ENDOSCOPE CAMERA WITH ORIENTATION INDICATOR

• US 3,866,602 A
• Filed: 05/29/1974
• Issued: 02/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hiroyuki Furihata
• Original Assignee: Hiroyuki Furihata
• Inventors: Furihata, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Layton, Henry S.
• Application Number:
  US05/474,198
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4-9 356/248 350/10,19,319 354/104,105,109,63,72
• US Class Current: 600/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

An endoscope has a camera for photographing that image corresponding to the interior wall of a body cavity of a patient which is received through the surface of a distal end section. A mark is provided at the inner peripheral surface of an image passing hole of a plate mask or near the image passing hole of the plate mask. The mark is intentionally asymmetrically located with respect to a symmetrical axis of the image passing hole of the plate mask. As a result, the shadow of the plate mask including the mark is photographed, together with the image, onto the film strip.

Claims

1. An endoscope having a distal end section adapted to be inserted into a body cavity of a patient for medical diagnosis, comprising an optical means optically receiving an image of the internal wall of the body cavity through the surface of the distal end section into the interior of the endoscope;

a photographing means having a film strip arranged substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the image so received;

a plate mask located in front of the film strip and substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the image and having an image passing hole for permitting a beam of light corresponding to the image to be passed therethrough with the cross section of the beam of light defined to correspond to the shape of the image passing hole, said image passing hole having at least one symmetrical axis, and the shape of the image photographed through the image passing hole onto the film strip being similar to that of the image passing hole; and

at least one mark provided at the plate mask in a manner to be asymmetrical with respect to the symmetrical axis of the image passing hole, whereby an individual imaged film frame can be viewed in a correct position.

2. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said mark is a projection provided at the inner periphery of the image passing hole of the plate mask.

3. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said mark is provided in that portion of the mask plate which is in the neighborhood of the image passing hole of the mask plate.

4. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said image passing hole of the plate mask is rectangular in shape.

5. An endoscope according to claim 4, in which said mark is a triangular projection provided at one corner of the rectangular-shaped image passing hole of the plate mask.

6. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said image passing hole of the plate mask is spherical in shape.

7. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said optical means is an object lens arranged in front of the mask within the distal end section and along the optical axis of the image;

said photographing means includes a film loaded cassette, illumination lamp and light sensitive element all housed within the distal end section.

8. An endoscope according to claim 7, further comprising a wire having one end anchored to the free end of the film strip so as to deliver the film strip along the length of the distal end section from the cassette, and the other end extending through a flexible tube section into the control unit;

and a lever provided at the control unit so as to deliver the film strip frame by frame from the cassette.

9. An endoscope according to claim 1, in which said plate mask is located within the control unit;

and said optical means further includes an objective lens arranged within the distal end section and an image guide arranged opposite to the plate mask and having one end facinG the lens and the other end extending through a flexible tube section into the control unit.