Endoscope apparatus and function adjusting circuit for endoscope

• US 7,365,768 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2000
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Murata, Masanao, Ono, Mitsunobu
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US09/483,883
• Time in Patent Office: 3,024 Days
• Field of Search: 348/76, 348/445, 348/220.1, 348/335, 348/458, 348/72, 348/69, 348/45, 348/77, 348/74, 348/68, 348/65, 348/70, 348/376, 348/521, 348/518, 600/152, 600/117, 600/101, 600/139, 600/114, 600/109, 600/112, 600/130, 388/838
• US Class Current: 348/76
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• 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 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An endoscope includes an insert section, a CCD is mounted at the end of the insert section, and a CCU for producing a video signal is arranged in a control unit connected to a proximal end of the insert unit. The CCU includes a general-purpose DSP board having the function of producing a standard video signal, and a function adjustment/expansion circuit board for correcting a signal delay due to the length of a signal line connected to the CCD. The DSP boards and the function adjustment/expansion circuit boards, respectively remaining the same in circuit arrangement, are used for a plurality of types of endoscopes having insert sections having different insertion lengths.

Claims

1. An endoscope, comprising:

an elongated insert section;

a solid-state image pickup device for picking up an image, the solid-state image pickup device being provided to an end portion of the insert section;

a general-purpose video signal processing circuit including a drive signal generating section for generating a drive signal for driving the solid-state image pickup device, and a video signal processing section for producing a standard video signal in response to an output signal outputted from the solid-state image pickup device,

wherein the general-purpose video signal processing circuit is mounted on a first common board along with a first microcomputer that performs operation setting of the general-purpose video signal processing circuit;

an adjusting circuit including a timing adjusting section for performing timing adjustment of the drive signal by receiving and thereafter delaying the drive signal generated by the drive signal generating section in accordance with a delay time and transmitting the delayed drive signal to the solid-state image pickup device such that the output signal to be inputted to the general-purpose video signal processing circuit has a correct timing, and a signal processing adjusting section for adjusting signal processing with respect to the video signal processing section,

wherein the adjusting circuit is mounted on a second common board along with a second microcomputer for controlling the adjusting circuit, and

wherein the first microcomputer is connected to the second microcomputer through an interface; and

a video signal output connector for outputting the standard video signal outputted from the general-purpose video signal processing circuit to an external display unit.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the general-purpose video signal processing circuit and the adjusting circuit are disposed in an operational section arranged at a proximal end of the insert section.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting circuit is mounted on a second common board along with a second microcomputer for controlling the adjusting circuit.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the timing adjusting section comprises a delay amount adjusting circuit which receives the drive signal generated by the drive signal generating section and a signal corresponding to an amount of a delay time and thereafter delays the received drive signal and transmits the delayed drive signal to the solid-state image pickup device.

5. The endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the amount of delay time that the drive signal is delayed by the delay amount adjusting circuit corrects a time delay for the drive signal outputted by the drive signal generating section to be applied to the solid-state image pickup device and a time delay for the output signal outputted from the solid-state image pickup device to be inputted to the video signal processing section, to input the output signal to the video signal processing section at a predetermined timing.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the general-purpose video signal processing circuit comprises a digital signal processor.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the end portion includes a wave shaping circuit for performing wave shaping of the drive signal timing-adjusted by the timing section and applying the wave-shaped drive signal to the solid-state image pickup device.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a light guide for transmitting illumination light, an end portion of the light guide being detachably connected to an external light source device.

9. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing adjusting section comprises a pixel-number signal adjusting section for adjusting signal processing by the video signal processing section compatibly with different numbers of pixels of the solid-state image pickup device.

10. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical bending driving section for controlling bending of a bending portion provided to the insert section.

11. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising an external remote control circuit detachably connected to the endoscope.

12. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the video signal output connector outputs a plurality of standard video signals of different types.

13. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting terminal for a remote control provided outside the endoscope for remote-controlling the general purpose video signal processing circuit.

14. An endoscope comprising:

an elongated insert section;

a solid state image pick up device for picking up an image, and the solid-state image pickup device being provided to an end portion of the insert section;

a general-purpose video processing circuit including a drive signal generating section for generating a drive signal for driving the solid-state image pickup device, and a video signal processing section for producing a standard video signal in response to an output signal outputted from the solid-state image pickup device;

an adjusting circuit including a timing adjusting section for performing timing adjustment of the drive signal generated by the drive signal generating section such that the output signal to be inputted to the general-purpose video processing circuit has a correct timing, and a signal processing adjusting section for adjusting signal processing with respect to the video signal processing section; and

a video signal output connector for outputting the standard video signal outputted from the general-purpose video signal processing circuit to an external display unit;

wherein the general-purpose video signal processing circuit is mounted on a first common board along with a first microcomputer that performs operation setting of the general-purpose video signal processing circuit, the adjusting circuit is mounted on a second common board alone with a second microcomputer for controlling the adjusting circuit, and the first microcomputer is connected to the second microcomputer through an interface.