Device for measuring the actual dimension of an object at the forward end portion of an endoscope

Claim 2

In a device for measuring the actual dimension of an object in the field of view available by an endoscope having a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion of a living body or the like for the inspection thereof, a control housing and an elongated tube connecting said forward end portion to said control housing, an objective lens system of fixed focal length arranged in said forward end portion, an image transmitting optical system such as a fiber optical system extending from said forward end portion through said elongated tube to said control housing thereby permitting an image of the object focused by said objective lens system onto the forward end of said image transmitting optical system to be transmitted therethrough to the rearward end thereof so as to be viewed through an ocular means provided in said control housing, said device further comprising focus adjusting means for said objective lens system, wherein the improvement comprIses sizing means having movable members adapted to be moved to define the contour of the object as viewed within the field of view through said ocular means the dimension of which is to be measured, a differential mechanism differentially coupling said sizing means with said focus adjusting means so as to detect the amount of the resultant movement of said differential mechanism, and an indicating means operatively coupled with said differential mechanism so as to be actuated thereby in accordance with said detected resultant movement of said differential mechanism, thereby permitting the actual dimension of the object within the field of view to be directly indicated by means of said indicating means regardless of the variation in the apparent dimension of the object within the field of view as viewed through said ocular means occurring when the distance of the object from the forward end portion of the endoscope is varied.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein the sizing means comprises a caliper having measuring spaced pointers.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein the sizing means comprises a pair of blades pivotally mounted in symmetrical relation to each other, the blades provided with cut out portions adapted for size measurement.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 wherein the sizing means comprises an iris disphragm.

Claim 6

In a device for measuring the actual dimension of an object in the field of view available by an endoscope having a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion of a living body or the like for the inspection thereof, a control housing and an elongated tube connecting said forward end portion to said control housing, an objective lens system of fixed focal length arranged in said forward end portion, an image transmitting optical system such as a fiber optical system extending from said forward end portion through said elongated tube to said control housing thereby permitting an image of the object focused by said objective lens system provided in said forward end portion onto the forward end of said image transmitting optical system to be transmitted therethrough to the rearward end thereof so as to be viewed through an ocular means provided in said control housing, said device further comprising distance measuring means for determining the distance of the object from the forward end portion of the endoscope, wherein the improvement comprises sizing means having movable members adapted to be moved to define the contour of the object as viewed within the field of view through said ocular means the dimension of which is to be measured, a differential mechanism differentially coupling said sizing means with said distance measuring means so as to detect the amount of the resultant movement of said differential mechanism, and an indicating means operatively coupled with said differential mechanism so as to be actuated thereby in accordance with said detected resultant movement of said differential mechanism, thereby permitting the actual dimension of the object within the field of view to be directly indicated by means of said indicating means regardless of the variation in the apparent dimension of the object within the field of view as viewed through said ocular means occurring when the distance of the object from the forward end portion of the endoscope is varied.

Claim 7

In a device for measuring the actual dimension of an object in the field of view available by an endoscope having a forward end portion adapted to be inserted into a hollow portion of a living body or the like for the inspection thereof, a control housing and an elongated tube connecting said forward end portion to said control housing, an objective lens system of fixed focal length arranged in said forward end portion, an image transmitting optical system such as a fiber optical system extending from said forward end portion through said elongated tube to said control housing thereby permitting an image of the object focused by said objective lens system provided in said forward end portion onto the forward end of said image transmitting optical system to be transmitted therethrough to the rearward end thereof so as to be viewed through an ocular means provided in said control housing, said device further comprising distance measuring means for determining the distance of the object from the forward end portion of the endoscope, wherein the improvement comprises sizing means having movable members adapted to be moved to define the contour of the object as viewed within the field of view through said ocular means the dimension of which is to be measured, a differential mechanism differentially coupling said sizing means with said distance measuring means so as to detect the amount of the resultant movement of said differential mechanism, and an indicating means operatively coupled with said differential mechanism so as to be actuated thereby in accordance with said detected resultant movement of said differential mechanism, thereby permitting the actual dimension of the object within the field of view to be directly indicated by means of said indicating means regardless of the variation in the apparent dimension of the object within the field of view as viewed through said ocular means occurring when the distance of the object from the forward end portion of the endoscope is varied.

Claim 8

The device of claim 5 wherein the distance measuring means comprises at least one light beam having substantially parallel rays of light emitted from the forward end of the endoscope within the field of view.