Electronic endoscope apparatus which stores image data on recording medium

• US 7,255,676 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Higuchi, Mitsuru, Iketani, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker; John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/973,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/118, 348/65, 348/74, 348/76
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• 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

Abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus which records image data of an object under observation on a recording medium has an image storage memory capable of storing current image data for at least one examination in response to an image capture command and transfers the image data from the image storage memory to the recording medium and erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture during the next examination after an electronic scope is turned on. The image data stored in the image storage memory may also be erased at the time of the first image capture after new patient data is inputted or after the number of recorded images is reset.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope apparatus, comprising:

a solid state image pickup device mounted on an electronic scope;

an image storage memory which temporarily stores current examination image data obtained by the solid state image pickup device in response to an image capture command;

a media drive which records the examination image data stored in the image storage memory on a recording medium; and

a control circuit which transfers the image data from the image storage memory to the recording medium and erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture during the next examination;

wherein the control circuit erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture after the electronic scope is turned on.

2. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, the electronic endoscope apparatus comprising an electronic scope and a processor unit, wherein:

the processor unit is equipped with an examination start/stop switch which turns on and off only the power supply of the electronic scope, separately from a processor main power switch; and

the control circuit erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture after the scope power supply is turned on by the examination start/stop switch.

3. An electronic endoscope apparatus, comprising:

a solid state image pickup device mounted on an electronic scope;

an image storage memory which temporarily stores current examination image data obtained by the solid state image pickup device in response to an image capture command;

a media drive which records the examination image data stored in the image storage memory on a recording medium; and

a control circuit which transfers the image data from the image storage memory to the recording medium and erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture during the next examination;

wherein the control circuit erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture after new patient data is inputted.

4. An electronic endoscope apparatus, comprising:

a solid state image pickup device mounted on an electronic scope;

an image storage memory which temporarily stores current examination image data obtained by the solid state image pickup device in response to an image capture command;

a media drive which records the examination image data stored in the image storage memory on a recording medium; and

a control circuit which transfers the image data from the image storage memory to the recording medium and erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture during the next examination;

wherein the control circuit erases the image data stored in the image storage memory at the time of the first image capture after the number of recorded images is reset.