Electroendoscope apparatus

Claim 1

An electroendoscope apparatus which uses a plurality of types of electroendoscopes having solid-state imaging devices of different specifications and which performs signal processing in conformity with a plurality of signal processing systems, comprising: video memory means supplied with an output signal from any of said solid-state imaging devices, said video memory means being used commonly for said plurality of types of electroendoscopes and for said plurality of signal processing systems; signal processing means connected to said video memory means said signal processing means having a memory control function for writing in and reading from said video memory means, and a signal processing function for processing signals written in and read from said video memory means, said signal processing means comprising a plurality of programmable logic elements consisting of a field programmable gate array; means for recording circuit formation data for rearranging the formation of said programmable logic elements, said circuit formation data corresponding to at least one of said plurality of types of electroendoscopes and said plurality of signal processing systems being recorded in said means, and said circuit formation data being used for rearranging said programmable logic elements so as to render operative said memory control function and said signal processing function; and control means for rearranging the formation of said programmable logic elements in said signal processing means based on said circuit formation data, said control means being used for rearranging the formation of said programmable logic elements based on said circuit formation data corresponding to the type of the electroendoscope connected to said electroendoscope apparatus and the signal processing system, thereby to form a signal processing circuit exclusively used for said signal processing means, wherein said field programmable gate array in said signal processing means is adaptable for processing signals of solid state imaging devices which vary in a plurality of different specification parameters, including number of pixels, wherein said field programmable gate array in said signal processing means is adaptable for processing signals of both a surface sequential imaging system and a simultaneous imaging system, and wherein said field programmable gate array in said signal processing means is adaptable for processing signals of both a PAL TV system and an NTSC TV system.