Video-signal processing device connectable to an electronic endoscope

• US 6,753,901 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1997
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pentax Corporation (Hoya Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Akihiro, Iketani, Kouhei
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US08/831,872
• Time in Patent Office: 2,638 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, A61/B.1045, 348/45, 348/46, 348/65, 348/72, 348/75, 348/73, 600/76, 600/109, 362/803, 358/37, 358/98, 358/209, 307/119, 128/664, 128/660.07, 250/201
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A video-signal processing device is connectable to an electronic endoscope for feeding at least one kind of electric analog video signal from the electronic endoscope to a peripheral equipment. The video-signal processing device has a photo-coupler or a transformer coupler for making it possible to input the electric analog color video signal from the electronic endoscope to the video-signal processing device, whereby the electronic endoscope is electrically insulated from the peripheral equipment for an electrical security. Also, the video-signal processing device has an analog-to-digital converter for converting the electric analog video signal into a parallel electric digital video signal, a parallel-to-serial converter for converting the parallel electric digital video signal into a serial electric digital video signal, and an electrical-optical converter for converting the serial electric digital video signal into a serial optical digital video signal.

Claims

1. A video-signal processing device connectable to a video processor of an electronic endoscope, comprising:

an insulation coupler that intercepts an electric analog video signal of the video processor of the electronic endoscope and that electrically insulates the video processor of the electronic endoscope from said device;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts the electric analog video signal into a parallel electric digital video signal; and

a parallel-to-serial converter that converts the parallel electric digital video signal into a serial electric digital video signal, and that feeds the serial electric digital video signal from the video-signal processing device to a piece of compatible external digital peripheral equipment,

wherein said insulation coupler output is split and the electric analog video signal is sent to the analog-to-digital converter and to at least one piece of analog peripheral equipment.

2. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation coupler is a photo-coupler.

3. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation coupler is a transformer coupler.

4. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an electrical-optical converter that converts the serial electric digital video signal into a serial optical digital video signal.

5. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulation coupler is a photo-coupler.

6. A video-signal processing device connectable to a video processor of an electronic endoscope, comprising:

an insulation coupler that receives at least one kind of electric analog video signal, obtained from the electronic endoscope, and that electrically insulates all electrical connections of the electronic endoscope to said device;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts the at least one kind of electric analog video signal into a parallel electric digital video signal; and

a parallel-to-serial converter that converts the parallel electric digital video signal into a serial electric digital video signal, and that feeds the serial electric digital video signal from the video-signal processing device to a piece of compatible external digital peripheral equipment,

wherein said insulation coupler output is split and the at least one kind of electric analog video signal is sent to the analog-to-digital converter and to at least one piece of analog peripheral equipment.

7. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said insulation coupler is a transformer coupler.

8. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 6, further comprising an electrical-optical converter that converts the serial electric digital video signal into a serial optical digital video signal.

9. A video-signal processing device connectable to a video processor of an electronic endoscope, comprising:

respective insulation couplers that intercept electric signal-components of the video processor of the electronic endoscope and that electrically insulate all electrical connections of the video processor of the electronic endoscope to said device;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts each of the electric signal-components into a parallel electric digital signal-component; and

a parallel-to-serial converter that converts the parallel electric digital signal-components into a serial digital component-type color video signal, and that feeds the serial digital component-type color video signal from the video-signal processing device to a piece of compatible external digital peripheral equipment,

wherein said insulation couplers outputs are split and the electric signal components are sent to the analog-to-digital converter and to at least one piece of analog peripheral equipment.

10. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said insulation couplers is a photo-coupler.

11. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 9, wherein each of said insulation couplers is a transformer coupler.

12. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an electrical-optical converter that converts the serial electric digital signal-component into a serial optical digital signal-component.

13. A video-signal processing device connectable to a video processor of an electronic endoscope, comprising:

respective insulation couplers that receive at least one kind of analog component-type color video signal comprising at least three electric signal-components, obtained from the electronic endoscope, the respective electric signal-components being a red video signal-component, a green video signal-component, and a blue video signal-component, and said insulation couplers electrically insulate all electrical connections of the video processor of the electronic endoscope to said device;

a color-conversion analog matrix that produces a luminance signal-component, and two kinds of color-difference signal-components on the basis of the red, green and blue video signal-components;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts each of the luminance signal-components and the two kinds of color-difference signal-components into a parallel electric digital signal-component; and

a parallel-to-serial converter that converts the parallel electric digital signal-components into a serial digital component-type color video signal, and that feeds the serial digital component-type color video signal from the video-signal processing device to a piece of compatible external digital peripheral equipment,

wherein said insulation couplers outputs are split and the at least one kind of analog component-type color video signal is sent to the color-conversion analog matrix and to at least one piece of analog peripheral equipment.

14. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 13, further comprising an electrical-optical converter for converting the serial digital component-type color video signal into a serial optical digital component-type color video signal.

15. A video-signal processing device connectable to a video processor of an electronic endoscope, comprising:

respective insulation couplers that receive at least one kind of analog component-type color video signal comprising at least three electric signal-components, obtained from the electronic endoscope, the respective electric signal-components being a red video signal-component, a green video signal-component, and a blue video signal-component, and said respective insulation couplers electrically insulate all electrical connections of the video processor of the electronic endoscope to said device;

an analog-to-digital converter that converts each of the red, green, and blue video signal-components into a parallel digital color signal-component;

a color-conversion digital matrix that produces a parallel luminance signal-component, and two kinds of parallel color-difference signal-components on the basis of the parallel digital color signal-components; and

a parallel-to-serial converter that converts the parallel luminance signal-component and the two kinds of parallel color difference signal-components into a serial digital component-type color video signal, and that feeds the serial digital component-type color video signal from the video-signal processing device to a piece of compatible external digital peripheral equipment,

wherein said insulation couplers outputs are split and the at least one kind of analog component type color video signal is sent to the analog-to-digital converter and to at least one piece of analog peripheral equipment.

16. A video-signal processing device as set forth in claim 15, further comprising an electrical-optical converter that converts the serial digital component-type color video signal into a serial optical digital component-type color video signal.