Endoscopic apparatus capable of storing image information for a plurality of frames

• US 5,592,216 A
• Filed: 08/22/1994
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Katsuyuki, Sasaki, Masahiko, Yamashita, Shinji, Nakagawa, Takehiro, Uchikubo, Akinobu, Uehara, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/294,207
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 348/24, 348/75, 348/565, 348/718, 348/719, 348/552, 348/65, 361/685
• US Class Current: 348/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

The present invention relates to an endoscopic apparatus which creates image information based on picture signals from an electron endoscope and has a memory device for storing the image information. The endoscopic apparatus is provided with a driver for driving a solid-state image pickup device in the endoscope, a picture signal generation circuit for generating a picture signal based on an image pickup signal which is photoelectrically converted by the solid-state image pickup device, an A/D conversion circuit for converting the picture signal from analog to digital, a process circuit for creating image information to be transferred to a memory capable of storing image information for one frame, based on the picture signal by digital processing, such as interpolation, a small capacity memory capable of storing image information for a plurality of frames and composed of, for example, a semiconductor, a CPU for controlling writing/reading between the memory and the small capacity memory, and a D/A conversion circuit for converting the image information from digital to analog so as to generate a video picture signal.

Claims

1. An endoscopic apparatus, comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an optical image obtained by an imaging optical system in an endoscope;

illumination means including a light source for supplying illumination light to said endoscope; and

control means for controlling an image pickup signal output from said image pickup means, said control means including an analog-to-digital converter for converting said image pickup signal into digital image information,

wherein said control means further including memory means for digitally storing said digital image information for a plurality of images consisting of continuous multiple frames of said digital image information recorded in a predetermined time interval; and

wherein said memory means includes a plurality of detachable memory-type adaptor devices, each said memory-type adaptor device being insertable into a single common receptacle in said control means, said memory-type adaptor devices being adapted to house memory devices having different formats, respectively.

2. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illumination means sequentially supplies light beams of three primary colors R, G and B to said endoscope.

3. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means consists of digital conversion means for converting the image pickup signal into a digital image signal, and digital processing means for digitally processing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means so as to generate said digital image information.

4. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said illumination means supplies the light beams to said imaging optical system in said endoscope by sequentially passing white light from a white light source through a filter having permeability for light beams of R, G and B.

5. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said illumination means supplies the light beams to said imaging optical system in said endoscope by sequentially lighting three light sources for emitting light beams of three primary colors R, G and B.

6. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means consists of digital conversion means for converting said image pickup signal from said image pickup means corresponding to the light beams supplied by said illumination means into a digital image signal, and digital processing means for digitally processing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means so as to generate said digital image information.

7. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is a semiconductor memory for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

8. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is a magnetic recording medium for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

9. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is an optical recording medium for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

10. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is a semiconductor memory for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

11. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is a magnetic recording medium for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

12. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means is an optical recording medium for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

13. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is a semiconductor memory for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

14. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is a magnetic recording medium for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

15. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is an optical recording medium for storing the digital image signal from said digital conversion means.

16. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is a semiconductor memory for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

17. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is a magnetic recording medium for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

18. An endoscopic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said memory means is an optical recording medium for storing said digital picture signal from said digital processing means.

19. An endoscopic apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an optical image obtained by an imaging optical system in an endoscope;

illumination means including a light source for supplying illumination light to said endoscope; and

control means for controlling an image pickup signal output from said image pickup means, said control means including an analog-to-digital converter for converting said image pickup signal into digital image information, and

said control means further including memory means for digitally storing said digital image information for a plurality of images, and an output terminal being able to output said digital image information from said memory means wherein said memory means includes a plurality of detachable memory-type adaptor devices, each said memory-type device being insertable into a single common receptacle in said control means, said memory-type adaptor devices being adapted to house memory devices having respectively different formats; and

external memory means connected to said output terminal, said external memory means having larger storage capacity than that of said memory means.