Endoscope apparatus

• US 4,961,110 A
• Filed: 07/07/1989
• Issued: 10/02/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazunari
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/376,461
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/37, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/125 Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel
• 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 25/131 including elements passing infrared wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/135 based on four or more different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/136 using complementary colours
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 600/921 Manipulating image characteristics

Abstract

This endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having at least an image forming optical system, a wavelength separating apparatus separating an observed object image into images of a plurality of wavelength ranges, an imaging apparatus forming an image by an image forming optical system and imaging the images of the respective wavelength ranges separated by the wavelength separating apparatus and a signal processing apparatus forming at least one new image on the basis of the images of at least two wavelength ranges among the images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by the imaging apparatus and forming an observed image by at least one image including this new image.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having at least an image forming optical system;

a wavelength separating means for separating an observed object image into images of a plurality of wavelength ranges;

an imaging means for imaging the images of the respective wavelength ranges formed by said image forming optical system and separated by said wavelength separating means; and

a signal processing means for forming at least one new image on the basis of the images of at least two wavelength ranges among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means and forming an observed image on the basis of at least one image including said new image.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wavelength separating means has an illuminating means for sequentially radiating illuminating lights of a plurality of wavelength ranges to the object.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wavelength separating means has a color separating filter provided on the front surface of said imaging means.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said imaging means has a solid state imaging device arranged in the image forming position of said image forming optical system in the tip part of said endoscope.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means forms said observed image by a matrix operation using a signal of the images of two wavelength ranges among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means and a signal of the level difference of the images of said two wavelength ranges.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said two wavelength ranges are wavelength ranges in which a difference is produced in the light absorbing degree of a specific coloring matter.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means forms one new image constituting said observed image by the level difference of the images of two wavelength ranges among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means forms one new image constituting said observed image by the ratio of the levels of the images of two wavelength ranges among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

9. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said two wavelength ranges are a wavelength range of green and a wavelength range of red.

10. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 wherein said two wavelength ranges are a wavelength range of green and a wavelength range of blue.

11. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing means has an observed image forming means for forming an observed image from the images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means and an enhancing means for forming at least said new image by enhancing the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image formed by said observed image forming means in response to the variation of at least one of the images of said respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

12. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said enhancing means enhances the luminance of said observed image in response to the variation of at least one of said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

13. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said enhancing means has a means for multiplying the signal of the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image and the signal of at least one image among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means by each other.

14. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said enhancing means has a gain variable amplifier inputting the signal of the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image and the gain of said gain variable amplifier is controlled by the signal of at least one image among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

15. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said enhancing means has a means of adding the signal of the wavelength range constituting said observed image and the signal of at least one image among said images of the respective wavelength ranges imaged by said imaging means.

16. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said wavelength separating means separates the object image into images of three wavelength ranges capable of forming a color picture image and images of two wavelength ranges different from said three wavelength ranges, said observed image forming means formes an observed image from said image of said three wavelength ranges and said enhancing means enhances the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image formed by said observed image forming means in response to the level difference of said images of said two wavelength ranges.

17. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said two wavelength ranges are wavelength ranges in which a difference is produced in the light absorbing degree of a specific coloring matter.

18. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said wavelength separating means separates the object image into images of three wavelength ranges capable of forming a color picture image and an image of one wavelength range different from said three wavelength ranges, said observed image forming means forms an observed image from said images of said three wavelength ranges and said enhancing means enhances the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image formed by said observed image forming means in response to the variation of said image of said one wavelength range.

19. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said one wavelength range is near the wavelength range in which the light absorbing degree of a specific coloring matter is the largest.

20. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said wavelength separating means separates the object image into images of three wavelength ranges capable of forming a color picture image, said observed image forming means forms an observed image from said images of said three wavelength ranges and said enhancing means enhances the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image formed by said observed image forming means in response to the level difference of the images of two wavelength ranges among said image of said three wavelength ranges.

21. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said two wavelength ranges are wavelength ranges in which a difference is produced in the light absorbing degree of a specific coloring matter.

22. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said wavelength separating means separates the object image into images of three wavelength ranges capable of constituting a color picture image, said observed image forming means forms an observed image from said images of said three wavelength ranges and said enhancing means enhances the image of the wavelength range constituting said observed image formed by said observed image forming means in response to the variation of the image of one wavelength range among said images of said three wavelength ranges.

23. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said one wavelength range is near the wavelength range in which the light absorbing degree of a specific coloring matter is the largest.