Measuring endoscope

• US 4,621,284 A
• Filed: 06/06/1985
• Issued: 11/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishioka, Kimihiko, Fujimori, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US06/742,056
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/107, 358/1, 128/4-11
• US Class Current: 348/69
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0491 Sewing machines for surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A measuring endoscope comprising an observing light projecting means, a measuring light projecting means, a single image pickup optical system, an observing image signal processing means, a measuring image signal processing means and a color displaying means, and arranged so that the observing and measuring image are picked up as divided in the time, the observing image signal is stored in a memory so that, in the measuring image pickup period, the observing image signal stored in the memory will be put into the color displaying means to continuously display the normal observing image on the displaying means, in order to make so that the means to be used for the measurement do not obstruct the normal observation.

Claims

1. A measuring endoscope comprising an observing light projecting means, a measuring light projecting means arranged adjacently to said observing light projecting means, a single image pickup optical system for picking up the image of an object illuminated by said observing light projecting means and measuring light projecting means, an observing image signal processing means connected to said image pickup optical system and having a memory therein to process the observing image signal obtained by said image pickup optical system, a measuring image signal processing means connected to said image pickup optical system to process the measuring image signal obtained by said image pickup optical system and a displaying means connected to said observing image signal processing means and measuring image signal processing means, whereby the observing image and measuring image are picked up as divided in the time and the observing image signal is stored in said memory so that, during the measuring image pickup period, the observing image signal stored in the memory is put into said displaying means to be continuously indicated by said displaying means.

2. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said observing light projecting means comprises an observing light source, a rotary filter arranged adjacently to said observing light source and having a red light transmitting portion, green light transmitting portion, blue light transmitting portion and light interrupting portion and a light guide leading the light transmitted through said rotary filter to the object, said measuring light projecting means comprises a measuring light source lighted only while the light from said observing light source is interrupted by said rotary filter and a light guide leading the light from said measuring light source to the object and said image pickup optical system comprises a solid-state image sensor.

3. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said observing light projecting means comprises an observing light source, a rotary filter arranged adjacently to said observing light source and having a red light transmitting portion, green light transmitting portion, blue light transmitting portion and light interrupting portion and a light guide leading the light transmitted through said rotary filter to the object, said measuring light projecting means comprises a measuring light source lighted only whily the light from said observing light source is interrupted by said rotary filter and a light guide leading the light from said measuring light source to the object and said image pickup optical system comprises an image guide and a TV camera fitted to the exit side of said image guide.

4. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 further comprising a memory automatically feeding data necessary for the measurement processing to said measuring image processing means when said TV camera is fitted.

5. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said observing light projecting means comprises an observing light source, an infrared ray cutting filter arranged adjacently to said observing light source and a light guide leading the light from said observing light source transmitted through said infrared ray cutting filter onto the object, said measuring light projecting means comprises a measuring light source emitting an infrared light and a light guide leading the infrared light onto the object and said image pickup optical system comprises an image guide and a TV camera fitted to the exit side of said image guide and containing a rotary filter having a red light transmitting portion, green light transmitting portion, blue light transmitting portion and infrared light transmitting portion.

6. A measuring endoscope according to claim 5 further comprising a memory automatically feeding data necessary for the measurement processing to said measuring image processing means when said TV camera is fitted.

7. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said observing light projecting means comprises an observing light source lighted at predetermined intervals and a light guide leading the light from said observing light source onto the object, said measuring light projecting means comprises a measuring light source lighted at predetermined intervals whenever said observing light source goes out, a light guide leading the light from said measuring light source onto the object and a grate pattern arranged in front of the exit end of said light guide and said image pickup optical system comprises a solid-state image sensor and a color encoding filter arranged in front of said solid-state image sensor.

8. A measuring endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said observing light projecting means and measuring light projecting means comprise a common light source, a common light guide leading the light from said light source onto the object, a pair of filters arranged movably as connected with each other between said light source and the entrance end of the light guide and making only the visible light and infrared light from said light source alternately incident upon the entrance end of said light guide and a measuring pattern arranged in front of the exit end of said light guide and said image pickup optical system comprises a solid-state image sensor and a color encoding mosaic filter arranged in front of said solid-state image sensor.