Endoscope system including a communications function

• US 7,048,686 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kameya, Takayuki, Mizuno, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/183,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/103, 600/109, 600/102, 600/160, 600/179, 600/178, 600/118, 600/158, 600/181, 348/65, 348/68, 348/71, 348/74, 348/76
• US Class Current: 600/179
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements

Abstract

An endoscope system has an electronic endoscope, a signal processing section and a data transmitting and receiving section. The electronic endoscope has an image pickup element at a distal end portion of an insert section thereof to be inserted in a body. The other end portion of the endoscope is located outside the body. The signal processing section processes an image signal obtained by the image pickup element. The data transmitting and receiving section transmits and receives data to and from a network environment by radio.

Claims

1. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope including a section insertable into a body, a holding section to be arranged outside the body and connected to the section insertable into the body to control the same, and an image pickup element which picks up an image inside the body;

a processing device which processes a signal obtained through the image pickup element and generates an image signal;

an image display system physically removed from the endoscope;

a white LED light source arranged in the endoscope;

a color compensating filter, located in front of at least one of the image pickup element and the white LED light source, for compensating for a light component that has high emission intensity in the emission spectrum of the white LED light source; and

a data transmitting and receiving device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data associated with the image signal over a network environment set outside the body;

with

the image display system receiving the data from the network environment and displaying an image corresponding to the image inside the body picked up by the image pickup element.

2. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the data transmitting and receiving device transmits and receives data in conformity with a standard for bi-directional communications by radio among various apparatuses in a frequency band that can be used without a license.

3. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device includes a memory device having a memory medium for storing the signal obtained through the image pickup element.

4. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the memory medium is detachably inserted in the processing device.

5. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the memory medium includes a writable memory medium.

6. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the memory medium includes a rewritable memory medium.

7. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the memory medium includes a memory card.

8. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device includes a data input/output terminal connected to a network environment.

9. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising an LED light source arranged in the endoscope.

10. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the color compensating filter comprises a yellow compensating filter for compensating for blue.

11. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup element comprises a CMOS imager.

12. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising wherein the image display system comprises a head-mount display which receives the image signal generated by the processing device via the data transmitting and receiving device and displays an image.

13. An endoscope system according to claim 12, wherein the head-mount display comprises an earphone and a microphone.

14. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope including a section insertable into a body, a holding section arranged outside the body and connected to the section insertable into the body to control the same, and an image pickup element which picks up an image inside the body;

a processing device which processes a signal obtained through the image pickup element and generates an image signal;

an image display system physically removed from the endoscope;

a data transmitting and receiving device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data associated with the image signal over a network environment set outside the body;

with

the image display system receiving the data from the network environment and displaying an image corresponding to the image inside the body picked up by the image pickup element;

a radio unit which transmits the image signal generated by the processing device;

a pump to supply and/or suck air and water through the endoscope;

a bottle containing water to be supplied;

a bottle to receive matter sucked up from a body cavity; and

a belt which detachably attaches at least one of the radio unit, the pump and the bottles to an inspector'"'"'s body.

15. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope including a section insertable into a body, a holding section arranged outside the body and connected to the section insertable into the body to control the same, and an image pickup element which picks up an image inside the body;

a processing device which processes a signal obtained through the image pickup element and generates an image signal;

an image display system physically removed from the endoscope;

a data transmitting and receiving device configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data associated with the image signal over a network environment set outside the body;

with

the image display system receiving the data from the network environment and displaying an image corresponding to the image inside the body picked up by the image pickup element;

a radio unit which transmits image data obtained by the image pickup element;

a pump to supply and/or suck air and water through the endoscope;

a bottle containing water to be supplied;

a bottle to receive matter sucked up from a body cavity; and

a belt which detachably attaches at least one of the radio unit, the pump and the bottles to an inspector'"'"'s body.

16. An endoscope system comprising:

an electronic endoscope including an insert section having a distal end portion to be inserted in a body, an image pickup element arranged at the distal end portion, and a holding section which is connected to the insert section, to be arranged outside the body and held by an inspector; and

a control unit detachably attached to the holding section,

the control unit comprising;

a light source device which is introduced into the body along with the endoscope and emits illuminating light for illuminating an inside of the body, wherein the light source device is a white LED light source arranged in the endoscope;

a color compensating filter, located in front of at least one of the image pickup element and the white LED light source, for compensating for a light component that has high emission intensity in the emission spectrum of the white LED light source;

a processing device which processes an image signal obtained by the image pickup element and generates image data;

a data transmitting device configured to transmitting by radio the image data generated by the processing device; and

an image display system receiving the image data by radio and displaying an image corresponding to the image signal obtained by the image pickup element.

17. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the data transmitting device transmits and receives data in conformity with a standard for bi-directional communications by radio among various apparatuses in a frequency band that can be used without a license.

18. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the processing device includes a memory device having a memory medium for storing the image data.

19. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein the memory medium is physically detachably inserted in the processing device.

20. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein the memory medium includes a writable memory medium.

21. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein the memory medium includes a rewritable versatile memory medium.

22. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein the memory medium includes a memory card.

23. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the processing device includes a data input/output terminal connected to a network environment.

24. An endoscope system according to claim 16, further comprising an LED light source arranged in the endoscope.

25. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the color compensating filter comprises a yellow compensating filter for compensating for blue.

26. An endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit includes a memory device for storing a signal obtained by the image pickup element.

27. An endoscope system comprising:

an electronic endoscope including an insert section having a distal end portion to be inserted in a body, a holding section to be arranged outside the body, which is connected to the insert section, an image pickup element arranged at the distal end portion, a white LED light source arranged in the endoscope, and a color compensating filter, located in front of at least one of the image pickup element and the white LED light source, for compensating for a light component that has high emission intensity in the emission spectrum of the white LED light source; and

a processor unit mountable on a side portion of a subject'"'"'s bed,

the processor unit comprising;

a processing device which processes a signal obtained by the image pickup element and generates image data;

an image display system physically removed from the endoscope;

a data transmitting and receiving device for wirelessly transmitting and receiving by radio the image data generated by the processing device to and from a network environment; and

the image display system receiving the data from the network environment and displaying an image corresponding to the signal obtained by the image pickup element.

28. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the data transmitting and receiving device transmits and receives data in conformity with a standard for bi-directional communications by radio among various apparatuses in a frequency band that can be used without a license.

29. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the processing device includes a memory device having a memory medium for storing the signal obtained through the image pickup element, and the memory medium is physically detachably inserted in the processing device.

30. An endoscope system according to claim 29, wherein the memory medium includes a writable memory medium.

31. An endoscope system according to claim 29, wherein the memory medium includes a rewritable versatile memory medium.

32. An endoscope system according to claim 29, wherein the memory medium includes a memory card.

33. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the processing device includes a data input/output terminal connected to a network environment.

34. An endoscope system according to claim 27, further comprising an LED light source arranged in the endoscope.

35. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the color compensating filter comprises a yellow compensating filter for compensating for blue.

36. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the image pickup element comprises a CMOS imager.

37. An endoscope system according to claim 27, wherein the image display system comprises a head-mount display having a receiving device for receiving the image signal, and an earphone and a microphone which allow conversation.

38. An endoscope system comprising:

an electronic endoscope including an insert section having a distal end portion to be inserted in a body, a holding section arranged outside the body, which is connected to the insert section, and an image pickup element arranged at the distal end portion; and

a processor unit mountable on a side portion of a subject'"'"'s bed,

the processor unit comprising;

a processing device which processes a signal obtained by the image pickup element and generates image data;

an image display system physically removed from the endoscope;

a data transmitting and receiving device for wirelessly transmitting and receiving by radio the image data generated by the processing device to and from a network environment;

with

the image display system receiving the data from the network environment and displaying an image corresponding to the signal obtained by the image pickup element;

a radio unit which transmits image data obtained by the image pickup element;

a pump to supply and/or suck air and water through the distal end portion of the endoscope;

a bottle containing water to be supplied; and

a bottle to receive matter sucked up from a body cavity,

at least one of the radio unit, the pump and the bottles being detachably attached to an inspector'"'"'s waist portion.