Endoscopic imaging system and endoscope system

• US 7,355,625 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Tsunakawa, Makoto, Mochida, Akihiko, Ogasawara, Kotaro, Saito, Katsuyuki, Kusamura, Noboru, Tashiro, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US09/523,332
• Time in Patent Office: 2,951 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/65, 348/68, 348/72, 348/77, 600/109, 330/149
• 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 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 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An imaging apparatus having an imaging device for imaging an object in cooperation with an endoscope is connected to a video processing unit for producing a standard video signal so that it can be disconnected freely. A signal delay occurs over a signal line linking the imaging device and the video processing unit. For this reason, a timing generator and a phase adjustment circuit are incorporated in the imaging apparatus. The timing generator generates driving signals used to drive the imaging device, and the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the driving signals so that an output signal of the imaging device will be input to the video processing unit according to predetermined timing. Even when the signal line has a different length from any other or the imaging device offers a different number of pixels from any other, the difference can be readily coped with owing to the imaging apparatus. This leads to alleviation of a load incurred by the video processing unit.

Claims

1. An endoscopic imaging system comprising:

an endoscope having an insertion unit which is insertable into an object, the insertion unit having an illumination optical system for illuminating the object and an objective optical system for forming an optical image of the illuminated object;

an imaging apparatus having an imaging device for picking up the optical image and outputting an image pick-up signal;

a camera control unit connected to the imaging apparatus, the camera control unit comprising a synchronizing signal generation circuit for generating a synchronizing signal, and a video signal processing circuit for processing the image pick-up signal at a predetermine timing based on the synchronizing signal, to generate a video signal; and

a connector for connecting the imaging apparatus and the camera control unit, the connector being provided to the imaging apparatus and electrically connected to the imaging device via an elongate signal transmission line, the connector including;

a timing signal generation circuit for generating a periodic timing signal according to the type of the imaging device;

a sampling circuit for sampling the image pick-up signal at a predetermined sampling timing according to the timing signal, and outputting the sampled image pick-up signal to the video signal processing circuit;

a phase delay circuit for delaying the phase of the timing signal by a delay amount according to the length of the signal transmission line; and

an imaging device drive circuit for generating a drive signal to drive the imaging device and inputting the generated drive signal to the imaging device based on the timing signal, the phase of which has been delayed by the phase delay circuit.

2. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals so that an output signal of the imaging device to be input to the video processing unit will be in phase with a predetermined timing signal produced in the video processing unit.

3. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 2, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals according to a sampling timing of the sampling circuit.

4. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the imaging apparatus and the video processing unit further has an analog-to-digital conversion circuit for digitizing an analog output signal of the imaging apparatus according to a timing signal generated by the timing signal generation circuit.

5. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the imaging apparatus and the video processing unit further has checking terminals used to check phase differences between the timing signals generated by the timing signal generation circuit and an output signal of the imaging device having passed through the signal transmission line.

6. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals by adjusting a resistance of a variable resistor.

7. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals by adjusting an output voltage of an electronic voltage regulator.

8. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 7, wherein the video processing unit has an electronic voltage regulator voltage setter for setting an output voltage of the electronic voltage regulator.

9. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals by selecting one of a plurality of delay elements connected in tandem.

10. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals by employing a delay device for producing a delay, of which the magnitude is varied depending on an applied voltage.

11. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the endoscope is an optical endoscope having a propagation optical system for propagating the optical image, and the imaging apparatus is a TV camera mounted on the optical endoscope and having the imaging device, which picks up the optical image propagated by the propagation optical system, incorporated therein.

12. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the endoscope is an electronic endoscope having the imaging device located at the position of the image plane of the objective optical system, and the electronic endoscope has the imaging apparatus incorporated therein.

13. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 3, wherein the phase adjustment circuit adjusts the phases of the timing signals, that is, a horizontal driving signal used to horizontally drive the imaging device and a reset signal used to reset the imaging device according to the sampling timing.

14. An endoscopic imaging system comprising:

an optical endoscope having an insertion unit which is insertable into an object, the insertion unit having an illumination optical system for illuminating the object, an objective optical system for forming an optical image of the illuminated object, and a propagation optical system for propagating the optical image;

an imaging apparatus mounted on the optical endoscope and having an imaging device for picking up the optical image of the object propagated by the propagation optical system and outputting an image pick-up signal;

a camera control unit connected to the imaging apparatus, the camera control unit comprising a synchronizing signal generation circuit for generating a synchronizing signal, and a video signal processing circuit for processing the image pick-up signal at a predetermine timing based on the synchronizing signal, to generate a video signal; and

a connector for connecting the imaging apparatus and the camera control unit, the connector being provided to the imaging apparatus and electrically connected to the imaging device via an elongate signal transmission line, the connector including;

a timing signal generation circuit for generating a periodic timing signal according to the type of the imaging device;

a sampling circuit for sampling the image pick-up signal at a predetermined sampling timing according to the timing signal, and outputting the sampled image pick-up signal to the video signal processing circuit;

a phase delay circuit for delaying the phase of the timing signal by a delay amount according to the length of the signal transmission line; and

an imaging device drive circuit for generating a drive signal to drive the imaging device and inputting the generated drive signal to the imaging device based on the timing signal, the phase of which has been delayed by the phase delay circuit.

15. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 14, wherein the connector unit has the timing signal generation circuit and the phase adjustment circuit.

16. An endoscopic imaging system according to claim 14, wherein the camera head has the timing signal generation circuit and the phase adjustment circuit.

17. An endoscopic imaging system comprising:

an electronic endoscope having an insertion unit which is insertable into an object, the insertion unit having an illumination optical system for illuminating the object, an objective optical system for introducing an optical image of the illuminated object, and an imaging device located at the position of the image plane of the objective optical system for picking up the optical image and outputting an image pick-up signal;

a camera control unit connected to the electronic endoscope, the camera control unit comprising a synchronizing signal generation circuit for generating a synchronizing signal, and a video signal processing circuit for processing the image pick-up signal at a predetermine timing based on the synchronizing signal, to generate a video signal; and

a connector for connecting the electronic endoscope and the camera control unit, the connector being provided to the electronic endoscope and electrically connected to the imaging device via an elongate signal transmission line, the connector including;

a timing signal generation circuit for generating a periodic timing signal according to the type of the imaging device based on the synchronizing signal;

a sampling circuit for sampling the image pick-up signal at a predetermined sampling timing according to the timing signal, and outputting the sampled image pick-up signal to the video signal processing circuit;

a phase delay circuit for delaying the phase of the timing signal by a delay amount according to the length of the signal transmission line; and

an imaging device drive circuit for generating a drive signal to drive the imaging device and inputting the generated drive signal to the imaging device based on the timing signal, the phase of which has been delayed by the phase delay circuit.

18. An image apparatus comprising:

an imaging device having an imaging device for picking up an image of an object and generating an image pick-up signal; and

a connector electrically connected to the imaging device via an elongate signal transmission line, the connector including;

a timing signal generation circuit for generating a periodic timing signal according to the type of the imaging device;

a sampling circuit for sampling the image pick-up signal at a predetermined sampling timing according to the timing signal;

a phase delay circuit for delaying the phase of the timing signal by a delay amount according to the length of the signal transmission line; and

an imaging device drive circuit for generating a drive signal to drive the imaging device and inputting the generated drive signal to the imaging device based on the timing signal, the phase of which has been delayed by the phase delay circuit;

wherein the sampling circuit performs the sampling at a timing of a constant phase relation with respect to the image pick-up signal even when the length of the signal transmission line is different.

19. The image apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the imaging device is provided with an endoscope camera head connected to an optical endoscope and picks up an optical image to be displayed by the optical endoscope.

20. The image apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the imaging apparatus is an electronic endoscope having an insertion unit which is insertable into a body cavity, the imaging device being provided at a distal end of the insertion unit.

21. The image apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the sampling circuit samples feedthrough and a signal wave of the image pick-up signal at a timing of a constant phase relation where the feedthrough and the signal wave of the image pick-up signal are inputted.