Electronic endoscope apparatus

• US 4,873,572 A
• Filed: 02/24/1988
• Issued: 10/10/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonami, Tetsuo, Miyazaki, Akihiko, Ikuno, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/160,051
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 358/88, 358/98, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/339 using spatial multiplexing H04N13/337 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0077 : Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 : Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• 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

Abstract

This electronic endoscope apparatus comprises an elongate insertable part, two image forming optical systems provide in the tip part of the insertable part and an integrated imaging device provided in the tip part of the insertable part and having two imaging regions in which object images are formed by two image forming optical systems. The imaging device has, for example, one solid state imaging device having two imaging regions or has two solid state imaging devices made integral.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an elongate insertable part;

two image forming optical systems provided in the tip part of said insertable part; and

an imaging means provided in the tip part of said insertable part, having two imaging regions in which object images are formed by said two image forming optical systems and made integral.

2. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said imaging means has one solid state imaging device having two imaging regions.

3. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an illuminating means illuminating an object to be imaged.

4. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a video signal processing means processing the output signal of said imaging means so as to be a video signal.

5. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said video signal processing means has a visual field coverting means converting the visual fields of the images imaged in said two imaging regions.

6. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said two image forming optical systems are arranged in two stereo-viewable positions.

7. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a video signal processing means processing the output signal of said imaging means so as to be a video signal and a stereo-image forming means forming a stereo-image of an object by using a video signal produced by said video signal processing means.

8. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said stereo-image forming means has a monitor inputting a video signal from said video signal processing means and displaying on the right and left respective images imaged in said two imaging regions and a limiting means making obserable only one different from each other of the two images displayed on the right and left of said monitor respectively for the right and left eyes.

9. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said limiting means comprises a polarizing plate provided on the front surface of said monitor and having a right side part and left side part passing only the lights in the polarizing directions different from each other and polarizing spectacles having a right part passing only the light in the same polarizing direction as of the right side part of said polarizing plate corresponding to the right eye and a left pat passing only the light in the same polarizing direction as of the left side part of said polarizing plate corresponding to the left eye.

10. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said limiting means has a hood covering the displaying surface of said monitor, a partition plate provided within said hood and separating the displaying surface of said monitor to the right and left and two observing window parts provided on the right and left with said partition plate between them in said hood.

11. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said stereo-image forming means has a signal processing means alternately outputting one of the video signals of the respective images imaged in said two imaging regions, a monitor inputting the video signals from said signal processing means and alternately displaying one of the respective images imaged in said two imaging regions and a pair of shutters alternately intercepting the light as synchronized with the switching of the image displayed in said monitor corresponding to the respective right and left eyes.

12. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said signal processing means has a first memory memorizing two images imaged in said two imaging regions, second and third memories respectively memorizing the respective images memorized in said first memory and a memory controlling means alternately reading the images out of said second memory and third memory and delivering them to said monitor.

13. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said signal processing means outputs a video signal so that the image of one side may be displayed in said monitor for 1/120 second every 1/60 second.

14. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said imaging means has two solid state imaging devices made integral.

15. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two image forming optical systems are arranged as opposed to the center axis of said insertable part.

16. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising an object illuminating means having two illuminating windows arranged on the straight line intersecting the straight line connecting the observing windows of said two image forming optical systems in the tip part of said insertable part.

17. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a treating tool channel provided within said insertable part and having a tip opening arranged in a position including the center axis of said insertable part.

18. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising an object illuminating means having an illuminating window arranged between the observing windows of said two image forming optical systems in the tip part of said insertable part.

19. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two image forming optical systems are arranged so that the optical axes may intersect each other.

20. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 further comprising a video signal processing means for processing the output signal of said imaging means so as to be a video signal having two process circuits whereby the video signal from said two solid state imaging devices is made a television signal, two memories respectively memorizing the output signals of said two process circuits and a picture image correcting circuit correcting the output signals of said two memories so that the sizes and position of the respective picture images may be the same.

21. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two solid state imaging devices are arranged with the respective imaging surfaces inclined by a predetermined angle with the center axis direction of said insertable part.

22. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two solid state imaging devices are fitted adjacently to one surface of a package.

23. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two solid state imaging devices have the same number of pixels.

24. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the driving frequency driving said two solid state imaging devices is the same frequency.

25. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said two solid state imaging devices are fitted to both surfaces of one package.

26. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said two solid state imaging devices and package are arranged substantially parallelly with the axial direction of the insertable part substantially in the center axis position of the insertable part.

27. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope provided with an elongate insertable part, two image forming optical systems provided in the tip part of said insertable part and an integrated imaging means provided in the tip part of said insertable part and having two imaging regions in which object images are formed by said two image forming optical systems; and

a signal processing apparatus to which said endoscope is removably connected and which processes the output signal of said imaging means so as to be a video signal.

28. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said imaging means has two solid state imaging devices made integral and said endoscope further has an adjusting means unifying the sizes of the video signals from said two solid state imaging devices.

29. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said adjusting means is provided in a connector part connected to said signal processing apparatus.

30. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

a elongate insertable part;

a plurality of image forming optical systems provided in the tip part of said insertable part; and

an integrated imaging means provided in the tip part of said insertable part and having a plurality of imaging regions in which object images are formed by said plurality of image forming optical systems.