Electronic endoscope
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic endoscope, comprising:
- an objective lens system which causes chief rays that are directed toward a maximum image height to be inclined outwardly with respect to an optical axis of said objective lens system; and
a solid-state image sensor having a light-receiving surface on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed, wherein said solid-state image sensor is configured so that each of said plurality of pixels generates a largest power when alight beam is incident thereon with a predetermined outward inclination in reference to the optical axis, and said outward inclination of a light beam that causes the pixel to generate the largest power increases as a position of the pixel on said light-receiving surface separates from a center of said light-receiving surface at least in one direction.
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Abstract
An electronic endoscope includes an objective lens system in which chief rays directed toward the maximum image height are inclined outwardly with respect to the optical axis and a solid-state image sensor which has a light-receiving surface on which many pixels are arrayed and which provides a light beam inclined outwardly with respect to the optical axis and incident on the light-receiving surface with a higher power, in separating from the center of the light-receiving surface, than a light beam incident perpendicularly on the light-receiving surface. In doing so, distortion is favorably corrected and shading can be prevented.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electronic endoscope, comprising:
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an objective lens system which causes chief rays that are directed toward a maximum image height to be inclined outwardly with respect to an optical axis of said objective lens system; and
a solid-state image sensor having a light-receiving surface on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed, wherein said solid-state image sensor is configured so that each of said plurality of pixels generates a largest power when alight beam is incident thereon with a predetermined outward inclination in reference to the optical axis, and said outward inclination of a light beam that causes the pixel to generate the largest power increases as a position of the pixel on said light-receiving surface separates from a center of said light-receiving surface at least in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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18. An electronic endoscope according to claim 17, wherein said objective lens system satisfies the following condition:
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19. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said objective lens system includes, in order from an object side, a first lens unit, a second lens unit, and a third lens unit, said third lens unit being comprised of a cemented lens whose interface is convex toward an image side.
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20. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said objective lens system includes a lens or plane-parallel plate cemented to a CCD glass cover and satisfies the following condition:
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2. An electronic endoscope, comprising:
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a plurality of objective lens systems, each of which causes chief rays directed toward a maximum image height to be inclined outwardly with respect to an optical axis thereof; and
a solid-state image sensor having a single light-receiving surface on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed and which receives images formed by said plurality of objective lens systems, wherein said solid-state image sensor is configured so that each of said plurality of pixels generates a largest power when l light beam coming from one of said plurality of objective lens systems is incident thereon with a predetermined outward inclination in reference to the optical axis of the predetermined one of said plurality of objective lens systems, and the outward inclination of a light beam that causes the pixel to generate the largest power increases as a position of the pixel on said single light-receiving surface separates from a center of the image formed by the predetermined one of said plurality of objective lens systems.
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3. An electronic endoscope, comprising:
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an objective lens system;
a plurality of illumination optical systems possessing light-distribution characteristics such that illuminance on a periphery of a visual field of said objective lens system is lower than illuminance at a center thereof; and
a solid-state image sensor in which, when light of uniform intensity is incident on a light-receiving surface thereof, each of pixels located on a periphery of said light-receiving surface produces a higher power than each of pixels located at a middle thereof.
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21. An electronic endoscope, comprising:
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an objective lens system defining an optical axis;
an image sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, said image sensor being arranged to intersect said optical axis and adapted to receive light rays from said objective lens system, wherein a first sensing element Of said plurality of sensing elements has a position closer to said optical axis than a second sensing element of said plurality of sensing elements, and wherein said second sensing element is more sensitive to said light rays than said first sensing element.
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Specification