Endoscope light source apparatus

• US 4,884,133 A
• Filed: 06/09/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokoi, Takeshi, Yabe, Hisao, Kanno, Masahide, Ohzeki, Kazuhiko, Yoshinaga, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/204,312
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The endoscope light source apparatus of this invention can be selectively connected with an endoscope having a light guide means which can transmit an illuminating light for an object and an endoscope having a light source which can illuminate an object. The endoscope connected to the endoscope light source apparatus is discriminated by a scope discriminating circuit outputting a signal which can control a light guide light source and a power source which can feed an electric power to the light source provided in the endoscope.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a first endoscope having a light guide means which can transmit an illuminating light and can radiate said illuminating light onto an object and an observing means wherein an image of said object illuminated by said light guide means can be observed;

a second endoscope having a light source which can emit a light of a single wavelength band and can radiate said light onto an object and an observing means wherein an image of said object can be observed;

a light source apparatus having a light guide light source which can feed an illuminating light to said light guide means and a power source which can feed an electric power to said light source provided in said second endoscope and capable of being selectively connected with said first endoscope and said second endoscope.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said light source of the second endoscope has three light emitting diodes which can emit light of different wavelength ranges.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second endoscope further has a light guide means which can transmit a light of a single wavelength range.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said light source apparatus further has a scope discriminating means which can discriminate the connected endoscope and can output a signal which can control the light guide light source and power source.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said power source is to feed an electric power to light emitting diodes.

6. An endoscope light source apparatus which can be selectively connected with a endoscope having a light guide means which can transmit an illuminating light for an object and an endoscope having a light source which can illuminate an object, comprising:

a light guide light source which can feed an illuminating light to said light guide means; and

a power source which can feed an electric power to said light source provided in said endoscope.

7. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a scope discriminating means which can discriminate the connected endoscope and can control said light guide light source and power source.