ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20100053312A1
• Filed: 11/22/2007
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Toshiaki, Karasawa, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

The distal end of an inserted portion, having a simple structure, is reduced in diameter, loss of light incident from a body cavity is reduced, and light from two different directions is observed simultaneously and in a separated fashion. Provided is an endoscope apparatus (1) including an inserted portion (2) to be inserted inside a body cavity; a first dichroic mirror (8), disposed in a distal end portion of the inserted portion (2), that transmits light (L₄) in a first wavelength band, which is incident from a longitudinal axial direction and that deflects light (L₂) in a second wavelength band, which is incident from a radial direction, in the longitudinal axial direction, thereby multiplexing it with the light (L₄) in the first wavelength band; a second dichroic mirror (13) that splits the light (L₂, L₄) multiplexed by the first dichroic mirror (8) into each wavelength band; and two image-acquisition units (16, 17) that respectively acquire the light (L₂, L₄) in the first and second wavelength bands split by the second dichroic mirror (13).

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserted portion to be inserted inside a body cavity;

a first dichroic mirror, disposed in a distal end portion of the inserted portion, that deflects light in a first wavelength band, which is incident from a radial direction, in a longitudinal axial direction and that transmits light in a second wavelength band, which is incident from the longitudinal axial direction, thereby multiplexing it with the light in the first wavelength band;

a second dichroic mirror that splits the light multiplexed by the first dichroic mirror into each wavelength band; and

two image-acquisition units that respectively acquire the light in the first and second wavelength bands split by the second dichroic mirror.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image combining unit that combines images acquired by the two image-acquisition units is provided.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first dichroic mirror is conical.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first dichroic mirror is provided with a flat reflecting surface that deflects light from one direction in the radial direction and a rotating device that rotates the reflecting surface about a longitudinal axis of the inserted portion.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an illumination unit that radiates illumination light towards the body cavity is provided in the distal end portion of the inserted portion.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an illumination unit that radiates illumination light towards the body cavity is provided;

the illumination unit includes a light source disposed at a base end of the inserted portion and a light guide through which light from the light source propagates to the distal end of the inserted portion; and

the first dichroic mirror deflects light in a wavelength band radiated radially outward and light in a wavelength band incident from radially outward and transmits light of other wavelength bands.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

an image-forming unit that images the light multiplexed by the first dichroic mirror is provided at a central portion, in the radial direction, of the inserted portion;

the light guide is disposed outward, in the radial direction, of the image forming unit; and

the distal end of the light guide is disposed at an angle towards the vicinity of the center of the first dichroic mirror.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inserted portion is a capsule provided, in the interior thereof, with

the first dichroic mirror,

the second dichroic mirror, and

the two image-acquisition units.