Endoscope light source apparatus

• US 5,007,408 A
• Filed: 11/07/1989
• Issued: 04/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ieoka, Shouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/432,642
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 128/6, 128/634, 358/98
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• 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 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• 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 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

In the endoscope light source apparatus of this invention, the position within a body cavity of an endoscope tip part can be confirmed with a body outside transmitted light and there are provided an illuminating light feeding apparatus for generating an illuminating light to be fed to the endoscope and a light amount increasing apparatus for increasing for a set time the light amount of the illuminating light generated by the illuminating light feeding apparatus when a body outside light observing signal confirming from outside the body the position within the body cavity of the endoscope tip part is input.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope provided with an insertable part tip part to be inserted into a body cavity and having an observing window for observing an object to be imaged and an illuminating window for emitting an illuminating light to illuminate said object;

a light source apparatus including an illuminating light feeding means for generating an illuminating light to be fed to said endoscope and a light amount increasing means for increasing for a preset time the light amount of the illuminating light generated by said illuminating light feeding means when a body outside light observing signal is input for confirming from outside the body a position within the body cavity of said endoscope tip part; and

a body outside light observing signal generating means for generating said body outside light observing signal.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said illuminating light feeding means comprises a light source lamp for generating said illuminating light, a lamp controlling means for feeding electric power to said light source lamp and a rotary filter inserted into a light path of the illuminating light output from said light source lamp for separating said illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said light amount increasing means comprises a filter moving means for retreating said rotary filter means from the light path when said body outside light observing signal is input and an iris means for adjusting illuminating light output from said illuminating light feeding means.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said light mount increasing means further comprises a turret means comprising at least a filter for reducing the light amount of the illuminating light generated by said illuminating light feeding means and an infrared ray cutting filter for removing an infrared ray component of said illuminating light.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said rotary filter means has red, green and blue color separating filters for separating the illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said rotary filter means has red and blue color separating filters for separating the illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing and filter for transmitting a white color light.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said illuminating light feeding means further has a controlling circuit for positioning said white color light transmitting filter in the light path when said body outside light observing signal is input.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said light amount increasing means has a plurality of optical members inserted in said light path of the illuminating light leading to said rotary filter means for detouring said light path from said rotary filter means.

9. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said light amount increasing means further comprises a lamp illuminated when said body outside light observing signal is input.

10. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said lamp is arranged in said light path.

11. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said illuminating light feeding means comprises a light source lamp for generating said illuminating light and a lamp controlling means for feeding electric power to said light source lamp.

12. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said light amount increasing means comprises an iris means for adjusting the illuminating light output from said illuminating light feeding means.

13. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said lamp controlling means increases the light amount output from said light source lamp when said body outside light observing is input.

14. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said light amount increasing means comprises and operating means which starts counting said preset time when said body outside light observing signal is input and increases the light amount of said illuminating light for said preset time.

15. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope including an insertable part to be inserted into a body cavity, said insertable part having a tip part provided with an observing window for observing an object to be imaged and an illuminating window for emitting an illuminating light to illuminate said object;

imaging means in said endoscope for viewing said illuminated object; and

a light source apparatus including an illuminating light feeding means for generating an illuminating light to be fed to said endoscope for illuminating said object in said body cavity, and a light amount increasing means for increasing the light amount of the illuminating light generated by said illuminating light feeding means; and

a body outside light observing signal generating means for generating said body outside light observing signal;

wherein said light amount increasing means increases the light amount for a preset time when said body outside light observing signal is input for confirming from outside the body a position within the body of said endoscope tip part;

said light amount being increased to a level such that the light can be viewed through the body from outside the body to confirm said tip position, and said preset time being set such that the increased light amount is discontinued before body tissue is burned by heat from said light source.

16. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said illuminating light feeding means comprises a light source lamp for generating said illuminating light, a lamp controlling means for feeding electric power to said light source lamp and a rotary filter means inserted in a light path of the illuminating light output from said light source lamp for separating said illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing.

17. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said light amount increasing means comprises a filter moving means for retreating said rotary filter means from the light path and an iris means for adjusting the illuminating light out output from said illuminating light feeding means.

18. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said light amount increasing means further comprises a turret means comprising at least a filter for reducing the light amount of the illuminating light generated by said illuminating light feeding means and an infrared ray cutting filter for removing an infrared ray component of said illuminating light.

19. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said rotary filter means has red, green and blue color separating filters for separating the illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing.

20. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said rotary filter means has red and blue color separating filters for separating the illuminating light into color lights for color-photographing and a filter for transmitting a white color light.

21. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said illuminating light feeding means further has a controlling circuit for position said filter transmitting the white color light in the light path when said body outside light observing signal is input.

22. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said light amount increasing means has a plurality of optical members inserted into said light path of the illuminating light leading to said rotary filter means when said body outside light observing signal is input for detouring said light path from said filter means.

23. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said light amount increasing means further comprises a lamp illuminated when said body outside light observing signal is input.

24. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said lamp is arranged in said light path.

25. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said illuminating light feeding means comprises a light source lamp for generating said illuminating light and a lamp controlling means for feeding electric power to said light source lamp.

26. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said light amount increasing means comprises an iris means for adjusting the illuminating light output from said illuminating light feeding means.

27. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 16 or 25 wherein said lamp controlling means increases the light amount output by said light source lamp when said body outside light observing signal is input.

28. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said signal processing means comprises a driving circuit for driving said imaging means, a processing circuit for processing an electric signal of said-imaging means to produce a standard video signal and an operating means for placing said driving circuit and signal processing circuit in a device shutter mode when said body outside light observing signal is input.

29. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said endoscope has a curving mechanism for curving said insertable part.

30. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said endoscope has a sensor for detecting the operation of said curving mechanism.

31. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said light amount increasing means continues to increase the light amount for an additional time period of the preset time when operation of said curving mechanism is detected by said sensor.

32. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said imaging means is a solid state imaging device provided within said insertable part for converting to an electric signal an object image taken through said observing window.

33. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said imaging means is a television camera removably fitted to said endoscope.

34. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said endoscope has within the insertable part an optical image transmitting means for optically transmitting an object image taken through said observing window.