Electronic endoscope apparatus
First Claim
1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
- image sensing means attached to each of a plurality of endoscopes of various types and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal;
image sensing control means adapted to be connected to each of the image sensing means attached to their corresponding endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means;
signal transmission means connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, having a transmission line length corresponding to the distance between the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal,said signal transmission means including one of a plurality of transmission cable means individually having predetermined cable lengths for a predetermined number of groups of transmission lines obtained by grouping a plurality of different transmission line lengths;
identification information means having one of a plurality of identification information predetermined for the transmission line groups and corresponding individually to the cable lengths;
discrimination means for identifying the identification information of the identification information means and delivering an identification signal; and
compensation means for compensating at least one of the driving signal and the image signal in accordance with the identification information delivered from the discrimination means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of electronic endoscopes, individually having insertion sections of different lengths, are classified into a plurality of endoscope groups according to the length of the insertion section. A signal cable, having a length predetermined for each endoscope group, is disposed in an electronic endoscope which belongs to its corresponding group. An identification information member, indicative of the endoscope group, is provided at a connector section of the endoscope, and identification information of the information member is identified by an endoscope control device. The control device has a function to compensate a driving pulse transmitted to the electronic endoscope and an image signal from a solid-state image sensor of the endoscope, in accordance with the identification information (cable length information).
119 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
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image sensing means attached to each of a plurality of endoscopes of various types and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal; image sensing control means adapted to be connected to each of the image sensing means attached to their corresponding endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means; signal transmission means connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, having a transmission line length corresponding to the distance between the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal, said signal transmission means including one of a plurality of transmission cable means individually having predetermined cable lengths for a predetermined number of groups of transmission lines obtained by grouping a plurality of different transmission line lengths; identification information means having one of a plurality of identification information predetermined for the transmission line groups and corresponding individually to the cable lengths; discrimination means for identifying the identification information of the identification information means and delivering an identification signal; and compensation means for compensating at least one of the driving signal and the image signal in accordance with the identification information delivered from the discrimination means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electronic endoscopes individually including a plurality of insertion sections of different lengths each having a distal portion, each of said endoscopes further including solid-state image sensing means attached to the distal end portion of the insertion section and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal; image sensing control means adapted to be connected to the image sensing means of at least one of the electronic endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means; a plurality of signal cable means inserted individually to the insertion sections and connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, each said cable means having a length corresponding to that of each corresponding insertion section and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal; a plurality of identification information means provided individually for the electronic endoscopes, and having identification information predetermined for a predetermined number of groups of transmission lines obtained by grouping the cable means according to different lengths, and corresponding individually to the cable lengths; discrimination means for identifying the identification information of the identification information means and delivering an identification signal; and compensation means for compensating the driving signal and/or the image signal in accordance with the identification information delivered from the discrimination means.
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13. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electronic endoscopes individually including a plurality of insertion sections of different lengths and each having a distal portion, each of said endoscopes further including solid-state image sensing means attached to the distal end portion of the insertion section and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal; image sensing control means adapted to be connected to the image sensing means of at least one of the electronic endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means; a plurality of first signal cables inserted individually into the insertion sections and connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, each of said cables having a length corresponding to that of a corresponding insertion section and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal, said first signal cables being grouped in a predetermined number of cable groups based on the different lengths of said insertion sections; a plurality of second signal cables provided in said image sensing control means, in correspondence with the lengths of said first signal cables and the predetermined cable groups; and connector means for selectively connecting said first signal cables and said second signal cables. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electronic endoscopes individually including a plurality of insertion sections of different lengths and each having a distal portion, each of said endoscopes further including solid-state image sensing means attached to the distal end portion of the insertion section and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal; image sensing control means adapted to be connected to the image sensing means of at least one of the electronic endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means; a plurality of signal cables inserted individually into the insertion sections and connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, each of said cables having a length corresponding to that of a corresponding insertion section and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal, said signal cables being grouped in a predetermined number of cable groups based on the different lengths of said insertion sections. a plurality of correction circuit means provided in said electronic endoscopes, in correspondence with the cable groups, respectively, for correcting at least one of the driving signal and the image signal. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electronic endoscopes individually including a plurality of insertion sections of different lengths and each having a distal portion, each of said endoscopes further including solid-state image sensing means attached to the distal end portion of the insertion section and adapted to electronically sense an endoscopic image and deliver an image signal; image sensing control means adapted to be connected to the image sensing means of at least one of the electronic endoscopes and to deliver a driving signal for driving the image sensing means and process the image signal from the image sensing means; a plurality of signal cables inserted individually into the insertion sections and connecting the image sensing means and the image sensing control means, each of said cables having a length corresponding to that of a corresponding insertion section and adapted to transmit the driving signal and the image signal, said signal cables being grouped in a predetermined number of cable groups based on the different lengths of said insertion sections; a plurality of correction circuit means provided in said image sensing control means, in correspondence with the cable groups, respectively, and switched in accordance with the lengths of said signal cables, for correcting at least one of the driving signal and the image signal. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification