ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20120010465A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ERIKAWA, Akihiko, OZAWA, Satoshi, IIDA, Takayuki
• Application Number:
  US13/177,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/063 for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0653 with wavelength conversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

A first irradiation portion that radiates white light onto a subject, a second irradiation portion that radiates narrow bandwidth light having a narrower wavelength bandwidth than the white light, and an observation window used to observe the subject are respectively disposed on a leading end surface of an endoscope insertion portion. Each of the first and second irradiation portions includes a pair of irradiation windows for emitting light therefrom. A straight line passing through a center point of the observation window and bisecting the leading end surface is defined as a boundary line. The pair of irradiation windows of the first irradiation portion are disposed on both sides of the boundary line. The pair of irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion are disposed on the both sides of the boundary line. Spectra of lights radiated from the irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion can be changed individually.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject;

a light source section that supplies light to the endoscope insertion portion; and

a light source control section, wherein

a first irradiation portion that radiates white light onto the subject, a second irradiation portion that radiates to the subject narrow bandwidth light having a narrower wavelength bandwidth than the white light, and an observation window that is used to observe the subject are disposed on a leading end surface of the endoscope insertion portion,

each of the first and second irradiation portions includes a pair of irradiation windows for emitting lights therefrom,

a straight line passing through a center point of the observation window and bisecting the leading end surface of the endoscope insertion portion is defined as a boundary line,

the pair of irradiation windows of the first irradiation portion are disposed on the leading end surface on both sides of the boundary line,

the pair of irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion are disposed on the leading end surface on the both sides of the boundary line, and

the light source control section is configured to individually change spectra of the lights radiated from the respective irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging device that captures an image of the subject through the observation window, wherein

the light source control section causes the narrow bandwidth lights having different spectra from each other to be simultaneously emitted from the respective irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion in synchronous with imaging frames of the imaging device.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the light source control section causes the white light to be emitted from the first irradiation portion at a first imaging frame of the imaging device, and

the light source control section causes the narrow bandwidth lights having the different spectra from each other to be emitted simultaneously from the respective irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion at a second imaging frame of the imaging device.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the imaging device includes plural kinds of light receiving pixels having sensitivities to specific basic color components.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective irradiation windows of the first irradiation portion include fluorescent members which are configured to be excited by the light supplied from the light source section to emit fluorescence.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source section includes a semiconductor light emitting element as a light source.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source section supplies emission light of a xenon light source or a halogen light source to the first irradiation portion.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source section causes emission light of a xenon light source or a halogen light source to transmit through a narrow bandpass filter that allows only a given narrow-bandwidth wavelength component to pass therethrough, so as to generate the narrow bandwidth light, and

the light source section supplies the generated narrow bandwidth light to the respective irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source section is provided in a leading end surface of the endoscope insertion portion.

10. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the pair of irradiation windows of the first irradiation portion are disposed on the both sides of the observation window with being opposed to each other across the observation window, and

the pair of irradiation windows of the second irradiation portion are disposed at positions, which are different from those of the irradiation windows of the first irradiation portion, on the both sides of the observation window with being opposed to each other across the observation window.