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Electronic endoscope with three-dimensional image capturing device

  • US 6,933,962 B2
  • Filed: 12/18/2001
  • Issued: 08/23/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An electronic endoscope provided with a three-dimensional image capturing device, comprising:

  • a housing;

    a distance-measuring light source that outputs a distance-measuring light beam, which is a pulsed light beam and which is irradiated to a subject so that a first reflected light beam is generated by said subject;

    a distance-measurement imaging device that receives said first reflected light beam, to accumulate electric charges in accordance with the received amount of said first reflected light beam;

    a flexible tube that is connected to said housing, and that has an optic fiber along which at least one of said distance-measuring light beam and said first reflected light beam is transmitted; and

    a three-dimensional image sensing processor that controls the accumulating operation of said distance-measurement imaging device in accordance with the length of said fiber, to generate electric charges corresponding to a three-dimensional image of said subject.

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