Endoscope apparatus

• US 4,953,539 A
• Filed: 07/05/1989
• Issued: 09/04/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Toshihiko, Nakamura, Kazunari, Takano, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/375,435
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6, 128/633, 128/634
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0615 for radial illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0661 Endoscope light sources
• 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 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus has an illuminating device for applying at least infrared illuminating light to the interior of an organic body across the organic tissue of the body, an elongated insert portion to be inserted into the body, and an image pickup device having a light-receiving portion provided on an end of the insert portion and capable of picking up the infrared image of an object illuminated by the light transmitted through the tissue of the body. The endoscope apparatus further has an exposure amount control device capable of controlling the amount of exposure of the object by the illuminating device and applied to the object through the tissue of the body, and the amount of exposure of the object by illuminating light from another illuminating device which applies illuminating light to the object from inside of the body. The endoscope light source apparatus also comprises a body outside illuminating apparatus transmittively illuminating from outside the body the part observed with the endoscope. The exposure controlling apparatus controlling at least one of the exposure to the body inside illuminating light body from the body inside illuminating light source and the exposure to the outside illuminating light. The body outside illuminating light source can be made integral with the body inside illuminating light source and have a light transmitting member transmitting the light emitted from this body outside illuminating light source to a predetermined position outside the body and emitting it.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

external illuminating means for illuminating an interior of an organic body across an organic tissue of said body with an illumination light including at least infrared rays;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body; and

image pickup means, having a light-receiving portion provided on said insert portion and being sensitive at least to infrared rays, said image pickup means for picking up an image of an object in or on said body formed by the illumination light emitted from said external illuminating means and transmitted through said organic tissue of said body.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another illuminating means for applying illumination light to the interior of said body from an inside of said body.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image pickup means being a solid-state image pickup device provided on an end of said insert portion.

4. An endoscope according to claim 3, further comprising detecting means for detecting a quantity of infrared rays so as to detect a position of said external illuminating means.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an ocular portion provided on a rear end of said insert portion, an image-forming optical system provided on an inner end of said insert portion, and an image transmitting system through which an object image formed by said image-forming optical system is transmitted to said ocular portion.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image pickup means includes a television camera connected to said ocular portion.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image pickup means includes a still camera attached to said ocular portion.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claims 2 or 5, wherein said image pickup means includes a photographing device provided on the inner end of said insert portion.

9. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first illuminating means includes light guide means for introducing the illuminating light to a position which is inside said body and which opposes said light-receiving portion of said image pickup means across said organic tissue.

10. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said light guide means includes a light guide of an endoscope which is inserted into said body through a pierced hole formed a wall of said body.

11. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for removing heat-generating rays from the external illuminating light emitted from said external illuminating means.

12. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

external illuminating means for illuminating an interior of an organic body across an organic tissue of said body with an illumination light of a wavelength region greater than a red wavelength region;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body; and

image pickup means, having a light-receiving portion provided on said insert portion and a solid-state image pickup device, said image pickup means for picking up an image of an object in or on said body formed by the illumination light emitted from said external illuminating means and transmitted through said organic tissue of said body.

13. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising another illuminating means for applying illumination light to an interior of said body from an inside of said body.

14. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

external illuminating means for illuminating an interior of an organic body across an organic tissue of said body with an illumination light including at least infrared rays;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body; and

image pickup means, having a light-receiving portion provided on said insert portion and being sensitive at least to infrared rays, said image pickup means for picking up an image of an object in or on said body formed by the illumination light emitted from said external illuminating means and transmitted through said organic tissue of said body; and

an illuminating light quantity control means for controlling a quantity of the illuminating light emitted from said external illuminating means.

15. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising another illuminating means for applying illumination light to an interior of said body from an inside of said body.

16. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said illuminating light quantity control means is provided in a vicinity of a manipulating portion which is connected to an outer end of said insert portion.

17. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image pickup means includes a solid-state image pickup device provided on an inner end of said insert portion.

18. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising detecting means for detecting a quantity of the infrared rays received by said image pickup means, and comparing means for comparing the quantity detected by said detecting means with a predetermined value, said control means for controlling the quantity of light emitted from external illuminating means in accordance with the output from said comparing means so as to maintain the quantity of light impinging upon said image pickup means substantially constant.

19. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said illuminating light quantity control means causing said illuminating means to flash.

20. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

external illuminating means for illuminating an interior of an organic body across an organic tissue of said body with an illumination light including at least infrared rays;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body; and

image pickup means, having a light-receiving portion provided on an insert portion and being sensitive at least to infrared rays, said image pickup means for picking up an image of an object in or on said body formed by the illumination light emitted from said external illuminating means and transmitted through said organic tissue of said body;

detecting means for detecting a quantity of light impinging upon said image pickup means; and

illuminating light control means for controlling a quantity of light emitted from said external illuminating means such that the quantity of light impinging upon said image-pickup means is maintained substantially constant.

21. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising signal processing means for video-processing an output signal of said image pickup means, detecting means for detecting the quantity of light received by said image pickup means from an output of said signal processing means, and comparing means for comparing the light quantity detected by said detecting means with a predetermined value, said control means for controlling the quantity of light emitted from said external illuminating means in accordance with an output from said comparing means so as to maintain the quantity of light impinging upon said image pickup means substantially constant.

22. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

first illuminating means for externally illuminating an interior of an organic body across organic tissue of said body with illuminating light including at least infrared rays;

second illuminating means for applying illuminating light to the interior of said body from an inside of said body;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body;

image pickup means having a light-receiving portion provided on an inner end of said insert portion, said image pickup means for picking up an image of an object on or in said body illuminated by said first and second illuminating means; and

illuminating light quantity control means for controlling at least one of the quantities of light emitted from said first and second illuminating means.

23. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

first illuminating means for externally illuminating an interior of an organic body with an illuminating light across organic tissues of said body;

an elongated insert portion to be inserted into said body;

second illuminating means having a light-emitting portion provided on said insert portion so as to be able to apply illuminating light to the interior of said organic body;

image pickup means having a light-receiving portion provided on said insert portion; and

exposure amount control means for controlling at least one of an amount of exposure of said image pickup means by the illuminating light from said first illuminating means and an amount of exposure of said image pickup means by the illuminating light from said second illuminating means.

24. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said image pickup means includes a solid-state image pickup device provided on an inner end of said insert portion.

25. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising detecting means for detecting, from an output signal of said image pickup means, levels of signals representing a transmitted light image produced by the illuminating light from said first illuminating means and a reflecting light image produced by the illuminating light from said second illuminating means, as well as for detecting a ratio between levels of said signals, said exposure amount control means for controlling quantities of light emitted from said first and second illuminating means in according with output signals from said detecting means.

26. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said first illuminating means emits illuminating light including at least infrared rays, while said second illuminating means emits light which does not include infrared rays.

27. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said second illuminating means emits visible rays.

28. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said second illuminating means emits ultraviolet rays.

29. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said image pickup means is provided on a portion of a light-receiving surface thereof with a detecting portion detecting only one of the illuminating light from said first illuminating means and the illuminating light from the second illuminating means, said detecting means including means for detecting light quantity of one of said first and second illuminating means in accordance with an output from said detecting portion, means for computing a sum of the light quantities of said first and second light illuminating means from an output surface of said light-receiving surface other than said detecting portion, and means for computing levels of signals corresponding to said transmitted light image and said reflected light image, as well as the ratio between the levels of said signals, from the light quantity of one of said illuminating means and said sum of said light quantities.

30. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a light-receiving element receiving only one of the illuminating lights from said first and second illuminating means, said detecting means including means for detecting the light quantity of one of said first and second illuminating means in accordance with an output from said light-receiving element, means for computing a sum of the light quantities of said first and second light illuminating means from an output surface of said light-receiving surface other than said detecting portion, and means for computing levels of signals corresponding to said transmitted light image and said reflected light image, as well as a ratio between the levels of said signals, from the light quantity of one of said illuminating means and said sum of said light quantities.

31. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said second illuminating means includes means for emitting lights of different colors in a time-serial manner, said first illuminating means includes means for emitting light in synchronization with emission of at least one of said lights of different colors, said image pickup Means including signal processing means for conducting video-processing of output signals of said solid-state image pickup device obtained for respective colors by allocating said output signals, to different colors, as color signals, whereby levels of the signals corresponding to said transmitted light image and said reflected light image, as well as a ratio between the levels of said signals, from a chroma-level or a hue of the video signal produced by said video signal processing means.

32. An endoscope according to claim 25, wherein said second illuminating means includes means for emitting lights of different colors in a time-serial manner, while said first illuminating means includes means for emitting flash light, said image pickup means including signal processing means for conducting video-processing of output signals of said solid-state image pickup device obtained for respective colors by allocating output signals, to different colors, as color signals, said detecting means to detect a signal level of said transmitted light image from a level of an output of said image pickup means obtained when said first illuminating means flashes, whereby the level of the signal corresponding to said reflected light image is detected from the level of the output signal of said image pickup means as obtained when said first illuminating means is not flashing.

33. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said first illuminating means flashes in a period between successive emissions of lights of different colors.

34. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said first illuminating means is for flashing in a period after completion of transfer of signal charges in said image pickup means and before said second illuminating means starts to emit lights of different colors.

35. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said exposure amount controlling means includes a ratio setting means for setting a ratio between signal levels of said transmitted light image and said reflected light image, and control means for conducting a control such as to make the detected ratio between the signal levels of said transmitted light image and said reflected light image equal to a level set by said ratio setting means.

36. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said ratio setting means includes means for varying said ratio in relation to time.

37. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said ratio setting means includes means for holding the ratio at a predetermined value.

38. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising means for selectively causing one of said first and second illuminating means to operate in a switchable manner, and said exposure amount control means includes means for controlling light quantities from both illuminating means such that amounts of exposure by both illuminating means satisfy the ratio set by said ratio setting means.

39. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising signal processing means for video-processing an output of said image pickup means, a pair of memory means for storing video signals from said signal processing means, and control means for causing said first and second illuminating means to operate alternatingly and for controlling said pair of memory means in synchronization with switching between both said illuminating means.

40. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising an ocular portion provided on therearound of said insert portion, an image-forming optical system provided on an inner end of said insert portion, and an image transmission system for transmitting an object image formed by said image-forming optical system to said ocular portion.

41. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said image pickup means includes a television camera connected to said ocular portion.

42. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said image pickup means includes a still camera attached to said ocular portion.

43. An endoscope apparatus according to any one of claims 23 or 40, wherein said image pickup means includes a photographing device provided on the inner end of said insert portion.

48. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a controlling means for making said first illuminating means and second illuminating means alternately emit light.

49. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 48 further comprising a separating means for separating the output signal of said image pickup means into a component by the illuminating light of said first illuminating means and a component by said second illuminating means as synchronized with light emitting timings of said first and second illuminating means, and said detecting means detecting the levels of the signals of an object illuminated by the illuminating lights of the respective illuminating means separated by said separating means, and said detecting means detecting the signals of said transmitted light image and reflected light image and the ratio of the levels.

44. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

first illuminating means, which can flash intermittently or which can increase a quantity of light emitted therefrom, said first illuminating means for applying externally illuminating light to an interior of an organic body across organic tissue of said body;

an elongated portion to be inserted into said body;

second illuminating means having a light emitting portion provided on said insert portion, said second illuminating means for applying an illuminating light to the interior of said body from an inside of said body;

image pickup means having a light-receiving portion provided on said insert portion for picking up illuminating light from said first and second illuminating means;

signal processing means for conducting a video-processing on an output of said image pickup means so as to form a visible image of said object;

memory means for storing an image formed by said illuminating light from said first illuminating means; and

display means for displaying the image formed by said illuminating light of said first illuminating means and stored in said memory means, and an image formed by said illuminating light of said second illuminating means.

45. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising selecting means for selecting one of said images formed by the illuminating light of said first illuminating means and stored in said memory means and said image formed by the illuminating light of said second illuminating means, and for enabling said display means to display the image selected by said selection means.

46. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising control means which causes said selection means to select the image stored in said memory means for a predetermined time, after said first illuminating has flashed or increased a quantity of light therefrom and after the image formed by the illuminating light of said first illuminating means is stored in said memory means.

47. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising light quantity control means for reducing the light quantity of said second illuminating means when said first illuminating means flashes or when the light quantity of said first illuminating means is increased.

50. An endoscope light source apparatus comprising:

a body inside illuminating light source feeding an illuminating light for reflectively illuminating from inside the body the part observed with the endoscope;

a body outside illuminating means transmittively illuminating from outside the body the part observed with the endoscope; and

said body inside illuminating light source and at least a part of said body outside illuminating means are made as one unit.

51. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 further comprising an exposure controlling means controlling at least one of the exposure to the body inside illuminating light emitted from said body inside illuminating light source and the exposure to the body outside illuminating light of said body outside illuminating means.

52. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 51 wherein said body outside illuminating means has a body outside illuminating light source made common with said body inside illuminating light source and a light transmitting means transmitting the light emitted from said outside illuminating light source to a predetermined position outside the body and emitting it.

53. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 further comprising a switching means feeding the light emitted from the light source made by making said body inside illuminating light source and body outside illuminating light source common selectively to one of the endoscope and said light transmitting means.

54. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 wherein said body outside illuminating means has a body outside illuminating light source arranged in the position opposed to the part observed with the endoscope through the living body from outside the body.

55. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 54 wherein a power source feeding an electric power to said body inside illuminating light source and a power source feeding an electric power to said body outside illuminating light source are common.

56. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 54 further comprising an exposure controlling means controlling the exposure to a body inside illuminating light emitted from said body inside illuminating light source and the exposure to a body outside illuminating light of said body outside illuminating means and a power source feeding an electric power to said body inside illuminating light source and body outside illuminating light source, said exposure controlling means and power source being made integral.

57. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 54 wherein the power source feeding an electric power to said body outside illuminating light source is made integral with said body outside illuminating light source.

58. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 wherein said body outside illuminating means has a body outside illuminating light source made integral with said body inside illuminating light source and a light transmitting means transmitting the light emitted from said body outside illuminating light source to a predetermined position outside the body and emitting it.

59. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 58 wherein the power source feeding an electric power to said body inside illuminating light source and the power source feeding an electric power to said body outside illuminating light source are common.

60. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 59 further comprising an exposure controlling means controlling the exposure to the body inside illuminating light emitted from said body inside illuminating light source and the exposure to the body outside illuminating light of said body outside illuminating means and a power source feeding an electric power to said body inside illuminating light source and body outside illuminating light source, said exposure controlling means and power source being made integral.

61. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 59 wherein the circuit for controlling the exposure to the body inside illuminating light emitted from said body inside illuminating light source and the circuit for controlling the exposure to the body outside illuminating light of said body outside illuminating means are common.

62. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 wherein the illuminating light by said body outside illuminating means is an infrared light.

63. An endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 50 wherein at least one of the body inside illumination and body outside illumination is of a frame sequential light.

64. An endoscope system comprising:

a light source apparatus having a body inside illuminating light source feeding an illuminating light for reflectively illuminating from inside the body the part observed with the endoscope and a body outside illuminating means transmittively illuminating from outside the body the part observed with the endoscope, said body inside illuminating light source and at least a part of said body outside illuminating means are made as one unit; and

an endoscope having an elongated insertable part having an observing window and illuminating window in the tip part, an observing means for observing the observed part by receiving the light from the observed part entering through said observing window and a light transmitting means transmitting to said illuminating window the light emitted from said body inside illuminating light source to observe the part illuminated by the body inside illuminating light and body outside illuminating light fed by said light source apparatus.

65. An endoscope system according to claim 64 wherein said observing means has an image forming optical system forming an object image by receiving the light entering through said observing window and a solid state imaging device imaging the object image formed by said image forming optical system.

66. An endoscope system according to claim 65 wherein the body inside illuminating light is a visible light, the body outside illuminating light is an infrared light and said solid state imaging device has a sensitivity to the visible light and infrared light.

67. An endoscope system according to claim 64 wherein said observing means has an image forming optical system forming an object image by receiving the light entering through said observing window, an eyepiece part provided on the rear end side of said insertable part and an image transmitting means transmitting the object image formed by said image forming optical system to said eyepiece part.

68. An endoscope system according to claim 67 wherein said observing means further has a television camera removably fitted to said eyepiece part and imaging the object image.

69. An endoscope system according to claim 68 wherein the body inside illuminating light is a visible light, the body outside illuminating light is an infrared light and said television camera has a sensitivity to the visible light and infrared light.

70. An endoscope system according to claim 67 wherein said observing means further has a means of photographing the object image formed by said image forming optical system.

71. An endoscope system according to claim 70 wherein the body inside illuminating light is a visible light, the body outside illuminating light is an infrared light and said photographing means has a sensitivity to the visible light and infrared light.