Signal output board and endoscope

• US 8,212,863 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yasuhiro, Okawa, Fumiyuki, Hashimoto, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pe, Geepy
• Application Number:
  US12/946,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65, 348/76, 348/77
• US Class Current: 348/76
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• 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: 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 25/71 Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors

Abstract

A signal output board includes: a drive signal generation section configured to generate a drive signal for a CCD; an inverse signal generation section configured to generate an inverse signal by inverting a phase of the drive signal from the drive signal generation section; a first signal transmission line portion configured to transmit the drive signal from the drive signal generation section; a second signal transmission line portion configured to transmit the inverse signal from the inverse signal generation section, at least part of the second signal transmission line portion being arranged in parallel to and adjacent to the first signal transmission line portion; an output end portion configured to output the drive signal transmitted by the first signal transmission line portion, to the outside; and an equivalent load section including a load equivalent to a transmission path for the drive signal from the output end portion to the electronic device, the equivalent load section being connected to an end portion of the second signal transmission line portion.

Claims

1. A signal output board comprising:

a drive signal generation section configured to generate a drive signal for an electronic device;

an inverse signal generation section configured to generate an inverse signal by inverting a phase of the drive signal from the drive signal generation section;

a first signal transmission line portion configured to transmit the drive signal from the drive signal generation section;

a second signal transmission line portion configured to cancel noise emitted by the first signal transmission line portion by transmitting the inverse signal from the inverse signal generation section along at least a part of the second signal transmission line portion arranged in parallel with and adjacent to the first signal transmission line portion;

an output end portion configured to output the drive signal transmitted by the first signal transmission line portion to an outside; and

an equivalent load section including a load equivalent to a transmission path for the drive signal from the output end portion to the electronic device, the equivalent load section being connected to an end portion of the second signal transmission line portion.

2. The signal output board according to claim 1, wherein the second signal transmission line portion is arranged in parallel to and adjacent to the first signal transmission line portion at a plurality of positions.

3. The signal output board according to claim 1,

wherein the signal output board includes a multilayer printed circuit board including a plurality of conductor layers;

and

wherein the second signal transmission line portion is arranged in a three-dimensional manner on a different conductor layer from the conductor layer on which the first signal transmission line portion is arranged.

4. The signal output board according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal generation section includes a timing signal generation section configured to generate a timing signal, and a signal amplification section configured to amplify the timing signal.

5. The signal output board according to claim 1, wherein the transmission path for the drive signal from the output end portion to the electronic device includes a cable.

6. The signal output board according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a solid-state image pickup device provided at a distal end portion of an electronic endoscope;

and the signal output board is provided inside a connector of the electronic endoscope, the connector being connected to an electronic endoscope body portion.

7. The signal output board according to claim 6, wherein the electronic endoscope includes a metal member having a ground potential in an operation section, and the cable is arranged adjacent to the metal member.

8. The signal output board according to claim 1,

wherein the electronic device includes a solid-state image pickup device provided at a distal end portion of an electronic endoscope;

and

wherein the signal output board is provided in an operation section of the electronic endoscope.

9. The signal output board according to claim 6,

wherein the electronic endoscope includes a plurality of the solid-state image pickup devices;

and

wherein the signal output board is provided together with another signal output board configured to output the drive signal.

10. The signal output board according to claim 9, wherein the signal output board outputs a drive signal having a phase that is an inverse of a phase of the drive signal outputted by the other signal output board.

11. The signal output board according to claim 1, comprising a ground portion configured to ground the equivalent load section.

12. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion including an image pickup device at a distal end portion thereof;

an operation section;

a universal cord;

a connector; and

a signal output board comprising;

a drive signal generation section configured to generate a drive signal for an electronic device;

an inverse signal generation section configured to generate an inverse signal by inverting a phase of the drive signal from the drive signal generation section;

a first signal transmission line portion configured to transmit the drive signal from the drive signal generation section;

a second signal transmission line portion configured to cancel noise emitted by the first signal transmission line portion by transmitting the inverse signal from the inverse signal generation section along at least a part of the second signal transmission line portion arranged in parallel with and adjacent to the first signal transmission line portion;

an output end portion configured to output the drive signal transmitted by the first signal transmission line portion to an outside; and

an equivalent load section including a load equivalent to a transmission path for the drive signal from the output end portion to the electronic device, the equivalent load section being connected to an end portion of the second signal transmission line portion,

wherein the signal output board is disposed in the operation section or the connector.