Lighting device for endoscope and endoscope device

• US 8,858,429 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizuyoshi, Akira, Saito, Takaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Application Number:
  US13/382,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 600/178, 600/180, 600/182, 600/118, 362/574
• US Class Current: 600/180
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/063 for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0653 with wavelength conversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence

Abstract

A lighting device includes first and second light sources, a wavelength converting member and a light quantity ratio changing unit. A first light source uses a semiconductor light emitting device as an emission source. A second light source uses, as an emission source, a semiconductor light emitting device of a different emission wavelength from the first light source. A wavelength converting member is excited for light emission by light emitted from at least one of the first light source and the second light source. The light quantity ratio changing unit changing a light quantity ratio between the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted from the second light source.

Claims

1. An endoscope device that emits illumination light from a tip portion of an endoscope insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity and outputs an observation image of an observation target region, the endoscope device comprising:

a first light source that includes, as an emission source, a semiconductor light emitting device that emits blue light;

a second light source that uses, as an emission source, another semiconductor light emitting device that emits violet light;

a wavelength converting member that absorbs a part of the light emitted from the first light source to emit excited light so that white light is generated by combining the excited light and the blue light that is not absorbed by but passes through the wavelength converting member;

a light quantity ratio changing unit that changes a light quantity ratio between the light emitted from the first light source and the light emitted from the second light source; and

an imaging device, included in the endoscope insertion section, that captures the observation image of the observation target region irradiated with the illumination light and that outputs a picture signal of the observation image including blood vessel information,

wherein the plurality of light sources including the first and second light sources are simultaneously turned on, and

wherein the light quantity ratio changing unit changes the light quantity ratio so that as a component of the light emitted from the second light source in all components of the illumination light is increased, the observation image becomes an image in which information of a blood vessel included in a thin depth region of a mucosal surface layer of an organism tissue of the observation target region is enhanced, and as the component of the light emitted from the second light source is decreased, the observation image becomes an image in which information of a blood vessel included in a wide depth region spread from the mucosal surface layer to a deeper layer is shown.

2. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor light emitting device of at least one of the first light source and the second light source has an emission wavelength of 400 nm to 470 nm.

3. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 2,

wherein the emission wavelength of one of the first light source and the second light source is set to a shorter wavelength than a maximum peak wavelength of an absorption wavelength band of hemoglobin and the emission wavelength of the other is set to a longer wavelength than the maximum peak wavelength.

4. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one third light source that uses, as an emission source, a semiconductor light emitting device of a different emission wavelength from the first and second light sources, with the emission wavelengths being different among the light sources.

5. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical coupling unit that is disposed on an optical path extending from the first light source to the wavelength converting member and that guides the light emitted from at least the second light source together with the light emitted from the first light source to the wavelength converting member.

6. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 1,

wherein the light quantity ratio changing unit changes quantities of the light emitted from the light sources independently.

7. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit that is input light quantity ratio information specifying a desired light quantity ratio,

wherein the light quantity ratio changing unit respectively determines the quantities of the light emitted from the light sources for attaining the desired light quantity ratio based on the light quantity ratio information input to the input unit.

8. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 7, further comprising:

a memory unit that stores a light quantity ratio table listing key information in relation to a plurality of light quantity ratios,

wherein the light quantity ratio information includes the key information, and

the light quantity ratio changing unit determines the desired light quantity ratio by referring to the light quantity ratio table based on the key information included in the light quantity ratio information input through the input unit.

9. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 8,

wherein the key information comprises identification information of an operator of an endoscope device.

10. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 8,

wherein the key information comprises individual identification information of an endoscope device.

11. The endoscope device for an endoscope according to claim 8,

wherein the input unit comprises a change-over switch for specifying any of the plurality of light quantity ratios listed in the light quantity ratio table.

12. The endoscope device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source controlling unit that allows at least the first light source and the second light source to emit light within one frame of the picture signal of the imaging device.

13. The endoscope device according to claim 12,

wherein the light source controlling unit allows at least the first light source and the second light source to emit light at different timing within one frame of the picture signal of the imaging device.

14. The endoscope device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image processing unit that generates a display observation image based on the picture signal output from the imaging device; and

a displaying unit that displays information including the display observation image.

15. The endoscope device according to claim 14,

wherein the displaying unit simultaneously displays, in one screen:

first image information obtained under visible light including the light emitted from the first light source and excited light emitted from the wavelength converting member; and

second image information obtained under illumination light including the light emitted from the second light source in addition to the visible light.

16. The endoscope device according to claim 14,

wherein the displaying unit simultaneously displays, in an overlapped manner:

first image information obtained under visible light including the light emitted from the first light source and excited light emitted from the wavelength converting member; and

second image information obtained under illumination light including the light emitted from the second light source in addition to the visible light.

17. The endoscope device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory unit that stores information including the observation image output from the image processing unit,

wherein the memory unit stores the observation image in relation to the light quantity ratio.