Endoscope apparatus

• US 7,800,656 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujinon Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazunori, Takeuchi, Shinji, Ayame, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US11/356,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/45, 348 65- 72, 348/231.1, 348/231.6, 600/109, 600/118
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus comprises: an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms color image signals of a body to be observed; a Y/C signal processing circuit that forms brightness/color difference signals from a color image signal obtained by the imaging device; a storage portion that stores Y/C matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the brightness/color difference signals; and a Y/C spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the Y/C matrix data of the storage portion and the brightness/color difference signals output from the Y/C signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of an arbitrarily selected wavelength range.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms color image signals of a body to be observed;

a Y/C signal processing circuit that forms brightness/color difference signals from a color image signal obtained by the imaging device;

a first storage portion that stores Y/C matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the brightness/color difference signals; and

a Y/C spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the Y/C matrix data of the storage portion and the brightness/color difference signals output from the Y/C signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of an arbitrarily selected wavelength range.

2. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope comprising an imaging device that forms color image signals of a body to be observed;

an image signal processing circuit comprising one of (i) a Y/C signal processing circuit that forms brightness/color difference signals from a color image signal obtained from the imaging device and (ii) an RGB signal processing circuit that forms RGB signals from a color image signal obtained from the imaging device;

a first storage portion that stores Y/C matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the brightness/color difference signals;

a Y/C spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the Y/C matrix data of the storage portion and the brightness/color difference signals output from the Y/C signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of a first arbitrarily selected wavelength range;

a second storage portion that stores RGB matrix data for forming a spectral image based on the RGB signals; and

an RGB spectral image forming circuit that conducts matrix calculation by the RGB matrix data of the storage portion and the RGB signals output from the RGB signal processing circuit and forms a spectral image of a second arbitrarily selected wavelength range,

wherein either the Y/C spectral image forming circuit or the RGB spectral image forming circuit can be selected.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, which comprises a processor unit detachably connected to the endoscope,

wherein the image signal processing circuit is disposed in the endoscope,

both of the Y/C spectral image forming circuit and the RGB spectral image forming circuit are disposed in the processor unit, and

in the processor unit, either the Y/C spectral image forming circuit or the RGB spectral image forming circuit is selected based on an identification information on the endoscope.