Stereoscopic endoscope
First Claim
1. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
- a single primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single primary optical system, to a second end of said single primary optical system;
a pupil dividing system that divides said light transmitted to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams;
a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems comprising an imaging device, each of said secondary optical systems receiving one of said two light beams divided by said pupil dividing system and forming an image of said object on one of said imaging devices, wherein each of said imaging devices outputs an image signal;
a system that adjusts a position of said pupil dividing system relative to an optical axis and the exit pupil of said primary optical system; and
a system that detects a position of said pupil dividing system in accordance with each of said output image signals,wherein said pupil dividing system comprises two mirrors arranged perpendicular to each other, with each of said mirrors arranged at a 45°
angle to an optical axis of said single primary optical system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A stereoscopic endoscope is provided having a primary optical system for forming an image of an object, a device for dividing the light transmitted by the primary optical system into two light beams, and a pair of optical systems for detecting the image formed by the primary optical system. Each of the secondary optical systems may receive one of the light beams and form an image of the object on a corresponding imaging device. The stereoscopic endoscope may also include a device for adjusting a position of the light dividing device relative to an optical axis and an exit pupil of the primary optical system, and a device for detecting a position of the light dividing device in accordance with each of the output image signals.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a single primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single primary optical system, to a second end of said single primary optical system; a pupil dividing system that divides said light transmitted to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams; a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems comprising an imaging device, each of said secondary optical systems receiving one of said two light beams divided by said pupil dividing system and forming an image of said object on one of said imaging devices, wherein each of said imaging devices outputs an image signal; a system that adjusts a position of said pupil dividing system relative to an optical axis and the exit pupil of said primary optical system; and a system that detects a position of said pupil dividing system in accordance with each of said output image signals, wherein said pupil dividing system comprises two mirrors arranged perpendicular to each other, with each of said mirrors arranged at a 45°
angle to an optical axis of said single primary optical system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a single primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single primary optical system, to a second end of said single primary optical system; a pupil dividing system that divides said light transmitted to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams; a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems comprising an imaging device, each of said secondary optical systems receiving one of said two light beams divided by said pupil dividing system and forming an image of said object on one of said imaging devices, wherein each of said imaging devices outputs an image signal; a system that adjusts a position of said pupil dividing system relative to an optical axis and the exit pupil of said primary optical system; and a system that detects a position of said pupil dividing system in accordance with each of said output image signals; wherein said detecting system detects a position of said pupil dividing system using a brightness of a predetermined number of areas of each of said images formed on said imaging devices.
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26. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a single primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single primary optical system, to a second end of said single primary optical system; a pupil dividing system that divides said light transmitted to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams; a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems comprising an imaging device, each of said secondary optical systems receiving one of said two light beams divided by said pupil dividing system and forming an image of said object on one of said imaging devices, wherein each of said imaging devices outputs an image signal; a system that adjusts a position of said pupil dividing system relative to an optical axis and the exit pupil of said primary optical system; and a system that detects a position of said pupil dividing system in accordance with each of said output image signals; wherein said pupil dividing system comprises a mirror block comprising two reflective surfaces perpendicular to each other, with each of said mirrors arranged at a 45°
angle to an optical axis of said single primary optical system.
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27. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a single primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single primary optical system, to a second end of said single primary optical system; a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems forming an image of said object; a pupil dividing system that includes a first reflecting surface that reflects a portion of said light transmitted to an exit pupil of the single primary optical system towards one of said secondary optical systems and a second reflecting surface that reflects another portion of said light transmitted to the exit pupil of the single primary optical system towards the other of said secondary optical systems; an adjusting system that adjusts a position of said first reflecting surface relative to a position of said second reflecting surface; wherein said adjusting system further adjusts said position of said first reflecting surface and said position of said second reflecting surface simultaneously, relative to an exit pupil and an optical axis of said single primary optical system; said pair of secondary optical systems being housed inside an observing portion of said stereoscopic endoscope, said adjusting system comprising; a mounting frame; a first screw fitted into said mounting frame; a first gear which meshes with said first screw, said first gear rotating about a first axis; a second screw fitted into a mounting portion of said observing portion; a second gear which meshes with said second screw, said second gear rotating about a second axis, said second screw comprising a nut through which said first screw is threaded; a third screw fitted into said mounting frame; a third gear which meshes with a center of said third screw, said third gear rotating about a third axis; a first support for supporting said first reflecting surface, said first support being threaded onto a first portion of said third screw; and a second support for supporting said second reflecting surface, said second support being threaded onto a second portion of said third screw, wherein said mounting frame is moved in a first plane in response to rotation of said first gear, said mounting frame being moved in a second plane in response rotation of said second gear, said first plane being substantially perpendicular to said second plane, and wherein said first support is moved in a first direction along a central axis of said third screw and said second support is moved in a second direction along said central axis of said third screw, in response to a rotation of said third gear said second direction being opposite to said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 48)
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35. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a single optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said single optical system, to a second end of said single optical system; a pair of first and second image forming systems comprising a pair of first and second separator lenses, said pair of first and second separator lenses located in an exit pupil of said single optical system, said first image forming system receiving a portion of said transmitted light through said first separator lens, said second image forming system receiving another portion of said transmitted light through said second separator lens; and a system that adjusts a position of said first image forming system relative to a position of said second image forming system. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of adjusting a position of a pupil dividing mechanism of a stereoscopic endoscope to a predetermined position, in which light from an object having a uniform brightness is transmitted by a single primary optical system of said stereoscopic endoscope to said pupil dividing mechanism, said pupil dividing mechanism dividing the light directed by said single primary optical system to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams, each of said light beams divided by the pupil dividing mechanism being incident on an imaging device, said method comprising:
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detecting a brightness pattern of an image formed on each of said imaging devices; determining a direction and an amount of movement required to position said pupil dividing mechanism at said predetermined position, in response to said detected brightness pattern of each of said images; adjusting said position of said pupil dividing mechanism in accordance with said determined direction and said determined amount of movement; said adjusting comprising driving said pupil dividing mechanism to said determined position; said determining comprising; calculating a direction of movement of said pupil driving mechanism; comparing a position of said pupil dividing mechanism with said predetermined position; and driving said pupil dividing mechanism by a fixed amount, wherein said directing said determining and said adjusting are repeated until said determining determines that said position of said pupil dividing mechanism is at said predetermined position. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of adjusting a position of a pupil dividing mechanism of a stereoscopic endoscope to a predetermined position, in which light from an object having a uniform brightness is transmitted by a single primary optical system of said stereoscopic endoscope to said pupil dividing mechanism, said pupil dividing mechanism dividing the light directed by said single primary optical system to an exit pupil of said single primary optical system into two light beams, each of said light beams divided by the pupil dividing mechanism being incident on an imaging device, said method comprising:
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detecting a brightness pattern of an image formed on each of said imaging devices; determining a direction and an amount of movement required to position said pupil dividing mechanism at said predetermined position, in response to said detected brightness pattern of each of said images; and adjusting said position of said pupil dividing mechanism in accordance with said determined direction and said determined amount of movement; wherein said detecting detects a brightness of a predetermined number of areas of each of said images formed on said imaging devices.
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47. A stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
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a primary optical system for transmitting light, reflected by an object located near a first end of said primary optical system, to a second end of said primary optical system; a dividing system that divides said light transmitted to said second end of said primary optical system into two light beams; a pair of secondary optical systems, each of said secondary optical systems comprising an imaging device, each of said secondary optical systems receiving one of said two light beams and forming an image of said object on one of said imaging devices, wherein each of said imaging devices outputs an image signal; a system that adjusts the position of said light dividing system relative to an optical axis and an exit pupil of said primary optical system; and a system that detects a position of said light dividing system in accordance with each of said output image signals, wherein said detecting system detects said position of said dividing system in accordance with a distribution of brightness of said images formed on each of said imaging devices by an object having a uniform brightness.
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Specification