Endoscope system having reduced noise emission/permeation

• US 5,543,831 A
• Filed: 03/02/1993
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Kenji, Uchikubo, Akinobu, Tsuji, Kiyoshi, Hirai, Tsutomu, Goto, Masahito
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, BRYAN T
• Application Number:
  US08/026,203
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/160, 358/167, 128/6, 128/901, 128/908, 348/65, 348/75, 348/76
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• 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 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/901 Suppression of noise in electric signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/908 Patient protection from electric shock

Abstract

A medical system having an endoscope probe intubated into a body, a signal processing circuit for processing a signal for the probe and an electric source circuit insulated from a commercial electric source. A part of the signal processing circuit connected to the probe is isolated by an isolation circuit to secure the safety. An impedance element is employed to prevent a malfunction by reducing an emission/permeation of noises. No adverse influence is thereby exerted on outside units.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope system comprising:

an electronic endoscope including;

an intubation unit intubatable into a body cavity;

an image forming optical system, provided at a tip of said intubation unit, for forming an optical image;

a solid-state imaging element for photoelectrically converting the optical image based on said image forming optical system;

an illumination light from the tip of said intubation unit; and

a first connector portion, having one end connected to said solid-state imaging element, through which a plurality of signal lines are inserted;

a patient circuit drive signal generating means for applying a drive signal to said solid-state imaging element through a second connector portion to which said first connector portion is detachably connected; and

an amplifier circuit for amplifying at least an image signal outputted from said solid-state imaging element upon applying the drive signal;

a secondary circuit including a video signal processing circuit, having its ground conductive to the earth, for generating a standard video signal from the image signal transmitted via said amplifier circuit;

an isolation means for isolating said patient circuit from said secondary circuit;

a monitor means for displaying the standard video signal; and

a noise reducing means, provided in at least one of said electronic endoscope, said patient circuit and said secondary circuit for reducing radiation/permeation of noises, wherein at least one of said first connector portion and said second connector portion includes at least one shield gasket member formed of flexible and deformable conductive material and molded in a spring-like configuration for decreasing a contact resistance to a metal frame body of said second connector portion.

2. An electronic endoscope system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cable branched off, on the way to said first connector portion, to a second connector portion, wherein said second connector portion includes said shield gasket member for decreasing the contact resistance to a metal frame body of said second connector portion.

3. The electronic endoscope system as recited in claim 2, wherein said first connector portion includes a shield gasket member formed of flexible and deformable conductive material and molded in a spring-like configuration for decreasing the contact resistance to a metal frame body of said first connector portion.

4. An electronic endoscope system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third connector portion detachably connecting said first connector portion and said second connector portion, wherein said shield gasket member is included between said first connector portion and said third connector portion.

5. An electronic endoscope system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third connector portion detachably connecting said first connector portion and said second connector portion, wherein said shield gasket member is included between said second connector portion and said third connector portion.