has a resolution of 0.45 mm or more when the distance from the objective optical system to the object is 50 mm;

300<

IH/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (1)
300<

Fl/P<

550 

 

conditional expression (2)
2400×

P<

Fno.<

4200×

P 

 

conditional expression (3)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

10. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.

4. An endoscope which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit which is constructed of an objective optical system, and a solid state image pickup device in which a luminance signal is generated every pixel, comprising:

the solid state image pickup device that fulfills a conditional expression (4); and

the objective optical system that fulfills a conditional expression (5) and a conditional expression (6), wherein an image pickup plane of the solid state image pickup device is arranged in a position where an MTF on an optical axis in a spatial frequency 1/(2×

P) of the objective optical system at 4 mm of object distance, and an MTF on the optical axis in the spatial frequency 1/(2×

P) at 50 mm of object distance become 10% or more together;

200<

IH/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (4)
200<

Fl/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (5)
1600×

P<

Fno.<

2800×

P 

 

conditional expression (6)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

8. The endoscope apparatus which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit, according to claim 4, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.

5. An endoscope apparatus which is equipped with an endoscope which includes at least a fixed focus image pickup unit, and a display means which displays an image which the image pickup unit acquires, comprising:

the image pickup unit that is constructed of a solid state image pickup device in which a luminance signal is generated every pixel, and which fulfills a conditional expression (4), and an objective optical system which fulfills a conditional expression (5) and a conditional expression (6),

wherein, with letting a range of the image pickup unit in an object side, where a resolution in a center of an image displayed on the display means is 25 lines/mm or more, be d1, and letting a range of the image pickup unit in the object side, where a resolution in a center of an image displayed on the display means is 2 lines/mm or more, be d2, an image pickup plane of the solid state image pickup device is arranged near an image forming position of the objective optical system so that an object point on an optical axis which is at a position apart by 3.5 mm from a plane of the objective optical system in a side nearest to the object which constructs an image pickup unit may be included in both of d1 and d2, and so that an object point on the optical axis which is at a position apart by 50 mm from the plane of the objective optical system in the side nearest to the object which constructs the image pickup unit may be included in only d2;

200<

IH/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (4)
200<

Fl/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (5)
1600×

P<

Fno.<

2800×

P 

 

conditional expression (6)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

11. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.

6. An endoscope apparatus which is equipped with a fixed focus image pickup unit which forms an objective image with an objective optical system, and which acquires an image signal with a solid state image pickup device in which a luminance signal is generated every pixel near an image-forming plane of the objective optical system, and a circuit system which processes the image signal sent from the solid state image pickup device, comprising:

the solid state image pickup device fulfills a conditional expression (4),

the objective optical system that fulfills a conditional expression (5) and a conditional expression (6),

wherein the endoscope apparatus has a resolution of 35 μ

m or more when a distance from the objective optical system to an object is 4 mm, and has a resolution of 0.45 mm or more when the distance from the objective optical system to the object is 50 mm;

200<

IH/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (4)
200<

Fl/P<

360 

 

conditional expression (5)
1600×

P<

Fno.<

2800×

P 

 

conditional expression (6)

where

P;

horizontal pixel pitch [mm] of solid state image pickup device

IH;

distance [mm] to most distant position from center in display area of solid state image pickup device

Fl;

focal length [mm] of objective optical system

Fno.;

effective f-number of objective optical system.

12. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an endoscope insertion section is further equipped with a treatment tool insertion channel, and the image pickup unit and the treatment tool insertion channel are arranged so that at least a part of a treatment tool may enter within a visual field of the image pickup unit when the treatment tool is protruded through the channel for treatment from an end of the endoscope insertion section by 4 mm of distance.