Stereoscopic electronic endoscope device

• US 4,926,257 A
• Filed: 12/18/1987
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/135,178
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 358/3, 358/88, 358/98, 128/4, 128/6, 350/516
• US Class Current: 348/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view 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 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• 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 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• 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 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes

Abstract

A stereoscopic electronic endoscope device comprises an electronic endoscope with an image pickup device having a solid-state image sensor located at the tip part of an inserting part and an optical imagery system for creating an image of a shooting object on said solid-state image sensor and enabling observation at two positions where stereoscopic view is possible, an image signal processing device for processing an output signal of said image pickup device, and a stereoscopic image forming device that forms a stereoscopic image of the shooting object using an image signal generated by said image signal processing device based on each output signal of said image pickup device at two positions.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic electronic endoscope device comprising:

An electronic endoscope comprising an elongated inserting part and an image pickup means located at a tip part of said inserting part and having a solid-state image sensor and an optical imagery system that works to create an image of a shooting object on said solid-state image sensor, and enabling stereoscopic observation at two positions where stereoscopic view is made possible;

an image signal processing means that processes an output signal from said image pickup means to an image signal; and

a stereoscopic image forming means for forming a stereoscopic image of the shooting object using an image signal generated by said image signal processing means based on each output signal at said two positions of the image pickup means.

4. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein an illuminating means for illuminating a shooting object is also provided.

2. A stereoscopic electronic endoscope device comprising:

an electronic endoscope comprising an elongated inserting part and an image pickup means located at a tip part of said inserting part and having a pair of optical imagery systems arranged at two positions where stereoscopic view is made possible, a solid-state image sensor arrangeable to each imagery position of said pair of optical imagery systems and a moving means that moves said solidstate image sensor to each imagery position of said pair of imagery optical systems;

an image signal processing means that processes an output signal from said solid-state image sensor to an image signal; and

a stereoscopic image forming means for forming an stereoscopic image of a shooting object using the image signal generated by said image signal processing means based on each output signal at said both imagery positions of said solid-state image sensor.

5. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 2 or 3, wherein said stereoscopic image forming means comprises a monitor that receives an image signal input from said image signal processing means and displays alternatively images picked up at each position by said solid-state image sensor, and a pair of shutters that are shielded alternatively in synchronization with the selecting of images displayed on said monitor, corresponding to left an right eyes.

6. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 5, wherein said pair of shutters comprise a liquid crystal device that transmits or shields light depending on whether a voltage is applied or not.

7. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 2 or 3, wherein an illuminating means having a means that generates a light shielding period to shield a shooting object from illumination of light in synchronization with the timing of movement by said moving means, is provided.

8. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 2 or 3, wherein said moving means moves said solid-state image sensor field by field.

9. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 2 or 3, wherein said moving means comprises a piezoelectric configuration.

10. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 2 or 3, wherein said stereoscopic image forming means comprises memories that store images picked up by said solid-state image sensor at each position, a monitor that displays an image signal from said image signal processing means, a signal processing means that displays images picked up by said solid-state image sensor at each position respectively in the left and right portions of said monitor, and a restricting means that makes observable alternatively either one of two images displayed in the left and right portions of said monitor.

11. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 10, wherein said restricting means is located in front of said monitor and comprises a polarizing plate having a right portion and a left portion that transmit only lights of different polarizing directions, respectively, and polarizing glasses having a right portion corresponding to the right eye and transmitting only the light in the same polarizing direction as the right portion of said polarizing plate and having a left portion corresponding to the left eye and transmitting only the light in the same polarizing directions as the left portion of said polarizing plate.

3. A stereoscopic electronic endoscope device comprising:

an electronic endoscope comprising an elongated inserting part and an image pickup means located at a tip part of said inserting part and having an optical imagery sensor located at an optical imagery position of said optical imagery system and a moving means that moves said optical imagery system and said solid-state image sensor in an integrated manner alternatively to two positions where stereoscopic view is made possible;

an image signal processing means that processes an output signal of said solid-state image sensor to an image signal; and

a stereoscopic image forming means for forming a stereoscopic image of a shooting object using an image signal generated by said image signal processing means based on each output signal at said two positions of said solid-state image sensor.

12. A stereoscopic electronic endoscope device comprising:

an electronic endoscope which comprises an elongated inserting part and an image pickup means located at a tip part of said inserting part and having a pair of optical imagery systems located in at least two positions for stereoscopic viewing, and a pair of solid-state image sensors located at each imagery side of said pair of optical imagery systems;

an image signal processing means for processing an output signal of said image pickup means to an image signal, wherein said image signal processing means comprises a selecting means that alternatively selects either one of output signals from said pair of solid-state image sensors and processes said selected output to an image signal; and

a stereoscopic image forming means operably connected to said solid-state image sensors for forming a stereoscopic image of a shooting object using an image signal generated by said image signal processing means based on each output signal of said pair of solid-state image sensors, wherein said stereoscopic image forming means comprises memory that stores images, respectively, picked up by each of said solid-state image sensors, a signal processing means that synthesizes and outputs signals read out of said memories so as to display images picked up by each of said solid-state image sensors on the left and right portions, respectively, of a picture, a monitor that inputs an image signal outputted from said image signal processing means and displays images picked up by each of said solid-state image sensors on the left and right portions, respectively, of said monitor, and a restricting means that makes only one of two different images with each other displayed in the left or right portion of said monitor, corresponding to each of left and right eyes.

13. The stereoscopic electronic endoscope device of claim 12, wherein said restricting means is located in front of said monitor and comprises a polarizing plate having a right portion and a left portion that transmit only the lights of different polarizing directions, respectively, and polarizing glasses having a right portion that correspond to the right eye and transmits only the light of the same polarizing direction as the right portion of said polarizing plate, and having a left portion that corresponds to the left eye and transmits only the light of t the same polarizing direction as the left portion of said polarizing plate.