Endoscope system

• US 6,498,948 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoya Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Tetsuya, Eguchi, Masaru, Okada, Shinsuke, Furusawa, Koichi, Ozawa, Ryo, Utsui, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/641,885
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 600/478, 600/160, 356/345, 348/65, 348/68, 348/77
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02003 using beat frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0205 of probe head
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02069 Synchronization of light source or manipulator and detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• 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

Abstract

An endoscope system is provided with a normal light image capturing system, a fluorescent light image capturing system, and an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) image capturing system. The normal light image, the fluorescent light image and the OCT image are displayed on a screen of a display device simultaneously. Optionally, one of the normal light image or the fluorescent light image is displayed as an animated image, and the OCT image is also displayed as an animated image. A cursor indicating a scanning position corresponding to the OCT image is indicated on one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image displayed as the animated image.

Claims

1. An endoscope system, comprising:

a normal light image capturing system that captures an image of an object inside a human cavity by illuminating the object with white light to the object;

a fluorescent light image capturing system that captures image of the object by illuminating the object with excitation light, the object emits fluorescent light upon incidence of the excitation light;

an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) image capturing system that captures an OCT image of a desired portion of the object;

a displaying device; and

a display controlling system that controls said displaying device to display the normal light image, the fluorescent light image and the OCT image simultaneously.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image is displayed on said displaying device as an animated image.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 2, further comprising a OCT scanning line indicating system that indicates a line representative of a scanning line corresponding to the OCT image on one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image displayed as the animated image.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the OCT image is displayed as an animated image.

5. An endoscope system, comprising:

an illuminating optical system that selectively emits, toward an object, visible light and excitation light for exciting the object to fluoresce;

an objective optical system that converges light from the surface of the object to form an optical image of the surface of the object;

an image capturing system that captures an optical image of a surface of the object and generates an image signal corresponding to the optical image;

a first light guide;

a second light guide;

an optical coupler for optically coupling said first and second light guides;

a low-coherent light source that emits a low-coherent light beam, said low-coherent light source being provided at a proximal end side of one of said first and second light guides, the light emitted by said low-coherent light source being incident on said one of said first and second light guides;

a scanning unit that causes the light beam emerged from said first light guide to scan on a predetermined surface of said object, said scanning unit directing the light beam reflected by the object to said first light guide as a detection light beam;

a reflector that reflects a light beam emerged from said second light guide to said second light guide as a reference beam;

an optical path length adjusting system that relatively changes a length of an optical path length from said optical coupler to said object via said first light guide and an optical path length from said optical coupler to said reflector via said second light guide;

a light detecting device provided at a proximal end side of the other of said first and second light guides, said light detecting device detecting interfered beam generated due to interference between said reference beam and said detection beam; and

an OCT image forming system that generates a tomogram based on the signal detected by said light detecting device when said optical path length adjusting system and said scanning unit operate; and

a video signal generating system that generates video signals of the optical image of the object and the OCT image based on the image signal output by said image capturing system and said OCT image forming system.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 5, further comprising a display device that displays the optical image of the surface of the object and the OCT image in accordance with the video signals output by said video signal generating system.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 6,

wherein said image capturing system generates a normal light image signal representing the surface of the object when said illuminating optical system emits the visible light toward the object,

wherein said image capturing system generates a fluorescent light image signal representing the surface of the object when said illuminating optical system emits the excitation light toward the object,

wherein said OCT image forming system outputs an OCT image signal representing the OCT image of the object, and

wherein said video signal generating system generates video signals based on the normal image signals, fluorescent image signals and the OCT image signals, and causes said display device to display the normal light image, the fluorescent light image and the OCT image arranged in a predetermined manner.

8. The endoscope system according to claim 7, wherein said video signal generating system includes a memory corresponding to a screen of said display device, said memory storing the normal light image signal, the fluorescent light image signal and the OCT image signal.

9. The endoscope system according to claim 7, wherein said video signal generating system makes said display device display one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image as an animated image, and wherein said video signal generating system makes said display device display the OCT image as an animated image.

10. The endoscope system according to claim 9, wherein said video signal generating system makes said display device display the other one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image as a still image.

11. The endoscope system according to claim 7, wherein said video signal generating system makes said display device display the normal light image as a color image.

12. The endoscope system according to claim 7, wherein said video signal generating system includes a cursor generating system that inserts a cursor indicating a scanning position of said scanning unit in the normal light image or the fluorescent light image.

13. The endoscope system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a visible light source that emits the visible light;

an excitation light source that emits the excitation light; and

a light source switching system that selectively causes the visible light and the excitation light to impinge on said illuminating optical system.

14. The endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein said optical path length adjusting system moves said reflector toward/away from a tip of said second light guide to vary the optical path length from said optical coupler to said reflector via said second light guide relative to the optical path length from said optical coupler to said object via said first light guide.

15. The endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein said low-coherent light source includes a super-luminous diode.