Color endoscope

Claim 1

In an endoscope of the type having a relatively small viewing head containing a single solid state imaging device for recording light images formed in the viewing region of the head and providing an electrical read-out signal containing the image information, the method of generating a full color standard format video signal including the steps of providing an individual light source for each of the primary colors utilized in the video system at a location that is remote from the viewing head, turning each of the light sources on and off in an ordered sequence, transmitting the light emitted by each source into the viewing region of the head by means of a randomly dispersed bundle of optical fibers whereby image shadowing in the viewing region is minimized, sequentially recording each of the color images on the single solid state imaging device, electrically coupling the read-out signals of the imaging device to a memory, storing the individual color read-out signals in the memory, and periodically forwarding the color signals stored in the memory simultaneously to a processor for combining the color signals into composite signals that are compatible with a standard format color receiver.