LED illumination system for endoscopic cameras

• US 6,449,006 B1
• Filed: 09/21/1995
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Surgicon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apollo Camera, LLC
• Inventors: Shipp, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US08/531,424
• Time in Patent Office: 2,546 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, 348/29, 348/65, 348/69-71, 348/76, 348/271, 362/800, 600/101, 600/109
• US Class Current: 348/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An illumination system for an endoscopic camera has a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted to a substrate. The substrate is adapted for attachment at the distal end of the endoscope. Each LED is contained within a reflector cup which directs the angular dispersion of emitted light toward the object to be viewed.

Claims

1. An endoscopic camera in combination with an illumination system comprising:

a. a sheath;

b. illumination means mounted at the distal end of said sheath;

c. a video detector;

d. an objective lens system mounted within said sheath between said illumination means and said video detector; and

e. the illumination means comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a generally concentric pattern surrounding a light transmissive central aperture in the center of said pattern, said central aperture having a central axis aligned with and coaxial with a central axis of said objective lens system and with a central axis of said sheath.

2. The endoscopic camera and illumination system combination of claim 1 further comprising means to activate said illumination means in synchronization with said video detector whereby said illumination means illuminates a body cavity proximate said camera with sequences of colored light.

3. An endoscopic video camera system comprising:

a. an illumination system for sequentially illuminating an object, said illumination system including an illumination means having first, second, and third primary color light sources, said illumination means mounted at the distal end of a camera sheath, the illumination means comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a generally concentric pattern surrounding a light transmissive central aperture, said central aperture having a central coaxially aligned with a central axis of said camera sheath;

b. means for separately and successively activating said first, second, and third primary color light sources for equal standard television field periods;

c. means for focusing a primary color light reflected from said object onto a sensor, said sensor providing a primary color level analog data responsive to the level of said primary color light focused onto said sensor;

d. means for capturing said primary color level analog data from said sensor;

e. A/D converter means for converting said captured primary color level analog data to digital format, thereby providing digitized captured primary color level data;

f. first delay means coupled to the output of said A/D converter means for delaying for a standard television field period said digitized captured primary color level data;

g. second delay means coupled to the output of said first delay means for further delaying for a standard television field period said digitized captured primary color level data;

h. first, second, and third digital-to-analog converter means for converting said digitized captured primary color level data from said A/D converter means, from said first delay means, and from said second delay means, thereby providing reconverted first, second, and third primary color level analog data, said re-converted first, second, and third primary color level analog data representing color television video signals corresponding to said first, second, and third primary colors; and

i. means for successively switching the outputs of said A/D converter means said first delay means, and said second delay means to said first, second, and third digital-to-analog converter means.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising monitor means operatively connected to the outputs of said first, second, and third digital-to-analog converter means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising means for wireless transmission of said primary color level analog data from said sensor to a remote location.

6. A compact light source for illuminating an object while in a body cavity, said light source comprising first, second, and third color LED'"'"'s fixed to a common substrate, said first, second, and third color LED'"'"'s electrically connected to said substrate and to each other in a pattern whereby said first, second and third color LED'"'"'s can be separately operated in a sequential manner;

said first, second, and third color LED'"'"'s arranged in a generally concentric pattern surrounding a light transmissive aperture centrally disposed in said substrate in the center of said pattern and said substrate and aperture having a central axis coaxial with a central axis of an objective lens system of an endoscopic camera used in conjunction with said compact light source.

7. The light source of claim 6, further comprising circuit means to operate said first and second color LED'"'"'s simultaneously whereby chrominance and luminance color video signals can be generated from light reflected from the object being viewed.

8. An endoscopic video camera system comprising:

a. a video camera mounted at the proximal end of an endoscope; and

b. illumination means for emitting light from said system toward an object be viewed within a body cavity, said illumination means mounted within the distal end of said endoscope, said illumination means comprising a plurality of LED'"'"'s mounted to a ceramic substrate in an annular pattern surrounding an aperture centrally formed in said pattern and in said substrate whereby said substrate and aperture have a central axis coaxially aligned with a central axis of said endoscope.

9. The camera system of claim 8 further comprising means for re-directing light emitted from the edges of each of said LED'"'"'s toward the object to be viewed.

10. A video camera for viewing objects in a body cavity, the camera comprising:

a. light source means to illuminate the object with light;

b. video sensor means to electronically capture the light reflected from the object and to generate video data representing an image of the object;

c. an optical lens system having a distal and a proximal end, the proximal end adjacent to the video sensor means;

d. transmitter means for wireless transmission of the video data from the video sensor means to a remote receiver; and

e. the optical lens system enclosed in an optical head of the camera, the optical head having a shape and size whereby the head can be endoscopically inserted and positioned within the body cavity, the light source positioned in the optical head and comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a generally concentric pattern surrounding a light transmissive central aperture in the center of said pattern, said central aperture and said pattern of light emitting diodes having a central axis coaxially aligned with a central axis of the optical lens system.

11. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light source means is positioned at a distal end of the optical lens system and within the optical head.

12. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light source means is located in a camera body separated from the optical head, the camera further comprising a fiberoptic connection between the light source means and the optical head.

13. The camera of either claims 11 or 12 further comprising means to digitize the video data before it is transmitted to the remote receiver.

14. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light source means comprises a light emitting device and at least one color filter.

15. The video camera of claim 10 further comprising means for controlling light angularly emitted from the light emitting diodes.

16. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light source means comprises a xenon bulb.

17. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light source means comprises means for sequentially illuminating the object with light from separately activated first, second, and third primary color light emitting devices.