Endoscope equipment

• US 4,821,116 A
• Filed: 03/18/1987
• Issued: 04/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagasaki, Tatsuo, Fujimori, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/027,598
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 128/4, 128/6, 362/293, 350/266, 350/273-276
• US Class Current: 348/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/125 Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel
• 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 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/11 Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics

Abstract

This invention concerns an endoscope using a line transfer type solid pickup element which is provided with a means to control the light incident upon the light receiving plane of the solid pickup element and accumulates the optical image from the subject during the incident period and reads the accumulated signal charges during the non-incident period. The means to control the incident light consists of the method to switch ON and OFF the light source driving voltage, method to switch ON and OFF the applied voltage of the liquid crystal filter provided in the optical path, method to provide a rotary filter with shielding regions in front of the light source and method to use a strobo light source. Furthermore, in order to display in color, the combination with the R, G and B color filters is used.

Claims

1. An endoscope, comprising:

an inserting member having an end component

a light source means for projecting light through said inserting member onto a subject;

a line transfer type solid state image sensing means disposed in said end component for receiving an optical image of the subject illuminated by said light source means, and for converting said received image into electrical signals;

a light control means for controlling the light incident on said solid state image sensing means so that a signal charge is accumulated in said solid state image sensing means during an incident period when reflected light is incident on said solid state image sensing means and light from said light source means is controlled in such a manner that it is not incident on said image sensing means when said signal charge is being read out from said image sensing means, said light control means including,

(a) a liquid crystal filter means positioned in the light path between said light source means and said solid-state image sensing means for interrupting the light from said light source means incident on said solid-state image sensing means, and

(b) a circuit means for electrically controlling said liquid crystal filter means such that said light from said light source means is not incident on said image sensing means when said signal charge is being read out from said image sensing means; and

a monitor means for displaying the subject image on the basis of the electrical signal read out from said solid-state image sensing means.

2. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein said liquid crystal filter means is disposed between said light source means and a light guide for directing light from said light source means onto the subject.

3. An endoscope, comprising:

an inserting member having an end component;

a light source means for projecting light through said inserting member onto a subject;

a line transfer type solid-state image sensing means disposed in said end component for receiving an optical image of the subject illuminated by solid light source means, and for converting said received image into electrical signals, and

wherein said image sensing means has one of a mosaic filter and a color stripe filter on the image sensing surface thereof for receiving a color image of said subject illuminated by white light;

a light controlling means for controlling light incident on said solid-state image sensing means so that a signal charge is accumulated in said image sensing means during an incident period when reflected light is incident on said image sensing means and light from said light source means is controlled in such a manner that it is not incident on said image sensing means when said signal charge is being read out from said image sensing means; and

a monitor means for displaying in color, the subject image on the basis of electrical signals read out from said solid-state image sensing means.

4. An endoscope, comprising:

an inserting member having an end component;

a light source means for projecting light through said inserting member onto a subject;

a line transfer type solid-state image sensing means disposed in said end component for receiving an optical image of the subject illuminated by the light source, and for converting said received image into electrical signals;

a light controlling means for controlling light incident on said solid-state image sensing means so that a signal charge is accumulated in said solid-state image sensing means during an incident period when reflected light is incident on said image sensing means and light from said light source means is controlled in such a manner that it is not incident on said image sensing means when said signal charge is being read out from said image sensing means; and

a monitor means for displaying the subject image on the basis of electrical signals read out from said solid-state image sensing means.

5. An endoscope, comprising:

an inserting member having an end component;

a light source means for projecting light through said inserting member onto a subject;

a line transfer type solid-state image sensing means disposed in said end component for receiving an optical image of the subject illuminated by the light source, and for converting said received image into electrical signals;

a light controlling means for controlling light incident on said solid-state image sensing means so that a signal charge is accumulated in said solid-state sensing means during an incident period when reflected light is incident on said image sensing means, said light controlling means including a circuit means for electrically controlling said light source means such that said light source means is turned off when said signal charge is being read out from said image sensing means; and

a monitor means for displaying the subject image on the basis of the electrical signal read out from said solid-state image sensing means.