ENDOSCOPE

• US 20070112247A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: HIRATA, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

An endoscope that has an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object and an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion, and that observes the interior of the object via the image pickup device, includes: a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit.

Claims

1. An endoscope that has an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object and an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion, and that observes the interior of the object via the image pickup device, comprising:

a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object;

a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and

an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the alternating conduction control unit alternatingly switches power conduction between the first LED unit and the second LED unit at regular time intervals.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein there is further provided a temperature detecting device that detects temperatures, and, when a detection signal from the temperature detecting device reaches a predetermined threshold value that has been set in advance, the alternating conduction control unit switches conduction to the first LED unit or the second LED unit.

4. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the temperature detecting device is provided adjacent to the LED chip.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein there are further provided:

an acceleration detecting device that is provided in the insertion portion and detects a rate of acceleration of the insertion portion; and

a simultaneous conduction control unit that conducts power simultaneously to the first LED unit and the second LED unit, and the driving of the alternating conduction control unit or the simultaneous conduction control unit is switched in accordance with an output from the acceleration detecting device.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein:

the first LED unit is provided with a plurality of first LED chips;

the second LED unit is provided with a plurality of second LED chips; and

the first LED chips and the second LED chips are placed in the insertion portion so as to alternate in the circumferential direction of the insertion portion.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein there is further provided a constant current supply device that is provided in the first LED unit and the second LED unit, and that supplies current of a fixed magnitude.

8. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion that is inserted into an object;

an illumination device that illuminates the object;

an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion;

a display device that displays an image that has been picked up by the image pickup device;

a detecting device that detects a usage environment or a usage state of the insertion portion; and

a brightness altering device that alters a brightness of an image that is displayed on the display device in accordance with a result of a detection by the detecting device.

9. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein there is further provided an adaptor for an endoscope that is removably provided in the insertion portion, and the detecting device is provided in either the insertion portion or the endoscope adaptor.

10. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the brightness altering device is provided with a light amount adjusting device that adjusts an amount of light from the illumination device.

11. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein there is further provided a diaphragm mechanism that adjusts an amount of reflection light from the object that enters into the insertion portion, and the brightness altering device is provided with a diaphragm control unit that controls the driving of the diaphragm mechanism.

12. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein there is further provided a diaphragm mechanism that adjusts an amount of reflection light from the object that enters into the insertion portion, and the brightness altering device is provided with:

a light amount adjusting device that adjusts an amount of light from the illumination device;

a diaphragm control unit that controls the driving of the diaphragm mechanism; and

a joint control unit that jointly controls the light amount adjusting device in conjunction with the diaphragm control unit in accordance with a result of a detection by the detecting device.

13. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the detecting device is provided with a temperature sensor that detects a temperature around the illumination device.

14. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the detecting device is provided with a light amount sensor that detects an amount of reflection light from the object that enters into the insertion portion.

15. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the detecting device is provided with a distance sensor that detects a distance between the insertion portion and the object.

16. The endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the detecting device is provided with an acceleration sensor that detects a rate of acceleration of the insertion portion.

17. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object;

a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object;

a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and

an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit;

an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion;

a display device that displays an image that has been picked up by the image pickup device;

a detecting device that detects a usage environment or a usage state of the insertion portion; and

a brightness altering device that alters a brightness of an image that is displayed on the display device in accordance with a result of a detection by the detecting device.